Rediscovering Lalla Ward
This was one of those hit-me-over-the-head-with-a-brick moments in tonight's reading, one that caused me to exclaim aloud at my computer monitor.
I was reading a not-bad interview* with Richard Dawkins by Jim Holt; most of the discussion was about topics to be found in Dawkin's The Ancestor's Tale, which I happen to be reading and enjoying these past few weeks. This is my first Dawkins book, but not likely my last. I can agree (or at least not be enraged) with the majority of what the "world's most famous atheist", a position I might aspire to, has to say.
Anyway, I was getting towards the end when Mr. Holt wrote this:
At this point, Dawkins' wife, the actress Lalla Ward, shimmered into the lobby to collect him. One could not help noticing that, in her radiant blondness, she is even more attractive than her husband.
Lalla Ward! Nobody ever told me he was married to Lalla Ward!
Now, probably the only reason that I know who Lalla Ward is, is that when I was in graduate school and enjoyed watching "Dr. Who" episodes with my roommate, the hottest babe-companion of the Doctor (Doctor #4 in this case, Tom Baker, not my favorite Doctor by the way) was Leela, who was played by Louise Jameson. According to my roommate at least. I suspect it was because of the rather skimpy leather outfit that she wore.
Anyway, I judged by other criteria when it came to choosing favorite "companions". Certainly near the top of my list, if not at the pinnacle, was Romana II (full name: Romanadvoratrelundar, which I actually could pronounce at the time), played by Lalla Ward. (To be scrupulously honest, I probably had a preference for the first Romana, played by Mary Tamm, no doubt because of her cheekbones, but I had quite a fondness for Romana II.)
Now — now!! — I find out all sorts of things about Lalla Ward (the Honourable Sarah Ward) that I never knew but I suppose everyone else did. Like: she was married to Tom Baker himself for 18 months. And then, that she married Richard Dawkins in 1992, thanks to the catalysis of Douglas Adams.
I really should try to pay attention.
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*Jim Holt, "The Man Behind the Meme: An interview with Richard Dawkins.", Slate, 1 December 2004.