Thought For The Day – Tuesday 1^st July 2025

***Stay cool, calm, safe and healthy in the very warm conditions, inside and outside school.  Safely look out for  anyone vulnerable.***

 

A year ago this coming weekend,  a large number of former students, and staff, returned to London Road for one last time to say farewell to our former site.  It was an emotional day.

Amidst the now iconic yellow and red boxes of “Bishop’s Move” (other excellent removal companies are available),  staff were in the process of carefully packing, it was a great pleasure, and slightly strange, to see so many generations under one roof.  

Former and current staff, students, parents and families sang “Jerusalem” in the School Hall, and reminisced as they visited, and talked in,  areas of the “Old T.B.S.H.S”.   The day was testament to the Ethos of T.B.S.H.S. over many years.

It was said, by the Roman philosopher Boethius,  that God, outside time and timeless,  “sees” and “holds”  eternity “in one simultaneous and boundless glance and vision”.   Past, present and future is now for God, for God, being God, has a different relationship to Time, Boethius believed.

Whilst we will never have any such Divine perception, perfection and perspective, even for those  with religious and spiritual beliefs, in providing a meeting of various eras,  “Farewell London Road” gave a most miniscule version of some of the past, present and future being inexplicably linked.

 

Last week, not for the first time this season, the Sixth Form, particularly Year 12, were exceptional student leaders.  

Tomorrow, the Year 13 students will experience their Leavers’ Dinner and Dance.  We wish Year 13 very well for their futures and greatly thank them for all they did for the School.

Individuals are unique.

Individuals are irreplaceable.

Individuals are remembered.

Individuals inspire.

We genuinely hope former students stay in touch with the School.

And former staff too.  We are very grateful for all Mr. Fraser does in retirement for the School.  The  “House Quiz” continues this week.  Debating is omnipresent.

Earlier this term, it was brilliant to see our former student, Greg James, judge “House Drama”, with his co-author, Chris Smith.

Simon McConnell, for seven years one of the great cricket captains and student leaders at T.B.S.H.S., who left in 2008, will be the Captain of the Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) , the oldest cricket club in the world,  tomorrow in their match with T.B.S.H.S. at Jobbers Wood.  Thank you to Mr. Trigg for his preparation of the grounds through the seasons and the sports.  Thank you to Mr. Hale and the Physical Education Department for their leadership of “School Cricket”.

We hosted former students last week at “Sixth Form Induction”, two of which performed at “Showcase”, showing outstanding commitment, even when they had left the School.

Amelia (pictured, on the left) studies Dance at a prestigious institution in London and teaches Dance at her former Dance school locally. Amelia passionately supports Arsenal Women, and travelled to Lisbon to cheer them on in their epic Champions League Final victory. Amelia will be supporting the Lionesses, travelling to the European Championships in Switzerland.

Sadie (pictured,  on the right) studied Performing Arts at a prestigious institution in Liverpool.  Sadie regularly performs as part of very important hospitality at international music events in this historic city of culture and music.  Sadie travelled from Liverpool to perform at T.B.S.H.S., on the day of ”Showcase” last week, having sung in Liverpool the night before. The song Sadie performed was called “Golden”.

Amelia and Sadie remind us, that T.B.S.H.S. is a School of mixed sex and gender.  

Women and girl leaders are vital to the School.  

And, although the School has moved location, and though students become adults in numerous places all around the world, and through time,  and staff continue their journey equally,  what it means to be truly “Black and Gold”, in attitude, character, compassion, humility, kindness and values,  remains wherever, and whenever,  people are.