These are Sean Linehan's comments (dated 27 July 2005)

1. that American dude - Mike Klein

2. the idea was to throw pig's blood, but the abattoir was closed, so Jill Parker suggested paint

3. Mr. Beers

4. it was Sean L

5. technically 'rusticated' which came from the Oxbridge of yore when naughty students were sent back to their country estates for a while - Mike and I were not allowed to go on campus or even Falmer Park which was a public park owned by Brighton Council!. It was my last term before Final Exams and I lost my grant and was not even entitled to unemployment benefit because I was technically still a student even with no income. I worked night shift at Sunblest Bakeries to help my then wife (Sandra) and I to survive. I also had a severe breakdown because of the work and stress and pressure and drinking and drugging and some adultery my wife found out about [it was the 60s after all]. I was committed to a psychiatric hospital after a near fatal suicide attempt [whilst there I tried twice more and failed again and again]. I was ambulanced into the University Medical centre heavily sedated. Once there I was given speed to 'wake me up' and set the Finals papers. If I got too manic I was sedated again. If I got too sleepy, I was given another pill. How I managed to pass the exams I'll never know because it was done in a blur of upping and downing and confusion.

6. I became a teacher of English! - habits die hard!

7. Chris Irwin - grrrrr

8. It was my back, but of an entirely different incident where we tried to get into the Senior Common Room earlier to harangue the Attaché

9. I called the meeting where I was rusticated a 'Star Chamber' and he was suitably abashed

10. we all asked to see this evidence and to know the names of the accusers which is the basic right of everyone under the law - but the University is 'not above the law' - hmmmmm

11. ....er yes, and how could that be when Mike and I were not allowed to meet tutors, attend lectures, use the Library or communicate with the University in any way

13. reasonably the good historian Asa told us that we could not judge the war in Vietnam until we had 'historical perspective - We had evidence then that the war was dangerously escalating; that civilians were being targeted deliberately; that the US was planning to bomb in Chinese territory and that 'tactical' nuclear weapons might be employed. The fact that some of these did not come about was precisely because of negative 'domestic and foreign reactions'. We were actually helping to stop the escalation into China and the use of nuclear devices by our actions. If we had believed Asa and all the Namby Pambies, the history they would have studied with perspective would have been much worse!

14. actually, ironically, American Studies

15. a year

16. Well, Norman, I hope I've added historical perspective to your reflections. They were heady days and despite everything that happened to me, I still feel immensely proud to have thrown paint over that man. Bertrand Russell sent a magic telegram to Asa in which he said, "I heartily endorse the actions of these honourable students. I will buy that miserable man a new suit if the Americans will agree to get out of Viet Nam."

I worked my year on Brighton buses which restored my sanity because I had been a Manchester bus conductor before going to Sussex. They liked to add the yeast of working class 'rough' to the fine wheat of middle class trendies in those days.

(... Sean filled in a brief history of himself since those days (which I have seriously abridged). He worked as a teacher and ...) founded and ran an organisation called 'Wage Peace'.

... I became an education officer dealing with work-experience for schools and colleges in Islington and Camden for 3 years. I then became an Advisory Teacher for Disaffected Students in Southwark and established anti-bullying policies and tried to get non-attenders back into school.

I then went around the world backpacking for a year going throught the States to Fiji and New Zealand and all around Australia. I then went to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam (where I cried to see the tribute they made in the War Museum to those of us who supported their struggle). ...

... I went to Northern Ireland where I taught in belfast, Crumlin and Lisburn for a few years. last year I taught in an EBD (Educational and Behavioural Difficulties) School in east Belfast. It was not easy to deal with the worst behaved kids in Northern Ireland (all Protestant and in para-military groups) being an English (I always thought Sean was Irish - and that he had made me an honouary Irishman!) Catholic (albeit non-believing that bullshit)

... When I get back to NI, I shall be teaching kids who cannot go to school because of illness or badness in their own homes.

Regards,

Sean