This month’s read is not about gardening I’m afraid. Holtspur School
has lost someone very special. “Who?” I hear you say. Well it isn’t a
person as such, it’s one of our non-human friends. Sadly over the
summer holidays Blossom, one of our bantams passed away. Yes,
I know some of you will say “It’s only a chicken !” but Blossom
wasn’t just a chicken.
She arrived on the caretakers lap in the front of my car one day from
a farm nearby and since that day she has been the most delightful,
stubborn and entertaining chicken I have ever known. She liked to lay
eggs in the cloakrooms, veg patch and paper bin. Many a time one of
us would have to climb in to rescue her. She loved to sneak into classes in
the summer when the windows were open just to see what the children were
up to, wander in during assembly, and we even had to rescue her from the school roof one day.
She would disappear in the summer for a few of days at a time, causing Julia, our caretaker and
resident chicken mum, no end of worry and then just appear as if she’d never been away. Julia
would often joke that she’d been off clubbing in Ibiza, and if she could have she probably would.
More importantly she taught the children of Holtspur a very valuable life lesson. Kindness.
About a week after we lost her another feathered friend arrived in the chicken coop completely
unannounced. A very pretty Asian High Flyer, tired, hungry and very thirsty. We like to think
Blossom sent her knowing everyone at Holtspur would look after her. She is still here to this day
and, even though not a chicken, she seems to have made the coop her home.
So thank you Blossom, for being the most lovable and mischievous chicken I’ve ever known and
for teaching our children the most important lesson of all. The staff and children of Holtspur will
never forget you.
Laura Barton
A&J PEST CONTROL
Taking care of pests, so you don’t have to!
Most pests, large or small...
Contact Richard
M. 07974 249662
T. 01923 776987
E. [email protected]
49 Oakhill Road, Maple Cross, Herts. WD3 9RE
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