27/03/13
Dear Parents and Guardians
SNOW AND RECHARGING BATTERRIES.
The battery on our car has been playing up and I decided to go for a drive in an effort to recharge it. I also wanted to see Shropshire under its winter blanket. I did not go too far but found myself retracing a drive I used to know well, to the Bridges pub at Ratlinghope, (a destination that is about twenty five minutes out of Shrewsbury but well worth a visit if you want a mini expedition). As I drove away from Shrewsbury it felt as if I was in some weirdly imaginative film that involved a world made of meringues and whipping cream. The drifts besides the road were quite spectacular and some fences were just peeping out of the mounds of the icy ‘substances’. I felt sorry for the lambs that were clearly newly arrived and looking as perplexed as a sun seeking holiday maker who has just landed on a Greek island to find it is cloudy and dull. Clearly their pre-birth brochures had not prepared them for the sight of an endless fleece of chilly and treacherous softness. The drive was exhilarating and the car was not the only beneficiary of a ‘recharge’. With Kate Bush’s album ‘Snow’ blasting out ‘Fifty words for snow’ the spirits were lifted almost as high as the red Kite I saw soaring above me. I think we could all do with a rest and a change and I hope even the most assiduous exam candidates are having a few days off before beginning the tortuous revision process.
I returned from my drive to continue with work on my igloo, (Emily wants an ‘island’ in the kitchen). Reggie is most disappointed by the lack of roof on the igloo but I have once again realised I am no engineer nor have the patience required to finish of my grand design. My edifice was not improved by the insistence of Edie that the walls were edible! But enough about failure!
REALSCHOOL HOUSE TRIUMPHS
There is seldom a term that goes by without a School House triumph and this term was no exception. George Fowler was a late edition to the Bentley Elocution line-up but sauntered up as the last performer and struck gold. Well done George. We made it to the final of the Junior Hockey League tournament and a big thanks to Henry Fletcher-Wilson for mobilising his team on a regular basis. The Junior Debating teams excelled and reached the quarter finals and semi-finals of their competition. The Quiz teams march on, well actually the A Team have not yet performed but the B Team are so feared that some opponents failed to turn up! The running teams performed admirably in the end of term Steeplechases but had to settle for personal triumphs. I must thank James Humpish, Sam Watts and Hugh Nugent for their efforts to inspire the House runners. The rowers also performed well in the Hope Simpson Ergo challenge.
IMAGINARY TRIUMPHS
Sadly the snow put paid to the Rugby 7s and the senior hockey competition which I am sure we would have won! The snow also put paid to the staff v School House football match and we can only speculate at what would have happened had it been played. I know Mr. Besterman likes to think that he would have popped up at the far post to nod in a couple of goals from corners whilst also making a couple of goal saving tackles in defence. I am personally fairly confident that my hatrick would have lived long in the memory and, in the solitude I enjoy throughout the holidays, I am sure I will be able to conjure up a variety of different scenarios in which I scored!
The School House soiree would have been another triumph, again had it not been for the snow but hopefully we will be able to gasp in amazement at the sheer genius of the performers some time next term.
POTENTIAL OSCARS
The School House film is nearly ‘in the can’. I must just say how proud I am of all those who have been involved and that must be just about the whole house. Mr Parsons has imbued our young filmmakers with a great sense of professionalism and the process has taught everyone a lot about the film making business. We hope to show School House ‘Evolution’ before half term with the Soiree. It could be the cultural event of the decade and so as soon as we have an idea of when we will have finished the film we let you know the date!
ACADEMIA
I suspect by the time this letter reaches you, most of the first week of the holidays, if not all, will have gone. It will certainly be time for the top three year groups in the house to be turning their attention to their futures. There has been a great deal of advice given to all the boys about the technicalities of revision. All I will say is that it is a good thing to turn up next term in confident mood and that only comes with good preparation. The upper sixth have set a particularly good example and there have been some excellent reports on the majority of the School House brethren as I would expect!
Exam leave can be a little complicated in terms of me knowing where everyone is and so please do email me if your son is going to be at home overnight.
THANK YOU
I would like to thank those of you who came to meet Hugo and Caroline Besterman for brunch. They stayed in School House with their delightful daughters and got a brief feel of what is to come. I think it was a very successful weekend as the boys were on great form and Hugo seemed to have a good line in ‘leads’ or bad jokes as they are more commonly known. I sense the House will be in good hands next year, but more on that in my next letter!
Thanks of course to the wonderful team who give so much of their time to make this House what it is. Thanks also to Emily for sorting out my future! She has been in charge of buying us somewhere to live next year and has succeeded in purchasing a house near the school with enough room for visitors to pop in for a chat! Above all thanks to the inmates for keeping me on my toes!
Have a very happy Easter holiday and I hope there will be a chance to indulge in some serious chocolate eating!
Best wishes to you all.
Giles