▁att ending ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁schools ▁in ▁Kent ▁and ▁London , ▁as ▁his ▁mother ▁moved ▁away ▁to ▁work ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁his ▁grand m other . ▁With ▁a ▁strong ▁academic ▁bent ▁and ▁great ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁the ▁arts , ▁he ▁studied ▁at ▁London ▁University ▁and ▁then ▁at ▁Ke ble ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁an ▁hon ours ▁degree ▁in ▁English ▁language ▁and ▁literature . ▁ ▁D uff ell ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁with ▁install ments ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁series ▁ ▁Scotland ▁Y ard ▁and ▁the ▁Ed gar ▁Wal lace ▁Myst eries ▁second ▁features ▁for ▁Ang lo - A mal g am ated , ▁both ▁originally ▁made ▁for ▁cinema ▁release ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁making ▁document aries ▁and ▁television ▁commer ci als . ▁ ▁Based ▁on ▁his ▁television ▁work ▁Mil ton ▁Sub ot sky ▁of ▁Am icus ▁Produ ctions ▁selected ▁D uff ell ▁to ▁direct ▁The ▁House ▁That ▁D ri pped ▁Blood ▁( 1 9 7 0 ) ▁though ▁he ▁turned ▁down ▁other ▁Am icus ▁films ▁because ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁type cast ▁as ▁a ▁horror ▁director . ▁ ▁He ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁write ▁and ▁direct ▁the ▁film ▁script ▁of ▁a ▁book ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁greatest ▁hero es ▁Graham ▁Gre ene , ▁who , ▁although ▁not or iously ▁dismiss ive ▁of ▁most ▁film ▁adapt ations ▁of ▁his ▁work , ▁r ated ▁D uff ell ’ s ▁England ▁Made ▁Me ▁( 1 9 7 3 ) ▁" ex cell ent ". ▁He