The Stonar Way 01.05.26

It is good to be back! Of course, this has been and is an incredibly tough period for our family, but the love and support we have felt from the Stonar community has made a tangible difference to us and we are so grateful.

Ahead of this weekend, I often turn to the topic of Bank Holidays, as it is the only one that falls during term time. Their origins date back to 1871, when they were formalised in an Act of Parliament by Sir John Lubbock, Baron of Avebury—a Wiltshire man. It is said that Sir John was such a keen cricket enthusiast that he chose holiday dates to align with his local team’s fixtures, a sentiment I can certainly appreciate.

The 1871 Act initially introduced four bank holidays, and at first only banks and financial institutions closed. Over time, however, the tradition expanded to include businesses, schools and government, shaping the shared rhythm of rest we recognise today.

Of the 90 countries that have public holidays, the UK has the second lowest number (with 8). Poor old Mexico only has 7, but we are easily beaten by our European neighbours such as Spain (14), Sweden (11) and France (11). Meanwhile, the workforces of Colombia and India enjoy a leisurely 18 days off per year!

The May Day holiday itself marks the arrival of spring and has roots in ancient celebrations such as the Roman Festival of Flora, honouring the goddess of flowers and fertility. May 1 is also a feast day for Mary’s husband, St Joseph the Worker. In many ways, Joseph was the unsung hero of the Christian story and on this weekend, when we enjoy a bank holiday that encompasses an ancient celebration of spring, I want to highlight two unsung heroes of the Stonar staff, namely Jase and Bob. Jason Hood is our Head of Grounds and Bob Steel is our School Gardner.

Their hard work and pride ensure that our pitches, grounds and gardens are always presented beautifully. At this time of year especially, we see the results of their efforts as flowers bloom and the cricket square plays superbly. My sincere thanks go to them both.