Friendly Fred

Our music teacher Mr. Hotton had a black bushy beard, a thunderous temper and generally looked, sounded and acted like Victorian Dad.

He owned a plimsoll which he dubbed 'Friendly Fred', and inscribed 'FF' on the sole in black magic marker. As he never tired of explaining to us, this was a clever joke because FF in musical notation meant 'very loud', as small boys were apt to be when he beat them about the buttocks with it.

Once, entirely out of character, he gave me a Mars bar for being a good drummer.
written by Da*cin* Be*n, approved by Susan