I knew this lady as Miss Oram, my English teacher at Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham, for third, fourth and fifth form (1969 to 1972). She instilled in me a love of Shakespeare and Chaucer, and her book recommendations for extra-curricular reading were excellent. Anya Seton’s ‘Kathryn’ helped me to get a real feel for the life and times of Chaucer, while Josephine Tey’s ‘The Daughter of Time’ caused me to stop and think very seriously about whether or not Richard the Third truly was the villain he was depicted as by Shakespeare and the Tudors. A few years ago, on a trip taking in Lincoln and Leicester, I visited the tombs of Kathryn Swinford (Lincoln Cathedral) and of Richard the Third (Leicester Cathedral). On both occasions I thought fondly of Miss Oram. Teachers, both good and bad, leave indelible memories. She was one of the good ones and I thank her for the memories she left me. May she rest in everlasting peace. Angela Paskins (nee Igoe)
Angela Paskins
13/01/2025
