I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

John Masefield

Here at HBS we really like the metaphor of our School as a ship that has an annual sailing and Masefield’s poem somehow always comes to mind for us at the start of term. Maybe it is the  because it is September and the grey dawns of Autumn are beginning or maybe it is the excitement and sense of adventure in the air with the “wind’s song” and the “wheels kick” Or maybe it is the sense here that we are guided by the star of our ancient traditions and time-honoured values.

Whatever it is, the good ship HBS is fully under sail for this Academic year. The older boys returned with gusto and incredible positivity as we welcomed 210 new boys into Year 7 and another large number into our Sixth Form.

It’s only been three days but the Year 7s no longer swarm in lost clusters around the estate, they have deciphered their timetables and walk with growing confidence towards their lessons. The bonds of primary school friendships are loosening, and stronger more powerful ones are being woven around the thread of their form groups and the joy of being a Hitchin Boy. One of our Ancient traditions is the photo in South Court- taken in Year 7 and then again in Year 11 and Year 13.  We wonder if any Old Hitcheans here can remember theirs or indeed want to see theirs again? We have archives of them going back many, many decades indeed.  Eitherway, here’s to a great voyage!