“I WAS banned from watching Grange Hill” was her reply. It was a reply I’d heard many times from various people.
I can understand why some parents would ensure that GH was out of bounds: their reasoning would sound something like this: do not watch or consume – the Grange Hill curse will come upon you and you’ll turn into one of them… a little yeast works its way through the entire dough!
I’m happy that I was allowed to watch GH. Whilst at school, I was a level-headed, middle of the road type of guy. I didn’t want to be like Tucker (even though I thought he was cool) and I never considered becoming a carbon copy of Gripper Stebson (boosting the pocket money would have been handy though). As for drugs, the closest form of drug taking I saw were guys dosing their shirt-cuffs with Tipp-Ex thinning solvent, inhaling deeply through their mouths, that resulted in their eyes rolling like marbles. I think, even though I was exposed to Grange Hill, I’ve turned out not too bad… phew!
I have a desire to go back in time and actually attend Grange Hill for just one term
I’d be one of the first legging it through the gates to take ownership of a desk at the back of the classroom. My position at the back will enable me to fire paper bullets using my shatterproof ruler as a launch pad. I’d type the digits 55378008 into my calculator, flip it upside down, then giggle with the other guys. I would not cover my exercise books, forget to do homework, and, of course, spew out just enough backchat to frustrate the teachers, but avoid the cane or slipper. My actions would certainly put me in the naughty pupil category – a category where I’d be happy to be for the entire term.
More essential Grange Hill reading:
- Grange Hill 40: Friends Reunited – the return of the Nostalgic Geeks
- Tucker Jenkins: a brand on its own
- Grange Hill: Here come the girls
“I wouldn’t want to be beaten like a piece of steak being tenderised with a mallet! I guess one way to avoid getting beaten up by him is to join him – if you can’t beat ‘em then join ‘em! Personally I’m not hard-hearted enough to turn someone upside down and shake their dinner money from their pockets.”
Quote by Section N resident Ian Autumntree on how he would survive a term a Grange Hill. Which violent character is he referring to? Find out in the hardback nostalgic book Section N Underpass by clicking the front cover below:
