The Poisoned Bowl: Sex and the Public School

by Alisdare Hickson, G. Melly Hickson

This is an anecdotal hisotry of sex in public schools, containing the reminiscences of over 100 contributors, including Alan Ayckbourn, Quentin Crisp, the late film director, Lindsay Anderson, and numerous sundry generals, academics, religious figures and Members of Parliament. With recollections on events from petting in the boathouse at Lancing to prostitution at Eton, the book charts the many ludicrous ways public schools have attempted tp control sexuality. The book provides a history of homosexuality in the English public school system and the hysteria that raged through public schools for more than a century.

Genres: History, LGBT, Nonfiction, Gay

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

Reviews

[Nigel Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book becomes more extraordinary as every year passes. The world of the strict all male boarding school in which homoerotic activity was commonplace and could be talked about so freely by such a distinguished list of contributors is becoming an increasingly distant memory. Some may see this book as titillating or pornographic but that would be wrong.

Alisdare Hickson has tried hard to make this a serious study, which it is, but as a homosexual adult he fails to understand fully the predicament faced by the many essentially heterosexual boys who found themselves attracted to their own sex in these environments, and the difficulties some faced as they emerged into and tried to come to terms with the adult world. The fact that many married and had a family is not necessarily evidence of their hypocrisy; a rediscovery of their true sexual orientation is an equally plausible reason. Hickson may well be right that these schools did not change boys' fundamental sexual orientation but many were blown off course.

Given the emotional damage that could be caused to boys caught in this mixing up of their sexuality - which could result, for example, in their retaining an attraction later in life to young boys but not to grown men - the attempts by schools to limit, control and moderate such behaviour should not be written off as wholly repressive or homophobic.

[Hannah Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting read

[C. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do have to agree with the previous reviewer that this book is an oddity. It was most certainly a disappointment, however, as I was expecting something much more synthesised and analytical. As it is, we are presented with a brief history of British public schools and their attempts to eradicate sexual activity, followed by a long series of reminiscences. These stories range from joyous coming-of-age romances, to stories of horrendous sexual assaults and rape. This would make an indispensable selection of primary sources for anyone who wanted to pursue this topic further, so it does this well. I'm very glad that Hickson wrote and compiled this when he did.

I'm fascinated by this phenomenon, and especially the place that public school sexuality has in the popular imagination. Just today I heard one of these stories from a women whose uncle had told her about his public school days, and his distaste at the older boy / younger boy dynamic.

One particular recurring dynamic I was previously unaware of was this "hero" worship that went on at pre-1950s public schools, whereby a pupil (usually handsome) excelled in sports, and was thus lauded by the other pupils and staff, becoming a sort of celebrity! I really wish more were written about these peculiar cultures, all subtly different in each school across Britain.

There's also an excellent glossary at the back, which is helpful if you have a pash on a doul.