At the end of week one I’ll try to keep this short. I’m sure many of you have had it with looking at screens this week.

Thank you for everything that you have done to adjust to our new ways of working and thank you for supporting our each other and our students; all of whom will be vulnerable to some degree at the moment. These are strange days and with the significant changes and challenges that we are all facing. Many of us will be you finding it hard to cope with the new structures and routines. As always, you will do your very best to support the young people and your families.

If you pass Oakwood High School have a look up at Project Rainbow. I thank and congratulate those staff and pupils with the imagination, inclination and determination to get that done and up. It allows us all to reflect upon the amazing jobs our family, friends and neighbours who work in the NHS, in whatever capacity, are doing day in and day out, on our behalf.

I reflect on the concept of time this week. One should never wish time away and have a sense of how long the days are, how long the week has been. Having time is something we should embrace and celebrate. However, it’s been a strange old week. In fact, it’s been a strange old half term. We are still only five weeks into a six week half term. Overall, events have moved very quickly, yet time (or the moment) seems to have slowed somewhat. It seems that the best thing to do is to capture the slowing and use it productively. 

A window into my world then…

I’m trying really hard to do things very differently and I’ve set myself some different challenges this week. I am reading a book – taking time to just sit and concentrate on something meaningful. I am growing a beard – I don’t know how long it will last but there is something liberating about not having the same morning routine. I am going back to my ‘teach yourself Spanish’ CDs – although not sure when any of us will be travelling again. I have worked in the garden -it’s not a substantial garden and it doesn’t take a great deal of effort but it has distracted me somewhat.

The days and weeks will pass. This will pass. But in the meantime let’s all try to do what is right, what is required of us and make the most of lockdown.

‘Explore, dream, discover’ Mark Twain

As I’m revealing a little of myself I share this link with you. As I discussed a few weeks ago laughter will get us through this. One of my favourite sitcoms; Hancock’s Half Hour – it’s in the script. It’s of its time and some of the attitudes and references are not so 21st century however it has a poetry about it. 

You’ll need to theme tune first …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO7GDXP02kk

then Fred’s Pie Stall …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_yEV5Rqo8U