I had planned to write this column about Theresa May’s first outing at PMQs. I had planned too to write about the scourge of Cheltenham’s urban gulls. But events later in the week led me to change those plans.
I was shocked to the core by the news of the Bournside coach crash. I know I share that shock with the whole town too.
For the families of the two most seriously injured, we cannot endure as they have the horror of receiving that phone call and rushing to their child’s bedside in a foreign land. But we in Cheltenham feel their anguish and are thinking about them so very much. That concern shone through at the Warden Hill church service arranged by the Rev Nick Davies on Sunday night.
The children who got on that coach in Cheltenham did so from a sense of curiosity and adventure. They had a hunger to explore foreign countries and broaden their horizons. We applaud them for that spirit. And we applaud the staff and governors of Bournside for giving them the opportunity to express it.
I want to thank the Headteacher and Acting Headteacher of Bournside for their compassion and professionalism in responding to this incident. I want too to recognise the efficient response of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who I have been in regular contact with since the crash.
An investigation has begun. Any lessons that need to be learned will be learned. But then we must continue. There will be more school trips, more foreign visits, more journeys of discovery. The spirit of adventure amongst our young people must endure.
For now, though, we think of the two pupils who remain in hospital in Besançon after their classmates have returned. They may be far from home, but they are so very much in our thoughts. We look forward to their and their families’ safe return.
Finally, we are digesting the latest atrocity from France – the gruesome murder of a priest during mass. I want to take this opportunity to thank our church leaders in Cheltenham who do so much to immerse themselves in our communities, often without a thought for their own safety. Local residents, of all faiths and none, appreciate you very much.