The View From My Study 19 June 2026
It has fast become a tradition that one of our ‘Thought for the Week’ Services each year takes place in the beautiful woodland surrounds of the Bath Spinney and that’s where we found ourselves on Tuesday morning, as a prep school community, listening to the voices of nature – the birds singing; the wind rustling; the leaves whispering.
As we marvelled at the tranquillity and elegance of the woods, Mr Gedye reminded us that when we last gathered there en masse, the outlook was very different. A year ago we were forced into cutting down a significant number of trees in the Spinney because of Ash dieback, a highly destructive fungal disease that affects ash trees. It was a poignant moment in which we were reminded that nature, like people, can be damaged and injured.
The important point, though, was that, a year on, the scene in front of us was vibrant and colourful, and an indication of re-birth and fresh growth. Standing proud above the greenery were hundreds of Foxglove flowers, waving their purple and white petals at their audience. The foxglove holds significance across medicine because it contains powerful cardiac glycosides used to save lives by treating heart failure. Its symbolic representation of healing plus its presence in the woods reminds us that, as humans, we can sometimes be scarred by things that happen to us but such moments an also be a turning point, an opportunity for a fresh start or a new direction. It is easy to be negative when things go against us but with time, space and the right conditions, we can all flourish again.
I am so proud of the BG site and the fact that we use virtually every part. Just this week, as well as the whole school assembly in the Spinney, we’ve had a wonderful Baby Blue Note Concert on the lawn by the Ravenscroft and then, this coming Monday, we will see an outdoor production of Peter Pan in the Wild Gardens. We simply want the children to use and value the grounds as much as possible and that is why we work so hard to look after them and educate the children to protect our environment for the benefit of future generations.
