The Phoenix

You will forgive the brevity of today’s blog, dear readers. Today we received the phone call that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate will be visiting my school for two days from tomorrow. They will pass judgement or whether we are OUT of the failing category or are to spend another 4 months consolidating our position. My task ahead is to present our case and argue my opinion. It could go either way.

A quick note: to highlight the fact that my wife constantly berates me for not extinguishing my cigarettes properly. I don’t put them out properly by the way.  But that story is for another blog, another day.

Tonight she won’t be able to tell as a large hotel 100 meters from our front door has been ablaze since 11am this morning. As a result the local roads are closed and I was forced to abandon the car and walk home tonight. The experience was interesting in that roads which are usually roaring with 6 lanes of traffic were closed and formed long promenades.  

Tonight the air, the neighbourhood, our flat, smells of smoke. The view is a hazy cloud outside our windows as the fire is brought under control. But it still against the law for me to walk across the street and light a fag in the coffee shop. Go figure.

There will be no blog tomorrow as I go into stage mother mode and try to convince the inspectorate that my child can sing. Not to mix metaphors, but I am treating the fire as an omen: a bonfire burning away this school's difficult history. I am peering through the opaque haze outside our window. I am expecting to see The Phoenix rising above the smoldering hotel. I will ride it into East London in the morning. 

See you back here on Friday.

Keep the Faith,

The Head