Blackberry Jam

We have a spectacular crop of blackberries on the trees/bushes at the back of our garden. We figured out tonight that the reason that the birds havent eaten them is that both cats have been living outside the house for the past 10 days so the birds haven't had chance to land!!!

Corin picked 2lbs of them this evening and I have made jam!!! Not done that since I was at school (as a pupil!) - it remains to be seen whether
a. it sets
b. it sets too much
c. if it is edible!

Today has been an excellent day.

Our results at school were stunningly good and make the most traumatic working year of my life all worthwhile (Ofsted, Ed Balls stupid list etc etc). We have beaten every target that could possibly be set for us, and by a significant margin too. So in the space of 10 weeks we have gone from being a 'failing' school to a really bloody successful one - ironically, all of the hard work had been done before the 'Balls list' was written. No doubt some government official will take credit for our success !!!! Or maybe its because the GCSEs are getting so damn easy (I'd like some of the journalists who write those crappy headlines to come and sit the bloody exams then tell us and the kids that they are easy)

And to top it all off, Sparky and Chippy seem to be friends - they have been together in the house for two days with no fighting and on occasions have been snuggled up together on the sofa.

Hoorah!