Pandora Braithwaite
Encyclopedia
Dr Pandora Louise Elizabeth Braithwaite (January, 1967) is the love interest of Adrian Mole
in the Adrian Mole series
of books by Sue Townsend
. Pandora came to media attention as Labour
Member of Parliament under Tony Blair
.
In the books, Pandora is the love of Adrian's life. Pandora is beautiful (Adrian especially loves her 'treacle-coloured' hair) and intelligent, and in the first books, she and Adrian Mole are happy together. In the later books, Pandora resists Adrian's advances in favour of physically and intellectually powerful men, although Adrian continues to remain attached to her.
at the age of 13. She sat with Adrian
during geography
classes, and soon became the most popular girl in their class. She started dating Nigel, but they soon broke-up. A few weeks later, on Wednesday (June 10, 1981), Adrian and Pandora started dating together. They had many short break-ups, till they finally ended their relationship in True Confessions.
She attended college in Oxford
, studying Mandarin, Russian
and Serbo-Croat. She graduated and married her first husband, Julian Twyselton-Fife, who is openly gay. They cemented their love at London's famous Astoria G-A-Y
nightclub after he drove for hours to pick her up. Her aversion to germs meant that she was unable to take a train. She had several liaisons and drifted apart from Adrian. Eventually she cohabited with Jack Cavendish, an old professor of linguistics. After many years they split up, with Jack revealing many of her secrets.
Later, she entered politics in the New Labour era under Tony Blair
and became a Labour
MP for Ashby-de-la-Zouch
, Leicestershire
. She referred to herself as Pan National and The Shiniest Star in Blair's Sky, nicknames that the media picked up on and subsequently used. However she vocally opposed to the Iraq War and was seen to be one of the Labour Party's most left-wing MP's.
Adrian Mole
Adrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence...
in the Adrian Mole series
Adrian Mole
Adrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence...
of books by Sue Townsend
Sue Townsend
-Adrian Mole series:* The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ , her best selling book, and the best-selling new British fiction book of the 1980s.* The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole * The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole...
. Pandora came to media attention as Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament under Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.
In the books, Pandora is the love of Adrian's life. Pandora is beautiful (Adrian especially loves her 'treacle-coloured' hair) and intelligent, and in the first books, she and Adrian Mole are happy together. In the later books, Pandora resists Adrian's advances in favour of physically and intellectually powerful men, although Adrian continues to remain attached to her.
Life
Pandora's parents were called Ivan and Tania. She came to LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
at the age of 13. She sat with Adrian
Adrian Mole
Adrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence...
during geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
classes, and soon became the most popular girl in their class. She started dating Nigel, but they soon broke-up. A few weeks later, on Wednesday (June 10, 1981), Adrian and Pandora started dating together. They had many short break-ups, till they finally ended their relationship in True Confessions.
She attended college in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, studying Mandarin, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Serbo-Croat. She graduated and married her first husband, Julian Twyselton-Fife, who is openly gay. They cemented their love at London's famous Astoria G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
nightclub after he drove for hours to pick her up. Her aversion to germs meant that she was unable to take a train. She had several liaisons and drifted apart from Adrian. Eventually she cohabited with Jack Cavendish, an old professor of linguistics. After many years they split up, with Jack revealing many of her secrets.
Later, she entered politics in the New Labour era under Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and became a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP for Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. She referred to herself as Pan National and The Shiniest Star in Blair's Sky, nicknames that the media picked up on and subsequently used. However she vocally opposed to the Iraq War and was seen to be one of the Labour Party's most left-wing MP's.
Nicknames
- Box (in book 1)
- Pan (in private)
- Pan National (in media)
- The Shiniest Star in Blair's Sky (in media)
Portrayals
- Lindsey Stagg on The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (TV series)The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ is a British television series based on the book of the same name written by Sue Townsend. It started in 1985 and starred Gian Sammarco, as the title character Adrian Mole, Stephen Moore as Adrian's father George Mole and Julie Walters followed by Lulu as...
(1985—1987) - Helen BaxendaleHelen BaxendaleHelen Victoria Baxendale is an English actress of stage and television, possibly best-known for her roles in Cold Feet, Friends and Cardiac Arrest.-Early life:...
on Adrian Mole: the Cappuccino YearsAdrian Mole: the Cappuccino Years (TV series)Adrian Mole: the Cappiccino Years is a television series aired by the BBC in 2001. The series was based on the book from the Adrian Mole series, The Cappuccino Years.-Premise:...
(2001)
External links
- Official Website of Adrian MoleAdrian MoleAdrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence...
- Pandora Braithwaite at IMDb