Page 44 - Through a glass brightly

It’s funny what different things we all remember. Tom Sawyer has gone completely from my memory. I do remember David Copperfield but not in a good way. I think I had been given a big part and hadn’t learnt it properly. I think it was LIVE, Janet.
Mag, you’re not the only one who wasted a lot of time at school - though actually you were busy all the time, as I remember, with the teams - my diary details often being with you at lunch time and after school most days either playing tennis or shooting netballs or in my case hanging around the edge of the teams and filling in at practices. I much preferred that to acting. And you all say such nice things about Mrs Darcy whereas when I was trawling the diaries recently looking for bits about Pat Kitto for the memoir I wrote of her, I discovered to my horror she had thrown me out of her 6th form English course.... I think I was a bit verbal in complaining about too much homework when it wasn’t an A level course. I think I was finding my choice of subjects a bit overwhelming (who didn’t?) though I seem to have spent my time going up and down to Barnet library looking for history books rather than actually reading them... And much good it did me too.
Sorry, I must stop going on, though I will look at the diaries tonight. And Ann, I did see the programme on Notre Dame and the restoration and it was really interesting.
As for routine, it’s ok for a while, and I know we are cheering ourselves up here, but did anyone else feel a bit shaken by Chris Whitty’s warning yesterday at the briefing on how long these restrictions might go on?
And before I go, there was a really interesting conversation about the use of pulse oximeters in Covid treatment on Radio 4 yesterday on PM - starts at 4.30 and is 1 hour 14 minutes in.
From Jenny at 15.52
According to one of those Google things that tells you the answer to everything, the play must have been in 1961 as that is the year when 2nd December was a Saturday as printed on the programme!!! So I was vaguely right - our Lower Sixth year.
From Jenny at 16.08
Just been for a walk round the block to post a birthday card and was delighted at the state of all the gardens I passed - so beautifully tended and full of colour - azaleas, lilacs etc and not a weed in sight - people are obviously using the lock down to good purpose. Even the roadside shrubberies are full of bluebells etc. Spring in Bush Hill Park - lovely!
From Janet at 16.15
Linking in with Ann's email the other day, I opened the curtains this morning to find a pair (male and female) of pheasants in the garden pecking away at the bird seed that had fallen from the feeders. Will there be babies later on?
They didn't bat an eyelid or even a tail feather when the cat was let out and just kept pecking - they were actually bigger than she is!
From Val M at 19.24
Hope everyone is doing ok - I think it’s beginning to drag a bit for lots of people. But as my neighbour and I - at a distance - were saying today - it is nice when you don’t get something finished (she’s decorating) (in fact from the banging and hammering around here it seems like most people are doing home improvements) because you just think, oh well I’ll do it tomorrow - it’s not as if I have anything else on. Even the little ones are starting to find it hard. My granddaughter Maeve (3 in June) had an internet play date with her friend Amara the other day.
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