I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
He said one of our favourite teachers died two days ago.
I actually heard she was ill a week or two ago. Sent an email out to various people from school whose email addresses I still have. Didn't get a reply from any of them, which was pretty sad. Well, maybe they don't use those addresses any more. Or maybe they didn't care.
I care. Sheila Innes was a great teacher. Got me my highest A level grade. Gave me the invaluable advice, "It's not a problem, it's a challenge." Inspired such affection in the class that we called her 'Auntie Sheila'. She was smart--she knew everything. She was funny. She was kind. She took an interest in us and inspired us to be interested. She organised theatre trips to see Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Jude Law, Nigel Hawthorne, Imogen Stubbs, Anna Chancellor, Jennifer Ehle, Cate Blanchett; plays by Shakespeare and Ford and Stoppard and Hare and Pinter. She gave me an understanding of theatre, of space, of words, of silence. She gave me a lot.
I'll miss her.
I just happened to find your page doing a random google of Mrs Innes (just bored, I guess!). I had Mrs Innes for English until she retired last year and it was good to read that the people she's taught in the past haven't forgotten her (who could, really?!) We're just waiting now at the school to hear if her family will let us go to the funeral on the 21st in Newport.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I had better go, I liked your poem by the way : )
I'm so glad you had a teacher that touched your life. My favorite teacher was killed in a tragic accident. She'll always be remembered.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't stop thinking of Mrs. Innes today and came across your post from 2006. I am sure that many of us still think of her and remember everything she did for us. I do. Thank you.
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