Thursday 20 August 2009

In Memoriam

Is it possible to love a person, or an institution and its staff, retrospectively? Or am I simply being sentimental and nostalgic?

As a school-boy, I didn't know the meaning of love. Today, looking back on my days at Brackenber, I feel an immense fondness for the place and its teachers. I just have a feeling that they - or most of them - set us all an honourable and noble example for later life.

I earnestly wish to dedicate my articles about Brackenber House to the illustrious memory of John Craig and all of his colleagues.

Valete et Pro Virili Parte, as he would have said.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Tim,
I completely agree. BHS was a remarkable (unique) place, and I also feel very lucky to have been educated there. Compared to Carryduff primary, which I had the misfortune to attend for a couple of terms, BHS was a place with a vision at its heart, and that heart was John Craig. I very much hope (as you mentioned before) that a website dedicated to BHS is started soon, it would be great way to share memories and recollections. To this day, there are some things about BHS which are burnt into my brain - gynastics & boxing competions, the end-of-term water fights, the portrait of Churchill on the wall, playing "crab football"...
J

Timothy Belmont said...

I was unaware of the Churchill portrait on the wall. Admirable; perhaps Mr Craig hanged it up himself.

I, too, hope that an official BHS website will be created.

Tim