I spent 2 decades (the 1980s and 1990s) teaching myself astronomy, physics and geology. I also tried (not always with success) to acquaint myself with the basic rudiments of chemistry and biology. I adopted this rigorous routine of self education because I was expelled from school in 1980 without a single qualification to my name. I languished in the bottom stream in Amery Hill School (previously known as Alton County Secondary School) and generally came near the bottom of the class in most subjects. We were known (by other pupils and teachers alike) as the street sweepers and shelf fillers. Many months before my departure from that repugnant establishment, I knew I loved education – it was school I hated.
The pupils were abused on a weekly (often a daily) basis by teachers who ought never to be allowed anywhere near children. To my knowledge no child was ever sexually molested by any teacher, at least not during the time I spent there but the incessant succession of physical assaults, blatant humiliation and brutal intimidation resulted in one boy (my pal Wayne Johnson) being placed in psychiatric care, a girl (my pal Barbara Jackson) turning to drugs and alcohol in order to endure the daily hell of school life and another (a girl whose name I never discovered) set fire to herself in the corridor. I saw this happen with my own eyes. Finally, a year after my expulsion, a 14 year old girl came to school with a shotgun and blasted a hole in the roof of the biology class. We shall probably never know how many children suffered mental and emotional trauma as a direct consequence of the abuse they endured while pupils in this horrendous establishment with its despicable teachers and their incessant cowardly assaults on defenceless children.
The primary culprits, those who committed the most atrocious assaults upon children on a regular basis, were Mr Calton (mathematics and technical drawing), Mr Gates (history) and Mr Sadler (physics). I offer this information purely because it essential these repugnant cowards be recognised and known to a wider audience. Unfortunately I don’t believe any of these vile men were ever investigated as a consequence of their disgusting treatment of children during the late 1960s and 1970s in Amery Hill School. At least now their loathsome practises are made public. If anyone seeks to learn the grim details, they can be found in 3 volumes of autobiographies I published in 2011, 2015 and 2017 (my 3rd, 6th and 10th books – see below).
Andy Martin – Vocals, Hammond Organ, Church Organ,
Pipe Organ, Piano, String Synthesiser.
Fabian Fritze – Bass Guitar.
Colin Murrell – Drums.
Text & Music – Andy Martin.
Donations to our finances can be made ([email protected]) if you wish to support our future work.
In 2016 we released our 30th album (Fast – Clean – Cheap) and with it an era passed. We realised it is neither necessary nor desirable to continue to issue our work on compact discs. The process is expensive and time consuming (pressing CDs, printing booklets and tray cards, buying jiffy bags, going to the post office – it’s so 1990s) so now Band Camp exists, an avenue is presented by which we can release our work to the public directly. Our projects will be obtainable from this address:
http://unit-united.bandcamp.com.
The paypal address for our Band Camp and Lulu sites is [email protected].
In addition there are currently 12 books available.
01) Progressive Rock – The Music That Dare Not Speak Its Name.
02) Chinese Cinema 1905 – 2005.
03) Faded Fragments Of Distant Dreams (autobiography).
04) The Essays (science, history, politics and the arts).
05) The Workshop (dream diaries and cut-ups).
06) I Wish I Was Dead (autobiography).
07) Dare To Be Different (interviews and articles).
08) Not In Front Of The Children (a study of Grange Hill 1978 – 1993) with photographs, episode synopses, cast lists and a contemporary debate on the programme with a group of teenagers from a local housing estate plus a historical survey of children’s television drama 1960 – 1990).
09) Fast – Clean – Cheap (a collection of art, poetry, stories, essays and articles by various contributors including past and present members of UNIT).
10) My Very Brief & Unsuccessful Career As A Human Being (autobiography including a history of The Apostles, Academy 23 and UNIT).
11) Civil Disobedience (a collection of short stories for children).
12) Behind The Bike Shed (a novel for children).
These are proper books in print, not fake, ersatz ‘books’ you see advertised on the internet these days as ‘e-books’. They can be purchased from lulu.com. Type ‘Andy Martin – Grange Hill’ to locate them.
