It is not difficult to feel rather gloomy about the future but I do feel that this gloom can act in the way of a self fulfilling prophecy. Certainly, all my gloom was dispersed by a recent visit to CLS Girls School to see a joint production with CLS of the musical “Grease”.
It was a wonderfully exuberant evening with an excellent cast and supporting band. It reminded me that when I was at School in the 1970s things were pretty gloomy with IRA bombs, the Cold War at its height and economic woes of the most awful kind. Commentators were then, as now, predicting apocalyptical outcomes which as a teenager largely passed me by. I felt little but optimism for life ahead and I felt the same infectious optimism at CLS Girls.
So as Christmas and the New Year approaches I hope that some confidence and optimism can be reignited. 2012 will be an important year for the UK with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Yes there is much to be concerned about, there usually is, but that should not stop acknowledging that there is still much to be thankful for.
Sir David Walker
JCC President