Grange Hill. Series Two – Episode Seven | Archive Television Musings

Written by Phil Redmond. Tx 23rd January 1979

The next day, Benny continues to fret about Simon’s safety. Tucker’s not concerned though – they went back into the school and he wasn’t there, so he must have got out alright. Tucker being Tucker, of course, can’t help himself by telling the concerned Benny that if they did discover a charred corpse they’d be able to identify it from the dental records!

It turns out that Simon’s fine, although the fire damage is quite costly and money has to be taken from the funds raised by the recent jumble sale.

His inability to read is eventually revealed when he confesses this fact to Trisha. As previously mentioned, it does stretch credibility to breaking point that he’s survived so far into the first year without his problem being recognised. We saw in the previous episode how he was able to get out of reading by feigning sickness – are we supposed to think that he’s been doing the same thing all the year?! Trisha, of course, loves a lame duck and takes it upon herself to teach him (telling the boy he needs to address her as Miss Yates and give her an apple!)

Simon tells her why he’s kept his problems with reading a secret – he doesn’t want to have to leave Grange Hill and be placed in a “special school”. Dyslexia really became a recognised condition in the 1980’s – prior to that, as Simon says, people who couldn’t read were usually labelled “thick or stupid.” It’s another early example of the series’ public-service ethos – undoubtedly some of the audience would have identified with Simon’s problems and Mr Sutcliffe’s sympathetic reaction would have helped to reassure them.

Having said that, it’s slightly concerning that Simon will, after all, have to transfer elsewhere – with all the stigma that attending a special school entails. This may have been seen as quite reasonable back in the late 1970’s, but it does strike a slightly discordant note today.

For whatever reason, I really like this episode, and it’s one that always immediately springs to mind when think of Series Two. However things do get off to an curious start – It is the morning after the fire. It has been on the news; It is known that it has caused some bad damage to area(s) behind the hall; and Tucker, Alan and Benny (unbeknown of course, to anyone else) are concerned what might have happened to Simon. And yet the pupils are entering the school this following morning as if nothing much has occurred, despite the fire apparently being major enough to be on the news the previous evening and the newspaper that morning. It does feel a bit disjointed (despite Phil Redmond having written both episodes) and unsure of itself. Thankfully it plays out well enough that it is no major problem, but it’s something that does stand out to me when watching.

But beyond that, this episode mostly concentrates on Simon’s problem (dyslexia) finally coming out, and his friendship with Trish as she attempts to help him. It is for these reasons I really like this episode, with “early Trisha” as I often call her, at her finest – often misguided, but heart in the right place for trying to do what she sees as the right thing (she would maintain these qualities from Series 3 onwards but sometimes become ever more headstrong with it). As much as I love Tucker as the iconic character he is, I actually find Trisha to be my favourite character in these early Series 1 and 2 episodes.

Locations wise, the bridge which Simon and Trisha later cross, is over the River Brent, as it passes through Chalkhill Open Space in Wembley; the same bridge is in place now (2025). The dilapidated building which they go into, was located just over the ridge after the far side of the bridge, seemingly an old disused ground-keeper’s or sports equipment hut, long gone (unsurprising – it looks set to fall down in this episode!) and nowadays that section of the Open Space serves as a BMX track. Once inside, of course, we are back in the confines of a studio set at TV Centre. (The spot at which Mr. Sutcliffe and Trisha find Simon sitting by the water is just along from here, too).

There are more “different era” / “never at my school” points later on, when Mr. Sutcliffe leaves school to drive around with pupil Trisha looking for Simon, and eventually the three of them sit for a while inside the (seemingly derelict) wreck of a hut discussing matters. “Health and Safety” issues and “Pupil Safeguarding” issues abound in modern context (and we might assume that even the, a little creative license was allowed within the series).

Dyslexia still wasn’t widely recognised back in 1978/9, and some of the plotting, regarding the full scope of Simon’s learning problems and how they have tangled up with all the other dramas – fire et al – maybe seem a little clunky in modern context; but back in October 1978, when this episode was filmed, it was quite a first to see dyslexia even being tackled, particularly in a children’s series. It does seem very harsh though – and a reminder of a different era – that Simon looks set to be sent away to a specialist school if tests confirm he does indeed have dyslexia.

It is commendable – particularly from a young viewer’s perspective – how Simon confesses up to his role in the fire, without dropping his friends in it. I like the character of Simon and the way Paul Miller plays him; once this storyline is over though – even when allowing for the ‘sent away to a specialist school’ outcome – it is arguable if the character would have had much more mileage left, though.

The end of the episode might indicate this to be Simon’s last – so it’s maybe a bit of a surprise when he turns up again for his actual departure two episodes later. The kiss on the cheek Trisha gives Simon at the end of this episode (again maybe adding to the misunderstanding of this being his departing episode) is another nice touch, and the overall storyline might even be seen to share some vague similarities with elements of the Tegs and Justine pairing that starts in Series 11.

A really good episode. Inevitably dated in some of it’s methods, but one of my favourites of Series Two.

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2 thoughts on “Grange Hill. Series Two – Episode Seven”

steveresin says:

July 20, 2022 at 8:45 pm

How marvellous to see Pere Ubu and their album “Dub Housing” pop up in this episode as a learning aid for Shaw.

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P.j. Gathergood says:

July 2, 2025 at 11:49 am

For whatever reason, I really like this episode, and it’s one that always immediately springs to mind when think of Series Two. However things do get off to an curious start – It is the morning after the fire. It has been on the news; It is known that it has caused some bad damage to area(s) behind the hall; and Tucker, Alan and Benny (unbeknown of course, to anyone else) are concerned what might have happened to Simon. And yet the pupils are entering the school this following morning as if nothing much has occurred, despite the fire apparently being major enough to be on the news the previous evening and the newspaper that morning. It does feel a bit disjointed (despite Phil Redmond having written both episodes) and unsure of itself. Thankfully it plays out well enough that it is no major problem, but it’s something that does stand out to me when watching.

But beyond that, this episode mostly concentrates on Simon’s problem (dyslexia) finally coming out, and his friendship with Trish as she attempts to help him. It is for these reasons I really like this episode, with “early Trisha” as I often call her, at her finest – often misguided, but heart in the right place for trying to do what she sees as the right thing (she would maintain these qualities from Series 3 onwards but sometimes become ever more headstrong with it). As much as I love Tucker as the iconic character he is, I actually find Trisha to be my favourite character in these early Series 1 and 2 episodes.

Locations wise, the bridge which Simon and Trisha later cross, is over the River Brent, as it passes through Chalkhill Open Space in Wembley; the same bridge is in place now (2025). The dilapidated building which they go into, was located just over the ridge after the far side of the bridge, seemingly an old disused ground-keeper’s or sports equipment hut, long gone (unsurprising – it looks set to fall down in this episode!) and nowadays that section of the Open Space serves as a BMX track. Once inside, of course, we are back in the confines of a studio set at TV Centre. (The spot at which Mr. Sutcliffe and Trisha find Simon sitting by the water is just along from here, too).

There are more “different era” / “never at my school” points later on, when Mr. Sutcliffe leaves school to drive around with pupil Trisha looking for Simon, and eventually the three of them sit for a while inside the (seemingly derelict) wreck of a hut discussing matters. “Health and Safety” issues and “Pupil Safeguarding” issues abound in modern context (and we might assume that even the, a little creative license was allowed within the series).

Dyslexia still wasn’t widely recognised back in 1978/9, and some of the plotting, regarding the full scope of Simon’s learning problems and how they have tangled up with all the other dramas – fire et al – maybe seem a little clunky in modern context; but back in October 1978, when this episode was filmed, it was quite a first to see dyslexia even being tackled, particularly in a children’s series. It does seem very harsh though – and a reminder of a different era – that Simon looks set to be sent away to a specialist school if tests confirm he does indeed have dyslexia.

It is commendable – particularly from a young viewer’s perspective – how Simon confesses up to his role in the fire, without dropping his friends in it. I like the character of Simon and the way Paul Miller plays him; once this storyline is over though – even when allowing for the ‘sent away to a specialist school’ outcome – it is arguable if the character would have had much more mileage left, though.

The end of the episode might indicate this to be Simon’s last – so it’s maybe a bit of a surprise when he turns up again for his actual departure two episodes later. The kiss on the cheek Trisha gives Simon at the end of this episode (again maybe adding to the misunderstanding of this being his departing episode) is another nice touch, and the overall storyline might even be seen to share some vague similarities with elements of the Tegs and Justine pairing that starts in Series 11.

A really good episode. Inevitably dated in some of it’s methods, but one of my favourites of Series Two.

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