|
Singer Rod Stewart remembers his secondary modern days as being anything but the best of his life.
Stewart, 59, is the youngest of five children in a close-knit family. He went to the William Grimshaw school in Hornsey, North London but left with no O Levels. He said primary school was just about bearable because it was close to the family home but secondary school was horrific because it was about five miles away.
House captain
He said: 'I really wasn't good at school and I didn't like it, although I never missed a day. My favourite subject was probably history and I was very artistic and good at sketching. I was real cocky and that obviously comes from insecurity. I was really aggressive.'
Despite his dislike of school, Stewart became something of a teacher's pet. He said: 'I was a prefect and a house captain and had badges. I was a bit of a ponce at school.'
Beatnik superstar
After leaving, he hoped for a career in football and signed apprentice forms with Brentford FC. He didn't enjoy the early starts or cleaning the first team's boots so he quit after a few weeks.
He was, he said, a 'real little red', a free-wheeling rebel: 'I was your actual beatnik, mate. Your actual Jack Kerouac. Barnet right down here. Ban the bomb. You name it, we ban it. Anti-apartheid. Save cats. Save dogs. Shag in tents. Aldermaston marches. What a life. What a life.'
Top of page
| 
