To your knees, people, Boudica is IN THE BUILDING!

I've been compared with many female characters in my lifetime.  The first, obviously, because of the freckles, was Anne (of Green Gables).  Did she have a surname?  *Google says 'Shirley'* (co-incidentally my mother's name). 

Have YOU seen my tonsils?

When I had my tonsils out at the rather decrepit age of 24 (and put in the children's ward, which is the USUAL place for humans having their tonsils out - they being at most 8 years old) I managed to find a grown up TV-area one evening and a old dear in there looked up at me (tonsil-less and probably swollen of throat) and said "you've the look of that Stephanie Beacham off the telly".  And, delightedly, as an avid follower of 'The Colbys', I took it as a compliment.  Until just now when I realised she could've meant when she starred in 'Tenko' - 

 

My GBF once told me I had the legs of Christie Brinkley but then he also told me I had the sex appeal of a road accident.  Both these 'compliments' were, of course, aided and abetted by copious quantities of Special Brew and I appreciate that neither are entirely accurate.

And finally, today, after nearly 7 years of working at our local Middle School, I found out why it is that most of the kids there (I mean  young students, of course I do) either avert their eyes and pin themselves up against the corridor walls when I pass, or else hold my gaze so disconcertingly that I often have to whip out my mirror when I get back to my room to check for food-in-hair/teeth/eyebrows.  

My lovely colleague told me that when she used to teach a class about  Boudicea, when describing the Queen of Icani (that's, rather unexcitingly, *Norfolk* to you and me) she used me as a reference.  And although my initial reaction was "Eurgh - not that Dyke in the Chariot!", since Googling all manner of images of her, I found this rather lovely description and I'm sticking with that, thank you very much:

 Wikepedia says:

"... that she was "possessed of greater intelligence than often belongs to women", that she was tall, had long red hair down to her hips, a harsh voice and a piercing glare, and habitually wore a large golden necklace (perhaps a torc), a many-coloured tunic, and a thick cloak fastened by a brooch...."

That's me to a Tee - minus the cloak and the bling, obvs.

Oh, and the harsh voice.  

And the piercing glare (I hope)

So, just the greater intelligence and the red hair then. Which isn't quite waist-length.

And the tallness.

Def. not the many coloured tunic.  I've only got one of those and I'm still not convinced myself... not enough to lead an army of men from Norfolk on a merry rampage, anyway.

In fact I'm not even sure I'd feel overly confident in a many-coloured tunic going round Sainsbury's these days.