Month: July 2026

It’s a double issue as there’s not much noteworthy in the first week. I had the final days of work which were training and the tough job of moving into a new to me classroom. There was a lot of work to do to, so not the most relaxing end to the school year. Then we went straight to my father in law’s to spend a few days with him before returning home. We have had family birthdays too, it’s our most hectic time of the year for family celebrations, now it’s just our wedding anniversary to come and then I can relax .. I did make a mistake when ordering balloons, the 17 were very different sizes despite me checking carefully when ordering. However I didn’t check until I went to inflate them but we were able to laugh it off. I will be more careful next year, although as it’s an 18th the balloon numbers do tend to come together. I also have had my birthday, as it was so close to our holiday I spent the day having my hair, nails and waxing done with a nice lunch out. My nails are insanely gorgeous, the base is bright pink with a chrome finish which makes them look sparkling and shimmering from pink to orange.

This week is carnival week which is the best week of the year in town, although still only part way through it has been a cracker. The theme is whacky Wild West and it is one of the best in years, it’s been embraced by all. Our parkun on Saturday was brilliant, I was dressed as a cow girl for my pre run volunteer stint, courtesy of my friend’s borrowed hen party outfit, think pink and sparkly. The theme then went through all parts, a witty briefing. marshals all in fancy dress, and a much needed water squirting in very hot conditions.

I love the fireworks during the carnival and other the years different traditions have evolved. On Saturday night displays, we used to stand on our street and watch the fireworks with our neighbours. However with the passing of my lovely friend I just felt too sad to do this so decided to go to a different viewpoint nearby. It was a brilliant spot and the photos I took frame the bay and are stunning. The Wednesday display is one we always watch with a bag of chips. My daughter and her boyfriend joined my son and I and we started off watching some live music which was the band of a friend’s sons, they are hugely talented but it showed the passing of time. The little boys I used to walk to school, my friend and I took turns depending on our working days, are now fully grown men embarking on life. My daughter is an adult now and my son is tall and strapping. The emotions I felt were shared by my friend too. However it was an evening of joy and just the best vibe. Standing watching live music, on a warm summer’s evening with an ice cold cider followed by the best chips in town and then fireworks felt perfect. Our view of the fireworks was so good we just sat and watched, no photos needed the memories are there.

I love the summer as the light evenings do inspire and invite us to be outside. In these hot days it’s just lovely to be sat outside in the evenings with a book and a cool breeze. However this week, there have been nights out, the World Cup semi finals, a prom and a visit to my parents for the weekend.

Sadly the football didn’t go as planned and England lost their semi final. They were criticised for their defensive play after going 1-0 up and eventually lost 2-1. It was a depressing watch and I had no real intention of watching the bronze match last night. However the tv was on and I watched the most amazing, attacking first half performance from England who were 4-0 up against France at halftime. As it was a late kick off I did go to bed but woke up to read a 6-4 win for England, the best game of the tournament was the one no one wanted to play or watch. I’ve not enjoyed this World Cup, the times have been awkward and there is such a sense of corruption within FIFA. However there have been highlights, Cape Verde’s debut, Norway’s spirit and fans, Scottish fans and their Boston adventures. I’m now watching the most bizarre pre match ‘show’ before the final starts, so far I’ve seen Robbie Williams in a sequin tracksuit singing the FIFA anthem, who knew it was a thing, the World Cup arriving in a Louis Vuitton case and Tom Cruise doing a soliloquy. I think all were supposed to be hyped by this, it was simply dull.

It was a very busy week and on Thursday I was at our school’s leavers’ prom. As I started at the school four years ago, it was the first year in which students I have taught were the leavers. This makes it more emotional as you really know the young people and their families. It was a lovely evening, although wearing mascara and eye liner was a mistake when the photo montages were shown, there were lots of tears from families and staff. As we are a 3-19 special school, these students have been with us for a very long time so seeing the students photos from Reception to Year 14 gave all the feels. We are also a special school and it was heart breaking to see the deterioration in some of the students’ presentations. You presume children will grow taller, stronger and healthier but sadly in a school like ours this is not always the case. It makes us even more privileged to be able to provide a happy, warm and joyful school environment.

Straight after work on Friday, we travelled to Somerset to see my parents. It was a little family celebration for my son whose birthday is coming up. One of my first jobs after getting there was to charge my car on a public charger. Fortunately it was a skill I can now tick off and I feel more confident in knowing it’s easy to charge the car away from home. I always like to do a bit of parkrun tourism when I’m away but my challenge was to avoid the M5 on the first weekend of the school holidays. This is pretty impossible so I looked into alternative transport options and discovered that there was a parkrun minutes away from the Severn Tunnel Junction station, and by chance there was a direct train from the local station to STJ with timings that fitted around the parkrun. With such luck, I went off to Rogiet parkrun which was a fantastic little run. I was worried given my recent injuries but the flat course meant I could run around gently without issue which was a huge bonus. I was back home and ready to go out to lunch so it didn’t impact the day too much. In fact I was showered and dressed before my daughter who had not come with me preferring a lie in. After lunch and a few bits of shopping I came home to prep a few bits for the birthday tea whilst the children amused themselves in town. On the past few birthdays the children have preferred a sweet platter with macarons, meringues, berries dipped in chocolate, top hats, so this was what I prepared for us all. It’s great treat and all gets eaten on the evening. I still put on candles and a sparkler to get the full birthday experience. Later in the evening the children did some Lego together, it’s been a while since they worked on a model together, this was a floral heart my daughter had received for her birthday and it was just so nice to see them enjoying it.

Although the students have finished for summer, we’re still in until Wednesday and then the cruise prep starts in earnest. It is the best feeling when we finish on Wednesday, 6 weeks of holidays awaits.

And so another entry, another heatwave. I’m not sure when hot weather became a heatwave but it’s the buzz term this summer. Work and my car with their excellent air conditioning provide daily respite and sitting outside in the shade at home makes evenings easier. I’ve still not quite figured out the best way to sleep in this weather though.

It feels like one of my key strategies in keeping cool is to eat ice cream, it’s a daily staple in this heat and I am loving every bite. I am experimenting with every flavour, if you’re going do it, go in hard!

Last weekend was quiet, so we decided on a day trip on the Sunday to Weymouth. I love a little day trip and we like to catch the train to make it feel a little bit different and to offer no stress with traffic and parking. There was a food festival around the harbour, perfect for pottering around, where we bought some delicious brownies. We also did a bit of holiday shopping and walked along the beach.

This weekend has just been wonderful as an old school friend came to stay. There is something very special about a friend who knows you. The history of countless time spent dreaming, chatting and laughing in teenage bedrooms, school and days out, so many shared experiences, being part of the life story that you don’t need the gaps filling in, 40 years of friendship that made this weekend so easy and warm. We did simple things, it wasn’t about grand plans but catching up. Yesterday we mooched around town, walked along the beach and sat on the field with a drink listening to the jazz festival before heading back into town later to watch the football in the pub. Today was park yoga, a little throw back to PE lessons, paddling in the sea and feeling the warm sand under your feet. This weekend made me feel like me, the original version.

The World Cup has been continuing this week. England played a Round of 16 match at 2am on Monday morning but I didn’t stay up to watch it , the thought of little sleep, a busy working week and fun plans for the weekend meant I only saw the highlights. For someone who normally sleeps well, I surprisingly woke up naturally at 4am, checked the score on my phone and then followed the last 2 minutes before sleeping again. Ironically it seems that this was England’s best performance by far. Last night’s game was a mixed performance, moments of class but also of frustration. However England won in extra time, by this time it was around 12.40am and I think we were all relieved we could get to bed. I’ve not enjoyed the tournament so much because of the time difference it’s been pretty much 12 hour windows with the earliest games at 5pm to those finishing at 4/5 am. Thankfully the next World Cup is in Spain and Portugal so a much friendlier time to watch all the matches. Last night’s game was against Norway who have been one of my favourite teams of the tournament. They just got the vibe perfectly, the team photos as vikings, wearing the tops of their first youth football teams to the rowing and drumming and star quality of Haarland. They were a very refreshing team to be in the tournament.