The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 26 May 2012

From our UK edition

Private passions Sir: I was a pupil at St Paul’s School from 1952 to 1957. I remember seeing the bill for a term: £30 tuition, plus £15 ‘extras’ (lunches, books...). I was a scholar, so the £30 was deleted. It was no great distinction to be a scholar, as there were 153 scholars among the 650 pupils. My group of friends all got Oxbridge scholarships. As a student in 1960, I had a holiday job as a milkman. I only earned £12 a week, but some milkmen earned enough commission to bring their weekly wage packet up to £20. In the 1950s, the average milkman could afford to send his son to St Paul’s. The fees now are little under £7,000 a term. Stephen Robinson’s powerful piece (‘Private Grief’, 19 May) shows us what has gone wrong.

The Spectator

Letters | 26 May 2012

From our UK edition

Private passionsSir: I was a pupil at St Paul’s School from 1952 to 1957. I remember seeing the bill for a term: £30 tuition, plus £15 ‘extras’ (lunches, books...). I was a scholar, so the £30 was deleted. It was no great distinction to be a scholar, as there were 153 scholars among the 650 pupils. My group of friends all got Oxbridge scholarships. As a student in 1960, I had a holiday job as a milkman. I only earned £12 a week, but some milkmen earned enough commission to bring their weekly wage packet up to £20. In the 1950s, the average milkman could afford to send his son to St Paul’s. The fees now are little under £7,000 a term.

The Spectator

Barometer: Ministers for fun

From our UK edition

Ministers for funDavid Cameron was reported to be an expert in ‘chillaxing’ through tennis and karaoke. How have other prime ministers been reported to relax? William Gladstone Chopping down trees on his estate Winston Churchill PaintingEdward Heath Sailing, conductingHarold Wilson CookingJim Callaghan FarmingMargaret Thatcher Sorting out piles of towelsJohn Major Watching cricket, making model aeroplanesTony Blair Tennis, swimming after church on SundaysGordon Brown Listening to the Arctic Monkeys Power StruggleThe government published a draft energy bill.