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Blackboard Jumble
Sep. 5th, 2025 10:32 pmTo London today to see Lavvies, a new play by Ruth Carraway. Ruth is well known to many Brits of my generation, as she starred in Grange Hill during the 80s and is one of the most active cast members in interacting with Grange Hill fans online today. She was also starring in the play - alongside three of her Grange Hill contemporaries, Alison Bettles, Fiona Lee Fraser and my crush from the series, the lovely Lisa York. In fact, Lisa and I have been Facebook friends since talking to each other on one of the Grange Hill Facebook groups; we bonded further over the 80s Top of the Pops reruns, but I was unable to travel to two previous Grange Hill fan events despite planning to be there, so thus far we still hadn’t met.
The theatre was in a little building in Canary Wharf with an attached upstairs bar. One lady with colourful hair spotted my ‘24601’ T-shirt, said “Les Miserables!” and sang a snatch of the song. With a quarter of an hour to curtain up I gave up on my food arriving and headed for the Gents. I emerged into the little box office area to see one of the bar staff standing there holding my halloumi and falafel. I sat down on the bench by the entrance door and hurriedly ate most of it before going into the auditorium and taking my seat.
I was in the front row next to a lady in a Grange Hill T-shirt. Her name was Jill; we knew each other from one of the Facebook groups. We chatted until, a few minutes behind schedule, Ruth, dressed in her striking silver play costume, appeared on stage and said a few words about how after her play had had a run in New Zealand, she’d persuaded her three old pals - who’d initially been reluctant as they hadn’t acted for a while - to join her for this production. She also revealed that Fiona had had a fall on one night earlier in the week.
The play was excellent. It was set entirely in the ladies’ toilets of a night club, and featured various permutations of the four main characters popping in and out at intervals during a night out, and talking about their lives, relationship troubles and families, with the odd incident of one woman getting something off her chest to another, and then a third emerging from the cubicle having heard every word…
Jill had also been the night before and said the cast came to the bar after. We headed straight up there and bagged seats at a long table. The fifth member of the cast, a younger actress, appeared first and I congratulated her. Eventually Lisa and Alison arrived. Lisa and I recognised each other straight away and hugged. Jill and I exchanged a few words with her - she grinned at my saying “you were my crush 40 years ago” - then she had to go and talk to some other people. I got to say a quick well done to Alison, and to Fiona when she appeared. Ruth arrived and I congratulated her and thanked her for everything she does for the Grange Hill fans. Soon after, Lisa came over to Jill and me for a longer chat. Jill took a photo of Lisa and me. We hugged and kissed and I said my goodbyes.
On the way out I met Ruth who was standing outside talking to a couple of people. A bit of a longer chat with her and a hug and a kiss.
If you’d told me in 1985 that one day I’d kiss Julie Marchant and Helen Kelly, and say hello to Fay Lucas and Laura Reagan, I’d have thought you were mad.
Bus back to the hotel.
The theatre was in a little building in Canary Wharf with an attached upstairs bar. One lady with colourful hair spotted my ‘24601’ T-shirt, said “Les Miserables!” and sang a snatch of the song. With a quarter of an hour to curtain up I gave up on my food arriving and headed for the Gents. I emerged into the little box office area to see one of the bar staff standing there holding my halloumi and falafel. I sat down on the bench by the entrance door and hurriedly ate most of it before going into the auditorium and taking my seat.
I was in the front row next to a lady in a Grange Hill T-shirt. Her name was Jill; we knew each other from one of the Facebook groups. We chatted until, a few minutes behind schedule, Ruth, dressed in her striking silver play costume, appeared on stage and said a few words about how after her play had had a run in New Zealand, she’d persuaded her three old pals - who’d initially been reluctant as they hadn’t acted for a while - to join her for this production. She also revealed that Fiona had had a fall on one night earlier in the week.
The play was excellent. It was set entirely in the ladies’ toilets of a night club, and featured various permutations of the four main characters popping in and out at intervals during a night out, and talking about their lives, relationship troubles and families, with the odd incident of one woman getting something off her chest to another, and then a third emerging from the cubicle having heard every word…
Jill had also been the night before and said the cast came to the bar after. We headed straight up there and bagged seats at a long table. The fifth member of the cast, a younger actress, appeared first and I congratulated her. Eventually Lisa and Alison arrived. Lisa and I recognised each other straight away and hugged. Jill and I exchanged a few words with her - she grinned at my saying “you were my crush 40 years ago” - then she had to go and talk to some other people. I got to say a quick well done to Alison, and to Fiona when she appeared. Ruth arrived and I congratulated her and thanked her for everything she does for the Grange Hill fans. Soon after, Lisa came over to Jill and me for a longer chat. Jill took a photo of Lisa and me. We hugged and kissed and I said my goodbyes.
On the way out I met Ruth who was standing outside talking to a couple of people. A bit of a longer chat with her and a hug and a kiss.
If you’d told me in 1985 that one day I’d kiss Julie Marchant and Helen Kelly, and say hello to Fay Lucas and Laura Reagan, I’d have thought you were mad.
Bus back to the hotel.
