With respect Neil, when I went to school only the teachers called the boys by their surnames, amongst ourselves nicknames were the norm and I ain't going to tell you what mine was (I guess Andy's was Boshly so he got off light!).
For me callling grown-ups by their surname is rude, but then maybe I'm a throw back!
P.S. Posted before I saw Bosher's post, but then I went to boarding school too
