This half term, we continue to celebrate the centenary of Hampton Prep, and our theme of “100 Wonderful Years” therefore remains. We have already enjoyed a variety of assembly presentations from boys and staff, each interpreting this theme in their own way last half term, myself included. I have chosen to leap about across the last ten decades in a pretty random order, drawing out remarkable stories and figures who have inspired generations across the past century.
This week, I had the privilege of introducing the boys in the Prep to an extraordinary British figure from the 1930s: the fearless aviatrix, Amy Johnson. We discussed the term “aviatrix,” an elegant but now less common word. I observed with the boys how now in our increasingly linguistically gender-neutral times such a word is no longer fashionable, and actually these days many would prefer to describe Amy Johnson simply as a fearless aircraft pilot.
In an era when women were rarely seen in the cockpit, Amy Johnson defied expectations and made history. In 1930, she became the first woman to fly solo from Britain to Australia, an extraordinary feat of courage, resilience, and self-belief. At the time of course, our school was only a few years old, but the boys attending it then would have doubtless been completely astonished by the news of her accomplishment.
Amy Johnson’s story taught us so much about determination and the power of believing in one’s own abilities. I shared with the boys how she faced numerous challenges and setbacks on her journey—yet she bravely kept going in her splendidly named aircraft ‘The Jason’, driven by a belief in her mission and in herself. The lesson arising for us from the assembly was that sometimes, the only thing standing between us and our dreams is self-doubt.
For a bit of fun, I invited the boys to imagine they were Amy Johnson touching down in Darwin, Australia, all those decades ago and to come up with what they thought she might have shared as an example of what kept her motivated during such an epic adventure. The boys shared quotes that reflected bravery, courage, and resilience. Finally, I shared her actual words, which resonate powerfully:
“Believe in yourself, and the world will believe in you.”
This is of course an inspirational reminder to all our pupils that their dreams, too, are within reach if they have the courage to trust in themselves. Thank you in advance for your continued support over the busy half term ahead of us, as we near the end of our celebration of the past 100 wonderful years!
