School Time with Daughters & Granddaughters

By Paul Stansby

Harry has decided to stay around at the school where he and his mate Bill went over to assist for a weekend of events promoting the hockey team and its players as the England selectors were down to check some players for inclusion into the national name. Harry is conjuring up some plays for the students to perform and Bill is ensconced is renovating the original old hall at the school along with his former army colleagues as a prep school for the under elevens. During the stories another of Harry's daughters turn up who'd been on a trip around the world for four years, this was his youngest and had been living with him and another daughter has come to light from his early days of fun and exploits, who has three daughters the oldest being Georgina at thirteen years old.
Trouble had ensued in South Shields where Candy, the daughter, lives with her three girls, they were all unknown to Harry but the social services connect them up to him as they need him to intervene in a situation that has developed up there which was becoming serious, so he flies up there in a helicopter accompanied by some other daughters who are hanging out at the school and eager to see a new sister plus nieces.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Stansby
• Release date: Mar 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005837402

Book preview

cover-image, School Time with Daughter & Grandaughtere

© Paul Stansby.

      Falmouth 

        2016-2020

  School Time with Daughters

        & Granddaughters

Vol III in the Harry Rockwell Series

      In Five Parts .  Fiction.

      In this third series, Harry has left the Dordogne having met up with some old flames and went over with Bill to lend a hand for a busy school event over a weekend , and a Ballet presentation the following week. At the school another old flame arrived , as did some more results of previous exploits.

Harry has remained at the school to write some plays to be performed in the school theatre and Bill has stayed to beef up the security at the school. The school is exclusive and is for girl’s boarding between eleven to eighteen years old. One of Harry’s old flames, Felicity, is the headmistress.  Two other old flames are around, Julia whose married and Clara who has changed allegiance to her own sex. Harry’s recently discovered daughters.  Harriet daughter of Julia, Charlize daughter of Clara, and Maggie, whose mother is deceased, with her three daughters, Stephanie Carrie and Christine, Harry’s granddaughters are all staying around the school, close to their newly discovered dad and granddad.

        Part one

    Chapter One School theatre

  Harry

It’s coming along, they’re getting used to the blocking, defining their areas on the stage as they say their lines.

Carolyn (English teacher):

Certainly keen, you’ll have the desks out of the classrooms next week as its half term, for rehearsals.

Franny (English teacher):

Yep, they’re staying over the holidays, becoming a real troop these ten girls, budding actresses. The short story idea, where one story by the students is selected for each show is clever. It has the students participating and contributing in the show. It has certainly brought the competing, from the sport’s field into the classroom as the students are all busy doing stories, hoping there's will be one of one's selected for a performance.

Josie (music teacher):

The bands are evolving for your next play Harry, the guy wakes up on his bench and is managing a girl group. That’s a good one to come up with. They’re also staying over for Half term as well, we’ve gone from two school bands to six. There’s a buzz around them now, excitement, especially with you writing songs for them.

Clara ( Harry’s x, also the Goddess):

Wonderful that the theatre is getting fully used at last. It’s suddenly become an integral part of the school as Felicity wanted. Charlize is assisting the girl bands which adds some excitement as what may transpire, the girls are all loving it.

Josie (music teacher):

Yep a major rock star with current selling albums round the world creates awesome appeal, as does her dad who writes songs who’s just released the Goddess live album which was recorded in our marquee here.  These plays of his are bonus for the school.

    Harry comes down from the sound and visual control room in the theatre

      Harry

The camera installation in the theatre is to a high standard.

Clara

Introducing audio visual arts to the sixth form is all too important so they learn the basics of a very relevant area of today’s life as online video arrives in everybody's front room.

Harry

Yep the old girls could hook up and see the plays online for one, live in front of an audience. Just need the fibre laying up to school, it shouldn’t cost that much

  Clara

  We’ve fibre here yet for broadband?

  Harry.

  More than likely, its Bedfordshire so central to the country

  Carolyn

  Oh, yes its added popularity to the story writing by the students, as the shows are going on to be recorded and their story may be selected to be used during the show in the classroom scenes to be discussed and reviewed

  Franny

  Yep that’s a lot reading for us, maybe one or two stories that are written could end up as being suitable for a theme for one of your plays as well Harry

  Harry

  Add that possibility and it'll add some spice to the creativity by the students. A certain amount of pride for a student to have her name on the front of a program if an appropriate play turns up. Written by Harry 'R', a short story adaptation of ....... written by Miss…….…?

Carolyn

You’ve brought to life the reality classroom, where achievers may get to see immediate results as opposed to waiting years, if at all of course. Is it possible for us to have a go, it would be a complete thrill to get one of ours staged.

Clara

Our common room would be lively after lunch with ideas being entertained.

Harry

The more input the better. More minds, imaginations, aspirations, dreams combining together should bring out some good stories. But to be fair the teacher's short stories could only be selected for a forthcoming play not for the current productions with the students. Daphne du Maurer had two of her short stories selected by film producers which became major film successes. Not forgetting others like Stephen King

Clara

An English workshop. Words and language in action, rather unique I think.

Franny

Creates a good situation to see how many achievers we have, a number I would think as most of the parents have done well to get their children here. Their children should have the same instincts of success and realising the benefits associated with it.

Harry

A whole load of reading,

Franny

There’s nine of us, you’ll be busy writing. At least they're short stories to select.

  Harry

You’ll be getting some annotated ones, the complete versions arriving after, but ten minutes is roughly a thousand words to relate out loud so a couple of pages.

Franny

How the girls stories commence the stories will be interesting, we’ll be seeing what they relate to and we need to encourage them to write up to 10 thousand words, which is roughly the length of a play as well so that’s a little over a thousand words a day for the ones that it comes naturally too. A project for the half term which is next week

Harry

It would be good to make a volume of the well written ones, and to get some printed to put in the school library

Clara

I’m sure the old girls would be buying them, some interesting concepts are coming out of this. It’s good for the school to have you onboard for a while. The girls will be having vivid dreams to romanticise their heads to produce stories

Carolyn

Also taking there writing to a new level, the right age to be expanding their minds into the creativity that words have to offer, more difficult for them than you Harry, cause you’re older with many experiences

Clara

In addition, Harry has a whole load of natural talent. How are you girls doing up there? Getting to know some lines Harry has thrown to you to see how you deal with them with your diction.

Girls

Some of the lines are okay, but ones more suited suit to our toffee-nosed accents would be good for we’re posh privileged girls, we’ll get there, words with lots of vowels please to rasp our tongues around

Harry

Words in the lines need to suit the person’s pronunciation. Most of the reason why scripts are re-written for films when the final casting is done as actors or indeed film stars have their style and people expect to hear their star’s individual character.

Franny

You couldn't have Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis doing lines associated to Henry James adaptations.

Harry

I find some films Russel Crowe has been cast in need of lines to suit him 

Carla

Dictions and style is all important, reflects your upbringing as well, okay we’re gonna to need a couple of extra girls for props and a couple for understudies in case one of you come down with a cold or break an ankle in sports. No doubt there’s a long list for helpers.

Girls

Yes Ma’am, there are. Presently we’re getting the idea of movement on the stage while saying lines. Who’s going to play the part of the teacher.

Clara

Yes Harry, we’ve got several permutations on this selection.

Franny

The Head girl is keen,

Clara

We’re having a male teacher to liven it up, so somebody female playing a male part will be amusing, not having any males on campus bar the new security. I’ll volunteer for sure, your ideal Harry but you’ll be very busy and I’ll expect your doing the lights, get the atmospherics in tune with the presentation. You’re finally reaching another of your goals, lighting effects after all these years, unleash more of your passions and dreams.

Harry

Oh yes, too busy for performing, I think one of you English teachers should do it naturally, apart from the fact you need to play the part of a man.

Franny

Oh, I’m sure some of us would like to have a go at that.  Can you simulate our voice to man’s with a microphone attached on your lapel or tie.

Clara

That would add some further amusement. You should be able to do with all the tricks that have been installed in this theatre.

Harry

Yep, you run through the voice modulator up in the sound control. An American sounding teacher, or Australian, they have their distinctive drawls to play around with, 

Franny

Sounds like fun, I’d go for Italian or Hungarian, a richer sounding voice.

Clara

Yes I’d prefer that, so one out of the five of you in the English department. There’s looks to be ten budding actresses on stage that’ll want to outshine each other, so count me out for it would be rather intimidating putting an established and awarded west end actress as myself on the stage alongside  them.

Harry

Yes, but you can do some coaching maybe, and read the part

Clara

  I Know the part well for I've had the part of a teacher in a play, just need the lines. So, I’ll go up and help these girls now, its gonna be fun this Harry.

Franny

We’ll sit and watch a leading lady in action.

Clara

Oh yes, always on top of the billing when I tread the boards. I do Chichester Festival every year, and a favourite of mine and Harry’s, The Greenwich Theatre, when a suitable production comes around. Looking forward to this menopause one Harry. A great subject for one liners, a mildly amusing comedy not too much on the dark side please. Keep the artistic avenue that directors pursue to a minimum as well.

Harry

Goes over the heads of most people the artistic merit, good reviews do arrive from keeping in the traditional realms of theatre enigma, and not ruffling too many feathers. But the same old adage, can’t please everybody. Put you on the road to another box office success maybe, some things do flop onstage

Clara

I don’t think so, if its dodgy I’ll help re-write it with you but we don’t want to make it too good, twelve weeks is fine, six months far to long. One of the big boys in the west end can pick it up after and find somebody suitable for the part. Of course, who I have personally picked.

Harry

Still could be a flop, would the appeal of the subject suit theatre goers

Clara

Not with you darling, you’re too instinctive and a perfectionist to let that happen, and I’ll create the main part and add some of my own lines of course, I’ve got a little list of my favourite one liners from over the years to add that people love to hear, establish the parameters of the leading lady, bring the show to light.

Franny

You two make a good pair

Clara

Totally electrifying, after a time we blow all the fuses, replace and then throw up main switch again, lights full up but apart; myself on the stage in the lights with my love affair, Harry with his writings and his love affair with qwerty.

Harry

I’d keep to doing the lights I think and keep you at a distance from the back but making sure it looks good and you to

Clara

Oh yes, we would keep each other standards up, perfection times, onwards to the young ladies on the stage gazing over in our direction ear-wigging.

Franny

You two are sounding so romantic.

Harry

We’ve been there as you know. I’m going to check which filters are needed for the lights, gets me in the mood for a show,

Clara

Keep the tones in accord with our moods, nothing to deep and wild.

Harry

      A slow cross fade in life as we go to our next scene and chapter.

      Clara

Clever, very clever, I’m writing that one down, these girls are getting entranced with our discord.

Franny

We are too, the actress and the writer, wonderful.  Hello headmistress

      Felicity

Good evening, Clara is Harry around?

Clara

Oh yes, in every sense. Just ascending to the roof void, he’s going to up there to check your lantern stock out.

Felicity

Lighting things up

Bernice (music teacher)

      Harry certainly has a knack for that, students have never been so lively. Life’s a learning curve, we were never shown this avenue to inspire students.

Felicity

An Instigator, using the whole school to evolve the creation of new writings, words and prose. We’re the energy force.

Frank

Good enough reason for being here barring the other more obvious ones, but the reaping the benefits of being surrounded by youth and vitality, not forgetting our learned selves, the faculty.

Bernice

A genie uncorked.

Felicity

More like a good vintage breathing

Carolyn

Indeed, the two together, Clara and Harry sure give off some powerful insights of life, remarkable. So, the stories with the students, Harry has an idea to compile a volume with the best 10 or 12 in it for prosperity and maybe keep it up for following years.

Felicity

Of course, as it should be too, the beauty of having your work in print, very inspiring, we’d have some volumes in the library and no doubt the old girls would swoop on the other copies.

Franny.

I’m surprised that the major institutions haven’t done this before, be proud to show off the talent of the student’s writings in their annals of existence. An open display of talent and feelings.

Felicity

For a talented person producing works of greatness may seem a mere walk in the park to us lesser souls a far lesser possibility. Harry likes to think we are all equals whereas there are only a few that reach the giddy heights to whom we revere and study. So, this year a definite to produce a volume with the girl’s stories and see what future years bring.

Franny

I’m sure the English faculty here will promote it, instil competitiveness into the academic side of the school.

Felicity

It would be good to get his plays into a volume that are performed here, he certainly has no lack of ideas.

Carolyn.

He’s hit on a very good idea and an original concept too I think. A person sitting on a bench and falling asleep on his way home, a soul resting and drifting off into their mind of all the possible maybes out there for them to clasp onto and participate in his dreams and imaginary thoughts that are cultivated whilst dreaming 

Franny

Totally plausible for we all drift off in our sleep to other places and lives so we can identify with this and possible romance our everyday lives further, give us pointers to stories, romantic and magical

Bernice

Oh, yes and the blend of them both, Dame Clara and Harry, intoxicates the atmosphere, not forgetting Cristel.

Felicity

So I’m assuming Harry is compiling a shopping list in the roof void, of lights, backcloths, scenery, props, gauzes, borders and masking flats. We can truck settings on and off here easily with the wide wing space which is handy for there is not much height for stuff to go vertically out

Carolyn

Oh, he’s after some school desks so doubt tables will do. Of course, this is going to be recorded so anything of brilliance can go online. Gonna be some very smart looking young ladies turning out on the stage.

Felicity

Yes, they’ll be wanting a school uniform just for the stage, need to work that one into the production budget, the full rig out is expensive.

Josie

I don’t think that’ll be an issue as the girls will be having a one-off experience that’ll they will remember for the rest of their lives with the people who are participating in the productions. The girl bands are planning their outfits as they’ll be out of uniform. They’ll be out with Charlize (Cristel) shopping no doubt.

Bernice

Oh yes, don’t forget the first night party bashes, girls like to party and these are no different in that aspect. It will be all the bands doing a turn, not just the one or two that make the stage for the show.

Felicity

Good job we left our Marquee up, knew it would soon be useful again. I’ll get some permanent power put in to the tent from our grid

      Clara comes back down off the stage and the participating school girls go off to the dressing rooms.

      Clara

Good evening ladies, they’re getting the idea of acting, more difficult than they thought. I was speaking with the architect the other day, as the dance studio will soon be coming a reality and the combined music centre. He was asking whether you’ve lowered the front floor in front of the stage here yet

Felicity

Oh no, I know it goes down that’s all, we’ve never had the occasion. It’s necessary to fix a barrier first and all exits will have to be locked magnetically before it works. The barrier is below I believe. We have tried it once I remember but nothing happened

Clara

There are a load of chairs that roll on to it according to the architect, an extra five rows, also goes up to extend the stage, just makes it more adaptable, and there’s a piano down there he thinks.

Felicity

No, the piano never went down, it got hi-jacked into the school.

Clara

Harry might know how it all works, they’ll be a big hole when that goes down, make sure there’s no students around.

Felicity

Clueless Clara to its workings, we never had an inventory of what equipment arrived either, so could be more down there.

Harry

Good acoustics up here, hearing you perfectly, coming down as it could be an Aladdin’s cave underneath that stage, you most likely received the inventory Clara. There’s a control panel for the front stage in the lighting room, the doors, entrances and exits magnetically seal as you said, but an extra item which is not the barrier underneath, it’s the fire curtain has to be lowered, there will be magnetic trips on it.

Felicity

Okay we have one of those? I suppose we would have.

Harry

Up there, concealed in that box right at the front of the stage in the roof, or grid or flies as it may be called. I can lower that from the control room at the rear, as are the motorised house curtains for the stage. I’ll lower the fire one, seal the doors and drop it, so if everybody wants hop on to the front of the stage, I’ll follow though with this.

Clara

I’ll just tell the girls.

Harry

I can do that from the control room too, there’s a relay patch to the dressing rooms. The place has been set up for a one-person operation, a more cabaret club idea where budgets are tight and stage staff are unwanted extras.

Clara

More likely that students weren’t allowed to handle gear in case of injury so an adult was only allowed to operate the machinery. We are all getting onto the front floor, you can come down after lowering us down, bound to be a ladder at the side for you to climb down.

Felicity

A little bit of excitement.

Francine

Too right, love underground, glad I brought a torch.

Bernice

Bring some mice and rat poison next time

Josie

A first for the