We were very sad to learn of the death of our beloved lollipop man, Harold Wilson, who had worked on our school crossing for 26 years.
Our students penned this tribute to Harold:
Dear Harold,
Every morning, 1500 students enter our school gates. Every single one of those students knew that they were safe in your presence because you would wait until every single one of us had entered the school to ensure our safety…
A friendly “hello” or “good morning” brightens a young persons’ day; a wave to a parent seeing their child into school for the first time puts them at ease and a smile when you see a person looking sad might be the thing that makes them feel better. You knew all of this. You knew it because it’s what you did every single day.
Every morning and night, come rain or shine, you stood there with your Kindle, wishing passers-by well and never asking for anything in return. You made it your mission to ensure every sleepy teen saw a happy face at the beginning of the day and you offered them a warm smile after what might have been a stressful day! Though you may not have realised it, it was these little things that made your mission to make people happy a successful one.
So now as we walk over an empty road and our hearts break just a little, we hope you cross to heaven safely and peacefully.
Rest in peace Harold.
All our love,
The students at The Academy at Shotton Hall