A passionate belief in community

THE very best masterships are those that resemble a family. They may be quite different characters with contrasting strengths, they may bicker and – occasionally – slam the phone down on each other. But ultimately they respect one another, laugh together, work their socks off for each other and are very fond of each other. They have the confidence to challenge one another, but when challenged from outside, they are united.

This is certainly the case for the current Heythrop mastership, and when Simon Lawrance, the longest-standing member of the team of six, stands down on 1 May, he will be a great loss. In 14 seasons his influence, particularly in his Monday/Thursday domain where his superb field mastering and personal charisma have