7 minute read
Postcard Portraits
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 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 infl uence as a comedian and to get infl uence as a comedian and to get some tips on travelling.
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 unfulfi lled 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 fi gures do you dislike most? I dislike footballers, I know they put a lot of work in but for 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 fi rst day of the Football to them (this question was asked on the fi rst day of the Football World Cup!). 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 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 pass it on in the classroom. I suppose I ought to say that I wanted to help children, but … 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 then I sort of discovered maths, learning there was much more to it and much more to enjoy. it and much more to enjoy.
Is there anything you really don’t like about teaching about teaching What, other than the Third Form? No.
What are your best and worst fashion moments?
Bearing in mind that I was a teenager in the 70s, I think we are defi nitely going with fl ared trousers for worst moments, with fl ared 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)
Mr John Darmody
Which three people, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party, and why? The comedian, Jack Dee, singersongwriter, Leonard Cohen (because they’re miserable old gits like me) and Jo Brand, to lighten the mood. gits like me) and Jo Brand, to lighten the mood. art and being able to introduce young people to it. Apart from the increasing amount of bureaucracy and change for its own sake I dislike the excessive use of technology: emails have replaced faceto-face contact and the internet is a poor substitute for reading. Sunderland beating Newcastle United by several goals to
Which three things relating to St Peter’s would you put into room 101, and why? It would be Saturday morning lessons, single periods for the creative subjects, and lunchtime roll-calls.
Lasting as long as I have and managing to keep smiling at all times. Seriously, probably that I’ve done things other than teaching, like not making it in football and almost making it in music. That’s me: ‘Mr Almost’!
Which three items would you take with you to a desert island, and why? A photograph of my family, and my drum-kit, so that I could play as loudly as I like. I might have to take a huge block of marble as an art supply, because that would take me years to carve and shape – plus a hammer and chisel, of course. Oops, that’s fi ve objects.
Which celebrities or public fi gures do you detest most, and why? How long have you got? In politics, Margaret Thatcher, because of the damage her policies did to communities in my part of the world [the north-east]; in the art world I dislike the self-indulgent work of Tracy Emin, now Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy – that’s a laugh! And in the media, probably Lee Mack – a Smart-Alec, not-funny comedian and show-off.
Which aspects of teaching do you like and dislike the most? Very easy: I like the holidays! Seriously, just being involved with art and being able to introduce young people to it. Apart from the increasing amount of bureaucracy and change for its own sake I dislike the excessive use of technology: emails have replaced faceto-face contact and the internet is a poor substitute for reading. What are your best and worst fashion moments? Some of my best fashion moments some people say were actually my worst! In my late teens and early twenties I thought my pastshoulder-length hair and yellow Chelsea boots were the business. I always thought that when I became older I would never dress the same way as my dad. That didn’t work.
I think I would probably have to be Bruce Springsteen, simply because my wife seems to love him more than me.
How do you imagine Heaven and Hell to be? Heaven would be sitting in a the directors’ section at the Stadium of Light with a pie in one hand and a pint in the other watching Sunderland beating Newcastle United by several goals to nil. Brought up and educated under strict Catholic principles, even now I can’t imagine Hell being anything other than a Hieronymus Bosch panorama.
Who is your favourite artist? I admire and envy the talents of a great many artists. My favourites change on an almost daily basis. In terms of the alltime greats I don’t think you can go past Titian for sheer vivacity and skill. One of my favourite contemporary artists is Maggie Hambling. I think both artists are just simply great painters who know their trade and have brilliant technique.
