Welcome

Haileyburiana is a miscellany of things I got up to as President of the Haileybury Society in 2010 - 2011 and random musings on things to do with Haileybury. Whether you are an OH, a current pupil or parent, a teacher or other friend of the school I hope you will find something interesting here. The blog is no longer regularly updated, but there may still be occasional posts.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Lift Up Your Hearts


I am drafting this waiting on the Heath outside highfield for the Lower School team coach to get back from Kimbolton. No 1 son wants to know 'how long does it take for a Lower School match?' 

Waiting

None of us like to wait. Maybe thats why so many people want to claim that the waiting for the second coming is nearly over. Today someone was expecting the rapture. It has now turned 6pm and I can report Haileybury is still here. I seem to remember that when I was a boy someone predicted the end of the world in the middle of what was for me a French lesson. French lessons sometimes felt like the end of the world, but we went on to maths or whatever it was next.

Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour. Only the Father knows. This does not mean that we should not care about the end of the world, but that on the contrary we should be ready at any moment. 

That is really what makes setting a date so dangerous. It is not so much that people are led astray to think it may be soon. It is rather that looking to some man made date in the near future they may miss being ready for the advent when it comes. You do not know the day nor the hour.

Here is the coach! 



The coach arrives at last - just gone 7pm

Friday, May 20, 2011

What A Day

A few months ago I posted on a not untypical day in the life of a parish priest. In my new role things are equally varied but in very different ways. Here is my day today. 

0650 reveille
0745 we send an email to console no1 son in Lawrence who has broken his mobile - hit by a cricket ball when it was on his pocket when he was in the nets.
0800 Mrs M and no3 son leave for school 
I review my speech for later
0815 depart to visit the Anglican chaplain at S Pancras station whom I am to supervise. (Morning Prayer said on the tube.)


0855 finally find national rail reception on the station. Conversation about pastoral work on the station; work with homeless; ministry to the staff and shopkeepers; funding the chaplaincy; looking after the Eurostar queue when the snow strands hundreds; planning for terrorist and other emergencies. 
1040 taxi to House of Lords. An expensive mistake. It would have been quicker to have gone by tube or Boris Bike; I was under strict orders to arrive on time and followed advice to get a cab. It did at least give me a moment to copy up my speech a bit more legibly. 


1110 Delighted and relieved to bump into my Area Bishop at Palace of Westminster security as it meant I was not late. 
1130 Through security and on to House of Lords Committee room for launch of a report on the work we are doing to support the community and build new church work at Tottenham Hale. This is a massive student and housing development - we are asserting that here and elsewhere in London new developments need to have a community heart if they are not to become the slums of the future, and saying that the Church of England is ideally placed to be the lead partner in making sure this happens.
1210 Following the Bishop of London. speak to assembled company of Lords, MPs, business, charity and community leaders  on the project. Unusually nervous about it.
1220 The diocesan strategic development officer speaks making reference to Basil Jellicoe. (BF 1912)
1320 Lunch in a local sandwich bar with the Area Bishop to catch up over a number of things we are dealing with in the Archdeaconry.
1440 Set off on a pleasant walk across Green Park to the offices of Korn Ferry for the Haileybury Society Trustees meeting at 1500. Budget for next year; the work of the Society; risk management among other things on the agenda.
1640 Leave the meeting early to get to the Edmonton Area Council.
1700 Arrive at Diocesan House in Pimlico just in time - having used the tube - for Evening Prayer and the meeting.
1845 The meeting over, we gathered to say farewell to my PA who is retiring after serving three archdeacons over the last 17 years.
1930 Arrive back home to grab my Sea Cadet uniform cap and cycle to the Sea Cadet unit.


2000 Arrive at Sea Cadet Unit half way through the annual inspection evening. Delighted to see the Rep Deputy Lieutenant there - she is very good company.
2245 Back home again. Desk
2350 Write this post and off to bed. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Keep off the Grass

It will soon be Speech Day. It is one of the rare days when I walk on the grass, making the journey from the Master's Lodge to the Sports Hall where the speeches now take place. It still gives quite a frisson as walking on the grass is Not Done.

We always think of Quad as having manicured lawns. There is some work going on at the moment to sort out the edges of the Blades which are in a bit of a bad way.

As the picture shows there was a time when the grass was not kept as short as it is now.



Before the days of modern lawn mowers short cropped grass required a great deal of labour. Or sheep.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Dardanelles

It has been nearly a week since I posted, for which I am sorry. A busy patch has kept me away from the blog.

Gerald Wilson said that he had heard of a ghost of the Lower Dardanelles. It is a bit of a spooky corner I suppose. I confess that I had forgotten the name given to the passages between Quad and Little Quad. I am told by my spies that it is yet another bit of Haileybury nomenclature which has faded away.

To my mind the Upper Dardanelles is a more atmospheric corner.

Lower Dardanelles

Lower Dardanelles 
Upper Dardanelles
Upper Dardanelles