Life Before Somerville: Anne Emerson (1974, Oriental Studies) A Village Girl Takes an Unusual Path to Oxford (Or, How the Impact of Luck Can Match that of Privilege) Fortune found me, at the age of eleven, in our local village school under the drill-sergeant tutelage of Miss Linford. It was Miss Linford’s determination, drilling us ‘to the test’, that enabled me and my twin Gill to pass the eleven-plus, that infamous screening exam, created to determine what sort of High School English children would attend. Sadly, its attempt to stream young people into academic or vocational settings often seemed to have the unintended result of turning students of the former into snobs and of the latter into rejects. Either way, Gill and I passed the eleven-plus first and second in our district (though we were not told in which order), and each received a government scholarship to the best independent (private) girls’ school in Bedfordshire. This school, unlike a more-typical English High school, expected to prepare its best students for the exclusive Oxbridge entrance examinations. However, my mother was, at ANNE (LEFT) AND HER TWIN GILL (RIGHT) AS CHILDREN the time, concerned that we would not get to know boys in a classroom situation. The rationale for girls’ schools has been, and probably still is, that they should learn academics free from the competitive and dominant behaviours of boys. No doubt I was to apply for University entrance. My new employer her concerns explain why, when we were about fourteen, our was the Butlins holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, where mother suggested that Gill and I should ‘get out a bit.’ I did; the Great British Public still repaired for a week’s rest and Gill did not. She became scholarly and a patient, accurately- recreation. They hired me as a barmaid in the main ballroom, drawing artist, winner of awards for art and design. and so began a long summer of experiences that have stayed I joined the village youth club, and became interested in with me ever since. kayaking. Bedfordshire Youth Services taught several mini- There were parties with pick-up guitar, conversations with two courses in kayaking, to a broad cross-section of Bedfordshire girls from New Zealand who were working their way around youth, mostly boys. I spent many weekends and some the world, and one particularly memorable incident in which I evenings in my kayak, taking on enjoyable but increasingly was required to attend an intervention to rouse a consistently challenging activities which, unknown to me, were preparing tardy colleague. When the unlocked door swung open, it me for certification as a British Canoe Union Assistant revealed her in her nightgown, completely unembarrassed to Instructor. Academically, as my out-of-school time became be greeted by all her colleagues while her beau sat up in bed well-occupied, I learned to cut corners, game the system, and beside her, and much of my school-girl innocence evaporated! avoid homework; not a good way to become competitive for University entrance. Having enjoyed something of a drifter’s life all summer, autumn Kayaker Anne gained both some street smarts and a personal found me no longer eager to pursue conventional success. I admiration for the youth leader’s methods. (His nickname was told my parents I wanted to work my way around the world Copper, for his reddish hair). He displayed much common sense instead. I thought I would learn more that way than I would in working with young people. For example, he asked me to do learn at university. Next thing I knew, my teachers (now, the scary things first. Then the boys could not chicken out. who told my teachers?) were on a campaign to persuade me to change my mind. I said no to applying for my intended By now, I was not behaving like a typical ambitious student, programme at the Sorbonne (Philosophy, Psychology, and but I did still imagine that I might achieve as my father, a Physiology, in High School French? I don’t think so!). But Cambridge graduate, had done. Having developed confidence ‘Oriental Studies’ appealed, and so I duly applied to all five and a somewhat adventurous spirit, I applied to work away universities offering the subject, which included both Oxford from home the summer after I had turned eighteen and before and Cambridge. 26