As a child of the 70s and a fan of Spangles, Black Jacks and Wham bars, I am familiar with the dentist’s drill. Every time I visit, I learn a poem by heart and then recite it when I am laid back in the chair. It is not the treatment so much as the prospect of having to sit still for an hour that irks. 

My most recent choice of verse has been Wilfrid Gibson’s Sail on, Sail on. It tells of sailors voyaging into uncharted territories, as the daylight fades and the storm rises. It is a tale of courage, of resilience and determination. 

The day is dying and the steady breeze

Grows wild and gusty, working to a gale;

And through the threshing gloom the farther seas 

Flash angrily. Shall we not shorten sail 

And make for harbour while we have the light? 

Sail on, sail on, sail on into the night!

The night is on us with a swoop and roar

That shudders through the ship from truck to keel:

And we may never reach another shore

On those uncharted deeps that surge and reel 

Beyond the gleam of the last-island light.

Sail on, sail on, sail on into the night!

Our pupils are a resilient bunch and the poem is a fitting metaphor for the Wintry season of rain and cold and sleet and rail-strikes, which have tested the resilience of many of us. But sail on we have, and soon we will reach the shoreline of the Easter holidays, with its sunnier days and family outings. 

My own resilience is fuelled by gratitude, and I have much to be grateful for. I am privileged to be the Headmaster of a wonderful school with resilient students, supportive parents and the most dedicated colleagues. The voyage ahead looks bright. 

I hope you have a lovely weekend together and I look forward to next week, when we shall sail on again.