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Post by tiptoes on Apr 3, 2021 7:24:35 GMT
Not the rugby players who get in on the back of their sporting ability to gain a blue.
Stephen Fry, kicked out of Uppingham, then Paston GS where they wouldn't let him take his A'levels, subsequently enrolled at Norfolk Arts & Technology where he rarely turned up for lectures or exams. Finally Norwich City College having previously served 3 months incarcerated on remand for credit card theft. Still only about 20 when he secured a place at Cambridge even representing his college on University Challenge.
Monty Don, another Uppingham OB who failed all his A'levels, went travelling in France, then returned to England and passed the Cambridge University entrance exam to become an undergraduate.
Rick Stein (celebrity chef who put Padstow on the map) detested Malvern College having fluffed his exams and did little better at a cram school in Brighton only getting 2 E grade A'levels. Started a catering course, then travelled to Oz, Nz and Mexico doing such jobs as a slaughterman. His father's death affected him badly, reassessed his life and studied at Oxford graduating when he was 24, although it's unknown how he won his place there.
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Post by liquidskin on Apr 4, 2021 15:30:50 GMT
I went to a school once, Grangehill Upper. I'm still in touch with Gonch, Roland and the rest of the crew. Ultimately though, nobody cares. How many times a serial killer got married at whatever school is a winter story, at best. Season's about to start.
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Post by joe on Apr 4, 2021 16:19:23 GMT
Seems to me Mr Tiptoes needs to start a blog. Give the message board a link for those who want to read all this guff and leave the message board for the cricket, please!
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Post by longstop on Apr 5, 2021 8:42:14 GMT
Seems to me Mr Tiptoes needs to start a blog. Give the message board a link for those who want to read all this guff and leave the message board for the cricket, please! It's in the Off Topic area, so anything goes (within reason). As long as it stays there, it's easy to ignore if it's not of interest to anyone. |
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Post by tiptoes on Apr 11, 2021 7:54:18 GMT
The flip side is the people who made it to Oxbridge on the back of limited qualifications like Toby Young and Polly Toynbee - resident of Lewes!
Then of course there's author, former politician, jailbird and Somerset CC supporter, Jeffrey Archer. "Go past the Picasso and left at the Matisse" for directions in locating the lavatory at his grand manor, once owned by Rupert Brooke.
Archer claims to have been a student at Oxford university (in Who's Who he still lists Brasenose college as his alma mater). But according to his unauthorised biographer, Michael Crick, he was actually at the less exclusive Oxford department of education. It is also alleged he gave false academic qualifications to get on the course, including three non-existent A-levels and a two-year US degree.
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Post by tiptoes on May 9, 2022 10:53:23 GMT
On the subject of Jeffrey Archer ( avid Summer Set CCC fan) he only came out of Oxford with a PE Diploma. Other Oxbridge failures include Philip Pullman who only got a 3rd because 4ths (yes really) had been abolished. Carol Vorderman like PP only secured a 3rd as did Imran Khan.
And how about this? Bongbong Marcos, alumnus of Worth School, and potential President of the Philippines managed to wrangle a place at St Hughes, Oxford and only came out with a Diploma in Social Sciences because he bal*sed up his PPE degree. Bongbong is the son of the notorious Immelda and Ferdinand of course.
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Post by liquidskin on May 9, 2022 10:57:57 GMT
Absolute road Tiptoes. And don't talk to me about the loans.
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Post by tiptoes on May 9, 2022 11:41:49 GMT
I'm surprised nobody has taken me to task for omitting the Royal Family. Neither Bonnie Prince Charlie nor Ted Windsor made it Cambridge on merit. Even a plate glass uno would have been a push outside on the basis of A'level results if they had been Joe Public, and then pretty ordinary degrees on graduating.
If you look at all the Royals who attended yooni they all went for soft social science degrees rather than STEM subjects.
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Post by tiptoes on Mar 20, 2023 20:07:49 GMT
The Rev Richard Coles attended Wellingborough School and then Stratford College of Drama where his academic record was not spectacula. After an epiphany he started a Theology degree course at London University aged 28.
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Post by tiptoes on Mar 24, 2023 7:06:36 GMT
Tim Head was an Old Lanconian who went to Cambridge in his mid 20s after his Sussex career finished.
Talking of Richard Coles, Stephen Fry and Boy George they well and truly nail their colours to the mast in their autobiographies as far as their debauched honosexual lifestyles are concerned, far more than any hedonistic pop star and their groupie outings. Quite why they need this peg to hang their indulgences to a broadly heterosexual audience seems counter productive.
I haven't read Coles's book and acknowledge his intelligence but how he squares his faith with homosexuality which is incompatible with Biblical doctrine, and where I presume he takes his spiritual inspiration, is baffling.
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