It’s been a long and surreal 18 months. We’ve seen her at her highs (blasting out broadway hits for all of the NE Block to hear) and at her lows (heaven forbid one should forget the curious incident when she started swaying back and forth, complaining of dizyness and weak legs - even DPF thought we’d lost her for good.) One thing is for sure, no matter how hard we might try to deny it (Liam Corless) we love Sarah Hall.
On Friday the 27th of May, I arrived to my last ever form not in the slightest shocked to see a Dr Sarah Hall freakin’ out about how 13SRH’s “Presents” hadn’t arrived, not only this, but the video she was up till “Two in the morning!!” making seemed to have “Not saved.” It appeared that what we were left with were some flattened coins from the British Museum which wished us well with encouraging words in Hieroglyphs; not that I’m complaining, out of the coins my “Happiness” was by far the best. No, for once, SRH seemed genuine, things had not gone her way. It was in this moment of emotion that I really saw what Saz really felt about the Year 13’s.
I write Year 13’s because its really much more than a 13SRH kinda relationship when it comes to ol’ Saz, most of us have been taught by her at some point at Blue Coat, others may have just encountered, and there are people who have had the (pleasure? Joy? Bad luck?) of having her as a form tutor pre-sixth form. It is in fact so, that the big bag of selfriges presents presented to her in the Year 13 leavers assembly was in fact from numerous people throughout Year 13 rather than 13 SRH alone. Yes, it was that moment when she gave us our hieroglyphic coins of encouragement I saw a mutual (I MUST POINT OUT VERY PROFFESIONAL) love between students’ and teacher.
The day went on; we watched as she downed the glass of cheap wine that the teachers were (for some reason) allowed, we cringed as she was the only teacher that failed to write a speech and so read from a register and at the end of the Year 13 assembely – I even caught her sheding a tear which came as a surprise as for years I was under the impression that slight contact with water would melt the wicked witch away.
We now know that she officially “Checked In” at the Raddisson Edwardian Hotel later in the evening, where it would seem she underwent a photo-shoot:
We all danced into the night, I caught wind of a rumour that her and Bayley were going to go to Sainsbury to buy some wine and sneak it in (though I wouldn’t put it past Sarah, I’d like to think CCB would never allow such a thing.) I myself shared a rather heartfelt moment as she held my cigarette outside one of Manchester’s finest 5 star hotels as I topped up my drink with Vodka from my hip flask – Naturally, Sarah was egging me to put more in and eventually suggested I give her the flask. (Perhaps a little fabricated.)
And as the night came to an end there marked the end of an era. For next year, it is not we who shall be asking “What am I to do without SRH?” but rather Dr S. Hall wondering what her life will become without her beloved Year 13.Oh. We've had our ups and downs! From moments of joy when she found out who the Chocolate thief's were and great moments of sadness, when she found out her chocolates were missing, but one thing I think all readers will agree on, this feeling the Year 13 students are going through right now is like the Exodus, and Sarah Hall is our very own Moses.
L x
