Yesterday, it was our immense privilege to welcome the one and only Miriam Margolyes back to Oxford High, and what a special occasion it was! An alumna of the class of 1959, Miriam returned to the school to film scenes for an upcoming BBC documentary due to hit our screens next year (as well as to simply revisit a place in which she passed much of her youth!).
As part of the day, Miriam spoke to our Sixth Formers and regaled them with innumerable wonderfully entertaining and insightful stories of her life and career, as well as anecdotes from her time at OHS. One such story involved a rather disgruntled Miriam, a carton of eggs and a window in one of the school classrooms; you can guess the rest! However, whilst she may have bent a few rules in her time, she described herself as ‘naughty but never wicked’.
Miriam also touched on many relevant and important topics, such as LGBTQ+ rights, sexism and the issues of class segregation. In all of her stories and words of wisdom, there was a prominent theme of kindness and acceptance (both of oneself and others) as well as the importance of forging one’s own path in the world.
Following the Sixth Form session, Miriam visited the Library and explored our school archives with the help of Miss Burton. With impeccable memory, Miriam recalled names of teachers and students (many of whom she hadn’t seen in 60 years) as she perused the archive material. She then went on to visit one of the original 1950s classrooms in which she would have been taught.
Thank you, Miriam, for visiting Oxford High and bringing so much joy to our school community. As always, your wit, wisdom and kindness shone through in abundance and we are so proud to call you an OHS alumna!
