Headmaster's Loretto Day Address
22 June 2010
When you live at Loretto you learn to take various routes around the place. From School House I can see the people who prefer to take the Hundred or The Woody Walk or who take particular paths across the Ash Court and from upstairs in my house I can see the countless Hope and Pinkie boys who will take almost any route across the grass in all weathers rather than dare risk setting foot on any of the paths.
I have my own favourite routes around the school but the most regularly worn journey is that from my house, past Pinkie, through the Bursar's Yard, through the tunnel and on to my office, repeated again in reverse late every night. Setting off the other morning and descending the tunnel steps I realised that I had been living inside the school for weeks. I had not set foot on anything but Loretto soil for ages so I stopped, went back up the steps and decided to risk a few moments in the outside world.
Leaving by the Pinkie Pillars, crossing the road, inhaling the traffic fumes and gazing on the lines of frustration etched on the faces of motorist as they puzzled over the incomprehensible and agonisingly slow traffic lights I reflected that staying in school was sometimes better option than the alternative.
But not this particular morning. On this morning I walked along the High Street and met our newly appointed stonemason. With his radio on, mortar in a bucket to one side and trowel in hand he was working on the almost endless task of repairing the miles of walls owned by the school. We stopped for a chat and I was glad that we did.
You see our walls are more complicated and in my opinion more interesting that we first think (and yes, this is going to be one of those metaphors for a better life sermons)...(full version pdf download below).
Headmaster's Address on Loretto Day (pdf download)