On the evening of Friday 6th February, the very evening of the Wales-England match in Cardiff, and under the watchful gaze of Miss Walker and Mr Dey, fifteen discerning students from year 10 to the upper sixth, sallied forth for the Whitby Pavilion cinema in eager anticipation of the extraordinary performances and story to come.
All were determined to learn more about the life of one of the great thinkers of the modern era – the physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, as seen through the eyes of his remarkable wife Jane, the author of this biopic. After all is there not something almost mythical about such far-reaching mind trapped in such an immobile body?
All expressed their thanks and, without exception, thoroughly enjoyed the film. The unanimous consensus was one of awe at the remarkable and subtle performance of Mr Redmayne. The debate could be heard raging from the rear of the minibus on the way back to Fyling Hall. How did Hawking do it? Why did Jane spend her life caring for him? What would have happened if Richard hadn’t entered their lives when he did? Why wasn’t there more physics in the film***?
As the students made their way to the warmth of the dorms, a quiet and thoughtful calm descended.
What would I have done if motor neurone disease had struck?
A hearty thank you to all the students involved, you were a credit to the school (even with the loudest popcorn packet in the universe!)
If you would like to know more about Stephen Hawking then I can recommend the 2004 television miniseries “Hawking”, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Mr N Dey – Head of Physics
***OK, this was Mr Dey!