When I was in Year 12, the Sixth Form was required to dress up on certain days for a week for the stupid cause of 'Rag Week'. The day was Wednesday, the theme was Military Day. In my infinite wisdom and lack of forward thinking, I dressed up as Rudolph Hess. Yes, Hitler's friend and advisor. Full insignia, Iron Cross, the works.

What I hadn't taken into consideration was the fact that my Catholic school did indeed have a small, but significant population of Jews. I think they were the ones who stoically stayed sitting when I walked into the dinner hall as close to five hundred students stood, saluted and shouted "Sieg Heil!" I was lucky to get out of there alive, and the headmaster summoned me to his office to question my motives for dressing as a Nazi.

I forget exactly what happened in there, but he branded me a Nazi for the rest of my time at school. Oddly enough though, he signed my application for shotgun licence only last week.