Dame Judi Dench Sends a Special Video Message to The Mount School
Not everyone receives a personal message from Hollywood legend and national treasure, Dame Judi Dench, but The Mount School York were recently delighted to receive just that.
We were honoured to be sent a ‘Thank you’ video message from ‘friend to the school,’ former pupil and acting royalty, Dame Judi, and humbled at the thought she started out on the stage we still use, right here at The Mount.
Our beloved Old Scholar Dame Judi visited last autumn in the run up to her 90th birthday. She told us she could not resist visiting her boarding school, while she was in town, and we were surprised and delighted to welcome her to The Mount.
Our Mount Old Scholars’ Association (MOSA) for alumnae had prepared and sent a beautiful ‘trip down memory lane’ video, and our Chamber Choir had recorded the school song, ‘Qui Fidelis’ that Dame Judi herself would have sung in her day.
Dame Judi’s visit in October, followed an evening in conversation with Gyles Brandreth at the Grand Opera House York for her sell out show, ‘I Remember It Well,’ attended by many Mount pupils, parents, staff, and former pupils. Dame Judi then surprised us all at The Mount the following day by turning up in reception!
Dame Judi had regaled a full house at the theatre with tales of acting and growing up in York where she mentioned The Mount several times with fondness: “The Blessed Mount,” she said and when asked about going to school, responded, “I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.”
The next day, Dame Judi dropped by unannounced for a brief look around The Mount and to rekindle childhood memories and stayed for an hour. She enjoyed touring parts of the school she remembered well, including the hall and stage, and got to see a lovely whole school photo where she sat cross-legged, and recognisable, on the front row.
Star-struck Mount pupils waved and chatted as elegant, down-to-earth Dame Judi graced our corridors, incredulous that a world-renowned actor was in their midst. Mount performing arts scholars listened to words of advice, and talked of actors they both know, in a truly memorable day for The Mount.
At the Grand Opera House evening, The Mount had sent Dame Judi a Mount teddy bear with a message of good luck, recorded by Junior school pupil, Arabella: ‘Judi Dench, Break a Leg Love from The Mount School!’ Dame Judi loved the bear, took him on stage, and cuddled him as she spoke.
During Dame Judi’s impromptu visit to school, the next day, she met Arabella and gasped ‘Are you the bear?’ and together they named him George Fox, after the founder of Quakerism, so important to our school.
In her recent message, Dame Judi made special mention of ‘George the teddy’ and gave special thanks.
We played the special video to junior and senior pupils in morning meetings. Pupils were speechless, then giddy, watching Dame Judi and her trusty new teddy, George, address them directly on screen!
We regularly welcome alumnae for private visits to reflect on their school memories, but of course they are not all national treasures!
Thank you and Happy 90th Birthday to Dame Judi. We are grateful to you for being so generous with your time, for the delightful video message, and for creating such special memories that will go down in Mount history forever.
Do pop in again, whenever you like and please send our regards to George!
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