The Big Read: No such thing as a free lunch

It was one of the saddest moments of my youth - being told by my parents there was no money to pay for me to go to university. There were five children to feed, clothe and keep in school, and always at least one "upcountry" relative living in the small council house, so things were tight. For as long as I can remember, I did odd jobs to bridge the gap between the state bursary for teaching and mere survival.