PAULINE PROFILES
Cold Night, 1963 Gouache on paper 16 x 26.5 inches © Martin Bradley, Photograph © England & Co
Martin Bradley (1946-7): An unconventional Pauline Michael Simmons (1946-1952) shares his experiences of a remarkable school friend. Martin and I joined 3b in the London branch of Colet Court in September 1944. There was an unpleasant culture of bullying at the time and as the only new boys in the class we were very much thrown together as “new bugs.” Martin was much older and worldly wise than the rest of us. Even then, it was obvious that he had a special talent as an artist He entertained us with his pen and ink strip cartoons complete with dialogue in speech bubbles.
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ATRIUM
SPRING / SUMMER 2021
H
e used to come over in the school holidays to spend time with me in Wembley. He lived in nearby Greenford with his guardian. He was learning Mandarin Chinese and we became friendly with the sons of a Chinese diplomat whose home backed on to the same playing field as ours. We used to cook rice in the fields and do unmentionable things to butterflies. Mandarin was the common language and even I learned to speak and write a little. We both moved up to five alpha in the senior school but it was obvious that Martin’s days were numbered. His complete lack of discipline did not fit the culture of St Paul’s at the time. In art classes with Mr Burn (Master 1946-72), he would be sitting at the back studying Chinese. In other
