A GARDEN FETE WITH DIANA RIGG
Wow! Unmissable!
S A T U R D A Y, 2 0 M A Y
Anya and Anna-Marie came over for the day.
We got racquets and all four of us went down to the court - it's finished!!! Played a bit but it started to rain so we had lunch. Ma did beef-burgers from the Willow Cafe, and we drank masses of milk between us (Danish style). Then Chump and Anna-Marie played with the trains and Anya and me looked for scrap material for the Polnareff doll - all we could find was stuff for his scarf. Then Ma drove us to the fete at Fetcham.
Got there about 2.30 - there were crowds of people. We tried to find a good spot to see the speeches, but couldn't. This lady in a pink hat spoke first and said some corny things, but finally Diana Rigg came on. All I could see was her hair, then it began raining. Up went our umbrellas (thank goodness we'd brought them - sometimes it was hailing!) and Anya and me shared my yellow one. These two mod boys said, "oh, it's got holes in it, moths have been at work" - so corny! It always gets attention.
It was super fun in the rain but our legs and shoes got sopping wet and Anya wouldn't stop complaining. Then the sun came out, we had a lovely time after that.
“We kept bumping into those horrible mods, and also this lair of six creepish creeps!”
There was such a variety of people there, also some frightfully snobby characters (we went "soopah" whenever we saw any). It was very amusing. In the orchards there was this round coloured thing you could place your bets on, with the most enthusiastic people running it. Anya just asked the man how much you could put on, and he boomed out,"anything from one penny to two shillings and sixpence!!!" Then he turned the arrow round with gusto; we were killing ourselves. Suddenly we saw Diana coming up the paths between the flower-beds. She was wearing a short black coat and white stockings: she's terribly pretty and very sweet. About four she had to leave and that corny woman in the pink hat came up to her and said, "God bless you my dear... I hope no ill befalls you!!!" Then we went round to the back of the house and got her autograph - she'd written out lots before.
Found Chump and Anna-Marie and got the 408 to Leatherhead, then the 406, and then the 416 from there. Spent masses on fares.
Beef and Yorkshires for dinner, and baked bananas with cream.
After that Anya and me phoned some hotels in London to see if Polnareff has made any reservations. We tried The Hilton, the Europa, the Royal Court (where Sony and Cher stayed), the Savoy and the De Veer. Had to spell out his name every time, which was FAB, but he hadn't made reservations at any of them. We also rang up London Airport, but they didn't have a passenger list. Still, it was worth it. It's made him feel like a personal friend.
“The Avengers and Diana Rigg”
Diana Rigg models giant Avenger watches made by Old England, in various colours and straps
This very British cult spy-fi series from ABC (Associated British Corporation) ran throughout the 1960s starring a posh pair: Special Agent John Steed (an Old Etonian), and his fearless assistant Emma Peel. Diana Rigg took on the role in 1965, and became a household name.
"I've always said feminism is about equal pay – nothing else," she once said. I like to think 'M. Appeal' advanced the cause in some way, vaulting across car bonnets at the drop of a hat, and karate-chopping villains.
