He mentioned to us the great author of detective fiction, Dorothy L Sayers, who created the well-known sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, who in his aristocratic and sophisticated way, solved huge numbers of crimes. Dorothy L Sayers was born in No 1 Brewer Street which was, at the time, the Headmaster’s House, her father being Headmaster of the School. As befits someone born in the shadow of a cathedral and college, many of her detective works are set in religious and academic environments, including her most famous work “The Nine Tailors”, which is partly set in the belfry of a church! It was particularly good to hear about Sayers as one of our houses – the yellow one – is named after her, along with Carroll and Wolsey. As it happens, it was Sayers who has most connection with the school even though she is the least well known.

Having rather dismissed Lewis Carroll above, may I draw your attention to the advertisement on the back page of this newsletter encouraging you to go to the latest exhibition in the Upper Library. Not only is this an opportunity to visit one of the finest rooms in Oxford, but also to see, for the first time, the hugely significant collection of Lewis Carroll papers which has recently been acquired by Christ Church. It is the first time the collection has been displayed in the UK. Entry is free. Please do make the most of your connection with the College. The Upper Library has so many rare and wonderful items to view, including a very early sketch of the solar system with the sun in its centre.

So much has happened this week, as may be seen from this newsletter, that I cannot cover everything I have seen. I was so impressed by the way in which our senior pupils took part in the crime solution workshop yesterday. The whole process ended in the trial of a suspect. Some pupils took the role of barristers and others of the jury. One person got to wear a very long and outlandish wig – he was a judge. The passion with which the pupils argued their case was extraordinary and many of them are already considering careers in the law or the police as a consequence. There is no end to the energy which our pupils display.

I always enjoy my visits to Pre-Prep Assembly but today was a particularly joyus occasion. Yesterday I had been going round school when two pupils from Pre-Prep had seen me and said, “Hello Mr Murray! You are in our song.” People say all sorts of things to me in School and I did not take the comment very seriously. What a mistake! During Pre-Prep Assembly this morning, the pupils sang a sea shanty they had written, ‘The Jolly Christ Church’. Imagine then my horror when I heard the following words!

“Through the keyhole in a Hurry,
There we capture Mr Murray,
He tried some of our pirate curry,
And then he walked the plank – SPLASH!”

I have told all the Pre-Prep that I will be doing lots of swimming practice over the weekend to ensure that I can survive the grizzly end that these young buccaneers have in mind for me!