Page 43 - Through a glass brightly

As a newcomer to the OG email family I had forgotten a lot about QE and Barnet having not lived in the area for over 50 years now and probably only attended 2 or 3 reunions (usually because we go away around the same time) so it certainly has dragged up a few memories for me. And Jen I do remember you opening the door for the Queen and I seem to think you had to do a special curtsey!
And looking at the 12th night programme do you remember how in our first year Miss Iliff taught us where to put the appropriate apostrophes after the letter S in the school's name?
From Val M. at 13.59
I do remember the Eng. Lit. classes well
– Miss Barber took us and I loved her -
not at all judgmental and very tolerant
(which she needed to be). I also don’t understand why QEs didn’t offer it at O level - most of the people I knew later at Uni had done it automatically. (Later, having seen Jenny’s email:) That’s a typical case of QEs having to go against the tide and think they knew best: I got such pleasure from that Eng lit course and have never felt the same about 12th night or Tobias and the Angel since - there’s a lovely painting of them in the National Gallery by Verrochio with a little bit done by a young Leonardo - there’s just a magic to it for me and it all comes from reading that play. How could the exam board have chosen Hard Times? - the least read Dickens, for good reason - I’ve never read one since. We must have done some poetry but I can’t remember what. I’ll have a trawl through the diaries later as I can’t remember who did it. We certainly weren’t all offered it - there’s a bit in diary about some of us going to ask to do it.
And I have seen every production of 12th Night I could manage ever since, including this NT one tonight (which I really liked, even though I’m not usually mad about gender swapping in plays - I have to admit Tamsin Greig was fantastic - (as she was in Belgravia that just finished on ITV) and also the RSC one in 2017 when Adrian Edmondson was an unlikely Malvolio, looking more like Andrew Aguecheek. I won’t prejudice your enjoyment by my opinion of tonight’s Andrew, but if you watch it, remember that the actor plays Oliver in the Archers. Funnily enough, as I don’t usually like gender swaps one of the best Olivias I’ve seen was Mark Rylance at the Globe.
I will never forget Ann as Andrew Aguecheek - I think you were fantastic, Ann! It was so much fun taking part. I remember sitting on the floor on the stage with Ruth and Janet Windeatt as courtiers listening to Susan Sheers doing the opening speech. My memory is that on one performance someone - Janet? - got caught with a humbug in her mouth when she had to go on. I had a tiny speaking part as the priest and was hopeless. I’m just not an actor, much too self conscious at that age. And no idea how to do it. I just loved the rehearsals and the laughs and having something to do on a Saturday!
Books for the Lock Down
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