First school visit
Up early to spend the morning working on the French job around cat vaccinations, so spending lots of time looking at pictures of adorable cats at the moment and read, as I irritably fling my own cats off my desk, that cats respond to playing and attention. Interspersed with this, I readied myself for the school visit. Made off at lunchtime to Hateful Heath station and taxied out to St Giles school, in Horsted Keynes. Driven by a charming taxi driver, who chatted nicely as drove into something approaching the middle of nowhere by S.E. English standards. A lovely little school, that you walked through the churchyard to get to. I arrived early and was greeted by the headteacher, one of Lorraine's contemporaries, Hilary. Then I was collected by a very polite boy, the class bishop apparently, who led me a few paces to the classroom.
Pleased at last to be doing it, after thinking about it for a while. An hour in the class with the class teacher Alison. My plan going instantly out of the window, as it turned out they had all read the first chapter of Magnificent Grace this morning. They were rather amazed when I told them they were the first class I had visited. In the whole world? said one of the kids, amazed. I introduced myself, read the second chapter instead of the first, fielded questions, talked about editing, and showed them before and after pieces of the text. We talked about pen names, and I asked them what their pen names might be and what kind of books would they write. I showed them one of my old Skelly videos on YouTube and generally chatted to them.
I left unscathed, and having enjoyed the experience. I think it went well, as the kids seemed quite enthused. Left them all with a flyer so they could download the story. We'll see. They will be reading the story in class I think.
Home again, a different but equally pleasant taxi man to Haywards Heath, then home feeling that I had overcome the week's stress peak. Did a bit more work on the French things and then cooked. Lorraine and I had a quiet night in, Beth recovering still in her room, after pippisitting and getting a bit of doggy love.
Deaths today. I felt genuine sadness at the passing of Clive James, who was an excellent poet as well as being a funny writer and generally warm and decent human. Also today Jonathan Miller, a major figure in British theatre, opera and media and Gary Rhodes, a chef with spiky hair. I once bought a cookbook written by him, and even made things from it.
Sitting on the sofa tonight, wrapped up an irritated Calliope in a blanket...
Pleased at last to be doing it, after thinking about it for a while. An hour in the class with the class teacher Alison. My plan going instantly out of the window, as it turned out they had all read the first chapter of Magnificent Grace this morning. They were rather amazed when I told them they were the first class I had visited. In the whole world? said one of the kids, amazed. I introduced myself, read the second chapter instead of the first, fielded questions, talked about editing, and showed them before and after pieces of the text. We talked about pen names, and I asked them what their pen names might be and what kind of books would they write. I showed them one of my old Skelly videos on YouTube and generally chatted to them.
I left unscathed, and having enjoyed the experience. I think it went well, as the kids seemed quite enthused. Left them all with a flyer so they could download the story. We'll see. They will be reading the story in class I think.
Home again, a different but equally pleasant taxi man to Haywards Heath, then home feeling that I had overcome the week's stress peak. Did a bit more work on the French things and then cooked. Lorraine and I had a quiet night in, Beth recovering still in her room, after pippisitting and getting a bit of doggy love.
Deaths today. I felt genuine sadness at the passing of Clive James, who was an excellent poet as well as being a funny writer and generally warm and decent human. Also today Jonathan Miller, a major figure in British theatre, opera and media and Gary Rhodes, a chef with spiky hair. I once bought a cookbook written by him, and even made things from it.
Sitting on the sofa tonight, wrapped up an irritated Calliope in a blanket...
Comments