Britain's Son
A couple of years ago on another trip to London, our guide made the rather dry observation that the true British experience is sitting on one’s Swedish furniture while eating Indian take-away and watching Friends. The obvious subtext being that, at its core, British culture is a borrowed culture (much like American culture, at that). This isn’t necessarily new... the Romans were notorious for stealing the ideas from other cultures (primarily the Greeks) and passing them off as their own. Britain wrestles with this idea even today. One of the primary “reasons” that the Brexiteers argued for their ill-fated plan was that Britain was in danger of losing its identity because of the diverse marketplace of ideas, traditions, cuisines, etc. that other cultures bring to Great Britain. The underlying xenophobia was conveniently masked by the inauthentic imperative to “protect” British heritage. (At the risk of sounding too political, we will avoid comparisons to a recent American election cycle).
Thankfully we experienced today a more positive and productive method with which Britain has chosen to honor one of the most vital and obvious aspects of its culture... an aspect of British culture that has touched the souls of countless humans for centuries all around the world. The Shakespeare Trust was established in the late 18th/ early 19th century in order to ensure that the work and history of William Shakespeare would be studied and honored for generations to come. Our trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon today gave the students their first connection to the work of the Trust and Britain’s efforts to keep the Bard alive.
We started the day with our first tube ride. Liz assigned Simon to lead the group on our two-train trip from Tottenham Court Road to Marylebone where we boarded our National Rail train to Stratford. Simon ably guided us through the numerous tunnels, escalators, and platforms as if he were a native Londoner. Once in Stratford, Liz led us on an informative (if not soggy) trip around Shakespeare’s hometown. We saw his school, two of the homes he lived in, his daughter’s adult home, and ultimately his grave at Holy Trinity Church. At the church, the students asked wonderful questions and started a lively discussion about his life and works right in front of his tomb. Liz then led us up along the Avon River to the National Shakespeare Theatre and into town where we had an interactive tour at Shakespeare’s Birthplace.
After the tour, we broke for free time, and the students immediately went to one of Stratford’s other claims to fame (and another wonderful aspect of British culture): afternoon tea. The town is peppered with adorable tea rooms in authentic Tudor buildings, including some structures that still have thatch roofs. Once they were done with tea, the students had some time for shopping before heading back to the National Shakespeare Theatre for dinner at Susie’s Cafe.
In all, despite a walking rain, it was a wonderful day in a small, traditional British market town. We will spend the day tomorrow exploring Royal London with trips to Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Royal Mews. We finish the day tomorrow with our first show, School of Rock.
Brimmer and May School
69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
As an inclusive private school community, Brimmer welcomes students who will increase the diversity of our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected from discrimination under state or federal law, in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, financial aid decisions, and athletic and other school-administered programs.