SCHOOL NEWS // STAFF LEAVERS kitchens in some of the grandest houses in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire .
A full menu of delights , alarums and excursions . But , like Meatloaf , they are things he will not do - barbecue nor support another London-Edinburgh- London cycle race .
But most , of all he has enjoyed looking after our students and staff , ensuring they had enough to eat with variety – sometimes as many as 10 choices each lunchtime ), healthy nourishment and interest . Who can forget those delightful touches such as green-lipped mussels , those tomato roses , nasturtiums in the salads , beetroot in the chocolate desserts and 3-D apple swans Sometimes appearing curmudgeonly but always dedicated to the core task whether it be during a water crisis , a power outage or a pandemic , what then delighted us was the infinite care Andrew would always take on new initiatives to provide the very best . He also judged the pupils in our Master Chef competitions as well as putting on his own cooking show and getting unsuspecting volunteers to eat chocolate coated insects and tasting cat poo coffee . And like every good sailor he just LOVES dressing up – Henry
VIII , a wartime matelot , Lederhosen , a well-padded Scotsman ( Braveheart but no Mel Gibson ) for Burns night ( all men you will note – he wasn ’ t in the Marines ) - the loft above the dining hall is apparently better kitted out than the wardrobe of the TST ! More seriously his efforts and those of the team were recognised with several awards in the last 20 years as well as consistently outstanding food hygiene ratings ; these include the Heartbeat
Award ( recognising that healthy food choices are available in hygienic facilities staffed by well-trained caterers ) and the Healthy Eating Award as well as contributing greatly to the Eco School Award and Pocklington ’ s Yorkshire in Bloom success .
All this was achieved through his leadership of and fondness for the catering and domestic services teams – at times a family affair as Joy , Michelle and Karen have all joined Andrew at the school at some point ! The team spirit and ethos of the catering ( and , previously , the domestic team ), much of this is down to Andrew .
It is a sadness that Covid delayed the modernisation and refurbishment of the dining hall that Andrew has been requesting for over 20 years , a facility built for 400 but at times catering for over 1000 at lunchtime - and that 12-month postponement took him to retirement . We tried to get him to stay but the motor home was , in the end , all too tempting . All our best wishes for a long and happy retirement , Andrew . Thank you for all that you achieved over so many years . Hi ho for the open road .
RICHARD AND ALLISON BOND
Richard and Allison depart after 28 years ’ service – a combined 56 years between them . Richard has had an impact on practically every area of school life . As both a day and boarding housemaster , avid supporter and coach of sport , passionate CCF and D of E contributor and , of course , stalwart Geography teacher , little of Pocklington remains untouched by Richard ’ s hand .
Allison has made a similarly significant impact . Her pastoral touch has supported and guided many a student over the year – again both in boarding and in the day environment – and , of course , in the classroom Allison has influenced and challenged thousands of students . Both Bonds leave their inedible mark on Pocklington and we wish them the very best of luck as they depart for hillier climes – and their retirement to the Lakes .
NICK HAMILTON
Nick joined us just as DT was about to undergo the biggest challenge since the original building was constructed . If it were not for his energy , advice and experience , it is unlikely that the removal of the heavy manufacturing equipment we use , and its later repositioning in the new building , would have gone as smoothly as it did . He used his plentiful experience in manufacturing to leave an indelible mark on the students that he gave so much time to ; on the staff ; and on the new building . He has gone on to an exciting new role , training new starters in using woodworking equipment for a national furniture manufacturing company , but we are sorry to have lost him !
THE POCKLINGTONIAN 5