In 63-64 I studied "The Mayor of Casterbridge" for 'O' Level Literature. I was stunned by Hardy's writing and description of human endeavour, love, folly, sorrow and frailty. Sometime in summer 1964 I met up with Dick Woollett in London and we went to see "Far From The Madding Crowd", which had just come out. I can't remember seeing any other film which moved me as much - perhaps "The Adventures of Robin Hood" when I was a young boy of maybe 9.

I have watched it twice once more in the last two weeks; it being free online was helpful! I was stunned once again. It is in some ways similar to "The Mayor of Casterbridge" in setting and themes but much deeper and more passionate. Everything about this film is just so brilliant: the setting, the music by the wonderful Richard Rodney Bennett, the themes of love, passion, loyalty, betrayal, sorrow and tragedy. And while I rarely see a film without excellent casting and directing, the main actors in this film were just stupendous. Peter Finch, Alan Bates, Terence Stamp and of course the divine Julie Christie - but ALL the minor players were just awesome, even the farmhands. I loved in particular Prunella Ransome as the tragic Fanny Robin. Equally tragic was Prunella's own death from oesophagal cancer in 2002 aged only 59.

I am pretty sure that overall this is the best film I have ever watched, though I am not sure if it is rational to choose a "best" film from so many masterpieces. I mean, "Casablanca", "The Longest Day", "Alien, "Bladerunner, "Gladiator", "Ben Hur", "Dr Zhivago", "Starman" and a number of others were also wonderful - but somehow Julie Christie as Bathsheba swings it for me: she is just out of this world in this film. I felt for poor Boldwood: he was cmpletely spellbound by her - and who would not be.Oak was so impressive: solid, loyal, steadfast, dependable, clever, artistic - and Alan Bates played him wonderfully. He really was quite sublime in that role.

Dick Woollett was Deputy Housemaster in Halls from , with Taffy as Housemaster of course. Unlike some boys, I never had a problem with Taffy, who for me was very firm but almost always fair. Yes, he was stern and tough - and he expected boys to be the same - and well-behaved. On the other hand, it was not easy to get close to him or even have a personal chat. I did not find hm communicative in that way. Dick was different: much more open (much younger of course, and he had not seen service on convoys to Russia during WWII as Taffy was rumoured to have). Dick used to invite interested boys to watch the BBC "The Great War" series in his flatlet on the first floor corridor between Halls and Johnstons. That was a privilege, and I think the only time I watched tv during 7 years at WHS. In a way they were a complementary pair running the house, which I always felt safe and happy in.

Sometime in 1964 it was decided (and I cannot remember how this happened - pssibly it was treth's recommenation) thatI should try for Oxford. Stretch gave me a few hours personal tuitition and Dick got me an interview at Merton College - to read French. Without being a true genius in teh Terry Stanclife mould I think I was basically cleverehough to squeezs in at the lowest level, but I wasnaive. I KNEW that I didn't ike French poetry much - and things you don't like you don't in general work really hard at. In my interview they asked me a lot of questions about that area of French literature, andI knew damn well that my answers wre inadequate. I wouldn't have accepted me if I had been an interviewer - and so it turned out. I chose to apply to read French as it was always my best subject, but if I had intensively learned all about Japan and as much as I could about Japanese (and invented a reason WHY I wanted to read it) and applied to do THAT I might have been more successful, since they would not have expected me to now much about Japanese poetry! I will never know.

But I will never forget Dick's help and encouragement - as as mentioned we met up one evening to seet hat film. The memory of what he did is a significant part of why I love the film so much I think - the association of the film and the meeting with hm are an everlasting memory. I did actually "go to Oxford" since after graduating from UKC I ws accepted for teh Oxford University teacher Training College - which is a formal part of the University. I was even put in St John's College, and when we "graduated" we even had to hire gowns and mortar boards for the official ceremony!