"Yes, Headmistress" (part 2)

(Previous post from this series):

part 1

Part 2

We had become entirely excited about our Plan, together. She was 10 years old, a fifth-grader and well old enough to go. My earlier wish had been to see it in 1986 when first Andrew Lloyd Weber had produced it. But other priorities intervened, and it wasn't until several years later that we finally began to lay our plans. 

Do you wonder what it was that we would see? The two of us, mother and daughter, would travel by train to have 'tea', and experience Phantom of the Opera, in London. A dream come true!

It would be fabulous, even breathtaking! - but it would mean a day away from school, where the daughter should be studying things like the Wars of the Roses and Algebra and proper British handwriting. Yikes! What to do...


For this wasn't like an American school, where one could simply call in and say so-and-so would not be coming in today. There could be no quick note - the very idea made me sober. We would need actual permission. And, most sobering of all, permission from Miss Lunn.

I worried for a few days, but finally gave it up and walked to the school (standing up straight as I entered) to learn what it was that Miss Lunn might say.

But strange things began to happen. Miss Lunn welcomed me into her office as if on cue, and smiled. She offered me a chair. She listened to my request. She was kind. She said, "Well, the procedure is for the parent to write a letter explaining what it you would like to do, and how the activity would benefit the child educationally. You see, we can't just have students being pulled out of school for fun. It must be educational."

This seemed sensible and right. I agreed with it entirely, and walked away (still standing up straight) with the feeling that Miss Lunn was really not all that bad. In fact, she wasn't bad at all. Firm, yes. No nonsense? absolutely. But I needn't have worried.

The following week Miss Lunn called us in and gave us our answer. She agreed that this would be educational in the areas of History, Culture, Literature, and - even Maths! After all, the train did cost money, as did the tickets, the food and the souvenirs. And worth every pound and penny, it was.

On that day, we enjoyed riding on trains (each of us with a book), eating an afternoon tea somewhere tasty, and watching people at Trafalgar Square. Then, at long last we saw Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman do their Phantomly best to thrill, entertain, and even scare us. The chandelier was simply smashing (quite literally). Do go and see it, if you can. Take your daughter, or son! Just think of all the time you will spend with them, and share forever the experience as the lights fade, the music begins, and the curtain rises. 

Ahhh...the finer things in life. And who do we wish to thank? The remarkable, the unique, the formidable - Miss Lunn.


See you along the way!
the SconeLady

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