Tortured Teachers & The Red Bikini

About the Book

Tortured Teachers is based upon actual experience of three professional teachers, but is presented as a phantasy of linked events with interwoven stories of light romance. Containing neither explicit sex nor violence, it presents many situations which could arise in the daily lives of dedicated members of the teaching profession, and highlights the potential pitfalls with which many may become confronted. The story may be telescoped as follows:

From amidst the lay-staff of a School run by a Religious Order, three teachers tend to stand out as non-conformists to accepted teaching methods, and hence form a somewhat notorious triumvirate. One is a teacher of Music, another of Art, and a third of History and Geography. Together they run a summer camp for pupils, and this takes them from North Yorkshire to the Scottish Highlands. The camp turns out to be highly eventful with such mishaps arising as accidents, illnesses, occasions of theft, appearances of ghosts, and unexpected meetings-up with other members of staff. The pupils are subjected to self-survival expeditions and organized visits to places of interest, architectural and otherwise.

One unscheduled circumstance is the arrival at camp of a once unpopular female Deputy-Head to whom the educational advantages of camp-life become a revelation. As a result, her attitudes gradually change from that of arch-critic of the non-conforming trio to their staunchest supporter. As such, she sustains their case against the "opposition" throughout the following school-year. One term sees the inroduction of Staff-Parents meetings and a stage-presentation of Macbeth. Another includes a General Inspection during which moral conflicts arise between the notorious trio and the inspection team. The sanity of the three teachers is called into question, and the Chief inspector presents a draft-report to the Headmaster in which he calls for them to undergo a long period of re-training. The Headmaster, who had once viewed the three with grave misgivings, had becomes won over to their side, and, in a fit of fury, orders the Chief Inspector to leave the school immediately! The last term of school involves a prize-giving evening with accompanying concert in which some very surprising outcomes of the school-year become revealed. Amongst these are the impending "promotions" of the Rector of the Community which runs the school, and of the Mother Superior of the adjoining Convent - both to distant destinations.

Unknown to anyone, a hidden romance had been going on between the two ever since the previous summer. The last chapter reveals the outcome of this and other romances. More significantly, the exam-results of the three morally tortured teachers emerge with considerable credit, and thus their unconventional methods turn out to win the day.

About the Author

Generally regarded in the teaching profession as a square peg in a round hole, but always hoping that the shape of the hole might adjust to that of the peg.