There’s something about Mary…

Mary Beard

Mary Beard. Mary Beard. Mary Beard. I've written it three times because I liked her so much. Spunky? You betcha. Funny? Of course. Sexy? Is the Pope you-know-what? And boy did the rest of the audience love her too. Indeed, I think even the Bodleian's librarian Richard Ovenden was rather taken (his introduction of her achievements was so i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-y long and glowing, it began to sound like a eulogy...). Probably best known for her documentary on Pompeii, Ms Beard chatted as if talking across a pub table, which perfectly complemented the Sheldonian's majestic airs. And at the end she received a medal for her efforts - the Bodley Medal in fact, which is awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to literature, art, science and communication. Not bad for an hour's work. So all in all, an up-lifting conclusion to a rather flat day.