David Attenborough – Handwritten Reply to My Letter Well… big grin. No! Massive grin! A most wonderful, wonderful man has written me a letter. A handwritten letter, no less. What an absolutely superb human being, who, at 93 years of age and supremely busy, took time to reply to me.
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Dancing barefoot and free, beneath the huge domed roof of the Rotunda must have been an exhilarating experience. During the previous one hundred years distinguished socialites had whirled around the ballroom, but from 1947–1954 the Ginner-Mawer students danced on the wooden floor with bare feet, bare legs and bare arms.
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Of course, everyone reading this post is likely to have heard of David Attenborough in one way or another – he is a hugely well known British naturalist and campaigner for protecting the environment. During the Second World War, Sir David’s parents cared for two Jewish refugee girls. One of
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Today, Tuesday 1st December 2020, is the 58th anniversary of the death of Irene Mawer. Here is a very brief timeline of Irene Mawer’s life. There WERE of course many more events in Irene’s life, and I have picked out just of few of them: TIMELINE 13 March 1893 born
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Irene Rose Mawer was born on 13th March 1893, to Henry Mawer (known as Harry) and Rosina Alberta Mawer (nee Turner). As the sixth and final child, Irene was born into an affluent family in the Wandsworth borough of Surrey which, following boundary changes, later became part of London. One
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From my research, I have learned that Irene Mawer (an English expert on the art of mime 1893-1962) used her mime skills to help people. The Ginner-Mawer School of Dance and Drama as well as Irene in a solo capacity, both raised funds for many and varied charities. Irene also
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After Irene Mawer’s death her collection of books (later known as the Irene Mawer Memorial Library) along with some other items were donated to the British Theatre Museum and were later transferred to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. Much prestige is attached to Irene’s inclusion in the
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This plaque is held in the “Victoria and Albert Museum” in London. It shows Irene Mawer in her most famous role: Pierrot, from a mime play called “L’Enfant Prodigue”. The inscription reads “The Great English Exponent of the art of mime”. Hopefully, after Covid-19 I will be able to go to London
Continue readingMy research shows that Irene Mawer founded the Institute of Mime in 1933, in England. I have discovered only one source of information relating to the Institute of Mime, and apart from that – the trail is cold. Have you heard of the Institute of Mime – do you have
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In the mid-1980s I was teaching the Irene Mawer method of mime in small classes around the Leeds area of West Yorkshire. One class was held in a church hall, another in a Victorian community centre building. I also taught private classes at my home: a shared student house in the
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