Rachel recently reminded me of an old school friend of mine who once had a very cheeky and cunning plan.
On the first day of a new year at London's Royal College of Art, he turned up for 'Registration' at their Film and TV department.
He filled out all the forms with his name, address, and contact numbers, and joined all the other new students. His name was simply added to a list; and that was that; he'd bamboozled his way into becoming a student at the prestigious RCA.
During the following two years he worked in the department, attended tutorials, borrowed all their expensive kit, and established a business designing record covers for some of the world's most famous bands of the late 60's, early 70's. (He's very well known)
When it came time for his final exams, someone in the department noticed that he'd never actually been admitted to the college, and he was booted out. Red faces were abundant.
I can't mention names, or I'd be lynched; apart from which he'd never forgive me.
In the days before computers this sort of trick was possible. Now it is all computer generated lists and what the computer says goes, if you're not on it you"re not there. But even your friend was spotted in the end.
ReplyDeleteI was invited by Carel Weight (sp?) to attend; but didn't. He wasn't invited; but did.
DeleteYes Carel Weight. Where did you go?
DeleteThat's when I was just finishing my degree course. He offered me a place at the RCA, but I was already married with one son, and the idea of going back to live in London for two years was not on. On reflection I probably should have gone anyway.
DeletePeople do that at weddings here so they can eat free at the marriage feast.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
In the UK, they look to see what weddings are on, then burgle the empty house!
DeleteI love this story. It tells of such audacity. It might inspire me to try something equally cheeky! x
ReplyDeletePersonally I wouldn't have the nerve!
DeleteThe Age of Adventure.
ReplyDeleteThe Age of Bloody Cheek.
DeleteI would hazard a guess that this kind of thing goes on all the time with nobody noticing.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't surprise me.
DeleteI was once staying at a small 'Club Hotel' in Ibiza where a group of four people used the free hotel restaurant every night, but were actually camping in the woods nearby. I wonder if they were eventually caught?
I don't agree with this sort of thing...it doesn't say cheeky audacious person to me..it says swindler.
ReplyDeleteI certainly found it very odd.
DeleteHe need not have signed up to any entrepreneurial college.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember that he wanted the use of some very expensive cameras, etc. But a cheeky way to go about it.
DeleteWell I was actually paid a grant to use the expensive cameras at our college!
DeleteI remember the cameras, and the shenanigans in the dark room.
DeleteThe only people to make sure you are friends with at art school are the techicians who loan out the cameras and anything that is remotely more useful than your tutor which is most things.
DeleteThey used to say that if you could learn just ONE thing from a tutor, you were very lucky. I wasn't.
DeleteOne of the few things that stays in my mind as a valid comment from a College tutor, was about removing an unexposed film from a camera in the darkroom. Apparently the first time they do it, most people keep their eyes closed ! Yes, I found myself doing it too ! Presumably no longer relevant of course - do they still use film these days ?
DeleteI don't know, but I still have several rolls of unexposed 35ml film.
Delete35mm film is still used...there are people who say there are qualities that you don't get in a picture that is digital....rather like vinyl record office-ian-ados!
DeleteThat is a great story. There is something romantic about a rogue that almost gets away with it. Books and movies intrigue people with these plots all the time.
ReplyDeleteThe likeable rogue is always popular.
DeleteI once interviewed a nigerian nurse for a post on our general unit. She could hardly speak english but was so desperate for the job she tried to bullshit her way through the interview....
ReplyDeleteIt turned out she wasnt a general nurse at all, but a psychiatric support worker
I quite expect there's more of that goes on than we imagine!
DeleteI knew a man whose nickname was 'Doc'. He was a real card. Nothing fazed him. One thing he used to do was to don a white coat and stethoscope and go round hospitals examining women's breasts. It was ages before the cops caught up with him.
ReplyDeletePeople used to leave a stethoscope in the front of their cars. They could then park on the pavement (or elsewhere), and the police simply imagined that it was an emergency.
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