Stopping and thinking

It’s a bit of a commonplace at this time of year, but still, with the clocks having gone back, Michaelmas half term over and the seasons well and truly turned, the ‘business end’ of the year begins. That’s to say, the tougher weeks before exams and with any novelty of the year’s start worn off, mean this part of the term is hard work!

Half term brought one shock, that of the sudden death of Whitgift’s Chairman Geoff Wright. Geoff was an OW, a distinguished business leader in property and international developments, and for many years a school and Court Governor, most recently as chairman. He was due to retire this coming spring, had been unwell, but seemed fitter and as enthusiastic as ever, when he passed away suddenly at the start of half term. This is not the place for a proper appreciation, but personally I was and am devastated, and his family of course have our thoughts and best wishes.

Geoff would have been looking forward to our second half of term events.

Christmas concerts in London, including at St George’s Hanover Square, our traditional festive venue; Hairspray (Whitgift probably one of the new schools which can put on a genuinely multiracial production of this most multiracial of musicals); other events coming thick and fast too, not to mention sport and activities.

Talking of sport, and picking up Zain’s pre-half term blog, who can’t have felt for the England rugby squad, including OW Elliot Daly? As Zain said, even to the non-expert, the rugby World Cup was a great event.

And another seasonal thought occurs to me too as we start the second half of this term. I had meant to pick up Zain’s point a week or so ago and write something. With a few trips back and time on my side, maybe I should have done. To be honest, I prevaricated. But maybe that’s ok. In the run up to the general election we will be set on from all sides by people wanting quick decisions, instant answers, who are impatient with waiting and seeing. And I often am too. But one thing a holiday does is allow you time to think, and that’s a good thing too. As some of our U6 prepare for interviews, and as younger boys start to think about projects, one good lesson is that of stopping and thinking. Hurry can lead astray. In his career Geoff Wright had often had to take a very long view, and he knew too that we are all only quite small players in the long history of Whitgift.

I wish everyone an excellent second half of term.