Page 85 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 85
coach for the 40 mile trip through the heart tour of the main Shakespeare properties, we
of England to Oxford, to be met by Brian departed Stratford at lunch time for
Cregan (class of '79) who is completing his Warwick Castle. It was a most popular
studies at St. John's College. He led us a visit, with everyone impressed by the
merry dance through the quags and remarkable preservation of what must be
colleges, illuminating and amusing us by England's finest medieval castle: portcullis,
turn, stopping finally outside Magdalen just murder-hole, keep, dungeon, torture-
in time for lunch. This day lives in the chamber - it has everything! Madame
memory, not least because of the weather- Tussauds have recently acquired it, and
lunch was taken in shirt-sleeves in a fitted out the private apartments as a Royal
hostelry garden. Week-end Party at the turn of the century.
Then followed the obligatory visit to Not to be missed the next time you are in
Blackwell's; ('the best book-shop in the Warwickshire.
world' - Michael Bevan) and a wonderful There being twelve hours to kill until
discovery - Blackwell's music shop. How meeting the boat we stopped at Chester for
pitifully small £100 sterling becomes in tea and a film. Gwynnfar was anxious not to
such a treasure house! Confining ourselves delay afterwards, so rang a friend of his
ruefully to a few books, we made our way who runs a chip shop in Rhyl (everyone
to the coachpark to pick up Gwynnfar and knows you have to have chips after a film .)
make the return trip to Stratford in time for While we munched our chips he told us that
tea. he had rung his wife in Anglesey, and the
!he second night in Stratford is always missus said 'blowing a bit' - force 9 to be
one of anticipation tempered with precise. A quiet and sleepy coach it was for
apprehension, for having enjoyed the first the rest of the way, until we pulled into
play, and discussed it at length, there is Holyhead. Rounding the end of the harbour
always the risk that the next one will be dismayed voices commented on the size of
disappointing. Given that we were seeing the waves, and ·this was only the ferry berth.
only two plays this year that would mean · Enough. Suffice it to say that this was the
we had nothing left. But need not have worst crossing I have ever experienced,
worried. relieved only by my trusty Walkman.
Love's Labour's Lost impressed with its Switch it on, close your eyes, forget about
warm purple glow; Henry V was played for the waves. But not about Stratford '84. It
all it was worth, with Kenneth Branagh in was a good trip.
the title role. The action scenes were carried
ofT with splendid effect, and surely it could G. Murphy
stage at Stratford that night: a dark and
miserable chill enveloped us as we waited
the long night through with Henry and his CAMERA CLUB
rain-sodden army.
The performance was followed by a
backstage tour which left me with mixed The Gonzaga Camera Club had arrived at
feelings: at the enormous resources of the the port and docked. The old crew were
Royal Shakespeare Company, balanced by tired of their work and sought out new
the discovery that backstage there is not ships. A year she stayed in port, looking for
greatly different from backstage in a new crew. Eventually she found one and
Gonzaga: too many sets in not enough went sailing again.
space, all balanced precariously on one Such were the fortunes of the Gonzaga
another; and the same urge to have one's Camera Club. After a year of rest there was
name on the walls in spray paint or make- a resurge of interest 'under new ownership.'
up. Fr Mowbray left the helm and Mr Linnane
The lack of a third play left us more took command. Mr Linnane was content to
freedom than usual, so following a walking watch over the crew, while getting to know
77
of England to Oxford, to be met by Brian departed Stratford at lunch time for
Cregan (class of '79) who is completing his Warwick Castle. It was a most popular
studies at St. John's College. He led us a visit, with everyone impressed by the
merry dance through the quags and remarkable preservation of what must be
colleges, illuminating and amusing us by England's finest medieval castle: portcullis,
turn, stopping finally outside Magdalen just murder-hole, keep, dungeon, torture-
in time for lunch. This day lives in the chamber - it has everything! Madame
memory, not least because of the weather- Tussauds have recently acquired it, and
lunch was taken in shirt-sleeves in a fitted out the private apartments as a Royal
hostelry garden. Week-end Party at the turn of the century.
Then followed the obligatory visit to Not to be missed the next time you are in
Blackwell's; ('the best book-shop in the Warwickshire.
world' - Michael Bevan) and a wonderful There being twelve hours to kill until
discovery - Blackwell's music shop. How meeting the boat we stopped at Chester for
pitifully small £100 sterling becomes in tea and a film. Gwynnfar was anxious not to
such a treasure house! Confining ourselves delay afterwards, so rang a friend of his
ruefully to a few books, we made our way who runs a chip shop in Rhyl (everyone
to the coachpark to pick up Gwynnfar and knows you have to have chips after a film .)
make the return trip to Stratford in time for While we munched our chips he told us that
tea. he had rung his wife in Anglesey, and the
!he second night in Stratford is always missus said 'blowing a bit' - force 9 to be
one of anticipation tempered with precise. A quiet and sleepy coach it was for
apprehension, for having enjoyed the first the rest of the way, until we pulled into
play, and discussed it at length, there is Holyhead. Rounding the end of the harbour
always the risk that the next one will be dismayed voices commented on the size of
disappointing. Given that we were seeing the waves, and ·this was only the ferry berth.
only two plays this year that would mean · Enough. Suffice it to say that this was the
we had nothing left. But need not have worst crossing I have ever experienced,
worried. relieved only by my trusty Walkman.
Love's Labour's Lost impressed with its Switch it on, close your eyes, forget about
warm purple glow; Henry V was played for the waves. But not about Stratford '84. It
all it was worth, with Kenneth Branagh in was a good trip.
the title role. The action scenes were carried
ofT with splendid effect, and surely it could G. Murphy
stage at Stratford that night: a dark and
miserable chill enveloped us as we waited
the long night through with Henry and his CAMERA CLUB
rain-sodden army.
The performance was followed by a
backstage tour which left me with mixed The Gonzaga Camera Club had arrived at
feelings: at the enormous resources of the the port and docked. The old crew were
Royal Shakespeare Company, balanced by tired of their work and sought out new
the discovery that backstage there is not ships. A year she stayed in port, looking for
greatly different from backstage in a new crew. Eventually she found one and
Gonzaga: too many sets in not enough went sailing again.
space, all balanced precariously on one Such were the fortunes of the Gonzaga
another; and the same urge to have one's Camera Club. After a year of rest there was
name on the walls in spray paint or make- a resurge of interest 'under new ownership.'
up. Fr Mowbray left the helm and Mr Linnane
The lack of a third play left us more took command. Mr Linnane was content to
freedom than usual, so following a walking watch over the crew, while getting to know
77
