Dear Parents,
The bluebells are out so it must be Bank Holiday weekend. Having cycled most of the country lanes in this area over the years, my vote for ‘Best Bluebell Road’ has traditionally gone to the appropriately titled ‘Beacon Road’ that runs from Ashridge to Ivinghoe Beacon, but last weekend while cycling to St Albans, I discovered another contender. Notwithstanding the fact that I’m not even smiling, this picture in no way does this particular area of woodland justice; you’ll just have to take my word for it that it was a carpet of blue as far as you could see. As per last year, do email me your ‘Beacon boys in bluebells’ pictures and we will put them in next week’s Lighthouse; there is nowhere more picturesque than the Chilterns in bluebell season.
Summer Terms can be fraught in schools with hot buildings and exhausted, overheated children but no such problems for us with air conditioning throughout the site; in fact, one of my Year 5 boys in Geography this week asked if we could turn off the a/c as he was “too cold”. It has been reassuring to see so many boys in summer kit and wearing caps this week but could I put a plea out for the boys to wear Beacon branded headwear only please – the school did resemble Silverstone on race day this week with a kaleidoscope of different brands and colours on show. It is due to cool down next week of course and may cool down for me personally even further depending on how events unfold on our House Charity Day on 16 May. With the ‘ice bucket challenge’ doing the rounds these past few weeks, a few of my younger son Joseph’s friends have publicly nominated me on various social media channels. He has delighted in showing these to me and I have been equally delighted to completely ignore them…but when a group of Year 8s proposed a charity initiative to me this week, that was more difficult to smile sweetly and turn down. Watch this space but it could be that freezing temperatures come to a Headmaster near you in a few weeks’ time…
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend,
Nick Baker