Don Ledingham’s Learning Log

I’ve been called most things in my career but a new one came my way last week when I was described as an “inconvenient thinker”. 
Not sure if was meant to be an insult or a compliment?
On reflection I’m probably quite chuffed that someone took the trouble to come up with such an inventive epithet……………………..I think.
It reminded [...]

Popped down to St Abbs for lunch today (Saturday).  Temperature wasn’t much above 1 degree C.  An army of surfers were enjoying the waves at Coldingham beach - looked great fun but boy was it cold!
St Abbs is a beautiful place at the best of times but it took my breath way this morning.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been keeping myself fit/sane by taking up cycling.  The last time I had a racing bike I was 14 - so it wasn’t yesterday.
 I was prompted to take it up again after my visit to Provence and seeing so many people of all ages out on the roads. It’s [...]

We held a wonderful thanksgiving service today for my mother Barrie Ledingham who died on the 8th February 2009. I gave this eulogy.
Barrie was named after her father’s favourite writer J. M Barrie who wrote Peter Pan, sometimes known as “The boy who never grew up”.
In a peculiar way mum lived up to her namesake’s [...]

Lewi - our youngest boy - is settling into life in Christchurch, New Zealand.  He sent me this photo of him posing in his surfing gear (he’s on the right). The hospitality and welcome he has received from the local people has been amazing.
It’s only been two weeks but I can already see him benefiting [...]

Ever since our youngest son Lewis was ten years old he’s been telling people that he would go out New Zealand to play rugby when he left school.
In the intervening eight years we’ve humoured him with the good old Scottish double positive “aye right”.
Well the boy has proved us all wrong as he sets out [...]

Our eldest  boy (he’s the one launching himself into the darkness!!) returned from Australia on Friday.  I know this sounds like a terrible cliche but he did leave as a boy and has returned a man.
I’m now more convinced than ever of the value of a gap year experience - or at least something before [...]

Je suis en vacances pour les deux semaines suivantes.

Our son - Doug - is currently out in Australia playing rugby and generally having a tremendous time (I’m not really envious!). In the past week he’s been staying with Mark Walker’s  family in Melbourne.
I met Mark out in Harvard last summer and we struck up a great rapport.  He’s doing some very innovative work at Elsterwick Primary [...]

 Our eldest son is out in Australia playing rugby for Nelson Bay - which is just North of Sydney - and is having a great time.  
He has received an incredible welcome and Nelson Bay seems to be a beautiful place.
We are sorely tempted to try to get out to visit him during the summer but it [...]