MGS at Blackpool

Well, it wasn't quite a repeat of the WW2 evacuation of the school to the Fylde coast, but we had a great day at Blackpool today to get us in the mood for the summer term which starts tomorrow. Inspired by Assistant Director of Development Simon Jones, who was in action today in spite of a very sore knee, 20-odd sixth-formers and staff ran the Blackpool half-marathon in aid of the MGS Bursary Fund.

They have been raising money by traditional sponsorship and via pages at JustGiving.com (check for The MGS Trust to find their pages). The lads are all motivated to put something back before they leave at the end of this term - they are well aware that either they or their classmates have been able to be at MGS because of the generosity of donors to the Bursary Fund.

Supported by Jane and Julie from the Development Office (sorry about the 7am Sunday start from school, ladies) the runners were at the start-line promptly at 9am. The weather was kind and the route (south to the Pleasure Beach, north to Bispham,) was pretty flat - well at least it looked flat to the spectators.

Mr Jones was looking OK at the halfway point but was already hurting.


Ollie Salt and Tris Honeyborne were our first finishers, with Messrs Noble and Lawrence not far behind.

All the finishers (and all the MGS team did finish) collected their commemorative T-shirt and medal, and most of the team posed for the final photo.

Well done, everyone - a great day.

Stepping down

Well, the snow and ice are in retreat as temperatures rise. For the last 2 weeks we've enjoyed the novelty of the snow, with days off and beautiful views, but most people have had enough now. It's funny to think that today we are quite pleased that it's a grey, rainy, Manchester day and that the forecast offers more of the same for the weekend.

I have mixed feelings about the fact that this week I've been writing a job description for my successor. The High Master and Governors have agreed that I may take phased retirement, beginning with a reduction to a 25% contract from September this year. By the summer I will have notched up 40 years at MGS, boy and man, and it seems a good time to be winding down somewhat. My successor will have plenty of challenges to confront, not least leading the planning for the school's 500th birthday in 2015.

So 'my' job will be advertised soon, and I hope that my successor will have as much enjoyment in the post as I have had. We have only had a Development Office and Director of Development in the present form since 2003, but because I was doing similar work from 1997 when we started the Foundation Bursary Appeal, it's now difficult to remember how different things once were.

We now have The MGS Trust managing a capital fund (currently valued at £16m+) to support 240+ means-tested bursaries in perpetuity, and we are building a new Drama Centre with £1.75m of donations. The fantastic support that we have received from so many Old Boys and friends of MGS makes my job, surely, the best in the school. I used to think the same thing when I was Head of Lower School in the 1980s, so I've been doubly lucky.