The young boy’s ball went near the workman, who was very disgruntled, so he picked it up and threw it over the wall to the girl’s playground next door. The young students quickly gathered round him, angrily barracking him. He grabbed his hacksaw and started hacking at their feet. Young and agile they jumped out of the way in all directions, and he came up to George against the wall, who quickly stood on the hacksaw and as his attacker stood up gave him a hefty punch under the jaw, which sent him flying. As his assailant got up George stepped forward landing another heavey blow, so they ended up rolling round the playground locked in combat.

          Prefects rushed to separate them. Two took George into the boy’s cloakroom to wash him off and another went up to tell the headmaster.

A few minutes later Baldy Holding, the senior maths master, the only teacher George was frightened of came in. “My goodness! All that blood ! Where are you injured?”

          “It’s not my blood sir. It’s the other chaps, the workman’s.”

          Baldy Holding stood back and for the first time George saw him smile, “Well I think we can say Hornsey County School won this time.”

(Later the workman tried to get his union to sue George for assault, but he was laughed out of it.)