Thought For The Day – Friday 6^th February 2026

“By our own spirits are we deified.” (William Wordsworth)

Congratulations to the Year 10 rugby team on their performance in the national vase competition yesterday.

Playing away from home at the very highly respected Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (Q.E.G.S.) in Penrith, Cumbria, 265 miles away, in very challenging weather conditions,  T.B.S.H.S. were 22-0 down at half-time.

No doubt, with the odds, and momentum, very much against The Bishop High School’s team, it would have been so very easy to lose belief, character, discipline, pride, resilience, and values.

This is the case even if T.B.S.H.S. had the worst of the weather conditions in the first half, and, in prospect,  the better of the conditions of the second.

Because the biggest challenge is always within not without.  The biggest challenge is in, and to, our heart and soul.

However, the team’s performance in the second half was inspirational as T.B.S.H.S. fought back again, and again.

Although T.B.S.H.S. were defeated 27 points to 22 points, the players, and staff, can hold their heads up very high, as they made the very long journey back last evening and return to school today.

These players and staff were, and are, outstanding.

Often a scoreline, or a statistic,  does not tell the full story.  We need to dig deeper for the detailed narrative.

It said that there is a way of “winning”.

It is also said there is also a way of “drawing” and “losing”.

Not everything in life will go “our way”. In fact, it could be argued that most things do not go the way we intend and intended.  “Strongest minds are often those whom the noisy world hears least,” wrote William Wordsworth.

However, belief, character, discipline, pride, resilience, respect, and values always see us home and never let us down, always win the day, and leave an inspirational legacy.

Let’s finish this week well today.  Have a very good, and safe, weekend, when it arrives.