Pilgrimage
In 1969 I did not go to Woodstock. Instead I went to see a film called "Kes". It was based upon a novel I had read called "A Kestrel for a Knave" by a Yorkshire writer called Barry Hines. Later, as a secondary school teacher of English I read "Kes" with a succession of classes and showed them the film version too. Almost magically, "Kes" had the ability to capture the hearts of the roughest and most disinterested kids. They really engaged with Billy Casper's story - how a skinny lad of low academic ability from a council estate trained a young kestrel. It was inspirational. And I met Barry Hines one as the Sheffield Trades and Labour Club. We talked for several minutes about the book and whether or not everybody has a hidden talent. He was softly spoken and charming. It was very much a two-way conversation. Later still, in the 1990s, he was living in Sheffield and my wife became his practice nurse. He had a few ongoing health issues to ...