Five years since we lost Alan Rickman. Not just a great actor, but the kind of man who would quietly post cheques to struggling fellow actors to enable them to keep going. Our family was lucky and honoured to have him as a friend.
Somewhere there’s a lovely picture of the time we did a weekend self-hypnosis course with Alan and Rima, Anthony and Carolyn, my nephew Max, Duncan Kenworthy, and me. At one point we were given massive safety pins to put through our flesh. Alan did it in a flash, and felt no pain. “I’ve done it!” he said in that chocolatey drawl of his. He was easily the best at “getting into state”. Of course he was.
RIP
Cinque anni da quando abbiamo perso Alan Rickman. Non solo un grande attore, ma il tipo d’uomo che avrebbe tranquillamente inviato assegni a colleghi in difficoltà per permettere loro di andare avanti con la loro carriera. La nostra famiglia è stata fortunata e onorata di averlo come amico.
Da qualche parte c’è una bella foto di quando abbiamo fatto un corso di autoipnosi nel fine settimana con Alan e Rima, Anthony e Carolyn, mio nipote Max, Duncan Kenworthy ed io. A un certo punto ci hanno dato delle enormi spille da balia, con cui trafiggerci la pelle, fino in fondo. Alan lo fece in un lampo, e non sentì alcun dolore. “Ce l’ho fatta!”, disse in quel suo accento di cioccolato. Era facilmente il migliore nell “mettersi in stato”. Ma certo che lo era.
Congratulations to my brilliant sister, Loretta, who has been elected first woman Master of Clare College, Cambridge.
Clare is a big part of our lives. My partner, the equally brilliant Sarah Beardsall, also went to Clare. (No doubt inspired, as we all were, by the path Loretta had beaten from Medina High to the hallowed halls.) Which in turn means I spent a lot of my own university days as a stowaway in CB2.
Here’s hoping that the new Master will allow me in through the front door!