General Chat

I took my mum to Maureen Lipman's Re:Joyce! when it first opened. We laughed so much that by the interval I was bent double and my stomach hurt so much I couldn't face an icecream! I took mum again later to catch all the bits we'd missed first time round because we were laughing. I also videoed the show when it was on tv, and Denis King was an excellent accompanist to Maureen. While Joyce was still alive, I queued up the whole of my lunchhour in Sloane Street WH Smiths to get her to autograph one of her books for my mum. She was absolutely charming and took great care over what I would like her to write in the inscription. A very special person, whose legacy of laughter lives on. nell

Gwynne I haven't seen it but Maureen Lipman does her very well doesn't she. Dee xx

I bought a collection of her work in a second hand book shop and I just love reading them. Has anyone seen Maureen Lipman's tribute to Jouce show? I'd love to have seen it but it didn't tour near here. Gwynne

Thank you Wendy and Gwynne They brought back some memories. She is so brilliant isn't she Dee xx

Free activity period Oh, hello, Mrs Hingle. I'm so glad you could come along. As you see, we're just having a Free Activity Period, and in our Free Activity Period each little individual chooses his or her own occupation. Some are painting, some are using plasticine, and some work at a sand-table. We feel that each little one must get to the bottom of his or her self and find out what he really wants of life. Who is making that buzzing noise? Well, stop it please, Neville. Hazel, dear, come away from the door and get on with your plasticine. I love to see them so happily occupied, each one expressing his little personality... George - don't do that... Now, children, I want you all to say 'Good morning' to Mrs Hingle. Good morning, Mrs Hingle. No, Sidney, not good-bye. Mrs Hingle has only just come. You don't want her to go away yet? No, she hasn't got a funny hat on, that's her hair. So sorry, Mrs Hingle. Sometimes we ARE just a trifle outspoken. We try to encourage honesty, only sometimes it doesn't always... And this is my friend Caroline, and Caroline is painting such a lovely red picture, aren't you, Caroline? I wonder what it is? Perhaps it's a lovely red sunset, is it? Or a big red orange? It's a picture of Mummy! For a moment I thought it was a big red orange, but now you tell me, I can see it is a picture of Mummy. Aren't you going to give her any nose? No nose. It's so interesting the way they see things. Sidney, don't blow at Edgar, please. I know I said you could choose what you are going to do, but you cannot choose to blow at Edgar. Because it isn't a good idea. Yes, I know it makes his hair go up and down, but I don't want you to do it. Now get back to the sand-table, there's a good boy. Yes, there is room, Sue; there's heaps of room. Just move up a bit. Susan! We never bite our friends. Say you are sorry to Sidney. You needn't kiss him. No, you needn't hug him. Susan, PUT HIM DOWN. No fisticuffs, please. She hasn't made any teeth marks, has she, Sidney? Well then... don't fuss. Sometimes our little egos are on the big side, I'm afraid... Hazel, dear, I don't want to have to say it again: please come away from the door. Why can't you? Well, you shouldn't have put your finger in the key hole, and then it wouldn't have got stuck. Children, there is no need for everyone to come and have a look just because poor Hazel has caught her finger in the keyhole. Back to your work, please. No, Sidney, I don't think it is stuck in there for ever and ever. I don't for one minute think we will have to get the Fire Brigade to come and take the door down to set her free. You do exaggerate, Sidney. Well, if we haven't got her finger out by dinner-time she'll have to have it here. And her tea. And her supper and stay the night. But we are going to get it out, aren't we, Hazel? David. Turn round, please, David. Right round. Use your hanky, please, David. And again. And again. And now wipe. Thank you, David. Hazel, why did you put your finger in the keyhole? To see if it would go in! Well, now let's see if we can get it out! Who is making that buzzing noise? Neville. I know you are a busy bee, but boy busy-bees don't buzz. Only bee busy-bees buzz. I can still hear you, Neville. Neville! I should think so. He's such a musical child, and one doesn't want to discourage him. Sidney, take that paint-brush out of your ear and give it back to Lavinia. Yes, you do want it back, Lavinia. You like painting. Yes, you do. We're hoping she is going to take to it soon. Now then, Hazel, have you tried wiggling it? You know, Mrs Hingle, this child's finger really is caught in the keyhole... I think the Fire Brigade are the best in an emergency. Yes, there is a telephone - at the end of the passage. Would you? Oh, that is good of you. I'll stay here and hold the fort and prepare the children. Thank you so much. Children, I don't want anyone to get excited, but kind Mrs Hingle has gone to see if we can get one of those clever men from the Fire Brigade to come and help us get Hazel's finger out... Oh, you've got it out, Hazel. Well done. That's lovely. IT'S ALL RIGHT, MRS HINGLE - SHE'S GOT IT OUT. Sidney. You are not to go near the keyhole. SIDNEY. Can you get it out? I SPOKE TOO SOON, MRS HINGLE... Oh, Sidney... Gwynne

here you go, Dee, My neighbour, Mrs Fanshaw, is portly-plump and gay, She must be over sixty-seven, if she is a day. You might have thought her life was dull, It's one long whirl instead. I asked her all about it, and this is what she said: I've joined an Olde Thyme Dance Club, the trouble is that there Are too many ladies over, and no gentlemen to spare. It seems a shame, it's not the same, But still it has to be, Some ladies have to dance together, One of them is me. Stately as a galleon, I sail across the floor, Doing the Military Two-step, as in the days of yore. I dance with Mrs Tiverton; she's light on her feet, in spite Of turning the scale at fourteen stone, and being of medium height. So gay the band, So giddy the sight, Full evening dress is a must, But the zest goes out of a beautiful waltz When you dance it bust to bust. So, stately as two galleons, we sail across the floor, Doing the Valse Valeta as in the days of yore. The gent is Mrs Tiverton, I am her lady fair, She bows to me ever so nicely and I curtsey to her with care. So gay the band, So giddy the sight, But it's not the same in the end For a lady is never a gentleman, though She may be your bosom friend. So, stately as a galleon, I sail across the floor, Doing the dear old Lancers, as in the days of yore. I'm led by Mrs Tiverton, she swings me round and round And though she manoeuvres me wonderfully well I never get off the ground. So gay the band, So giddy the sight, I try not to get depressed. And it's done me a power of good to explode, And get this lot off my chest. Gwynne

In my infant teaching days I kept hearing Joyce in my head. Gwynne

Flowers Children... we're going to do our nice 'Moving to Music' this morning, so let's make a lovely fairy ring, shall we? And then we'll all be flowers growing in the grass. Let's make a big circle - spread out - wider - wider - just finger-tips touching - that's it. Sue, let go of Neville - Because flowers don't hold hands, they just touch finger-tips. SUE. Let go of Neville. And Sue, we don't want GRUMBLERS in our fairy ring, do we? We only want smilers. Yes David, you're a smiler - so is Lavinia - and Peggy and Geoffrey. Yes, you're all smilers. QUIET, PLEASE. Don't get so excited. And Sue is going to be a smiler too, aren't you Sue? That's better. George... don't do that! Now then, let's all put on our Thinking Caps, shall we, and think what flower we are going to choose to be. Lavinia? - What flower are you? A bluebell. Good. Peggy? A red rose. That,s nice. Neville? A wild rose. Well done, Neville! Sidney? - Sidney, pay attention, dear, and don't pummel Rosemary - what flower are you going to choose to be? A horse isn't a flower, Sidney. No children, it isn't funny, it's very silly. If Sidney can't think of a better flower than that we'll have to go on to someone else until he can. Now then Sue, what are you? Another rose! Oh I have got a lovely bunch of roses, haven't I? Peggy is a red one and Neville is a wild one, so I expect you are a beautiful white one, aren't you? Oh, you're another red one! I see... Now then Sidney? A carrot isn't a fiower, Sidney. Think dear, and don't blow like that. How about a tulip? A holly-leaf isn't a flower, Sidney. All right, you'd better be a holly-leaf. Now, children, listen very carefully. Elvis, stop bouncing, please. No, bouncing isn't dancing, Elvis. Don't argue, dear - just stop bouncing. You watch the others - you'll see. When Miss Boulting plays her music I want you all to get up on to your tipmost toes, light as feathers, and dance away all over the room where-ever the music takes you. And remember: you are all lovely flowers in the grass. Everybody ready? Justa minute, Miss Boulting. Sidney - come here, please. What have you got in your mouth? I can't hear a word you're saying, Sidney, so go out of the room and spit it out, whatever it is, and then come back and tell me what it was. And Sidney. Both feet. Don't hop. Now then, children, we're not going to wait for a boy who puts things in his mouth like a baby - we're going to be lovely flowers growing in the grass, and the sun is shining down on us to make us grow tall and beautiful and - Geoffrey, stand up - flowers don't look backwards through their legs, do they? What flower are you? A fat daisy! Good. Hazel, what do we do with our heads? We hold them up... I should think so. Come in, Sidney! COME IN. There's no need to knock the door down, is there? Now what did you have in your mouth? It can't have been nothing, Sidney, because I distinctly saw something. Yes, I know it's nothing now but what was it then? A big button! Well, I'm very glad you spat it out, aren't you? You didn't? Do you feel all right, Sidney? Sure? Well, get back into your place, then. Incidentally, where did you get the button? Off Rosemary's pink frock. I'm ashamed of you, Sidney, a big boy of four to go around eating buttons off little girls' frocks. What flower are you going to be? I've forgotten. You'd better be a hollyhock. No, you can't be a super-jet, and if you are going to be a crosspatch you'd better go and sit down over there till you are a nice boy again. You can be thinking what flower you are going to be. Go along... George -what did I say before? Well, don't... Come along, children. Listen carefully to the music and then dance like a flower to it. We're ready at last, Miss Boulting. I'm so sorry. One-two- Off we go. Dance, Neville, don't just stand there. Dance. Head up, Hazel, and use your arms. Peggy, dear - don't forget to breathe. Rhythm, George. And cheer up - you're a happy flower, George. Yes, you are. Because I say so. Oh good, Sidney, I knew you'd think of something. All right, you shall be a cauliflower - only be it gently. Gwynne

Story time Children . . pay attention, please. Free time is over, so put away your things and we are going to tell our nice story, so come over here and make a circle on the floor all around me, and we'll tell the story together. We've got a visitor today, so we can tell our story to her. Will you be all right there, Mrs Binton? I think you'll get a good view of the proceedings. Hurry up everybody. Don't push - there's lots of room for us all. This group story-telling is quite a feature of our work here in the Nursery School, Mrs Binton. We like to feel that each little individual has a contribution to make to the world of make-believe, and of course many valuable lessons can be learned from team work. We're a happy band of brothers here! Edgar, let go of Timmy's ear and settle down. Come along, everybody. Sidney, come out from under the table and join in the fun. No, you're not in a space rocket. You can't wait for the count-down, you come out now. Don't you want to help us tell our nice story, Sidney? Then say, 'No, thank you.' And stop machine-gunning everybody, please. And Neville, stop being a train and sit down. All right then, get into the station and then sit down. George... No!... Let's have some nice straight backs, shall we? What shall we tell our story about today? Rachel, take your shoe off your head and put it on your foot. Shall we tell it about a little mouse? Or a big red bus? About a dear little bunny rabbit! All right, Peggy, we'll tell it about a dear little bunny rabbit. No, Sidney, he wasn't a cowboy bunny rabbit, and he didn't have a gun. Why don't you come out from under the table and help us tell our nice story? All right, stay where you are, but you must stop machine-gunning everybody. I don't want to have to tell you again. One of our individualists! He does have little personality problems of aggression, but we feel that when his energies are canalised in the right direction he is going to be a quite worthwhile person. That's what we hope... Where did our bunny rabbit live? No, he didn't live in a TV set. No, not in a tree. No, not in a flat. Think please. He lived in a HOLE. Yes, Hazel, of course he did. Only some of us call it a burrow, don't we? He lived in a burrow with - who? His mummy bunny rabbit... and his?... Daddy bunny rabbit and all his? . . . dear little sister and brother bunny rabbits. Wasn't that nice. Yes, it was, Sidney. No, Sidney, he wasn't a burglar bunny rabbit. Nor was his daddy. He was just an ordinary businessman bunny rabbit. David, don't wander away like that. Yes, I know the window is over there, but you don't want to look out of it now. Our story is getting much too exciting. Come and sit down by Neville. Neville, don't pull your jersey down over your knees like that, you'll get it all out of shape. Geoffrey, Lavinia, don't copy him. I don't want everybody pulling their sweaters down over their knees. Now then, Peggy, you tell us, what was our bunny rabbit's name? Yes, I know his name was bunny rabbit, but what did his mummy call him, I wonder? Well, Piggy bunny isn't a very good name for a bunny rabbit. You see a piggy is a piggy and a bunny is a bunny, so we can't have a piggy bunny, can we? Nor a pussy bunny. Nor a doggie bunny. Nor an elephant bunny. Let's be sensible, please. No, Sidney, Silly Old Fat Man isn't a good name for a bunny rabbit. Nor is Wizzle Wuzzle. No, it's not as funny as all that. There's no need to roll about on the floor. Timmy, what have you got in your hand? But we haven't had toast and marmalade for two days. Where did you find it? In your pocket. No you can't eat it... it's all fuzzy. Now don't touch anything. Go and put it in the waste-paper basket and then wash your hands. Peggy open the door for him. Don't touch anything and hurry back, please; we need you. Now then, Hazel, what would you like our bunny rabbit to be called? Yes, I think Princess Anne is a very pretty name, but I don't think it's a very good name for a boy bunny rabbit. We'll call him Billy Bunny Rabbit... Because that's his name. Well, because I happen to know. We're not going to discuss it any more. Sue don't kiss Nevilie like that. Because he doesn't like it. Yes, I know you like it, but he doesn't. I don't know why he doesn't like it, but he doesn't. No, and you can't go under the table and kiss Sidney, because he doesn't like it either. Well, you didn't like it yesterday, Sidney. You must learn to make up your mind, mustn't you? George... Lavinia, you tell us what our bunny rabbit was doing all day. He was riding a horse, was he? That is unusual for a rabbit, isn't it? I expect he went gallopy gallopy, don't you. Oh good, Sidney, you are coming out to help us tell... no, Sidney, you cannot go gallopy-gallopy... Neville, Susan, Peggy. . . everybody. . . come back here at once. You cannot go gallopy... Sidney, come back here. You know, sometimes I don't think love is enough with children. Gwynne

Well of course there is 'Don't do that George' Forgot that!!!!! Dee xx

lol Dee - if I didn't have to go to work now I'd try and find some more:)

This is the only quote I could find ;-(( Stately as a galleon, I sail across the floor, Doing the Military Two-step, as in the days of yore..... So gay the band, So giddy the sight, Full evening dress is a must, But the zest goes out of a beautiful waltz When you dance it bust to bust

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