Mr Mark Zacharias, Head of English at Stamford High School, has started our latest lockdown project - 'My Cultural Life'. Inspired by the Times newspaper, amongst others: the Schools present interviews from individuals across our Stamford community, considering their cultural interests, loves and shortcomings.We hope that these interviews help you to find inspiration during the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in, and that you enjoy learning a little more about us here at Stamford!
View all of our entries here. The box set I’m hooked on...
I’m on my third watching of Once Upon A Time… it’s fairy tales but not as you know them! It is a show all about happy endings so it’s much cheerier than shows I usually watch. I also ‘ship’ Captain Swan and everyone else should to (you either get that reference or you don’t – Oncers know what’s up).
My favourite play...
I’ve always loved Macbeth – the whole premise of the corrosive nature of power and ambition is very gripping. It has so many iconic lines, and my love for it is such that I even once bought a friend a bar of Lady Macbeth themed soap… (“out damned spot!”)
My favourite author or book...
Honest favourite or intellectual favourite?Honest favourite: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (oh the shame). It’s a bit of fluff and nostalgia – I was a Twi-Hard in my teen years. It’s my comfort-blanket book.Intellectual favourite: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. It’s about a zombie who has very deep thoughts but communicates in monosyllables and grunts, who starts to have feelings for a human after eating her boyfriend’s brain and seeing his memories. Aww.
The book I’m reading...
I just finished ‘The Flatshare’ by Beth O’Leary. I bought this book despite having a pre-existing stack of books to read. It is a rom-com about two people who never meet as he works nights, so they communicate through post-it notes left in their flat. So obviously they fall in love because that’s how real-life works.
The book I wish I had written...
The only one I can think of is Harry Potter – these books have resonated with so many people and the franchise underpins my entire childhood. But I would also edit the number of times the characters ‘said…’ followed by an adjective – it is constant and I find it infuriating. I was always taught that using ‘said’ so frequently is bad when writing stories – clearly this has been proven incorrect, but I still want to change it!
The book that saved me...
I can’t say I’ve yet read a book that has saved me. I find music more effective at doing that – there are so many songs that have lyrics that express how I’m feeling or help me process how I’m feeling, much better than I ever could express it myself. I have yet to find a book that has that effect too.
The book I couldn’t finish...
The Lord of the Rings. I got through about a chapter through sheer force of will and just could not get into it. The movies are great though and I have all the Extended Editions – thank you Peter Jackson and co. for reading it for me!
The book I’m ashamed I haven’t read...
Pretty much any of the classics – I’ve most likely seen the movies instead. Sorry!
My favourite film...
Titanic. No question, no contest. A three-hour biopic disaster film with a love story? I’ll never let go.
My favourite TV series...
This changes a lot – it has previously been Scandal; later it was The Vampire Diaries; right now, it’s Once Upon A Time. Give me a few months, it will probably change again!
My favourite piece of music...
‘Light of the Seven’ from Game of Thrones. It’s the music from Season 6 where Cersei’s terrible plan starts to unfold and it is the single creepiest yet climactic piece of music I have ever heard. I play it when I’m marking because it’s weirdly inspiring. Try it and you’ll see!
The last TV programme that made me cry...
The 13th
on Netflix, about the history of racial inequality in the USA. It was hard hitting and rightly so – utterly gut-wrenching.
The lyric I wish I’d written...
I’ve always liked sad love songs – I don’t know why, there is something about an emotional ballad that just hooks me. There’s a song called ‘Only You’ by Yazoo and frankly I wish I’d written the whole song – but the line specifically I wish I’d written is from the last verse: ‘Wonder if you’ll understand, it’s just the touch of your hand, behind a closed door.’ Chills.
My guiltiest cultural pleasure...
The Twilight movies. I’m so sorry. It’s a comfort blanket and I don’t have to think too hard. Also, I do enjoy laughing at the silliness. The pea coats; the monotone speeches about love; the CGI baby in film 4 – come on, who doesn’t laugh at it whilst also weirdly enjoying it?
If I could own one painting...
‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo di Vinci. There’s just so much going on in it and I feel like every time you look at it, it reveals something new. I already have a poster print of this in my living room but it has ‘Bon Appetit’ written across it in neon pink. I have a very grown up living room, can you tell?
The instrument I wish I’d learnt...
The guitar. My sister had about 4 and taught herself with ease. I have no such luck – I can’t even sight-read music (despite spending 2 years trying during music GCSE) and I’m not prepared to Phoebe Buffay my way through it!
The music that cheers me up...
‘Here Comes the Sun’ by The Beatles. It reminds me of my older sister – she was obsessed with The Beatles in her teens and I used to sneak in to her room on Saturday mornings and snuggle up with her and her yellow Walkman and she would play this.
The place I feel happiest...
In my bed at night when my two cats are laying next to my feet, sleeping – it actually prevents me from sleeping because I’m taking pictures of them and going ‘aww’ like a lovesick fool.
The film/play I walked out of...
I haven’t done this yet but I did spend the majority of some horror film with my head hidden in my coat. My friends wanted to see a horror movie and I didn’t want to miss out on a trip to the movies (major FOMO) but as a result I think I missed half of the film because I didn’t want to die of fright. I haven’t been invited to any horror film screenings since then… I wonder why?
I’m having a fantasy dinner party. I’ll invite these artists and authors...
Definitely Beyoncé – she is so inspiring and amazing, but I am curious what she’d be like in a normal setting! I’d also invite Stephenie Meyer for obvious reasons (I also want to pick her brains about the upcoming ‘Midnight Sun’ release) and then Stephen Fry – he’s intellectual, hilarious and charming so he’d be a perfect dinner party guest.
And I’ll put on this music...
Well I couldn’t play any Beyoncé songs because that would be a bit on the nose… maybe some soothing classical music, the sort you’d find on a student revision playlist. Also because, in movies that’s what they always do at grown up dinner parties so who am I to mess with a tried and tested playlist?
I wasted an evening...
I have wasted so many evenings on a Youtube dive. It starts with one video on The Dodo about a rescued cat and then suddenly, 3 hours later, I’m watching Nicki Minaj’s ‘Starships’ set to ‘Pachelbel – Canon in D’. If you haven’t heard this yet, please do because it is a masterpiece – but do beware the inevitable Youtube dive that will follow.
Underrated...
The documentary ‘Blackfish’ which focuses mainly on SeaWorld in America, but more widely the practice of capturing wild baby whales, keeping them in captivity for years and the deadly repercussions this has had. I have watched it so many times and it has been on my Netflix list for at least 4 years. Everyone should watch it at least once.
Overrated...
A book called ‘The Little Stranger’ by Sarah Water. My mind will not be changed, I read the entire of this book and it was infuriating! I want closure at the end, not vague ‘decide what you think’ and ‘discuss at your nearest book club’ style resolutions. I will not be watching the movie! Read all of our 'My Cultural Life' entries
here. 
