Shakespeare's birthday

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet

As well as being St George's Day, 23 April is also the day that Shakespeare was born. It's the day he died as well, apparently. So here's an arrangement from the archive, before I half-killed my poor David Austin rose bush! A hat box with scented William Shakespeare 2000 roses, Sweet Williams, clematis and jasmine.

Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey will always be my favourite Romeo and Juliet, so here's the balcony scene in Zeffirelli's 1968 film. It's the play that taught me to love language and Shakespeare when we studied it at school - girls would walk around the playground reciting this scene off by heart just because we loved how it sounded!

Romeo: What shall I swear by?

Juliet: Do not swear at all;

Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,

Which is the god of my idolatry,

And I'll believe thee.