Grafton Street

Brighton

East Sussex

BN2 1AQ

12 April 2009

To whom it may concern,

I am writing in reference to my Father, Robert Nicholson, who has endured some horrendous – need I say libellous – accusations over the course of the past 15 years, following his divorce from my Mother. The first of these lies is that he is a violent man. In truth, he is the gentlest, most loving Father a person could wish for. He supported my little brother and I tremendously throughout our early years – while he was still financially able, especially. He took us places and taught us about the world. We travelled, and he encouraged us to learn different languages. He taught us physics and played football with us in the park. My Dad isn’t a young man – he had me when he was 50 and my brother when he was 52. Yet, he still drives us places, picks me up- from Cardiff when I have the chance to visit. Apart from the large amount of time he has spent working away from home (long hours and difficult jobs to try and provide for my brother and I), I could not have wished for a better Dad. He is so all about his children, to suggest he would be violent is preposterous.

The second accusation – and the one which offends me personally – is the one made by Mrs Shan Davies and Builth Wells High School. Now, I love that school. I have nothing but fond memories of my time there, including all my teachers. Especially Mrs Davies, who was a wonderful head and biology teacher. I was incredibly upset when I read the letter that she circulated to families of children attending Builth Wells High School. Firstly, because I am so far away it is difficult to support my Dad, and that makes it very hard knowing that he is being personally attacked by an institution that, frankly, should be a bit more responsible. I say this because Mrs Davies knew of the concerns raised by my Father. In fact, he requested that only they two should know of the situation. She, however, became reticent to aid him in his investigation into the corruption of the examinations, the local council as well as factors between the two.  Mrs Davies and Mr Barlow – the man in charge of the exams in Builth High School – were belligerent and deceitful.

I am incensed that people I used to respect deeply could treat someone I love with such contempt and disdain. Rather than being prepared to face the fact that there may well be some corruption present within their “perfect” little school, they chose to kowtow to the board of governors   and dismiss a man who is only interested in protecting the children who attend the school. They don’t seem so interested in the welfare of the children, do they? So; why could this be, I ask you? And yes, this is an entirely rhetorical question, and one I hope you think seriously about. Robert – my Dad – is an advocate of fair practice for every child in that school. No; not just that school, but the whole of the United Kingdom. He is simply calling for an investigation into the way things are done. What is so unreasonable about that? We trust these people with the futures of our children – why shouldn’t they be audited? It simply smacks of corruption that he has been denied and defamed in such a juvenile way. I ask, if it was any other parent, would they have received the same treatment? What if you had concerns that there was something amiss at your child’s school? What if you questioned it, and suddenly the ranks closed and you were left helpless and voiceless? How would you feel? What kind of society are they perpetuating when a concerned parent can be treated this way?

I wanted to bring my children back to Wales to attend Builth Wells High School – I thought it was the best school in the whole country – but the thought of that fills me with dread now. I couldn’t trust these people to properly monitor and administer examinations, and I couldn’t trust them to take my concerns seriously. If they can’t listen to an adult, with experience of the world enough to stand up and make themselves heard, then how are they going to treat a child’s concerns? Someone who is vulnerable, and has little experience of the manipulative way in which educated adults think and speak?

And to treat a man of 70 years in this way – the man who has been Santa Claus for Ysgol Dolafon for the past decade and more – well. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Yours sincerely,



Megan Nicholson