This week was my first teaching my new class at my new school, we got a new Prime Minister, Liz Truss and a new King, Charles III. A remarkable week. It was also the sad goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II, who despite the smiling photo on Tuesday for the kissing of the hands with the new PM, died peacefully on Thursday. It’s true that most weeks are quiet and ordinary and then you have an extraordinary week which is truly historic.

Personally, it’s been a lovely week with my new class and team, but a very steep learning curve, so many new processes, routines and things to learn. I’ve also inherited the messiest, cluttered classroom so am trying to organise this too. I feel quite unsettled in such an environment, I crave order and neatness.

I was at home on Thursday evening when the news about the Queen’s death broke, I had picked up my mobile to phone my mum and saw the breaking news. I never got to make the call, as I was drawn to the tv coverage. I think it’s the news we’ve all been expecting and there was very much the feeling at the platinum jubilee, that it was the public thank you and goodbye to the Queen. However, I did feel a sense of sadness at her death, she has been the constant in our lives and I felt she was a bit of feminist icon and one of the leaders of the 20th century.

Since Thursday evening, its been a period of contemplation and national mourning, sombre music on all the radio stations, sporting and cultural events cancelled and rolling news coverage on television. Parkrun did go ahead but we paused at the start as a mark of respect for the Queen, which did feel correct. It has now been announced that the funeral will be a Bank Holiday on September 19th.

It is a strange time at present, a period of transition on so many levels, leaving us all a little out of sorts. Its a period, when you take each day at a time, and look forward to more familiar and ordinary times.