I do occasionally bump into pupils that I have taught drama at Benenden, but this has to count as one of more unusual encounters. Pippa and I have just come back from the Ischia Film Festival where her latest film “Desert Dancer” was having its premiere. We were having a welcome drink with Pascal the AMAZING organiser of the festival when I suddenly realised I knew the striking young lady sitting opposite me. I whispered to Pippa – “for some reason I’m thinking Benenden from quite a few years ago” – and then the penny dropped.I used to teach two very charming and jolly girls known as Ticky and Vicky and here was one of them, Vicky – otherwise known as Lady Victoria Hervey! Luckily she remembered me too and we had a marvellous chat about memories of schooldays in the nineties, LAMDA lessons and were able to a bit of catching up on the last twenty years.
I was reminded what a small world it is and how important it is to value connections of all sorts made over the years!