London Visit, September 2013: Jenny Joseph

Friday night, we gave Jenny Joseph (an Oxford chum) dinner...

...with Prudence Raper, Mitch Raper's sister. He was the top poet
 in Oxford. Jenny is the best-known poetess in England. 
The poem that begins: “When I grow older, I shall wear purple” 
is known  by everyone! When I took her to the National 
Theatre production of Edward II on Sunday matinee, I murmured 
to the usher so that Jenny wouldn't hear, because she hates that sort 

of publicity, that she was the famous Jenny Joseph.  

I quoted that line and even an usher at the National Theatre 

knew it. Not to mention everyone else we've spoken to. 

Imagine our little Jenny! She was married, has two children, 

and now she lives in Gloucestershire. She uses a walker, 

but believe it or not, insisted on taking the bus to our place 

for dinner, and walked in pouring rain for several blocks 

from Victoria Station. I took her to the 

theatre on Sunday.  

Here's Jenny reading her famous poem: