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MY first prep school, Stagenhoe Park in Hertfordshire, was ghastly. It was the 1950s and lots of people were taking over country houses and turning them into boarding schools.
I remember some revolting food. I was told off for being untidy and for day-dreaming, and I remember being beaten for being facetious.
I respond when I am being challenged, and I wasn't being challenged. My parents removed me after a couple of years and I went to another prep school, Rottingdean near Brighton. It was much more enlightened, and I enjoyed it much more.
Then I went to 'big' boarding school, Bradfield College near Reading – and I had an absolute ball. I played in the school orchestra, sung in the choral society, conducted the house choir, and did some acting. I was so bad at games that they let me give up completely, so instead I would go for a cycle ride in the countryside or go into Reading to buy the latest Stones record.
I did my O-Levels – taking at least four attempts to get my maths – and A-Levels, and stayed to retake my A-Levels but ended up running away. I got fed up and walked out the door. When my mother rang to tell the school not to worry, that I had turned up at my sister's in Oxford, they said, 'oh, has he gone?'.
My mother removed me soon after. I had tuition at home and got into Durham University. There, I was thrown out after a year after I failed in two of three subjects – but I had also acted in one play and directed two others.
I still have a love of music, of theatre, and of putting on shows – and that came from my school days.
What his report said (summer term 1960 at Stagenhoe Park prep school near Hitchin, Hertfordshire):
French: A first-rate intelligent pupil but so untidy in written work.
English: He is intelligent, well-informed and at times hard-working. Unfortunately he is rather untidy.
Character: Excellent. I honestly have no criticism to make.
EVERY day up to five children under the age of five years old are brought to the emergency department at the Queen's Medical Centre because of vomiting or diarrhoea.
Parents are often worried that their children will become dehydrated or that they have a serious illness that needs urgent medical attention.
The truth is that vomiting and diarrhoea is usually caused by gastroenteritis, which is most commonly caused by a viral infection such as rotavirus.
Most children with diarrhoea and vomiting can be safely managed at home and do not need to attend the emergency department.
If your child has vomiting and diarrhoea you should continue to offer them the usual feeds (including breast milk) and encourage them to drink plenty of fluids, offering them small amounts frequently. Do not give fizzy drinks and discourage fruit juice.
Washing your hands and those of your child with soap and hot water before eating and drinking and after every vomit or loose stool is essential.
Do not share towels with your child if they are sick.
It is advised that children should not return to nursery for 48 hours following an episode.
Diarrhoea may persist for seven to 10 days and the symptoms do not routinely require antibiotics.
It is important to remember that every time antibiotics are used to treat mild conditions their effectiveness, for treating more serious conditions is reduced.
There will be times when urgent medical attention is required.
You need to seek help for your child if they become unresponsive, have pale or blotchy skin, have unusually cold hands and feet, are breathing faster than usual or if the vomit is green.
If your child has more than eight bouts of diarrhoea and five vomits in 24 hours or you see blood in the vomit, then you should also seek medical attention.
You should look for any potential signs that your child has dehydration. For example – they have not passed urine in the last 12 hours, are unusually sleepy, have sunken eyes, the soft spot at the top of your child's head is sunken more than usual or they have no tears.
If you are worried about your child or they are not improving with the treatment you are giving them please speak to your GP, health visitor or pharmacist. Alternatively you can call NHS 111 for further advice.
THIS week, a coalition of passionate conservation groups – including The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, British Trust for Ornithology and Butterfly Conservation – issued a unique report spelling out the precarious state of much of our cherished wildlife.
The State of Nature report, compiled by scientists from 25 wildlife organisations, was launched by Sir David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum in London on Wednesday.
This groundbreaking report reveals 60 per cent of the species studied have declined in recent decades – and one in ten is under threat of extinction in the UK.
Once common creatures such as the hedgehog and water vole have undergone almost catastrophic population declines whilst vast swathes of habitat have disappeared – threatening the future of worrying numbers of species.
Whilst painting a generally negative picture, the report also contains glimmers of hope – underlining the fact that with concerted effort and investment we can make a difference.
Otters have now returned to rivers in all English counties – including Notts – and once-rare birds such as the bittern, now regularly seen at Attenborough Nature Reserve, have undergone a dramatic recovery.
Here in Notts we are, to some extent, bucking one or two of the national trends – with, for example, some of our water vole populations still doing well – but we mustn't be complacent.
The State of Nature report also demonstrates the huge importance of the many thousands of wildlife experts, most of whom work in a voluntary capacity, who record and monitor wildlife right across the UK.
Here in Notts they are the lifeblood of wildlife conservation and the diversity and sheer number of naturalists involved in wildlife recording is staggering.
Accurate records are the starting point for all good conservation work and by pooling their knowledge we can build up a better picture of the state of our environment.
I hope that this report will act as a rallying cry to galvanise those who care about wildlife to do more to protect it. We can all do more, whether through supporting the work of conservation charities; volunteering to help manage nature reserves or by improving our gardens for wildlife.
I also hope that it reminds key decision-makers in local and national government and in business that they too have a responsibility to help us turn back the clock.
Wildlife conservation can no longer focus upon trying to protect what we have left as – what we have left is diminishing. We must take action now to restore and recreate habitat, so that species can reclaim the places they once thrived in.
To find out more about the report, visit www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org
CHILDREN'S fears that they won't achieve what they see as vital grades can leave them feeling anxious, unable to sleep, eat or function normally, according to ChildLine.
Such is their concern, they've launched an awareness campaign to let children and young people know that they can talk to the organisation if they are suffering from exam stress.
According to the charity, 2011/12 saw a 47 per cent increase in concerns about school and education and some 25 per cent of counselling relating to school and education was about exam pressures.
Other bodies are also trying to help alleviate the situation. Counsellors at the University of Edinburgh are drafting in therapy pets to help stressed students cope with their exams. It is the first time the charity Canine Concern Scotland Trust has worked with a university.
Typical symptoms children may present if suffering from exam stress include sleep problems, bed-wetting, reluctance to go to school and not eating.
Some become withdrawn and spend more time on their own in their bedroom.
Clinical psychologist Dr Rachel Andrew says anxiety is not always to do with the stereotypical "pushy parents."
She adds: "Don't underestimate the importance of reassuring your child that if they try hard and do their best, that's good enough for you whatever the outcome. Empathise that exam season is a hard time and don't be dismissive about how difficult it is.
"Ask if they've any areas you can help them with and make sure they do things away from studying, such as trips out."
There are also a number of relaxation CDs and downloads for children which can help with anxiety available from websites including www.relaxkids.com, which feature breathing exercises, relaxation and visualisation techniques, where younger children might visualise themselves as superheroes.
Dr Andrew suggests that when dealing with older children, parents should talk to them about the physical symptoms of anxiety, based around adrenaline, visualising that adrenaline rush as excitement and a positive thing rather than anxiety.
"It's your body's way of preparing yourself to do the very best you can do," she says.
Encourage kids to let off steam by doing exercise, say going for a bike ride or a swim, in between studying, she advises, and keep the routine of mealtimes and bedtimes as steady as possible.
There are also websites offering help including Young Minds (www.youngminds.org.uk), which has a parent helpline on 0808 802 5544, and the NSPCC (www.nspcc.org.uk).
There are more tips for young people at www.childline.org.uk.
HALF term might be a chance to relax and have fun for some children and their families – but for many youngsters, the late spring holiday just means another week of non-stop revision.
With teens throughout Notts currently smack in the middle of their GCSE and A level exams, family life can be somewhat challenging. Some parents and children are even turning to advice lines and counsellors for help.
As the pressure to succeed mounts, how are local youngsters coping – and what can parents do by way of support?
Here, we ask Bev Turner, 43, from West Bridgford, a children's speech and language therapist, and her daughter Meg, 16, who is currently taking her GCSEs at Rushcliffe School, to tell us how they're getting through this challenging time:
I suppose I was quite prepared for this difficult time – it hasn't come as a big surprise. To be honest, myself and her step dad are not having to do a lot in terms of support. I've mainly helped Meg with a lot of the last minute preparation on the morning of an exam when she's really stressing out, just calming her and testing her on the questions.
But when I think back to when she had her SATs, we really went over the top with preparation and I went on and on at her to study, getting her all the revision guides and constantly practising together.
GCSEs are a lot more solitary for her. She's got to do it herself.
I'm really backing her up when it comes to getting her to do jobs and chores at home. She's not having to do those, so the pressure's off for her there.
I'm quite conscious that I want her to be eating well while she's revising, so I've got bowls with about 20 different fruits in them sitting around everywhere, just so I know she's eating something healthy for lunch and not having too many sugary snacks.
I think treats are important too. It was her birthday recently which wasn't very nice because of the timing – but we made sure we went out for a meal and she went out with her friends.
She's been telling me she's not sleeping very well and she's having really vivid dreams, so I've tried to be there to reassure her.
I'm not surprised really. I know this is the most stressful time she's experienced so far in her 16 years. It's bad enough for her, but I don't know what it will be like for children if they change the system so it's even more based on exams, rather than coursework. That will be a nightmare.
I'm definitely not one of those parents who is putting the pressure on to get As and A*s. She's had some health problems when she was little which affected her development and I'm just delighted she is doing so well.
I think she does feel under pressure and that she'll be letting me down if she doesn't get good grades, but I'm really trying hard not to make her think that.
It's a very fine line between encouragement and obsessional pressurising. I'm sure that some parents are putting the pressure on too much, I'm trying to strike a nice balance.
We have talked about rewards for doing well and giving money for each A* but we didn't actually come to any conclusions about that. It's an incentive, there's no doubt about that – but I don't want to end up skint!
What we are doing when all the exams are over is going on holiday to Barcelona or somewhere, just me and her. She's had so much pressure, she needs something nice in her life.
Half term is here, but it's not nice for us as it just means we have loads of work and loads of revising to do.
I'm not so bad when I'm at school, as the teachers are there and they go on at you a little bit and make you do study time. But when you're at home and the teachers aren't there, it's really difficult. I feel like I'm really on my own and if I don't understand something, there's nobody around to ask.
So I end up going on Facebook to ask my friends and then before you know it, I'm on there for hours. Actually, Facebook isn't so bad but I'm terrible with Twitter and if I get on there, I can be on for hours wasting time on the laptop.
Facebook can at least be quite useful as you can help each other. It's easy to get distracted, but being able to talk about subjects can be very useful.
I tried to sort myself a revision timetable out at home, but it's hard. I had an English exam, but I'd been revising biology and then I had to change it all around and catch up.
Organising your time is definitely the most stressful thing. Revising itself is not that stressful, actually, but sorting out what you've got to do and when is.
I'll have done 11 exams all told by June 14. But we've already done some before, probably about 20 since we started Year 10.
I don't really like exam mornings. I never feel confident and I start getting into a bit of a flap. All my friends call me The Flapper.
I had some health problems when I was little, so it's been agreed that although I don't get any extra time or special consideration, I'm allowed to do exams in a separate room with a maximum of seven or eight other people, just to make it a bit less stressful. At least that way I don't have to see everyone else's beady eyes looking around the big exam hall.
I do feel under pressure. When I was in Year 10 I was predicted straight A*s – but I really think that was very much all guesswork.
I'm also thinking about what I'm going to do after the exams. I haven't decided if I'm going to stay on at Rushcliffe School sixth form. I look on Twitter and people tweet all the questions they have to do for A levels and it all looks so hard.
I make sure I try and have a break from revision and stop for water or a soft drink. It was nice going out for my birthday and doing something else other than work.
When I have a break, I often go on Amazon and order myself a new book or I go and look at shoes and order myself a new pair. That's the main way I reward myself.
