every school had this accolade applied to someone right? At mine, the year was split in their allegiance to, on the one hand, Luke, and on the other Darren. They had both proved themselves by beating up older kids at school, but had never fought each other.

Tensions were rising as the rival factions boasted that their man was the hardest, and eventually, almost inexplicably in hindsight, this could lead to only one conclusion. FIGHT. It was all organised in advance, after school, thurday, in the alley behind Kemptons. It was like a world championship boxing match, there were literally hundreds of people there, all struggling for podition.

The result, Darren haven given Luke a good kicking, was shrouded in controversy as he had thrown the first punch whilst Luke was taking his blazer off, so as far as one side were concerned this was far from settled. Nonetheless, things simmered down, and soon after Luke was expelled from the school for something else.

Years later, when both had left school and were now grown ups, Darren was attacked with an iron bar and hospitalised by Luke and some cronies, in retaliation for a schoolboy fight some five years previous. Can you believe that?

So anyway, hard kids, school bullies, fights, pray tell.