It was a normal Sunday morning, the weather was good and church had just finished. We were all having coffee and then it struck me. There were lots of people in the Micklem hall, and they were all being given a booklet. I wandered over there with a few friends to try and see what they were doing. Then I saw it. The front cover of the booklet they had. It had a weird name. At first I didn’t understand. Why was it called Stanmore Scenes? I knew we were in Stanmore but I didn’t realise why you would call something Stanmore Scenes. Even so it wasn’t until later that I would understand more about it.
That evening my mum had a phone call from her sister. This helped me to find out what she and the others had been doing earlier that day. When I found out I was extremely confused. I didn’t think my Aunty could act! I didn’t even think it was possible for the church I went to, to put on a play about its life. It was mad. How could they put 150 years of history into a couple of hours? Was it possible to do? Anyway none of my friends were in it so why would I want to be in it, it was mad. So my friend Sarah and I decided we would leave them to it. After that Sarah and I soon forgot about Stanmore Scenes.
All until one day a few weeks later at school. We were all told about this play being put on at St. John’s church. We were also told that our school, St. John’s C of E middle school would be singing at it. That week there were auditions, to check we could sing, in order to join the choir that would be singing in Stanmore Scenes. All my friends had gone through the audition to join the choir for the carol service, however I didn’t like singing so hadn’t joined the choir with them. When it was the new auditions I didn’t want to go as I was on my own.
“Go on Charlotte,” they all said, “it doesn’t matter if you don’t pass. ” This really knocked my confidence as I don’t like singing on my own. “I can’t, I can’t,” I said desperately, “I can’t sing on my own. ” So as I couldn’t bring myself to join the choir my friends took part without me! Around came Sunday again and I had the shock of my life. After church my Aunty came up to me. “Charlotte,” she said excitedly, “do you want to be part of Stanmore Scenes? ” I was gob smacked! Why would she ask me? Anyway I accepted the offer. I went into the hall with her and everyone stopped talking.
We sat down. Then Janet started to address everyone. “Today we will go through the play and make sure everyone knows their part,” Janet calmly told us. So I was given a script and we went through the play. I was given a part. It was when the local boys went off to war and their families were left behind. There were about six families and mine was two parents a brother and me. When the men were brought back by nurses all but my brother returned. They said he must be dead and we had to get upset and walk off with the nurses. I went to practice after practice. These were every Sunday.
Then after a month we started having practices in the church so we could work out the best way to get on and off stage. People came from the back, sides and front. When we had all sorted coming on and off stage we ran through the play again. Shortly after a few weeks of more exhausting and long practices in church we tried on costumes. It took ages! “This doesn’t fit,” came the comments. “I can’t wear this! ” exclaimed another. “Yuck this is horrid! ” was said in disgust. Eventually it was all sorted and everyone had a costume. We all settled down and were told Stanmore Scenes was being put on 3 nights in July.
This was the 11th, 12th and 13th July 2000. The week of the church’s 150th birthday! We had 2 weeks left to prepare, in which we would have 2 more practices together one of which was to be a dress rehearsal. The day of the dress rehearsal came. We all had some make up on (even the men) to make our eyes stand out,0 so people at the back could see our faces better. When we were all ready we started. My part was very short and in the middle of the play therefore I had to wait a long time until I came on. At the end we sang 2 songs as everyone would come onto the stage and bow. This is where my school would come in.
They would be at the back of the stage singing with us. After the rehearsal we all clambered out of the costumes and back into our own clothes. When we were out of our costumes they collected them all in and left them in the tower room. We were all told to practice hard, so that we knew all our lines off by heart and to come 1 hour before the start to become transformed. After the rehearsal my Aunty took me home. She said, “See you on Tuesday Charlotte,” then left me with my mum. At school on Monday I told my friends that I was going to be in Stanmore Scenes after all. They all exclaimed, “How come, if your not in the choir? “
