Education: They said I was useless, but look at me now: I was called 'MD' for 'mentally deficient'

BARNEY EDWARDS, 45, is one of Britain's leading directors of TV commercials. After an unspectacular education and a disastrous spell at art college, he joined a photographic agency, and climbed up in the world of advertising photography. Now his company, EBS, employs 10 permanent staff and he has a reputation for highly creative work.

I ALWAYS wanted to be a journalist, but wasn't very good at English language - or anything else at school for that matter. I went to a tough Jesuit boarding school in Preston, Lancashire, from the age of eight to 15. The maths teacher used to call me 'MD' meaning 'Mentally Deficient' and I remember drawing turbo planes during the maths exam (which, naturally, I failed).

The school asked me to leave because they thought I was useless, and so I took my O-levels at another school, only managing to scrape two passes, in English literature and history).

My father, a manager for Woolworths, in desperation managed to get me a job as a trainee in the hotel business through his business contacts, but I couldn't stand the subservience and left after a year to retake my O-levels - which I failed again - at the local college.

Then I started a graphics course at art college - against the wishes of my father, who thought that art was for nancy boys. Unfortunately, I discovered I couldn't draw and my tutor said I had no sense of composition. The only person who gave me any encouragement was the sculpture teacher, who suggested I took photographs instead of drawing and told me to read anything I could get my hands on - on reflection the best advice anyone ever gave me. So I read voraciously. But the college still kicked me out. Then I thought 'What am I going to do now?', packed my bags and came to London to try find a job.

That was an immense leap. After that, everything was easy. I started at pounds 5.10s ( pounds 5.50p) a week for a photographic agency while living in a hostel, then became a photographer's assistant. I worked ferociously hard. There were times I just wanted to curl up and die because I was mixing with posh photographers - Harpers & Queen-type people - and I was embarrassed by my Northern accent and lack of social graces. But I always had a feeling one day I would be noticed and had an unshakeable believe that I would be some kind of a star.

I think that the most significant decision in my life was leaving art college and coming to London, because I learnt independence very quickly. Despite my lack of academic success, I learnt three very important things: to take responsibility for my actions, to communicate well and to think both analytically and creatively.

Few schools today teach you how to think. Now, when I employ someone I don't care whether they have been to university or if they have any qualifications. I want to know what films they see, what books they read, whether they have courage, charisma, stamina and can really communicate.

(Photograph omitted)