Flags, Football and the Flame!

áIn the Boltonian of 1911, theámagazine ofáthe localáBoys’áGrammar School, áit is recorded that Mr Tillotson donated a flagpole from which was flown a áflagáto celebrate the baronetcy conferred on William Hesketh Lever, Bolton’s renowned industrialist and philanthropist.

It was, of course,áViscount Leverhulme who was to have the foresight and theáfundsáin 1913 to bring together Bolton’s Boys’ Grammar School and the Girls’ High School, giving (as a former Headmistress once said) ‘the girls exactly corresponding facilities for science and sports and the same right to an atmosphere of dignity and tradition’ as their male counterparts.

Almost one hundred years later, the two Schools celebrated their collaboration again: On Monday of this week, three members of the Bolton School Scout Association (a girl cub, boy scout and an explorer) broke the school flag on a brand new flag pole,áerected in readiness for the arrival of the Olympic flame in Bolton and the festivities to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

The occasion was blessed with the additional presence of one of Bolton’s footballing heroes, Mr Sam Allardyce. He was visiting school as Patron of the local charity, One-Step, which offers support and help in the home to patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Recently, the girls have raised money for the charity on an ‘own clothes’ day’, in recognition of the support which the volunteers have given to a local GP, Dr Clare Haslam, whose mum, Carol, is an Old Girl. The organisers of the charity were able to thank the girls for their efforts, as well as discussáways in which pupils will be able to offer their time and skills to the organisation, as part of the School’s programme to encourage all its members to play an active role in the community, just asátheir benefactoráwould have wished.

In the second half ofáthis week, we have had further cause for celebration. On Thursday evening, Mr Britton, Mrs Kyle and I watched the torch as it was carried into Bolton by Amir Khan. Later, we went to the Town Hall for a civic reception for all the torch carriers in the Bolton area. We met up with Rachel Flanders, an Old Girl who is currently studying engineering at Durham. She came to fame when, on 14^th February 2008, she arrived in Antigua, after having rowed across the Atlantic, breaking the record as the youngest person to row across an ocean (see www.rachelflanders.com for details). Rachel was due to run with the torch past the school the next day.

This morning, therefore, we were all up bright and early to stand along Chorley New Road, listening to the Jazz Band, waiting to cheer the torch as it ran past school. A huge number of pupils from Beech House, Hesketh House, Park Road and the two Senior Schools waved their flags enthusiastically, despite having had to get up at 5am. Unfortunately, Rachel Flanders, our Old Girl, had been æbumped upÆ a leg and so did not run past the school itself. Nonetheless, really keen members of staff like Mr Newbould, Mrs Haslam and Mrs Firth ran after the torch so that they could see Rachel when she finally took over the flame!á Rachel ran her stretch waving to the crowds and accompanied by her mother who was shouting encouragement all the way. After her torch had been ædecommissionedÆ, Rachel joined family, friends and 1100 members of the Bolton School Community in the BoysÆ Division Dining Room for a well-earned breakfast. Rachel was extremely generous with her time, allowing pupils to have their picture taken with her and to ask her all sorts of questions. She then came over to GirlsÆ Division, where she was greeted as a champion. Girls got to hold the torch. The teachers were delighted to see her back and the Science Department, Mrs McCann in particular, were overcome with emotion at seeing their former pupil.

It has certainly been a week to remember!