Radnor House Twickenham Blog Feed - Principal's Blog

Think Again

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:12:43 GMT

This will be the last individual book review that I will write for the weekly blog because I am planning a couple of suggested reading overviews in the next two weeks and the final blog at the end of term will, as usual, be the transcript of my prizegiving speech. It therefore seems appropriate to end with a reflection on a book about thinking and reflecting, which I would probably have raved about if it had been the first book I had ever read on the subject, but which felt reassuringly reinforcing when I read it over the half-term break.

And Finally on Finance

Fri, 7 Jun 2024 12:21:09 GMT

Conscious that there will only be a few more blogs before the end of term, I will take the chance this week to wrap up some final thoughts from three books that I have reviewed recently, all of which have focused on the economy in one way or another. As the election campaign rolls on (or should that be drags on?), I was reminded of the sign that was hung up by the strategist James Carville in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign headquarters in Little Rock in 1992, which reminded the team of the three key issues that have pretty much formed the basis of most elections in the last thirty years:

Follow The Money

Fri, 24 May 2024 12:17:57 GMT

You may not immediately be able to place Paul Johnson, the Director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, but you would know him if you saw him, which would usually be on the news commenting on government economic policy. He is clearly an intelligent man with a very good grasp of how it all works – or, just as often, how it does not work – but he has a voice that sounds ideally suited to discussions about taxation and spending plans. However, it is his impartiality and wisdom that matter rather than the style of his delivery, and we should all be grateful that people like him are around to hold government to account.

Other Versions Are Available

Fri, 17 May 2024 12:09:08 GMT

A second visit to the thoughts of veteran US politician Bernie Sanders is needed this week to round up some more of his ideas. Not for the first time, I was reminded of the line from Enoch Powell’s biography of Joseph Chamberlain when he said: ‘All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.’ Sanders has battled valiantly over so many years to have his ideas understood and implemented, yet in the end he will run out of road with much of his ambition unfulfilled.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money

Fri, 10 May 2024 11:33:07 GMT

A few weeks ago, I highlighted Jason Hickel’s book ‘Less Is More’, which argues that our obsession with capitalist growth is doing untold damage to our planet in the pursuit of economic prosperity for the few at the expense – and potential annihilation – of the rest of us. When I was looking for a follow-up read over the Easter holidays, I was therefore drawn to a book by the American political veteran Bernie Sanders called ‘It's OK to be Angry about Capitalism’.

A Final Farewell to Arms?

Fri, 3 May 2024 10:08:49 GMT

This year’s trip with our Year 9 pupils to the battlefields of the First World War was probably as straightforward as any of the twenty or so I have been on over the years. The journeys back and forth passed without incident, the customs checks took no longer than might reasonably be expected and the weather, while not exactly dry and warm, did not disrupt any of our plans. If the biggest inconvenience was the time it took to cover the last mile on the way home, thanks to the traffic coming away from the Harlequins match at Twickenham, we certainly had nothing to complain about.

Twenty-One Years in the Charente

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 11:46:03 GMT

Way back in 2003, in what was either the most inspired or the most foolish thing we have ever done, our family flew to France in the February half-term break and bought a house. This was not quite the random act it may appear, because we knew when we set off on our journey that a property purchase might be the outcome, but it was not a done deal and we were not in any particular rush.

London Calling

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:32:37 GMT

The compiler of the first English dictionary, Samuel Johnson, once said, ‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.’ The London of 1777, when he made this remark, must indeed have been a place of great interest, but also no doubt one of great contrasts – for example between rich and poor, healthy and sick, opportunity and despair. In other words, it was exactly the same as it has always been and is always likely to be.

Money Makes the World Go Round

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 14:42:01 GMT

If, like me, you have subscribed to Private Eye magazine over several years, your view of the world almost inevitably takes on a similar slant to those who write and edit the articles. It is called confirmation bias, and it happens to all of us. It was the same reason my parents chose to read the Daily Telegraph because it reinforced their existing opinions – though I always enjoyed the sports section, which was by far the best of all the newspapers when I was a teenage football obsessive.

If It Doesn’t Hurt, It’s Probably Not Working

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:03:15 GMT

We have a final visit this week to Mark Manson’s book with the asterisks on the cover, which is of course far more optimistic than the title suggests, albeit only after navigating some existential angst along the way, as you will see from what follows here. I thought he was particularly astute when he was looking at the human condition, for example concepts such as freedom and happiness, and I would certainly recommend the book as a thought-provoking read.

How Happy Are You Feeling?

Fri, 8 Mar 2024 11:53:48 GMT

It looks like I need two more weeks to round off what I want to tell you about Mark Manson’s book – you know, the one with all the asterisks on the front cover that I’ve mentioned before and that is too rude to name here. Like a fine wine or a mature cheese, the book gets better with age, and I enjoyed the second half more than the first. The further you persevere with it, the greater the rewards, not least when he came to talking about happiness and whether we can truly find it. Spoiler alert – we can’t!

In Praise of Science

Fri, 1 Mar 2024 17:05:18 GMT

A few weeks ago, I made reference to a book by Mark Manson, the title of which contains a rude word that even the use of appropriate asterisks cannot really disguise, but the gist of which is that everything has gone to hell in a handcart. I confess that I was not entirely sure where the author was going at the start because it looked like it might be another exercise in pop psychology about the thinking brain and the feeling brain, which is a concept I have pretty much grasped from other such books, and which made me think I might not finish this one.

Other Versions Are Available

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:13:34 GMT

Even a cursory search of the internet quickly reveals how many ‘World Days’ occur each year. In February, we have World Play Your Ukulele Day, World Hippo Day and World Bartender Day, to pick just three at random. This week, however, sees the annual celebration of World Thinking Day, which falls on February 22^nd each year.

It's Goodnight from Him

Fri, 9 Feb 2024 10:37:50 GMT

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, it presumably ends with one as well. If this is the first of my blogs you have read, or if you are someone who just dips into them from time to time, you will not have noticed how much time I have devoted in the last year or two to a single book, ‘Head Hand Heart’ by David Goodhart. If, on the other hand, you are a regular reader, you will probably share my view that it is time to move on now.

Better, Worse, Metaverse?

Fri, 2 Feb 2024 10:59:47 GMT

We have nearly finished what we need to consider from David Goodhart’s ‘Head Hand Heart’, with just this week and then one more needed to tick off everything I wanted to tell you. I appreciate that some people will have given up along the way, throwing up their arms in exasperation that I am still banging on about the same book. So be it, but I stand by my claim that this stuff is genuinely interesting and needs due consideration for anyone who is involved with education.

What Should We Really Value?

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 11:17:18 GMT

The end is in sight and there is light at the end of the tunnel – though let us hope that is not just a train coming the other way – in our epic journey through the work of David Goodhart in ‘Head Hand Heart’. After covering his ideas across several blogs in the last year or two, I am left with no alternative but to conclude it is the most influential book I have ever read, not least in highlighting a series of ideas that I find myself agreeing with over and over again.

Paths Through History

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 10:32:09 GMT

As well the book I highlighted last week about the BBC’s Sports Report programme, another enjoyable read over the Christmas break was Anthony Seldon’s ‘The Path of Peace’. Seldon is a historian, political commentator and educator, among the many other impressive skills he no doubt possesses. Although for many years he and I have done basically the same job, albeit running rather different schools, I can only imagine that he brings a breadth of knowledge and depth of intellect to this work that I could never match.

And The Sun Shines Now

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:59:50 GMT

It was a genuine pleasure to have time over the Christmas break, particularly in the afternoons when the various domestic chores had been completed, to be able to read a couple of really good books and, above all, to be able to explore some of their themes in more detail via a host of internet searches and YouTube clips. Reading during termtime usually tends to be more functional, but the luxury of leisure in the holidays often allows for a broader sense of enjoyment.

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 11:40:58 GMT

Our Christmas break this year is what I would call a ‘Goldilocks Holiday’ because it is just right. Ending on a Friday always feels more satisfactory to me than doing so on a Wednesday – or a Thursday, as it will be next term as we try to fit around a moveable Easter that feels increasingly anachronistic year by year. And finishing on 15^th December allows an ideal amount of time to recover from the rigours of the end of term and finish off the necessary, and often unnecessary, shopping before the big day.

Cosmic Dust to Cosmic Dust

Fri, 8 Dec 2023 12:34:38 GMT

As part of my ongoing quest to tidy things up and reach a point where I can be relatively satisfied that I have no burning issues left to share, this week’s offering from my ‘Unused Material’ file is going to prove a challenge to compile with a positive spin because much of it reflects on the perceived futility of our existence and how little we actually matter in the great scheme of things. This is not, I emphasise, a reflection of my own views, which largely remain optimistic – due for the most part to my unwillingness to spend too long contemplating life, the universe and everything.

Degree or Not Degree, That Is a Question

Fri, 1 Dec 2023 12:41:10 GMT

It occurred to me recently that there might be some mileage in a new radio show called ‘Desert Island Reads’, where people are asked to name eight books that they would like to take with them when they are castaway on an island far from the delights of the modern world. I have got my list of eight songs ready if they ever invite me to the current programme, which seems exceptionally unlikely. I suppose I could share them with you in due course, but I am not convinced anyone would really be interested.

Healthy Scepticism

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:10:16 GMT

My first duty this week is to draw your attention to something genuinely shocking that is taking place before our very eyes, and yet often goes unseen. You need to be aware of the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), which is a colourless, tasteless liquid found in acid rain, nuclear waste and human diseases. It causes major environmental damage and erosion, killing more than 350,000 people each year, and it is potent enough to corrode metal. It is in your homes, your place of work and here in your child’s school.

Irrational Apes

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 16:37:13 GMT

The writing of last week’s blog proved to be a satisfying experience in ticking a few more ideas off my list of unfinished business and moving towards a welcome point of closure. For not dissimilar reasons, I have created a file on my computer called ‘Unused Material’, which I plan to work through in the next few weeks so that I can get to the Christmas break with a relatively clean slate – with the added benefit of being able to revisit ideas that I found interesting enough to write down in the first place.

Tidying Up

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 11:58:11 GMT

It occurred to me over the half-term break that I will need to be particularly organised with these blogs in the coming months to ensure I tell you everything I want to share with you before the time comes to move on – though I already know that this is a target I will miss. I suppose I could offer to continue waffling on even when someone else is sitting in my chair, but I think it is a fair bet that such as idea would not go down too well.

How Britain Ends

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:43:54 GMT

I highlighted last week that I enjoyed the journalist Gavin Esler’s book ‘How Britain Ends’, albeit with a caveat or two about its repetitiveness in places and how quickly books of political commentary go out of date. Our attention is unsurprisingly focused on the Middle East just now, as it was until recently on Ukraine, but it will probably only be a matter of time until the run-up to the general election brings our minds back to what is going on here, not least the challenges of what it means to be British in today’s world – if, indeed, such a thing is actually possible.

The News Where You Are

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:46:53 GMT

The arguments around the cancellation of the HS2 link from Birmingham to Manchester, which came on top of the previous news that the links to Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford were no longer part of the plan either, reminded me of what it is like not living in London. If you have never experienced dwelling beyond the circle of the M25, it can be very difficult to understand how frustrating it can be, and how extraordinarily patronising the people who live and work in places where you can use an Oyster Card often are towards those who cannot.

Glory Days

Fri, 6 Oct 2023 12:14:52 GMT

I am not a great believer in looking backwards, or indeed forwards, preferring for the most part to live in the present and worry about tomorrow later – usually when it becomes today. Reminiscing about days gone by, telling tales of how much better everything was in the past and hanging on to cherished memories of youthful vigour have never appealed to me. I am not a fan of going back to where I used to live or work, not least because looking at how things are now and making the point that they are not the same as they used to be seems rather obvious and without any great benefit.

The Time Has Come

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:24:06 GMT

‘The time has come,' the Walrus said,
To talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing-wax,
Of cabbages and kings,
And why the sea is boiling hot,
And whether pigs have wings.'

Our Shared Planet

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:06:45 GMT

It was Aristotle who apparently said that we do not see the world as it is; we see it as we think it is, which feels like a piece of wisdom worthy of coming down through the ages. However, the more I read, the more it becomes clear that most of the quotations we assign to figures of the past, and sometimes the present, turn out not to have been said by them at all. Perhaps, therefore, it is better not to worry about who said what, but just to be grateful that someone once said something deserving of being recorded and passed on.

An Immense World

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 14:35:10 GMT

In my assemblies with the pupils this week, I shared with them a few facts and figures that I gleaned from my summer book list, and I read them the introduction to Ed Yong’s ‘An Immense World’ because I had enjoyed it so much. Although I would not describe this year as a bumper one for new ideas, I still enjoyed several interesting books and found enough new material to keep these blogs going for a few weeks yet.

Principal’s Speech – July 2023

Fri, 8 Sep 2023 13:15:03 GMT

There is a line at the end of the Blackadder Goes Forth series when the main characters think the First World War has ended and they will not, after all, have to leave their trenches and face the dangers of the enemy machine guns. Captain Darling says, ‘Thank God! We lived through it! The Great War: 1914-1917’. Alas, as I hope everyone has realised, the war was not finished yet.

The Game of Chance

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:14:00 GMT

Last week’s blog featured a book called ‘Maths on the Back of an Envelope’ by Rob Eastaway, which might make a useful read for budding mathematicians over the summer. There were just a couple of points that I wanted to finish off before we move on, both related to some of the difficult decisions we need to make as we assess where our money goes. Eastaway poses a question about what uses the most energy around the house. Is it the fridge, the television on standby, the shower or the kettle? The only certain answer, he tells us, is that it is not the television on standby. The others will depend on lots of variables, and any one on a given day could be the biggest – which is not entirely helpful if we are looking to make savings, but which makes the point that there are no simple answers.

Trees, Seeds and Envelopes

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 14:03:27 GMT

After a couple of rather melancholic weeks looking at the writing of W.G. Sebald, I promised something a bit more upbeat this week, for which I turn to a book about trees, a few thoughts about seeds and some mathematical puzzles offered via the back of an envelope. It may all be a bit eclectic, but at least it's less gloomy.

Will We Ever Learn Anything From Our Past?

Fri, 9 Jun 2023 11:58:54 GMT

Having reviewed ‘The Rings of Saturn’ by W.G. Sebald before half term, I will use this week’s blog to bring to your attention another of his books that I found to be a challenging but ultimately fascinating read. Then I think it would be a good idea to leave this melancholic writer behind for the time being – until, perhaps, I read some more of his work over the summer – and to end the school year with some more cheerful themes.

The Best Writer You Have Never Heard Of

Fri, 26 May 2023 11:31:14 GMT

My daughter’s course at university was a joint honours degree in English and Comparative Literature. I say ‘was’ rather than ‘is’ because she submitted her final pieces of work a couple of weeks ago. Even though it feels like she only started yesterday, the four years of her studies have flown by and she will be graduating next month, even though the latest strike by her lecturers means it is not yet clear whether her final grade will be available by then.

A Call to Action

Fri, 19 May 2023 10:59:16 GMT

A few months ago, I wrote about a book called ‘Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now’ by the Turkish journalist Ece Temelkuran, which I want to revisit one last time this week to highlight some of the other thought-provoking ideas that featured in her writing. If we want to encourage our young people to become more engaged with citizenship and to play a genuine role as facilitators of change, we need to keep trying to develop their ability to think more deeply about the world around them, to which Temelkuran’s ideas would undoubtedly contribute.

Past, Present and Future

Fri, 12 May 2023 11:53:28 GMT

I mentioned to one of our pupils a couple of weeks ago that I had noticed he is often at the front of the queue when I open the school gate in the morning and he is often one of the first to leave the building at the end of the day. I asked him if he had ever heard of the term ‘FIFO’, which I vaguely recall from the few months I once spent training to be an accountant stands for ‘First In, First Out’ – though a quick Google search suggests some other, rather less appropriate meanings.

All Relatively Quiet on the Western Front

Fri, 5 May 2023 14:53:33 GMT

Looking back at what I wrote last year about our trip to the Battlefields of the First World War, I was a bit surprised to find that I managed to churn out three separate blogs about what happened. I know I have the capacity to go on a bit (well, quite a lot, to be honest), but to end up with nearly 4,000 words about a three-day trip seems a tad excessive even by my standards. I therefore begin this week’s effort with the clear intention of covering everything in one attempt.

The Not So Wild West

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 11:10:45 GMT

Perhaps it is the time of year – spring cleaning and all that – or perhaps it is just a nagging doubt about loose ends, which I have always found disproportionately irritating, but I feel the urge to tidy. However, I also know that I just need to accept that no one can reach a point where everything is cleared away properly and permanently, and I would not be able to do this even if I were to employ Marie Kondo as my full-time life coach – which strikes me a truly horrible idea.

That's a Nice Castle

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 12:09:50 GMT

Tempting though it might be to write a few blogs about some of the interesting historical monuments I have visited over the years, this week’s title is not a reference to a motte and bailey fortress that I chanced upon over the Easter break. At this risk of being ‘fishist’, it is just the old gag about the short memory span of a goldfish, which is apparently only a few seconds. As the creature circulates around a bowl adorned with a plastic castle that is supposed to make the otherwise sterile environment more interesting, it experiences the pleasure of surprise every time it sees the edifice again because it has quickly forgotten the last time it was noticed.

Holiday Food For Thought

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:38:33 GMT

Since many of us will be going off to different places to do different things in the next couple of weeks, I thought I would wrap up this term’s offerings with an eclectic mix of ideas from my reading as a way to stimulate debate around the dinner table or wherever your family may gather over the Easter period – through a brief trip to Egypt, a fictional library and a book of maps.

The Truth Is Out There

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 14:10:30 GMT

As part of the process of deciding what to write about this week, I was flicking through my notes from recent books and stories that have caught my attention when I came across a headline that I spotted on the BBC news website last summer: ‘Man Fleeing Wiltshire Crash Scene Attacked by Emus’. I do not think there is much to add to that really, so I will just leave it hanging there for you to draw your own conclusions about what might have happened.

What Are You Waiting For?

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 11:51:49 GMT

This week’s offering is a second and final visit to Oliver Burkeman’s ‘Four Thousand Weeks (Time and How to Use It)’, which did not entirely float my boat and solve all my problems, but which nevertheless provided some interesting food for thought and reminded me of a piece of writing to which I often return, one that I think becomes increasingly relevant the older I get.

Four Thousand Weeks

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:38:38 GMT

Before changing course to consider the best way to spend the limited time we are allotted in this world, which I appreciate is quite a significant topic, I need to tidy up a final point from Simon Kuper’s study of the Oxford Tory elite, in all their lack of glory, as highlighted in the last couple of weeks. Just as I was beginning to despair that we might be stuck with generation after generation of such ineptitude, Kuper brought his book ‘Chums’ to an end with what felt like a breath of fresh air to finish off a rather depressing read.

Still Not My Chums

Fri, 3 Mar 2023 12:07:06 GMT

Following on from last week’s review of ‘Chums’ by Simon Kuper, it feels like there is enough material from the book to justify another blog. Above all, I need to reinforce what I took to be the key message, which is that the people who have been in charge of running our country for the last generation are mostly people who chose a political career not so that they could help ordinary people and make things better for all, but rather to help themselves and, as the title of the book suggests, their chums.

Chums – But Not Mine

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 11:13:20 GMT

You can write your own version of some jokes, editing the key words to fit whichever person or group you want to tease. For example: ‘How do you know if someone you meet went to Oxford? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you soon enough.’ I have heard this joke applied to all sorts of groups, from vegans to communists and, of course, Cambridge graduates, but since I went to Oxford – whoops, didn’t take long, did it? – this is my preferred version.

Anywheres or Somewheres?

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 10:30:12 GMT

For the last blog before the half-term break, and in the week when we held an information evening about university applications for our Lower Sixth pupils and their parents, I offer a little more from David Goodhart and his analysis of the state of the country in the thought-provoking ‘Head, Hand, Heart’.

Smarter Than The Average Bear

Fri, 3 Feb 2023 12:42:19 GMT

Most of you will be far too young to remember the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character of Yogi Bear, one of whose catchphrases is the title of this week’s blog. Yogi was often able to get himself out of tricky situations by deploying a mixture of cunning, deceit and quick thinking, summing himself up to his friend Boo-Boo as smarter than average. David Brooks, in his excellent book ‘The Social Animal’, says that we are all guilty of such overconfidence because, as he puts it, the human mind is an overconfidence machine.

What Have I Learned Recently?

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 11:14:48 GMT

The short answer to the title of this blog would be, ‘Lots, because that’s what happens in life’, but this week’s offering is not meant as an exercise in too much deep reflection. Rather, it was the title I used for my latest cycle of assemblies this week, sharing with our pupils a few thoughts about some of the books I have read in recent months. As I have said before, and will continue to say because I believe it so firmly, reading for pleasure is the best silver bullet a child can have to make progress in education and beyond.

Radnor House Twickenham Blog Feed - Principal's Blog

Suggested Reading – Part One

Think Again

And Finally on Finance

Follow The Money

Other Versions Are Available

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money

A Final Farewell to Arms?

Twenty-One Years in the Charente

London Calling

Money Makes the World Go Round

If It Doesn’t Hurt, It’s Probably Not Working

How Happy Are You Feeling?

In Praise of Science

Other Versions Are Available

It's Goodnight from Him

Better, Worse, Metaverse?

What Should We Really Value?

Paths Through History

And The Sun Shines Now

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Cosmic Dust to Cosmic Dust

Degree or Not Degree, That Is a Question

Healthy Scepticism

Irrational Apes

Tidying Up

How Britain Ends

The News Where You Are

Glory Days

The Time Has Come

Our Shared Planet

An Immense World

Principal’s Speech – July 2023

The Game of Chance

Trees, Seeds and Envelopes

Will We Ever Learn Anything From Our Past?

The Best Writer You Have Never Heard Of

A Call to Action

Past, Present and Future

All Relatively Quiet on the Western Front

The Not So Wild West

That's a Nice Castle

Holiday Food For Thought

The Truth Is Out There

What Are You Waiting For?

Four Thousand Weeks

Still Not My Chums

Chums – But Not Mine

Anywheres or Somewheres?

Smarter Than The Average Bear

What Have I Learned Recently?