Baker’s Beacon Blog – Week 22

Dear Parents,

I’m not the sort of person that normally lets their birthday slip by without anyone noticing and there was absolutely no chance of this happening at The Beacon this past weekend, where even a banner displayed on the front of the school building let everyone know it was my special day.  A particularly special one for me as well with 50 years clocked up, and where better to celebrate than with the boys giving me a rousing reception in Assembly and cakes cooked for me and my colleagues by our very own catering manager Dino and Queen of Cooking and Nutrition, Mrs Kim Rowland.  Very humbling, thoughtful and much appreciated.  As the boys will testify, I long for a dog as a gift at birthdays and Christmas and I was, again, disappointed but I did have a great party on Saturday night and, now one is over the milestone, there’s a sense of relief and forward looking to the next 50…

My wife Brigid would always say that I am difficult to buy a present for.  I disagree, and I might send her the link to this edition of the ‘Blog’ as an ideal gift for me, or anyone else of a Beacon persuasion, would be a personalized Beacon Brick to be laid on our new pathway at the back of the site.  Many of you will know that this is a much used but little loved area of the School, and we have substantial refurbishment taking place over the next two summers to improve it.  We need several hundred red bricks to populate the herringbone pattern that will replace the grey paving slabs and give a smarter look to the pathway as well as updating all of the shrubbery, flower beds and lighting.  If you would like to ‘buy a brick’, please visit this dedicated website www.thebeaconpathway.co.uk by the end of May this year.  As well as improving the pathway, all funds raised will go towards our current and future bursarial commitments as well as enhancing the educational experience of all boys at the school.

I trust all of our boys will be thinking of gifts for their Mothers this weekend.  When I asked my two what we could do for ‘Mothering Sunday’, Patrick replied, “Dunno, watch the Grand Prix?”  Hmmm, not sure my wife Brigid would be particularly grateful if that occurred so I suggested writing some thoughtful, heartfelt words in a card, making a special effort to help around the house and then I would disappear down the High Street on Sunday to pick up something on their behalf…that wasn’t another vase.  Baker boys and I have no doubt that Beacon boys will all make a special effort this weekend to appreciate the amazing impact their mothers have on their lives.

Have a good weekend,

Nick Baker

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