On Sunday we had a rare day to ourselves. We’d had 11 year old James to stay the night on Saturday – he was a delight and is very welcome to stay again – and he left at 9.30 to go to his snooker contest in town.
After we’d walked Mollie on the beach, we had a whole day to ourselves. Elderly James was going out with his daughter for lunch, Himself had decided not to go to jazz, and my Sunday walking partner had her step daughter staying.
We were knackered, so I spent what was left of the morning reading papers, writing magazines and stuff that I should have had time to read in the week and didn’t. Outside it was raining. Again.
I decided it would be good to get out of the house and the choice was Aladdin the panto that one of our dogwalking friends was in (he played Widow Twankee) or a film. As neither of us were feeling in a pantomime mood, I grabbed the paper and ran through the list of what was on. The only thing we could agree on was St Trinians, and I sold that on the basis of Young Girls, Short Skirts. He agreed immediately.
It was a riot. They must have had such fun making it, particularly Rupert Everett who you see up there as Camilla, the headmistress of St Trinians. He based his character on the real Camilla and has done a wonderful job. Camilla turns out to have had an affair at university with the Minister for Education (Colin Firth) whose manic daughter goes to Cheltenham Ladies College. You can guess at the sub plots coming up.
Rupert Everett also plays one of the girl’s fathers, a toffee nosed miser who runs an art gallery for snobs with more money than sense in London. His morals are dubious, as is his sexuality, and Rupert plays the part with an evil enjoyment, poking fun in all corners (pardon the pun).
Also featured are Celia Imrie as the alcoholic matron, Geraldine James as the Cheltenham Ladies College teacher (at least, I think it was her) and Stephen Fry as the quiz master.
Quite what this film is supposed to do for children, other than encourage anarchy, sex, alcoholism and drug taking, I’m not sure. But for adults it was a great bit of escapism. Enjoy.
And apologies to Philipa. I promised a post with no reference to sex. I failed.
