The world is your Oyster…

The world is your Oyster…

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Just a quickie. We took the bus to Brighton and back today. Blue skies, lovely last minute shopping in the Lanes. It was busy but brilliant.

As was yesterday evening, when we spent a rre evening in the company of Sir Ian McKellen. What a stupendous performance! He was incredible! We laughed, we cheered, we sang, we cried, we yelled – he had us right there, in the palm of his hand. What a funny man, too. And I learnt so much! About other actors, about the works of Shakespeare – just such an inspirational, informative evening!

“The world is your oyster”.

My dad used to say that to me often when I was a kid. I never thought to ask where the saying came from, nor did I ever think to look it up. But last night, Sir Ian dipped into The Merry Wives of Windsor, so to speak – and there it was! Who knew that it comes from Shakespeare! Not I !!!

Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny.

Pistol: Why then the world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.

Falstaff: Not a penny.

I came away full of O level and A level memories, of Stratford-on-Avon excursions, of a past life when literature was my passion, my drug of choice – and full of the motivation to go back and read Shakespeareall over again. He reminded me of so much which wasn’t forgotten, just idling somewhere backstage in my mind.

What a great stamp too! The World is Your Oyster. Such a lovely, uplifting way to give a person wings. Thanks, Dad.

I think I shall start with “The Winter’s Tale” That one has haunted me since I was 17. About time I called it back into the frame and looked at it again, but with my 60 year old hat on. Yes. Let’s do that Gray…

What about you? Did you read Shakepeare? What was your favourite? Got any quotes which would make a great stamp?

Do you know what else really impacted me whilst watching and listening to this man of 80? Age Vs Aging. I have been struggling with this whole aging thing since I turned 60 – I honestly have. It’s as if suddenly I am going to run out of time before I am finished with whatever I am supposed to be here to do! Baffling attitude really, but there you have it. This man was so agile, so fit, so lucid, so handsome, so brilliant though! And my mindset regarding aging was altered. He gave me huge hope that there’s loads more time.

The world is STILL my Oyster.

Love & Hugs,

Barb xxx

18 thoughts on “The world is your Oyster…

  1. My dad (who will be 90 next year) always says getting older isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative! Haven’t read any Shakespeare in years but I do love to revisit a classic novel once in a while.

  2. Age is just the time we have been on the planet. Old is an unfortunate state of mind. Some people, like you, keep an active mind and body, enjoy what you do (most days), have a good sense of humour and love of life. This keeps you young.
    We can’t know when our end will come so why worry about it, enjoy every day with your loved ones and be happy.
    Now I’m in my mid seventies time does seem to pass quicker than in my thirties, but what the heck, I am still alive and kicking. There are so many things I would still like to do, aching bones permitting, and if I live to be a hundred as I hope to do some will certainly get ✅ ticked off my list.
    You are young at heart Barbara, that is what matters.
    Glad you enjoyed your time with Ian, he is superb.
    Keep smiling, 🍒🍒🍒

    1. Cherry T has said almost exactly what I thinking of saying ( well done Cherry ) I’m 71 and have had a very tough year and started getting concerned about not having enough time, you and our lovely Barbara Gray have lifted my spirits, thank you both very much xxx

  3. I used to have a complete works of Shakespeare, beautiful book. I lent it to someone and yes you have guessed never saw it again. I do like his plays, need to concentrate but that is not a bad thing. I remember our school trips to Stratford to see performances. X

  4. I used to go to Stratford every year to one of the weekends when you could see all five plays and come home reeling with exhaustion and delight. Shakespeare wrote for his work to be seen and every interpretation is different. The best Midsummer Night’s Dream I ever saw was at a primary school in Cardiff but the RSC are wonderful, real national treasures.

    My favourite quote is an Arab proverb – ‘All sun makes a desert’. It consoles me in hard times but reminds me also that some of my greatest strengths come from the worst weather.

    My heart goes out to those people with homes flooded in Surrey, Kent and Sussex over the last few days. Reality intrudes into literature.

  5. I did A Midsummer’s for O level. I remember Puck, Bottom and Titania. ‘Though she be but little, she is fierce’ and then ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’ I’m not sure these are quite right for stamps!
    I’ve never read any Shakespeare from cover to cover but it’s surprising what we pick up from other sources and get to know quotes. I’m glad you had a great evening and a good day today. We’ve been dropping off bits and having a catch up,with extended family. Did a lot of talking in a fairly short time.

    I wasn’t bothered at turning 60 this year but I know what you mean about having time left to fit it all in – that’s my crafting and x stitch kits I piled up for retirement – I’ve been retired nearly 5 years and haven’t opened a new kit ! Who knows what time we have. I’ve heard a couple of things today to remind me not to think about it but do it and, if you don’t get round to it, does it matter? As long as you spend time with those you want to and enjoy what you do – that’s the important thing! X

    1. Just remembered I saw the Taming of the Shrew when a company came into school. I can’t remember a lot of it so perhaps I should dip into it again. I’d completely forgotten about that until this post reminded me !

  6. Sorry to disagree with everyone but I hate Shakespeare. And poetry. And the classics. Blame my secondary school! Every word and phrase was pulled out, dissected, mulled over, questioned. We weren’t allowed just to read something and enjoy the story. Boring, boring, boring. Although I love reading, in the 56 years since I left school I can safely say I have never picked up a book, which I studied at school, since.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

  7. O level was The Merchant of Venice and A Level As You Like It so The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth like the gentle rain upon the place beneath. It is thrice blessed… Of course All the world’s a stage… is another favourite soliloquy. I must confess that I also have a soft spot for A Midsummer Night’s Dream as I played Titania when I was in the fourth year (or Y10 in new money). I must go back and reread them. I bought some of the tiny leather bound editions when we went to Stratford to see As You Like It in 1982 and they are in the shed somewhere. Glad you had such a good evening.

  8. I too studied The Merchant of Venice for O Level and I do enjoy seeing any Shakespeare plays but not so much reading them. And I really loved a Midsummer night’s dream and particularly love the phrases Jackie has mentioned. We also did some other classics, far from the madding crowd which I’ve always loathed and still do along with Tess of the D’urbevilles. I must buy some Shakespeare and see if I can read it & enjoy it x

  9. Hi Barb,
    Glad you had such a brilliant time in the company of Sir Ian. He is fabulous! I studied Julius Caesar for O level and The Winter’s Tale and King Lear for A Level. I really enjoyed the 2 A level ones especially King Lear. I remember going to see a production of it at Newcastle Theatre Royal from school which was superb and brought the play to life for me. I do admit to struggling to read the plays though. I also remember teaching Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet to my Special Needs kids at school who found the language so difficult but I did manage to find a version of each in simplified English, and once we read these, they really enjoyed the plays. I don’t really think about my age until I hear on the tv that something is scheduled to be completed by 2040 or 2050 and then it gets me wondering whether I’ll see it happening as I’ll be 85 or 95 by then! I just try to live every day and what will be , will be! Love and hugs,Alison xxx

  10. The performance sound wonderful Barbara, I’m glad you enjoyed it so much. My lovely dad often quoted from Macbeth “Time and the hour runs through the roughest day”. I’ve remembered it so many times over the years and to have it in a stamp would mean a great deal.

  11. Glad you had a great time yesterday with Sir Ian, love his voice so could listen to him reading the phone book! I’m off to see cats at the cinema tomorrow so will see him on the big screen. XX

  12. Glad you had a great time Barbara and that it has rekindled your love of Shakespeare. I studied Henry 1V Part 1 for ‘O’ level which I have to say didn’t catch my interest too much but then did Twelfth Night which was much more to my taste. A year or two back we went to see a local amateur outdoor production of Two Gentlemen of Verona which they did very well and it was quite amusing. x

  13. Can’t say I am the greatest Shakespeare fan but I enjoyed the ones we studied at school as we had a great teacher. I didn’t do English Literature as I didn’t enjoy dissecting books or plays, just love reading. The last play I saw was Romeo and Juliet at the Minack theatre. For those who don’t know Cornwall this is an open air theatre cut into the cliff at Porthcurno and you take your cushion and blanket and a picnic. Fabulous atmosphere, well worth a visit. Glad you enjoyed Sir Ian, he’s a wonderful character. Xx

  14. When I left primary school, in 1961, my music/recorder teacher wrote in my autograph book, “If music be the food of love, play on” from Twelfth Night. All these years later, I haven’t forgotten Mr Nichols, who instilled in me a love of music.
    Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet have always been my favourites and I shall be watching the Romeo and Juliet ballet, with the beautiful Prokofiev score, on TV this Christmas.
    I am so glad that you have enjoyed a wonderful weekend. Hugs. Annette X

  15. Hi Barb, so glad you enjoyed seeing sir Ian, was forced to do Shakespeare in high school so did not really continue beyond that, although watching the children perform in Romeo and Juliet changed that a bit. Yes the world is our oyster, and we should make the most of it. Aging, well I am feeling a bit the same on that score. Hey ho, too much to do right. Take care all. Bx

  16. I had the most amazing English teacher in my first couple of years at senior school. She introduced us to Shakespeare. Of those we read and acted I enjoyed The Merchant of Venice the most.

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