Haileyburians Round the World

It is increasingly the case that current Haileyburians live in and around Hertfordshire. Even as modern transport becomes more sophisticated and longer journeys are possible in shorter times the catchment area contracts. One of the reasons for the severance of formal links with Lambrook Haileybury (the last incarnation of the Junior School) is that Windsor parents think Haileybury is just too far away. This is as true of boarders (still about two thirds of the senior school population) as day pupils.

The exceptions are the numbers of German pupils who come to study IB in the VI form and Khzakhs throughout the school thanks to our strong links in Kazakhstan. Of course there are also individuals from many nations. By and large, however, your modern Haileyburian lives in Hertfordshire.

All the more pleasing then to see that Haileyburians, and people with an interest in Haileybury continue to spread round the world. The map shows the places in which this bog was read in the last month.

The Boy Who Was Late

Late as in delayed or late as in dead? In one of his Random Recollections RL Ashcroft mentions the myth of 'The Boy Who Was Late," whose ghostly footsteps were sometimes to be heard running across the Quad to the Chapel.

Terrace in the dark

At the weekend I was told that Colin Cobb (staff 1940 - 84) was once outside the chapel on an empty Quad when his dog became very disturbed and Mr Cobb thought he heard running feet on the supposed route of the 'Late' boy, down the centre of the Quad and off to the cloisters.

I have theological views about ghosts (or the lack of them), but there is an interesting theory of 'place memory,' which I found in a small pamphlet about his work written by one of the Cowley Fathers who was an exorcist.

Place Memory is a fairly common experience as when we go into a church and say 'this feels prayed-in,' or less spiritually, 'it is peaceful,' a remark written countless times in church visitor books. Similarly a place which has known bad things can have a lingering 'atmosphere.' I remember the sense of emptiness I felt when I visited Dachau concentration camp many years ago. Place memory can be redeemed, as seems to be the case in many of the cemeteries over which Sir Reginald Blomfiled's (E 1869) Cross of Sacrifice stands.

Maybe the Boy who is Late is a form of place memory, and one I guess that has faded with the decline in seriousness of punishment for those who are late. There is another possible example of this associated with Haileybury. More soon.

So it Begins

The first public examinations are today. A Level orals for linguists. They are always the very first ones.

Meanwhile the children who are not yet Haileyburians but will be going to Lower School in September, and who are in state Primaries start their SATs.

Good Luck to everyone (including the teachers!)

Music

I did not make it in time to hear any of the music at tonight's Society concert, but at the reception afterwards which I was able to attend there was quite a buzz. The performers had clearly had a great time and the audience were delighted. 'Even better than last time,' was one comment, and the consensus was that the quality was very high. Congratulations to Quentin Thomas, the Haileybury Director of Music and his team.

Music School

It was not just OHs present, but also some non OH parents of former pupils. That the Society can reach beyond simply alumni is surely a good thing.

How remarkable that such great results can be gained from a disparate group of people who had only begun to rehearse together that afternoon. Music is like that I suppose, different from a football team, which seemingly needs to work together for some time to obtain tip top results or a group of managers or the crew of a ship need to 'bond' for the highest results. Or maybe music is not different at all in that respect and the empathy which comes from being Haileyburians allows the choir and orchestra to come together in short order.