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5.4: Authority: beginning to make my mark

Prestige at Eton was so much a question of being noted for possible excellence within any particular field, and then developing liaisons in friendship with the most prominent members of one's peer group who were also performing within that field. I had yet to achieve any real success in the boxing ring, but in any case, this was more of a loner's sport without (as yet) participation for me within a team. It was more as an oarsman that I first began to encounter the kind of regard about which I am speaking. And the boy with the greatest prestige at m'tutor's was Gordon Simpson.

He had never liked me greatly during my early years at Eton. He was quite a few months older than me, despite the fact of him being lower than me in the same remove, and the idea that I had too good an opinion of myself had always stuck in his gullet. And this feeling finally came to a head towards the end of 1947. He was a larger boy than the rest of us, and was perhaps dominant over the group, but we sometimes regarded his comments as being pompous.

I cannot recall what the particular issue may have been, but I was in my room in the company of Christopher, G-Wigan and Ganzoni when Simpson came in, followed by [H] minor: Simpson's minion - as we then unkindly called him. And for whatever reason it may have been, they had decided that it was time to put me in my place. After giving me an ultimatum that I had to do their bidding in some respect, they told me that they would be returning shortly to see that it had been done.

This left me in a position where I stood to lose face in front of my brother and my mess-mates. So I resorted to a position of bravado, saying that I'd have a fight with them if necessary, and throw them out of my room. I could discern an element of mirthful cynicism in their expressions at such vaunted claims to physical strength, in that it was quite unaccustomary to talk in terms of throwing Simpson around, even if he hadn't been accompanied by his minion. So I was awaiting their return with some inward misgivings.

On the whole the situation worked out favourably for me. When they came strolling back, I told them to clear out of my room. Simpson adopted his blandest tone in saying: "OH? And who pray is going to make me?" I replied that I would do so myself, and promptly pulled his white bow tie undone. He looked less dignified now, and exclaimed: "Don't do that, or I shall hit you!" After asking him if he intended to leave of his own accord, to which he had replied in the negative, I put my arms around his waist and began heaving him towards the door. The fact that I was actually succeeding in moving him then entailed that he needed to take more positive action so as to prevent it. So we were soon wrestling in earnest, and his superior weight did entail that he soon had got the better of me, holding my head in a lock where I found myself to be suffocating.

After he had let me up on to my feet again, I reiterated that I was still intending to throw them out - unless they departed of their own volition. The problem from his point of view was that we were making far too much noise all round and, if he was to be caught mobbing with boys junior to himself, it would have impaired his chances of being elected very soon into Debate - as was generally anticipated would happen. This prompted a sudden display of reasonableness in his behaviour, in that he now suggested that the issue between us could be resolved in terms of discussion: to which I agreed, on the condition that we went to his own room. And the issue - whatever it may have been - was soon resolved to our mutual satisfaction.

This episode in fact led to Simpson regarding me with a great deal more respect; and [H] too. A friendship with both of them was now initiated. And Simpson was telling me on the side that I was the relatively quiet sort of Etonian who might well end up getting elected into Pop. It was the "we two together" approach, for everyone anticipated that Simpson would get there. (It seemed probable at this stage that he might end up as the Captain of Boats.) And he stressed that there was no one else in m'tutor's who might accompany him to such glory, so he urged me to be less modest in my own self-assessment.