Dan Asterley (1909 1995 )

( Headmaster of Aymestrey School, 1935-1966 and second master, 1966-77. )

1967

Dan was someone who attracts o os!n" #!ews$ there are those who ra!sed h!s moral #al%es, the s%ccess of h!s teach!n" methods and h!s &el!ef !n str!ct d!sc! l!ne. 'hen there are those who saw h!m as an od!o%s, tyrann!cal &%lly who they wo%ld refer to for"et. 'he former #!ew can &e fo%nd elsewhere($ th!s !s the other s!de of the story. ) d!d not end%re the re"!me when he was headmaster so ) w!ll lea#e that for others to descr!&e$ my e* er!ence !s from 1966-7+ when the ,r!ff!ths had ta-en o#er &%t Dan was st!ll teach!n". A .!rst !n the ,reats at /*ford made Dan o#er-0%al!f!ed for teach!n" at re school. ) don1t -now !f he had a s ec!f!c teach!n" 0%al!f!cat!on. 2y sycholo"!st fr!ends ( of wh!ch ) ha#e none ) say that h!s ro&lem was that he s%ffered from 3a oleon Syndrome - com ensat!n" for short stat%re w!th a""ress!on and man! %lat!on. ( )t sho%ld &e o!nted o%t that others d!sm!ss th!s theory as a load of d!n"oes1 -!dneys, wh!ch wo%ld mean that there !s e#en less e*c%se for h!s &eha#!o%r. ) Also he e*h!&!ted se#ere mood sw!n"s. 4%t to"ether, these th!n"s made h!m 0%!te %ns%!ta&le to &e !n char"e

of yo%n" ch!ldren.

Discipline
5)n the f!eld of ch!ld de#elo ment, d!sc! l!ne refers to methods of modell!n" character and of teach!n" self-control and acce ta&le &eha#!o%r.6 7!-! ed!a So%nds reasona&le. 8%t Dan and h!s !l- h!9ac-ed the word and cla!med a mono oly on !t, %s!n" !t as a &lan-et 9%st!f!cat!on for the!r own forms of o ress!on. .rom o%r #!ew o!nt !t was really 9%st a&o%t ha#!n" a lot of etty r%les, and &e!n" sho%ted at and %n!shed !f we &ro-e them. Str!ctness !n !tself !s not a &ad th!n". )ndeed, !t !s ro&a&ly a "ood !dea to ha#e a clear set of r%les that yo% -now yo% ha#e to o&ey !n the conte*t of a s% ort!#e en#!ronment, !f they are s%!ted to the a"e of the ch!ld. Dan1s were anyth!n" &%t, and more a ro r!ate for a m!l!tary r!son than for yo%n" ch!ldren. 8%t d!d h!s re"!me lead to &etter &eha#!o%r !n later l!fe: ;om ared to those of a s!m!lar &ac-"ro%nd &%t w!tho%t the Dan-style d!sc! l!ne ) do%&t !t$ most of %s wo%ld re9ect the "ood and the &ad e0%ally as soon as we were are free of the h!m. He made the whole e* er!ence so %n leasant that a lot of eo le act!#ely re&elled a"a!nst !t when they were old eno%"h to th!n- for themsel#es. )t rem!nds me of the the <Short, Shar Shoc-< for yo%n" offenders !n the e!"ht!es$ !t may ha#e !m ro#ed &eha#!o%r tem orar!ly, &%t !n fact led to an !ncrease !n re-offend!n". )t was a s!m!larly story w!th "!rls of o%r era who were con#ent-ed%cated$ some &ecame sa!nts &%t the rest were notor!o%sly w!ld. /ther staff d!d not need to resort to h!s methods= certa!n standards of &eha#!o%r were e* ected !n d!fferent s!t%at!ons, e.". yo% d!dn1t tal- !n class !f the teacher was tal-!n". ) don1t remem&er d!sc! l!ne &e!n" a ro&lem w!th them. ;or oral %n!shment had &een a&ol!shed &y the ,r!ff!ths, so we d!d not ha#e to end%re h!s &eat!n"s, &%t h!s constant cr!t!c!sms were so%l-destroy!n" and h!s f!ts of tem er were 0%!te terr!fy!n" > erha s worse than any of the %n!shments we rece!#ed. H!s methods m!"ht ha#e deser#ed more res ect !f there had &een any cons!stency or 9%st!ce !n them. 8%t Dan was far from &e!n" fa!r-m!nded$ for e*am le he wo%ld !n#ent new r%les and %n!sh %s retros ect!#ely for &rea-!n" them$ one day, when he was s%ffer!n" a art!c%larly se#ere &o%t of 42' he dec!ded that the chan"!n"-rooms were not &e!n" -e t t!dy eno%"h wh!le we were o%t lay!n" foot&all, and so "a#e the whole school n%!sance mar-s$ we had ne#er &een "!#en any warn!n", and he made no attem t to d!fferent!ate &etween t!dy and %nt!dy !nd!#!d%als. He wo%ld also &lame %s for th!n"s that were h!s own fa%lt, and one of h!s fa#o%r!te tr!c-s was to %n!sh the whole school for someth!n" done &y only one erson, someth!n" he !c-ed % !n the war from the ,esta o. Dan1s sense of moral!ty was ac%te, &%t he only a l!ed !t to other eo le, ne#er h!mself. He was always "o!n" on a&o%t someth!n" !n the news that he tho%"ht was o&9ect!ona&le, and of co%rse he was 0%!te ha y to cr!t!c!se %s for o%r #ar!o%s !nade0%ac!es. )t !s wr!tten, 5Do not 9%d"e others, lest yo% yo%rself &e 9%d"ed.6, &%t ) don1t s% ose he e#er read that. )t !s also wr!tten, 5?earn to control yo%r tem er, yo% old "!t.6

NO, NO, NO, NO!

/ne ro&lem w!th Dan was that he was so %n red!cta&le that we 9%st d!d not -now what he was "o!n" to o&9ect to ne*t. ?ac- of !n!t!at!#e !s what he often acc%sed %s of, &%t he was 9%st as l!-ely to f!nd fa%lt !f we did show !n!t!at!#e$ when he was !n a &ad mood he wo%ld o&9ect to retty m%ch anyth!n" we d!d, so a reasona&le tact!c was to do noth!n"$ he wo%ld f!nd fa%lt w!th that as well of co%rse, &%t there was l!ttle o!nt !n e* end!n" any effort !f we were "o!n" to "et sho%ted at anyway. 7hen he was !n a "ood mood he co%ld &e !nformat!#e and "!#e constr%ct!#e cr!t!c!sm, &%t when he

was !n a &ad one he had a way of ma-!n" !t so%nd l!-e !t was o%r fa%lt for not "%ess!n" someth!n" that we hadn1t &een told and co%ldn1t real!st!cally ha#e &een e* ected to -now. )t1s all #ery well "ett!n" a tell!n"-off for &ad &eha#!o%r wh!ch !s retty normal for all ch!ldren, &%t h!s rants were often a&o%t what he saw as oor academ!c wor-, !nade0%ate s ort!n" a&!l!ty or e#en &ad s!n"!n". H!s fre0%ent com la!nt was that we were 9%st not try!n". 'h!s was not tr%e > we were too afra!d of h!m not to do o%r &est. And we weren1t do!n" &adly &y ord!nary standards anyway, 9%st h!s %nreal!st!c ones. 2any of h!s tem er o%t&%rsts were a!med at the fa!l%res of the whole class= !f we all fo%nd the wor- d!ff!c%lt then !t ro&a&ly was d!ff!c%lt wh!ch wo%ld s%""est that !t was h!s 9%d"ement that was at fa%lt. /ne of h!s constant themes was that !n the ast standards were m%ch h!"her and he was often tell!n" %s some story a&o%t % !ls from another t!me who wo%ld ha#e -nown th!s, done that, won the other. )n r%"&y es ec!ally we were always fa!l!n" to come % to some le"endary standard of a "olden a"e when the Aymestrey @A were more or less !n#!nc!&le. ) do%&t !f he was ma-!n" these th!n"s % , &%t ) s%s ect he was &e!n" select!#e !n h!s memor!es as we all are and 9%st %s!n" them to ma-e %s feel !nade0%ate. 7!th res ect to s ort th!s was art!c%larly !llo"!cal &eca%se there are a n%m&er of factors !n the o%tcome of a "ame$ the a&!l!ty of the o os!t!on, the 0%al!ty of the tra!n!n", the nat%ral a&!l!ty of the team and how hard the layers tr!ed. /nly the last of these co%ld real!st!cally &e o%r fa%lt. )t d!dn1t seem to cross h!s m!nd that we m!"ht lose "ames &eca%se other teams were !m ro#!n". Dan1s fa#o%r!te word on the r%"&y !tch was 5 TACKL !6, oft re eated &eca%se of o%r %nw!ll!n"ness to ma-e near-s%!c!dal d!#es onto hard "ro%nd at s eed. 'hose who he tho%"ht were not tac-l!n" eno%"h wo%ld &e ass!"ned to the tac-l!n" sac-, a st%ffed sac- han"!n" from a near&y tree. He was -een on "ood manners, &%t only of a art!c%lar -!nd$ e.". stand!n" % when a teacher entered the room, or eat!n" &read w!th the left hand ( s% osedly so as not to "et 9am on the teac% , wh!ch wo%ld create e*tra wor- for o%r ser#ants. ) He co%ld &e shoc-!n"ly !ll-mannered h!mself, es ec!ally to %s. ) recall the s!n"-son" wh!ch H%"h ,r!ff!th !ntrod%ced as art of the end-of-term fest!#!t!es$ Dan o&#!o%sly d!sa ro#ed of th!s and he sat thro%"h !t w!th h!s head !n h!s hands, o!ntedly not watch!n" o%r erformances B made an e*c%se to lea#e early. He was also less than ol!te when an /ld 8oy came to "!#e %s a lect%re a&o%t a&stract sc%l t%re > he scarcely concealed h!s contem t. 3ot m%ch e#!dence of 5self-control and acce ta&le &eha#!o%r6 there. Some of h!s r%les were common sense ones that yo%1d f!nd at any school, &%t others were etty and er#erse, and we were not enco%ra"ed to d!st!n"%!sh &etween these #ar!o%s ty es. .ew had m%ch to do w!th learn!n" to &e &e!n" cons!derate. /ne was 53o o!nt!n" "%ns, real or !ma"!nary.6 4erha s the most !d!ot!c was that &oys were not allowed to %se the lower art of the front sta!rs$ ) can1t remem&er anyone e#en s%""est!n" a 9%st!f!cat!on for !t. 7e had to "o the lon" way ro%nd to a#o!d them wh!ch was art!c%larly annoy!n".

!t"c#$"l% !yn&r"%e
'o say that we hated Dan and feared h!m wo%ld &e tr%e, &%t the whole !ct%re was more com l!cated= !n a stran"e way we adm!red and tr!ed to &e l!-e h!m. ) d!d not %nderstand th!s %nt!l a few years a"o when ) read a&o%t the Stockholm Syndrome, and the conce t of Identifying with the Aggressor. 'he former !s the o&ser#at!on that when eo le ha#e &een ta-en hosta"e, they end % s% ort!n" and defend!n" the the hosta"e-ta-ers. 'he latter !s the more "eneral case, and a ears to &e the reason why #!ct!ms often &ecome s%&m!ss!#e to &%ll!es, tyrants, c%lt-leaders etc, and why s%ch eo le often stand &y the!r a&%sers e#en when freed from them. 'he most la%s!&le e* lanat!on ) ha#e heard for th!s !s that !t !s a-!n to the ac- !nst!nct !n wol#es and do"s$ each ac-

has a h!erarchy, where the most a""ress!#e do" &ecomes the leader, %s%ally &y w!nn!n" f!"hts, and the others &ecome s%&m!ss!#e to !t. H%mans do someth!n" s!m!lar, altho%"h the f!"ht!n" !s not to always hys!cal, and th%s !n certa!n s!t%at!ons eo le w!ll acce t someone who !s !ll-treat!n" them as a sort of 5to do"6. ) was tem ted to recall the 2onty 4ython Piranha Brothers S-etch $)nter#!ewer$ St!", )1#e &een told D!nsdale 4!ranha na!led yo%r head to the floor. St!"$ 3o, no. 3e#er, ne#er. He was a smash!n" &lo-e. He %sed to "!#e h!s mother flowers and that. He was l!-e a &rother to me. )nter#!ewer$ 8%t the ol!ce ha#e f!lm of D!nsdale act%ally na!l!n" yo%r head to the floor. St!"$ /h yeah, well - he d!d that, yeah. )nter#!ewer 7hy: St!"$ 7ell he had to, d!dn1t he: ) mean, &e fa!r, there was noth!n" else he co%ld do. ) mean, ) had trans"ressed the %nwr!tten law. )nter#!ewer$ 7hat had yo% done: St!"$ Cr... 7ell he ne#er told me that. 8%t he "a#e me h!s word that !t was the case, and that1s "ood eno%"h for me w!th old D!nsy. ) mean, he d!dn1t want to na!l my head to the floor. ) had to !ns!st. He wanted to let me off. 'here1s noth!n" D!nsdale wo%ldn1t do for yo%. )nter#!ewer$ And yo% don1t &ear h!m any "r%d"e: St!"$ A "r%d"eD /ld D!nsy: He was a real darl!n". )nter#!ewer$ ) %nderstand he also na!led yo%r w!fe1s head to a coffee ta&le. St!"$ Eeah, well, he d!d do that. Eeah, yeah. He was a cr%el man, &%t fa!r. (See htt $FFwww.yo%t%&e.comFwatch:#G6HaAHIoSda) from H$5+) 7hen ) f!rst went to the school Dan came across as harsh and %nreasona&le, &%t !n the last few days of term he &ecame 0%!te rela*ed and fr!endly, tell!n" %s stor!es !nstead of ?at!n lessons. ) can remem&er th!n-!n", 5/h, he1s not do &ad after all.6, and after that we all had a m%ch more os!t!#e #!ew of h!m. 2any years later ) heard that #ery s!m!lar 5hot and cold6 techn!0%e was %sed &y army tra!n!n" ser"eants to !nst!ll loyalty !n recr%!ts$ they are %t tho%"h hell for the f!rst few wee-s to &rea- the!r s !r!t &%t then the tra!ner eases off and &ecomes leasant and -!nd. )t was also a feat%re of some of &ra!nwash!n" c%lts that &ecame re#alent !n the se#ent!es and e!"ht!es. 7hether Dan was -now!n"ly man! %lat!n" %s ) do not -now, &%t !t acco%nts for a "reat deal of the loyalty that he commanded. )t !s wr!tten, 5C*am le !s the &est teacher((6$ Dan1s e*am le was that of &e!n" a tyrant, and that was what he was really teach!n" %s. H!s att!t%des wor-ed from the to down, w!th the older &oys co y!n" h!m and the yo%n"er ones co y!n" the older. 'h!s led to a self- er et%at!n" nast!ness !n % !ls at the school wh!ch ers!sted e#en !nto the ,r!ff!ths1 more h%mane re"!me, and was not el!m!nated %nt!l after Dan ret!red. .ew of %s !f any were !mm%ne to these effects, and ) am s%re that as a "ro% we were far more %n leasant to each other than we wo%ld ha#e &een otherw!se. 'here !s no do%&t that Dan was a talented raconte%r > th!s came o%t es ec!ally !n Anc!ent H!story lessons, a lar"e art of wh!ch was the tell!n" of the ,ree- myths and le"ends. 'h!s was "en%!nely enterta!n!n" and ) st!ll remem&er some of the stor!es to th!s day. Jn0%est!ona&ly he was a "ood reader, and chose some e*cellent &oo-s to read o%t !n class, !ncl%d!n" 'he Sword !n the Stone wh!ch rema!ns one of my ersonal fa#o%r!tes. /thers that ) remem&er to th!s day were H%c-le&erry .!nn, 'he 'al!sman K!n" &y ,eor"ette Heyer and the rad!o scr! ts of Da#!d Allen. Also he layed %s ,!l&ert and S%ll!#an records, not, ) th!n-, !n m%s!c a rec!at!on class as ) do%&t that he tho%"ht the m%s!c ser!o%s eno%"h, &%t certa!nly !n Cn"l!sh and s!n"!n" lessons. Also he was a com etent nat%ral!st and often f%rn!shed %s w!th !nterest!n" facts when he was of a m!nd to do so. ) ha#e &een concentrat!n" on the downs!de of Dan1s ersonal!ty, &%t certa!nly he told %s many %sef%l and fasc!nat!n" th!n"s. H!s teach!n"s of Cn"l!sh "rammar were not too e*treme$ he followed .owler !n

that he ta%"ht %sa"e rather than rescr! t!#e r%les. He was s%r r!s!n"ly common-sense a&o%t th!n"s l!-e s l!t !nf!n!t!#es and s%ch, tho%"h we d!d a lot of st%ff on theory wh!ch was &eyond %s and way &eyond o%r needs for the ;ommon Cntrance e*am. He co%ld ha#e made an e*cellent lect%rer or teacher !f he had not any d!sc! l!nary a%thor!ty. ) sho%ld also say that at t!mes he co%ld &e erce t!#e, sens!t!#e and len!ent, and there !s a s%""est!on that !n h!s earl!er teach!n" days he was less %nsta&le. 'he o#erall effect of o%r e* er!ence w!th h!m was to destroy o%r self-conf!dence and o%r sense of self-worth > th!n"s that other teachers and o%r arents had ta-en tro%&le to &%!ld % . /nce lost, these th!n"s are #ery d!ff!c%lt to re"a!n. 8e!n" e* osed to s%ch an o&no*!o%s, o ress!#e teacher at that a"e certa!nly tra%mat!sed some of %s$ !t !s d!ff!c%lt to say how m%ch the lon"-term dama"e !t ca%sed. ( )a!n ;lar- has wr!tten a memo!r a&o%t h!s t!me at Aymestrey !n the late 195+sFearly 6+s ( a&o%t L5,+++ words ) wh!ch conta!ns a sym athet!c ortrayal of Dan. He has e* ressed !ntent!ons of %&l!sh!n" !t at some o!nt, &%t %nt!l then he !s on .r!ends Ke%n!ted and old &oys can as- h!m for a co y on an !nd!#!d%al &as!s. (( 4ro&a&ly ;onf%c!%s or 'he Keaders D!"est.