Sunday 19 October 2014

School's Back for Autumn...

The new academic year has begun for everywhere now. Even the hallowed halls of Oxford have accepted that they need to spend a few weeks teaching their students (what a bother and inconvenience) and week one of Michaelmas Term has just come to an end.

For most school teachers, however, the summer holidays will be a faint memory as they claw their way desperately towards half term and the chance to catch up with themselves.

I love the smell of the new school year, the strange mix of butterflies and excitement it sets off in my stomach. It worried me that this feeling was still so strong until I worked out that of my 45 Septembers/Octobers 27 of them have seen the start of some kind of study – don’t worry, I revel in my geekiness!  


I am a little perturbed, however, that I began to experience those strongly evocative scents in MID-AUGUST.

Aah, memories...
When did August defect from summer and join forces with autumn? 

Did I miss the memo?

And…

How come Scotland had insider info? 

Their autumn term has started in mid-August for yonks. Scotland definitely have it sussed – the children are on holiday during July, when it is often hot, and back to school in August when it is often wet. I hadn’t noticed this fact until, about 10 years ago, a gardener friend of mine pointed out that she lost more days work through rain in August than any other month. Since then I’ve paid more attention and, yes, the weather in August - the month around which our entire tourist season is based – is crap!

I digress. 

This academic year brings with it three things I would like to ramble on about…


Dr-Martens-Kids-Penguin-Blue-Boots-UK-Size-11-Winter-Shoes-Cartoon-Kids-Fun-Shoe
My PERFECT Doc Marten's
1. My niece, The Brilliant, has completed her Masters in the History of Science and Medicine (or something like that) at Oxford – hopefully she will carry on to do her PhD and become Doc Martin, DM to her friends. I wanted to be Doc Martin myself once but, being realistic, she’s not only smarter than I am, she’s not as lazy. She also has a lot more stamina. In other words she can burn the candle at both ends with more aplomb than I could ever muster – she’ll pull the all-nighter to meet her essay deadline AND still get a good mark; I would be more likely to negotiate an extension and then procrastinate a bit more. So, as she is a genetically superior version of me, I am happy to yield the title to her youth and brilliance!

2. I am doing a 10 week course in web design through Oxford Uni’s Department of Continuing Education – so I can do clever techie stuff with this blog and make it look incredible…or that’s the theory. Eeeek! Still, at least I can now genuinely say I’ve studied at Oxford. Pretentious? Moi?

3. The Legend has started a course in Fire and Leadership Studies at the University of Central Lancashire. So, like a proud parent (he is, after all, The-Son-I-Never-Had) my next blog post will be all about him. The great thing is I can say anything I like without fear of repercussion – he’s way too busy partying…I mean studying hard…to read my blog!

Mwah ha ha!
Me. On a good day!


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