David Butler - John Robinson

John Robinson - Headmaster

56. 4 STILL: HEMEL HEMPSTEAD SCHOOL

57. 3 EAMONN:

2/sh EAMONN/ ON YOUR FIRST DAY YOU ARE WHEELED ALONG TO THE STUDY

SUBJECT WHERE WE MET EARLIER TODAY. ONLY THIS TIME IT IS THE HEADMASTER WHO`S WAITING TO SEE YOU. SO TONIGHT WE`VE ACHIEVED SOMETHING THAT MANY A SCHOOLBOY DREAMS ABOUT AND SENT A MESSAGE FOR THE HEAD TO COME AND SEE YOU. HE WAS DELIGHTED TO ACCEPT SO HERE HE IS, HEADMASTER,

MR. JOHN ROBINSON.

58. 2 ENTRANCE AND GREETING TAPE 8

EAMONN:

60 1 MR. ROBINSON, DAVID WAS STILL USING A WHEELCHAIR WHEN HE CAME TO YOUR SCHOOL?

MR. R. SITS

MR. ROBINSON:

61. 2 YES, HE STILL NEEDED MORE PRACTICE WITH HIS NEW LEGS BUT HE DIDN`T WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER TO GET STARTED ON THINGS SO HE LEFT THEM AT HOME AND CAME ALONG IN HIS WHEELCHAIR.

EAMONN:

62. 4 BUT THAT DIDN`T SUIT HIM FOR VERY LONG?

MR. ROBINSON:

63. 2 HE DIDN`T LIKE IT AT ALL AND HE STARTED USING HIS LEGS AS SOON AS HE COULD. OF COURSE I THOUGHT THE SCHOOL STAIRS WOULD BE A PROBLEM AND I SUGGESTED HE TOOK HIS LESSONS ON THE GROUND FLOOR.

EAMONN:

64. 4 WHAT DID HE THINK OF THAT IDEA?

CU SUBJECT

MR. ROBINSON:

65. 2 HE SIMPLY WOULDN`T HEAR OF IT. HE WAS DETERMINED TO GET USED TO THE STAIRS AND EVERY DAY HE LITERALLY GRITTED HIS TEETH AND FORCED HIMSELF TO CLIMB. I CAN REMEMBER HIM LOOKING GREY WITH PAIN BUT HE WOULDN`T GIVE UP.

EAMONN:

66. 3 AND THERE WAS ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR HIM TO COPE WITH?

MCU MR. ROBINSON

MR. ROBINSON:

67. 2 YES. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE ACCIDENT I THOUGHT THAT HE`D BEEN LUCKY IN LOSING HIS LEFT HAND RATHER THAN HIS RIGHT BUT WHEN HE JOINED US I FOUND OUT THAT, IRONICALLY, HE WAS LEFT HANDED.

EAMONN:

68. 3 BUT, AS YOU`VE TOLD US, HE LEARNED TO USE A PEN WITH HIS RIGHT HAND IN LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS AND SET ABOUT PUTTING HIS ARTIFICIAL HAND TO WORK.

MR. ROBINSON:

69. 4 YES. I SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT PERHAPS HE HAD BETTER BE EXCUSED FROM HANDICRAFTS BUT ONCE AGAIN HE MADE ME FEEL THAT I WAS MAKING RATHER AN UNNECESSARY FUSS. HE TOLD ME HE WANTED TO GET USED TO USING IT AS SOON AS HE COULD - SO HANDICRAFTS IT WAS.

EAMONN:

70. 3 AND VERY SUCCESSFULLY I BELIEVE?

MR. ROBINSON:

71. 4 CERTAINLY. IN FACT THE HANDICRAFTS MASTER HAD TO GIVE DAVID A SEVERE TICKING OFF. HE CAUGHT HIM USING HIS ARTIFICIAL HAND VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY TO HAMMER A CHISEL INTO A PIECE OF WOOD!

EAMONN:

72. 1 THANK YOU MR. JOHN ROBINSON.

EXIT MR. ROBINSON EXITS TAPE

Next