Postcard Portraits
Mrs Dawson Which three people (dead or alive) would you invite to a dinner party and why? Well, to be boring, I’ll have to pick my favourite mathematician, Galois (which had to be spelled out for us several times), because he led a short but productive life, and ended up dying in a pistol duel! The lovely Brian Cox, just to upset my daughter, and Michael Palin because of his great influence as a comedian and to get some tips on travelling.
the hour and a half that they spend on the pitch playing, they get paid far too much and I think people pay far too much attention to them (this question was asked on the first day of the Football World Cup!).
What is it about teaching that made you want to do the job. Well I didn’t originally. Then I discovered that the only way I could carry on doing maths all the time rather than applying it was to pass it on in the classroom. I suppose I ought to say that I wanted to help children, but …
What did you want to do originally? Well I took my O-level subjects intending to study medicine but then I sort of discovered maths, learning there was much more to it and much more to enjoy.
Is there anything you really don’t like about teaching What, other than the Third Form? No.
What would the starter be? Hand-picked and hand-dived Scottish scallops.
What three school-related things would you put in room 101? The entire Third Form, 8.40 Saturday morning lessons and uniform boo-boos such as boys wearing their trousers low like hipsters, and the three-quarter length trousers on girls.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievements? Producing two children. You can’t get much better than that!
Do you have unfulfilled ambitions? I wanted to become a pilot, go into space and watch a huge volcanic explosion. From a safe distance of course, but near enough to see it properly. I keep checking when Vesuvius is next going to erupt!
Which three items would you take with you to a desert island and why? Well (assuming there would be free wi-fi there) I would take my iPad, full of books to read. Also, a keyboard because I’d like to be able to improve my piano-playing since I’d have not much else to do. I’d take Mr Dawson with me: you’d want him on a desert island because he’s practical. He can make huts and things like that.
Which celebrities or public figures do you dislike most? I dislike footballers, I know they put a lot of work in but for
146
The Peterite 2013-2014
What are your best and worst fashion moments? Bearing in mind that I was a teenager in the 70s, I think we are definitely going with flared trousers for worst moments, aren’t we? And permed hair! It used to be called a Kevin Keegan. I did have a very nice dress on my wedding day. What’s wrong with today, I ask you?
If you weren’t yourself, who would you most like to be? I would want to be Mrs Dawson, I’m very happy being me. I suppose if I could be anything I’d be a cat because it seems like they have an easy life and they also have a streak of meanness.
How do you imagine heaven and hell to be? In heaven I imagine there’d be an endless supply of time and non-fattening chocolate. My hell would be if I were locked in a room with reality television.
Lastly, what advice would you give the people at the school? When you don’t succeed: keep going, try again, and if all else fails, eat chocolate. Peter Gray and Bethan Bradley (V)
