Sir Clement Freud spoke no English when he was sent to a Devon Boarding School, and was bullied ruthlessly. A renowned raconteur, Clement’s journey back to school is highly entertaining.
Clement’s family arrived in Britain as refugees from Nazi Germany in 1934. Aged eight, Clement was immediately sent to Dartington School in Devon, a progressive establishment where boys and girls were bathed together and there were no proper classes.
Clement’s stories of his time there are as disturbing as they are amusing, although he admits for school did teach him something about gambling and alcohol (both pursuits he has developed in later life!).
It’s now seventy years since Clement last saw the school and on his journey back from his Suffolk home, he relives many entertaining memories. He also meets up with his old pottery tutor, David Leach (now 93), whom Clement claims introduced him to his first alcoholic drink aged nine! Going Home: Clement Freud biography