It worked. Mr Bennett passed the exam and eventually graduated from Exeter College with a first-class degree in history. But he admitted that, although he had unconsciously stumbled upon an effective technique for passing exams, ‘ever since then I’d felt I was a fraud, that I wasn’t as clever as I seemed to be’. The History Boys was thus written out of what he described as ‘a mild sense of guilt’.
The play revolves around a group of sixth-form lads gearing up for an Oxbridge entrance exam in the 1980s. There are plenty of opportunities for all the larky, leg-pulling humor you’d expect from quick-witted, highly opinionated, and boisterous teenagers. However, Mr. Bennett’s guilt excision, such as it is, seems to have been reflected in two of the teachers who, without pushing the point too far, might represent the playwright’s alter egos.
This story is from the September 01, 2021 edition of Country Life UK.
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This story is from the September 01, 2021 edition of Country Life UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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A Nose for Nature -With an uncanny ability to detect elusive species in the wild, dogs are poised to play a vital role in conservation and biosecurity.
Ꮓiba seems to be the perfect colleague: hard-working, efficient and fun to be around. However, Ziba isn't a person; she's a conservation detection dog, especially trained to sniff out the presence of rare bats and birds. The sixyear-old German shorthaired pointer is one of an increasing number of dogs helping to conserve wildlife. Similar to sniffer dogs employed to detect drugs or explosives, these detection dogs are using their extraordinary sense of smell to identify anything from great crested newts to pine martens.
Duck and Cover - With a comical and heart-warming call, the eider or 'cuddy duck' is a convivial bird that was highly favoured and protected by Northumberland's patron saint, says
Anyone who has spent time on the rugged, castle-fringed coast of Northumberland will be familiar with the call of the eider duck. The male emits a fluty 'ahoooh' that sounds amazed and a little censorious. The female responds with a throaty cackle-Dame Barbara Windsor to the drake's Kenneth Williams, if you like. There's something good humoured, fond and comforting in the eiders' calling. It evokes feelings of nostalgia even in those hearing it for the first time.
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