Argh! I had such a lovely day today, and I refuse to let it be spoilt by the traditional headache-inducing stress over last-minute packing arrangements.
Stupid packing.
I spent quite a bit of today, my last day of the ‘summer’ holiday, back at school. You may very well find this strange – nay, downright disturbing – but it’s a free country \ I know my rights! \ wot evah [delete as applicable]. I particularly came in to see Mr. Buchanan who was also visiting to a well-deserved hero’s welcome from staff and students alike. (Battling cancer, sure, but that’s not why Year 11 boys ran into the English office to hug him. It’s because he’s a bloody great teacher.) Both of us were then invited to join Ms. Rupchand’s A2 English class. Y’know, for fun 
And what do you know – they’re doing Othello. Yay! And Iago’s being wonderfully viciously evil, Roderigo’s being oh so very very thick and Cassio can’t hold his drink, as per usual. I love this play. Iago thinks the lusty Moor’s ‘leaped into his seat’. “FUCKED HIS WIFE!” yells Jimmy, hands bestriding the air. The class collapses with laughter, like we used to – like everyone should. Desdemona’s still going to end up ‘deaded’ but for now she’s very much alive and not yet fallen pray to defiant-Shakespearian-female-crumpling-halfway-through syndrome. Good for her.
Did you know: I walked past Peter Mandelson the other day? I did indeed. Looking suave, as always. I love his relish.
As second break begins I leave with Saoirse, who’s coming over to have tea, and we collide with Tasha. The three of us go home and end up watching Lady and the Tramp on VHS in order to beef-up Saoirse’s Disney education. It’s wonderful. Old things, VHS tapes. You have to rewind them: our machine has a super-fast rewind. That used to be a selling feature, advertised on the box. Imagine that! The quality of the tape is variable at best: the colours look like they’ve been drudged through a muddy puddle and favourite scenes are interspersed with flashes of snowy black and white. It’s wonderful. No, really, it is. There’s an orchestral soundtrack perfectly timed to all the little movements of the characters. Tramp calls Lady pidge, but it sounds a lot like bitch and makes us giggle. Two Italian men, one fat and one thin, prepare a romantic meal for a stray dog and his date. What a nice thing to do.
Bu-le-ee-ee-tt-tt pr-oo-oo-ff!
To back up your point, extract from a matey’s blog today, who’s in that class:
‘I went to school and had English, which was really fun, for once. Mr Buchanan is such a good teacher, so on point but really personable, at the same time. He has this air about him, like ‘I respect you if you respect me.’ I don’t know, just proper helpful and inspiring.’
Videos were amazing. As was classic Disney. Couldn’t have put it better!
You’re all so lucky to have been taught by Mr Buchanan – I’m in my 40s and would still LOVE to have had that experience.
Sad to hear about his cancer.
Enjoy the new term Dominic and others x