Chawker’s Mugging Hall
Familiar language to many
British males: never complain,
get on with it, stop being such
a wimp. It’s close to a pride
in experiencing suffering …
but there’s no pride in serious
depression or unhappiness.
fielding questions from parents and boys about life
in a boarding house and pastoral care at the school
in general.
In her free time, she likes to walk, read, go
to the gym, see family and friends and soak up
the atmosphere of the place. She often spends
her afternoons supporting Chawker’s teams and
individual boys’ efforts. ‘I am constantly in awe of
their abilities and achievements,’ she says. It’s clear
that she lives for the job during term-time – in some
ways, it’s closer to a calling. Talking to her is both
humbling and inspiring, as she combines empathy,
straight-talking and a very modern outlook with
enormous commitment. She can spend hours helping
a boy write a speech to be delivered at Faith Circles
or sit with a diabetic boy for two hours late into
the night getting his blood sugar levels right.
The Wykeham Journal 2018 23