This was such a pleasant way to wind down for the evening - taking a stroll down the Leeds Liverpool canal with my son just as the sun was beginning to set.

I imagine it would be just a pleasant upon a barge too.

The evening began with my son's end of year school service and awards and presentations. It was looking likely to end in tears, well before the end in fact, as his teacher was reaching for the box of tissues before she had even finished her first speech. What hope then was there for the rest of us? None for me, that's for sure.

How come nobody told me it would be like this?! After all doesn't everyone with children goes through this process? I knew it was going to be sad that my son's time at primary school was coming to a close and that he now has exciting new things to look forward to and new friends to make. I knew all this.

But Mick Hucknall had it wrong here. It wasn't so much holding back the years, but holding back the tears. We will indeed have a great many happy memories of his time at primary school and hopefully the friends that we have all made will be around for a long time to come.

So presentations over, coming out into the sunshine was so amazing. It has been such a gorgeously unexpected sunny day today, high blue skies, scattered fluffy white clouds and with just the right amount of fresh breeze.

This young boy and his family had just come through one of the locks and he was very happy to be photographed. We all chatted for a while, then bid farewell as they moored for the evening.

Quite a day, all in all.