Bedford School Trust

The former Head of Games, Guy Fletcher, was the reason I applied to Bedford School. Bringing (as I did) the Tonbridge 1st XI for the annual two-day cricket match to Bedford, Guy was not only the first at the ground in the morning, ready to welcome us with a huge energy, beaming smile, full of laughter and cheer, coffee, all we needed, but also first in the nets to throw balls at his boys, attending to their needs, tough on them when he needed to be, listening, cajoling, hugely respected, greatly loved. He cared deeply, about them, about winning, yes, but more about doing things the right way, teaching boys how to grow up, to be good men, to ask a lot of themselves, but also to show respect to those around them and to stand tall if things were not going so well. He asked a lot of himself, too. He loved sport, but he valued academic work, music, art, drama and all other interests as equals, as coherent strands in purposeful lives, and he was first to support everything away from the pitch, encouraging his boys to take an interest, to stretch their minds, to give life a go in all its richness. He was finally great fun, wonderful company after the game, full of insight into life’s quirkiness and making the most of every minute given to him. If the rest of Bedford School is like Guy, I thought, then it must be a great place. I now know that it is.