Editing Willie Rushton (section)

==Early life==
Rushton was born 18 August 1937 at 3 Wilbraham Place, [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]], [[London]], the only child of publisher John Atherton Rushton (1908–1958) and his Welsh wife Veronica (née James, 1910–1977). He was educated at [[Shrewsbury School]], where he was not particularly successful academically but met his future ''Private Eye'' colleagues [[Richard Ingrams]], [[Paul Foot (journalist)|Paul Foot]] and [[Christopher Booker]].<ref name=Sherrin>{{cite ODNB |first=Ned |last=Sherrin |author-link=Ned Sherrin |title=Rushton, William George [Willie] (1937–1996) |orig-year=2004 |year=2011 |id=63998 }}</ref> He also contributed to the satirical magazine ''The Wallopian'' (a play on the school magazine name ''The Salopian''), mocking school spirit, traditions and the masters.<ref name=Sherrin/> Later, he said he recalled little of his schooldays, except that "it was [[Blandings Castle|Blandings]] country. The sort of place where you go to die, not to be educated."<ref>"Obituaries: William Rushton", ''The Daily Telegraph'' page 21, 12 December 1996</ref>

After school, Rushton had to undertake two years of [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|national service]] in the [[British Army|army]], where he failed officer selection.<ref name=Sherrin/> He later commented, "The Army is, God bless it, one of the funniest institutions on earth and also a sort of microcosm of the world. It's split almost perfectly into our class system. Through serving in the ranks I discovered the basic wit of my fellow man&nbsp;– whom basically, to tell the truth, I'd never met before."<ref name=Massingberd>Hugh Massingberd (2012) ''Daydream Believer'' Pan Books {{ISBN|1447210220}}</ref> On leaving the army, he worked in a solicitor's office for a short period.<ref name=Sherrin/>