No Retreat, No Surrender

A Retreat, and then No Retreat.

 

The Hospital has just held a Retreat for its Management Board to consider our priorities for the next 5 years. This was the conclusion of a series of meetings with staff, management, stakeholders and members of the public to identify the challenges facing the Hospital

 

On Friday the Chaplaincy Committee organised a seminar for married staff on ‘Love Languages’. What was clear is that Malcolm’s ‘Love Language’ is food! We didn’t think we were the oldest couple there, until we fould that no-one else had been married for more than 30 years – where’s my zimmer frame?

 

This week was the Sport's Competition at the Hospital Training Schools. Malcolm was asked to be one of the 3 Patrons to encourage Hocking House, whose motto is ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’. Little did he know what he had let himself in for.

 

The Competition was a mixture of indoor and outdoor games, athletics, singing and dancing.

 

Hocking House did well at the outdoor games, winning the Volleyball competition and runners up in the football. Despite losing 5 – 0 in the final our goalkeeper won the award for the best goalie.

 

 

Towards the end of the athletics someone had the clever idea that the 12 Patrons should have a race. It started out as one 400m lap – which Malcolm thought a bit excessive. Then it was decided that 2 laps would be a good idea!!!!!!!  Despite Malcolm being twice the age of any other Patron no concession was allowed.

 

 

Most of the Patrons completed the race before Malcolm had run one lap (run being a bit generous). However, as they waited for him to complete the second a host of house team members and children ran across to support him. A heart warming moment turning humiliation into a lap of honour.

 

 

This week’s African proverb from the BBC Africa web-site is from West Africa:  “When you see an old man running in a thorn forest, if he is not running after something then something is running after him”