An excellent conversation (and dinner) last night with two parents from The School That Sacked Me. A great deal of bitterness was expressed about how the school was ‘run’ but also a great deal of sense for any future action which could result in the formation of an alternative institution to replace a school which is clearly not meeting the needs of pupils, parents and teachers alike.
I think that a lack of any site is holding us back and preventing us from formulating a convincing financial projection and plan for immediate action. I think that the likelihood of any reasonable location will focus all our minds and take us to the next stage.
The possible time scale is also of critical importance. The formation of another school in Garaf is something which does not appear to be demonstrably nearer and I have spoken to people who doubt the actual credentials of those who purport to be about to found it. For a relatively small area in Catalonia and for something which is so clearly needed and ‘easy’ to provide, there seems to be more speculation, intrigue and mendacity than found in one of the murderously inclined courts in Renaissance Italy.
However, the offer of informed help in our project was gratefully received last night and I think that we have made two intelligently resourceful allies. Even though it was meant ironically and used for humorous effect, I think that I will go with Voltaire’s sentiments and believe that all is for the best in this best possible of all worlds. Self deception can go no further!
I continue to enjoy my regime of electronic self indulgence by re-reading favourite books. It is a disturbing fact that the ‘heroes’ of virtually all the works that I have read are self opinionated, overtly sophisticated, elegant and linguistically aphoristic, self regarding young men. All of them trying in their own ways to out do Emlyn Williams in his langorous portrayal of Caligula in I Claudius,
I think that a lack of any site is holding us back and preventing us from formulating a convincing financial projection and plan for immediate action. I think that the likelihood of any reasonable location will focus all our minds and take us to the next stage.
The possible time scale is also of critical importance. The formation of another school in Garaf is something which does not appear to be demonstrably nearer and I have spoken to people who doubt the actual credentials of those who purport to be about to found it. For a relatively small area in Catalonia and for something which is so clearly needed and ‘easy’ to provide, there seems to be more speculation, intrigue and mendacity than found in one of the murderously inclined courts in Renaissance Italy.
However, the offer of informed help in our project was gratefully received last night and I think that we have made two intelligently resourceful allies. Even though it was meant ironically and used for humorous effect, I think that I will go with Voltaire’s sentiments and believe that all is for the best in this best possible of all worlds. Self deception can go no further!
I continue to enjoy my regime of electronic self indulgence by re-reading favourite books. It is a disturbing fact that the ‘heroes’ of virtually all the works that I have read are self opinionated, overtly sophisticated, elegant and linguistically aphoristic, self regarding young men. All of them trying in their own ways to out do Emlyn Williams in his langorous portrayal of Caligula in I Claudius,
the great unfinished film of 1937 directed by Josef Von Sternberg. Characters like Clovis and Reginald of Saki’s short stories; PSmith of the P G Wodehouse novels and Satan from Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book I. Thinking about it, I’m not sure that I can claim Satan as a youngster, but his specious and elegant speeches would not be out of place in the mouth of Clovis.
It is only a matter of time before I start re-reading the Portrait of Dorian Gray 
or The Importance of Being Earnest to get back to the Ur Aesthetic Young Man of Wilde. Though in Dorian Gray it is Lord Henry Wotton rather than the young eponymous hero who has all the best lines.
And then perhaps I should read something a little healthier.
Or not.
or The Importance of Being Earnest to get back to the Ur Aesthetic Young Man of Wilde. Though in Dorian Gray it is Lord Henry Wotton rather than the young eponymous hero who has all the best lines.And then perhaps I should read something a little healthier.
Or not.
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