Tuesday has been rather busy in the 5th toadstool from the left. I decided to do more unpacking of the boxes sent back to me from Dingley Dell Academy. Last week I made great headway,getting rid of 10 of the boxes,leaving another 14 still to go.Today I meandered over everything,completely unable to throw anything out,and not being very sure at all where any of it is going to be stored. Most of it was material from all the Academy Shows which I directed in my 27 years at Dingley Dell. Scripts,songs,photographs,notes.All of them might be useful sometime,somewhere, but maybe they won't. I think I just had so much fun at these times in my life that I have a very sentimental attachment to all these old bits of paper. They represent the investment I made in the children, the other members of Staff, and my own personal time. Each performance was unique,and came somewhere from the heart of me. I have stopped rummaging now,meaning to continue tomorrw. Some space may allow me to make a decision about the "Stuff".I hope Pendragon can find it in his heart and in his patience to endure it sitting in the kitchen till I have deliberated on its future. He is a very patient man,my Pendragon. He has been most supportive over the past 5 months since I decided that the time had come for me to leave Dingley Dell Academy. I had been so happy there for most of my career,but sadly the last three years had been less than productive for me. I was Depute Head in charge of all the little sprites (3-8), but with a big influence over the rest of the school too.It would have been hard not to be influential after 27 years. The present children were sons and daughters,even grandchildren of the little elves I taught in my first few years . I felt well known,well thought of, well remembered. Rather a hallowed position in which to be sitting. I loved my school and it would not be too much to say they loved me. For 26 of the 27 years I worked with the same Headteacher. She was quite a phenomenon,seriously committed to the job and with loads of talent. A consummate leader,with an uncommonly strong sense of what the job demanded,and to some degree, ruthless in achieving what the job demanded. She taught me everything I know about management,and she taught me well. We lived through some incredible crises together,and I flourished in my role as catalyst between her ,the Staff, the parents, the children. Dingley Dell Academy rose to great heights during this time. She decided to leave three years ago,said she just couldn't do anymore, and was desperate to be doing something else. Nothing was the same after she went. I even missed the days when she was impossible to please. A new Headteacher was appointed. Bozzo the Clown was everything his name would suppose. Disorganised, lacking any vision for my dear Dingley Dell, lacking the necessary strong stuff to take the dear old place forward. He really had no idea how to do the job and it was starting to show. To make matters worse, the Depute in charge of the older pixies left (she could see the writing on the wall and wanted pastures new),and I felt really alone with the stress of it all. The bad luck continued with the appointment of Serendipiity Weasel, another clutterbuck,as the Upper Junior Depute- made in the same mould as Bozzo - and my days at the Academy became unbearable.Neither of them could handle discipline, or parents, or indeed anything which was of any importance. Two heads on the Management Team so firmly in the clouds is a continuing recipe for disaster. By the summer Solstice, 6 members of Staff had left and by October the same year, I was just about on my knees,exhausted and disheartened trying to maintain whatever standards I could. I knew then that I couldn't struggle on,trying to influence either of them. I knew then that I didn't want to. Some people and things you cannot change. It was time to go ,to let some other redoubtable take up the challenge. Five months on , my former colleagues tell me little has changed. Unhappiness reigns, with Staff quietly working out how they can honourably leave the sinking ship. Bozzo and Serendipity charge on. clueless to the unrest and the need to reflect on their own lack of vision. I have at last found a measure of peace,knowing that I did do my best, and that those who mattered to me at Dingley Dell Academy ,know that.
My days there were days well lived. It is now time for the Rainbow Faery to make a new life for herself,and rediscover old joys in new haunts.The dreams are many, the talents not inconsiderable,and tomorrow is definitely another fine day. Love and much reminiscing to you my friends, from the Rainbow Faery.