Keeping Up Appearances

That fabulous TV show ran from 1990-1995. How we loved watching bossy Mrs Bucket [pronounced Bouquet] She reminded me of a WI woman I met in Warwickshire in the 70s, surname Sidebottom, who insisted on being called Mrs Sidday-Bot-Tome. Was that programme really thirty years ago? In 1994, we were on holiday in Sussex, and we took the girls [aged 12 and 10] to the Festival Theatre, to see Patricia Routledge in the farce "The Schoolmistress" by Pinero. She was clever, and witty, a consummate professional. She enjoyed a long and glittering career, on stage, radio and screen. A longtime resident of Chichester, she was a patron of the theatre, and a faithful member of the Cathedral. She gave generously of her time and resources to support both. She will be greatly missed 

Since we bought Cornerstones in 2009, the original neighbours around us have all moved on. [I don't think its our fault, many were very elderly]

I remember driving over from Leicester by myself one day in early summer. I needed to do a few odd jobs and tidy the garden.

As I pushed the mower up and down, I thought about the other residents of the Close.

One lady liked everything just right [Hyacinth] another seemed less confident [Elizabeth] a temporary resident was actually described to me as "No better than she ought to be" [Rose] and one old chap loved to just sit in his armchair, beer in hand, watching sport on TV [Onslow] As I cut the grass I thought  They could do a remake of Keeping Up Appearances and  my neighbours could be the cast. But of course, they'd need an overworked member of the clergy and his slightly crazy wife..." Then I realised that would be Bob and me!

She may have played snooty, snobbish characters [Lady Bracknell] or salt-of the-earth Northerners [Hetty Wainthrop] but at heart she was a good woman who loved acting and loved bringing joy into peoples' lives. She died two weeks ago, aged 96.

Thank you Dame Patricia for all that you gave us. RIP