I note with interest the advice from the President of the US to the people of the UK concerning Brexit and the choice of a new Prime Minister. No doubt he would be very interested to hear the advice given to an American teacher on exchange at Wanstead County High School in 1960, or thereabouts.
The American visitor stood in the doorway of the men’s staffroom and asked why it was that the UK did not get up to date and replace the monarchy with a president. There was a moment’s polite silence then one of my teachers – unfortunately I do not know which one – pointed out that we had tried a president 300 years before and that it had taken us only twelve years to realise that we had made a mistake.
