The Lady in the Van tells the true story of Alan Bennett’s strained friendship with Miss Mary Shepherd, an eccentric homeless woman whom Bennett befriended in the 1970s before allowing her temporarily to park her Bedford van in the driveway of his Camden home. She stayed there for 15 years. As the story develops Bennett learns that Miss Shepherd is really Margaret Fairchild (died 1989), a former gifted pupil of the pianist Alfred Cortot. She had played Chopin in a promenade concert, tried to become a nun, was committed to an institution by her brother, escaped, had an accident when her van was hit by a motorcyclist for which she believed herself to blame, and thereafter lived in fear of arrest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlN1b0ok4D0

Saturday 18 th June

• The Lady in the Van CERT 12A, screening 7.30pm to 9.15pm, St Joseph’s Hall, Balerno

Balerno Village Screen is a community cinema free to attend and funded by donations. We ask that you reserve a free ticket in advance (via the button above) to help us manage numbers.  We also ask that if you can no longer attend to cancel your ticket to allow someone else to see the film.

Tickets are also available via the Mill Cafe or you can book and print your tickets at Balerno Library (staff are happy to help).