Branagh's Stratford-upon-Avon return is cheering news

As someone who was born and bred in Stratford-upon-Avon, I, for one, was thrilled to hear that Kenneth Branagh, one of the greatest

- GEORGINA FULLER

Shakespearean actors of our times and an Oscar-winner to boot, is returning to the RSC after a 30-year hiatus.

I remember when Branagh trod the boards at the Royal Shakespeare Company's home in 1993, playing the eponymous role in Hamlet. I was 15, and Stratford was the centre of my world. My late mum, Maggie, was an English teacher at the local high school, which I found a bit embarrassing at the time, but also gave me a real sense of belonging.

Weekends were spent drinking (with fake IDs) at The Dirty Duck, Bar M or the Rose & Crown. We'd usually head to The Duck, which was just up the road from the theatre, for last orders and, if we were lucky, might get to spot some of the famous actors coming in. Or even stay for a lock-in.

The Duck, which I went on to work at for several years during my student holidays, was filled with the actors of the day, and Stratford was a real cultural hub. We had Sam Mendes (