Blog
Ghost Light
What is a ghost light - do you know?
It's an electric light, usually a plain bulb mounted in a wire cage and atop a portable light stand and it is left burning on the stage of a theatre when it is unoccupied.
It is - quite literally - a beacon of light in the otherwise pitch darkness.
Practically-speaking this is a safety device, stopping anyone who strays on-stage from falling into the orchestra pit, or tripping over the invisible set pieces.
For the superstitious in the theatre community, it provides an opportunity for the thespian ghosts to play!
And for those, like myself - who love a strong metaphor - the ghost light is a defiant message that says "we have temporarily vacated the stage but we will be back."
What a metaphor for our time.
This past week has been unprecedented for our community, but what a community it has made us, and what a support we must continue to be for one another in the indeterminate weeks ahead.
To our staff and to our students; you have been incredible in the face of adversity this week, supporting one another in the face of uncertainty and fear.
I daresay we haven't got everything right but, my goodness, we have tried.
Not one of us will ever forget Friday afternoon when those of us who were still in school bade farewell to the students who left our site.
No one will forget the gate being closed.
Driving out of the gate, not knowing when we return, will be one of those events that I remember for the rest of my days.
On Monday, when we embark on our Virtual School journey and we open our hubs for key workers' children, we will start to learn new things about ourselves.
We will have a temporary new beginning as we learn online and forge new communication links in spite of our physical separation.
It doesn't feel very positive right now, but we will be making history.
Two framed pictures were delivered to school on Friday afternoon.
Poignantly, this was after the buildings had become more or less deserted.
They were the year group photos that were taken for years 11 and 13 on 9th March.
The last thing I did before leaving the school at closing time was to have the pictures hung.
Defiantly.
Right behind the Reception doors.
They are our ghost light.
We have temporarily vacated the school but we WILL be back.
Look after yourselves, stay safe and keep in touch.
