“There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”
John Ruskin
It is lost in the midst of time as to whether it was a host of Scandinavian mums or Billy Connolly who first said that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Whoever it was, they had a point. Connolly, who hails from Glasgow, knows a thing or two about rain and he is a vocal proponent of raincoats, while Scandinavian wisdom has brought us the concept of friluftsliv or open-air living. Both are instructive exhortations to get out there and enjoy yourself whatever the local meteorology may be doing. My own mother used to remind my brothers and I that skin is waterproof, which I now understand is both biologically inaccurate and is probably a sure-fire way of getting hypothermia, but it speaks to the same spirit of resilience.
Tomorrow is the Christmas Fair and all week our maintenance team have been readying the front of the Senior School for the event; a winter wonderland has emerged from the autumnal gloom and I know that the BSPS will have a wonderful array of treats and activities to enjoy. Alongside that many involved have been anxiously checking weather apps and looking to the skies for the answer to the question what will the weather be like on Saturday? I am no meteorologist, but I am British and so the weather is an endless source of fascination, my prediction is that it may be rather chilly and there is a danger of it being a bit damp. It may well rain. So, if tomorrow you glance out of the window and think you might be put off by the weather then please put on a suitable collection of layers and remember your raincoat… as a community we need to have chances to congregate safely and there is plenty of space for all to enjoy this festive event. Please do come along and enjoy all that is on offer as it promises to be a great way to start the season of goodwill. Tom Lehrer once quipped that “bad weather always looks worse through a window”, and I agree.
Resilience is one of those buzz-words that flies around the educational firmament with great regularity. It is an important concept, and it concerns not just the ability to dress appropriately for the weather or to go outside, but to be mentally prepared to withstand all that is thrown at us. Our young people face another period of anxiety and uncertainty and having seen them cope well in the recent past I have no doubt that they will do so again. We need to do as much as we can to carry on as normal. It is a fact that young people are capable of extraordinary feats. Earlier this term I visited a nursery and pre-school that has no buildings, it takes place outdoors whatever the weather. Whilst our pupils have buildings, we are spending more time out of doors and this has to be seen as a good thing, after all we have a magnificent location and enjoy the benefit of space. They are developing reserves of resilience and I hope that they will put this spirit to good use in these last two weeks of the longest term in the school year.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, dressed for the weather and ready to demonstrate the formidable spirit of the BSP- we will enjoy ourselves! Have a most restful weekend.
Mr Hammond
Headmaster
