SCHOOL NEWS
STAFF LEAVERS - RETIREMENT
PAUL BENNETT
Paul joined Pocklington School in February 2004 and served as Bursar for 17 and a half years . He worked with three different Headmasters , and was deeply valued by all three . An incredible raconteur , Paul could steer any conversation quite seamlessly ( in his view ) from one topic to another . Whether the other parties involved in the conversation followed exactly where he was going was another thing entirely .
Paul achieved a great many things during his time at Pocklington . Numerous sizeable and small building projects , a great many changes to procedures and processes but , above all , it is the relationships and understanding of the School as a whole , that were his greatest achievements . He had an ability to engage with all in our community , and did this in a number of ways . Well read , knowledgeable about an incredible range of things , and utterly willing to muck in when required , he made people feel comfortable . Full of ideas , too , he would often start his sentences with “ I have been thinking ...” – a warning sign to all ! I suspect he would often come up with some of his best ideas on his long walks that he took with friends and dogs on an extremely frequent basis . These walks did not always follow their original plan , as many of his companions found out to their surprise .
His personality aside , his choice of clothing helped him stand out . Tweed jackets , striped shirts , ties of a huge range and variety and , of course , the ever-popular red trousers , all served to make their mark . His ability to confuse and bamboozle colleagues through his astonishing use of acronyms is legendary . Whole emails were , on occasion , constructed entirely of single letters and required significant brain power just to understand exactly what he was driving at . These were only marginally more interpretable than his handwriting . The contents of those emails and handwritten notes were , however , always intelligent , thoughtful and insightful .
Paul ’ s involvement in Pocklington School was not limited to his role as Bursar . He loved supporting pupils with their Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions and revelled in the chance to conduct parent and staff battlefield tours to Europe . The research and preparation that went into these trips was legendary and served to make the visits all the more rewarding for his other travellers .
Paul , we think , is looking forward to retirement and I am pleased to confirm that he has a wide range of activities planned . Many of these revolve around his much-beloved family and grandchildren , and we hope he has the chance to continue his travels . In his former life as a military man , he visited an incredible range of destinations and has a story to tell from each . A true gentleman , a compassionate , supportive and unfailingly loyal individual , Paul is much missed by all of us here at The Pocklington School Foundation ( as he would want me to say ).
Toby Seth , Headmaster
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... but , above all , it is the relationships and understanding of the School as a whole , that were his greatest achievements .
4 THE POCKLINGTONIAN