— 13 Jul 2023, 15:03 by Alex Hardy
Day 5 Thursday 13th July
There was always a risk of an 'after-the-lord-mayor's-show' this morning, after the tremendous success of the restaurant night, but Bel and I successfully headed it off at the pass...
For today is (drum roll) ....... OBARO'S BIRTHDAY!!!!
So Mrs C and I sneaked stealthily into the Year 7 dormitory promptly at wake up time, 7.30 and sang HBTY at the top of our voices and then proceeded to cheer, crack jokes, sing a bit more, etc. while the boys groaned, moaned and generally seemed less interested in the celebrations than we did. Mrs Sheard emerged from her lair next to the boys' dorm (I was going to put in a joke here about a face mask, hair in curlers, etc. but then thought better of it) and apologised profusely to les garçons as she had already promised them a lie in of 15+ minutes, which la belle Bel et moi had just completely ruined. Of course, we were both devasted by this solecism and showed our remorse by bursting into song a few more times and then leaving them to it.
After breakfast, the boys once again went into 'divide and conquer' mode (now that I think of it, I think divide and conquer is what you do to the enemy, as opposed to oneself, but never mind), with the Year 7s off to the tree climbing adventure (Go-Ape in the vernacular) while the younger ones are mosaic making and then partaking of the annual boules tournament. Or is it pétanque? Potato/potarto, kayak/canoe, tee-pee/wigwam, just some of the unfathomable mysteries of our time. Anyway, nothing more to report at this point, so I am popping outside to read more PG; Full Moon is on offer, one of the great offerings from the Lord Emsworth series.
It's heading towards lunchtime now. The Years 5/6 finished making their mosaics. For heaven's sake, don't make the mistake I made and ask what the picture is supposed to be, stick with the old 'It's lovely, darling!' and change the subject rapidly.
Jane, Carol and Leanne have tootled off to the Go-Ape and Bel and I are holding the fort here. We both craved a bottle of beer (alcohol-free, seriously neither of us ever touches a drop) but the bottle opener had vanished. A Year 6 boy (first name redolent of the first two syllables of former Eastern Bloc country run by Tito) boasted he could open the bottle using a system of clever knocks on the bottle with a knife. I was all agog and instantly decided to see if this was true. By the time we had rushed inside and found a table knife, there was a small crowd of boys and a Bel gathering to watch this trick in action. All I can say is that 'disappointment' doesn't even begin to describe it. A few other boys had a go, but the bottle remained steadfastly lidded. Now it was the moment for one certain debonair French teacher present (modesty forbids mentioning him by name) who remembered a brilliant QI clip that had been squirreled away in his memory bank involving a saber and a bottle of champagne, in the unlikely hope that one day he could impress an audience with the trick. So, in front of a hushed huddle of anticipatory boys (but, let's face it, the real audience was really just one wonderful lady...), he slid the table knife and off popped the lid, to everyone's astonishment.
The results are in on the boules, btw. After a hard fought set of qualification rounds, Eddie 'Dead-eye' Mitchell battled it out in the final against Tom 'Steel-Nerves' Wilmot-Smith. The first round was a thrilling tie, but in Round 2, Eddie ruled supreme, so a nice prize for him at the prize giving tomorrow.
At the Go-Ape, much excitement among the Year 7s, but Leanne has informed that it probably shouldn't go into print! So, in an unprecedented moment for this blog, your scribe is suggesting you actually find out for yourselves on their return!
18.21 hrs
Okay, so we had lunch and we switched around. I have no gossip on the Year 7s this afternoon, as I stayed with the young 'uns to Go-Ape. The Year 7s had told them all how hard it was and how they would all cry (not quite sure if they were reflecting their own emotions), but there was little of the pusillanimous, it must be said, as they all were champing at the bit. My personal favourites, first of all, were the boys who became stuck but were utterly stoic and calmly waited for support. This is most unusual, for panic often follows. But the real kudos goes to Sam A, Seb and Lucas who danced around the Red Run, the hardest they were allowed to do, looking like future paratroopers. Jonathan and George were a bit unlucky not to have the chance to follow suit (long story), as were one or two others, but all in all it was a great success.
Kudos to Freddie for beating Leon in the Year 7 boules final. After supper, there was some sort of treasure hunt, with the boys charging around the grounds and messuages and as I type this, showers are being had and teeth are being brushed.
Last day tomorrow - I feel like I have been here for weeks and weeks! Thank you for the lovely emails from so many parents, all greatly appreciated and your DS will be home before you know it!
