Pretty

We woke this morning to find Shiplake looking particularly delightful.

So that's it for this term

This blog has, I hope, replaced a paper newsletter. The aim is to give a flavour of life in Burr.

It was great to see so many make it to the Carol Service yesterday - and great to seem Emmanuel, James, Fred and others make such fondent contributions.

Thank you to all the boys for leaving very little mess behind - a pair of socks (well used) , an empty suitcase (locked), one red holdall whose owner is, I think, now in Schleswig-Holstein; and an iPod holder are among the things we'll keep safe for next term.

Snow is forecast for tomorrow - I'm glad I have no plans for travelling. I hope it'll make Burr look as pretty as it did last February.

Next term starts on the evening of Tuesday 5th Jan - although I know one or two rowers and hockey players may turn up that morning.

The blog will now be on holiday - very best wishes from Lesley and me to all of the extended Burr family around the world for a wonderful holiday, celebrating Christmas, or whatever this time of year means for you. I hope it's a time to be together with those that you love, those the love you, and them that love those that love them that love you - a toast I will raise my glass to on the 25th.

The 12 Days of Burr

(with many thanks to Ed, JB and other authors)

On the first day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
One sleepy Shin and a Burr check list

On the second day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Two golden sandals

On the third day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Three Spanish Spaniards (Ole!)

On the fourth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Four suspended boys

On the fifth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Five gorgeous girls

On the sixth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Six new year twelves

On the seventh day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Seven ugly tutors

On the eighth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Eight years for Chazzer !

On the ninth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Nine hugging trees

On the tenth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Ten fit rowers rowing

On the eleventh day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Eleven horrible year nines (time for bed !)

On the twelfth day of Christmas, what Burr House gave to me:
Twelve greasy pizzas


If some of these references are obscure, so much the better. One of the founding Governors of the College, the late Peter Carter-Ruck, was an eminent libel lawyer, and the Burr House Blog has no wish to distract the law firm which carries his name from their sterling work protecting the reputations of their clients from less responsible organs.

Christmas Dinner, and a party

It was rather a blur - but great fun. This has been a long term, with several unhappy moments when boys have been suspended or asked to leave. These extreme sanctions are there are to keep distractions, and sometimes temptations, away from the wonderful majority whose hard work and great contributions we celebrated in Burr's very special cabaret after dinner. Traditionally organised by the Lower Sixth, this year featured "The Twelve Days of Burr" - I'll publish the full lyrics here shortly, but lines like "Four boys suspended" and "Seven grumpy tutors" show that topical songwriting is alive and well.

The band - Emmanuel, Alex and Bryan - were brilliant

I am very touched by the generosity of a collective present from all the boys - or maybe they just think I need single malt therapy to recover !

Many thanks to Mr Starr for the photos, and I suspect a guiding hand in choice of liquids (why else have he and my wife been conducting secret negotiations ?)

Glorious morning

A clear sky, a purple dawn. The junior rugby dinner last night, a concert tonight, senior rugby dinner on Friday, the inter-house ergo challenge on Monday (will Sam Evans or JB Brown break any records - or machines ?). My desk is covered with reports, most full of happy words, although I have find tactful variations on the theme of "work hard!" or "behave !"for my comments on some.

Our first early leaver goes this morning, Gregorio, is heading for his summer holiday - in Chile. Why is Mr Starr carrying plates, cups and napkins to his classroom for a French lesson ?

Matron's Christmas decorations are holding up well and are the envy of other houses.

My own family are converging on Burr - no. 2 son arrived from New York yesterday, but is off to a birthday party in Antwerp at the weekend; no 3 son is currently doing a fortnight's deployment with HMS Clyde, a fishery protection vessel in the Falklands, as his RNR training, and No 1 son has three times as many reports to write in his school in Taunton. We'll see them all at Christmas, along with mother-in-law - who's still producing the christmas puddings for all her children and grandchildren, although as she nears 90 we are getting anxious that she should write down her secret recipe.

I'm starting to get Christmas letters from friends - my Irish/French friends in Alberta, a former colleague in Cyprus, a note from Switzerland.

Family and friends (and holiday work) - the real present of Christmas.

Year 11 Mock exam timetable

I'm most grateful to Welsh House blogmaster Mr Settle for formatting this so beautifully. It's the timetable for year 11 mock exams. Year 12 have all been given individual timetables for any AS modules they're taking in January.

Monday 11th January
ENGLISH 1 0900 - 1045
FRENCH (READING) 1130 - 1230
REVISION for remainder 1130 - 1230
##
HISTORY 1 (ALL) 1345 - 1530
REVISION for remainder 1345 - 1500

Tuesday 12th January
D & T (AFH+EA) 0900 - 1100
GEOGRAPHY (JES) 0900 - 1045
HISTORY 2 (SCH) 0900 - 1045
MUSIC 0900 - 1030
REVISION for remainder 0900 - 1030
REVISION 1140 - 1240
##
ENGLISH 2 (Set 5) 1345 - 1530
LITERATURE (Sets1/2/3/4) 1345 - 1515

Wednesday 13th January
MATHEMATICS 0900 - 1010
REVISION 1135 - 1245

Thursday 14th January
DRAMA 0900 - 1100
GEOGRAPHY (TPC/BDP) 0900 - 1045
REVISION for remainder 0900 - 1035
REVISION 1145 - 1230
##
ICT (ALL) 1345 - 1545

Friday 15th January
HISTORY 2 (RR) 0900 - 1045
D & T 1 (EA) 0900 - 1100
PE (DTS+TEC) 0900 - 1045
THEOLOGY&PHILOSOPHY 0900 - 1100
REVISION for remainder 0900 - 1045
REVISION 1145 - 1245
##
SCIENCE (ALL) 1345 - 1515

House hoodies

Rather than yet another mass email (and thanks for all the replies about weekends and the carol service) - I will use this to let parents know that many boys have assured me that you'll pay £16 for a House hoodie. If they're wrong, please let me know and I'll adjust your end of term bill. One or two are paying me direct - they'll be delivered after the start of next term. I'll recruit a male model once the hoodies have arrived.