A Matter of Degree

Colin Andrews has drawn on his long experience as a teacher, folk performer and Morris dancer to produce a highly original novel that will leave readers with a sense of satisfaction - and a warm smile on their face. No mobile phones, no internet, no mixed sex accommodation and definitely no alcohol on Sundays... A Matter of Degree is set in the early 1970s and follows the comical and dramatic exploits of Robert Kiddecott, a farmer's son from Devon, and Jacob Moses, his folksinging friend, through the three years to graduation at a fictional teacher training college in mid-Wales. Rob's relationships with the fairer sex and Jake's penchant for involving Rob in well-meaning projects lead to bizarre yet utterly believable and amusing scenarios. Will unexpected turns of fate always thwart Rob's amorous inclinations? Why is Jake obsessed with an abandoned observatory? Whatever inspires Jake to get Rob and their fellow students involved in the folk traditions of Mumming and Morris dancing? In what other directions does Jake's persuasive enthusiasm lead his friends? And what key part does Jessica play in their lives? A Matter of Degree is an entertaining, perhaps nostalgic, snapshot of a time now passed, but it is also touches on controversial issues such a racial prejudice, sexual temptation facing young teachers, religious fanaticism and political correctness in a thought-provoking, sensitive way. Anyone who enjoys Gervase Phinn's tales will enjoy Colin Andrews's fictionalised account of the antics of student teachers in the 1970s.