Footy

Betsy, just back from training at her new football club, Teddington Athletic. The idea is that they train every Friday and play matches every Sunday morning.

Betsy has also informed me that she will be doing the following after school clubs; football, tag rugby, hockey and basketball. For starters.

We cycled to football and I had a run while they trained. It was 5.30 but absolutely boiling hot and I really struggled in the heat.

Went over to my friend Tracey's today. Had a lovely chat outside in her beautiful garden.

After school Al took me to see his newly-built classroom. From the outside the new building is quite modern looking, grey bricks and flat roofs, but inside they have kept it to very traditional lines, fitting in with the culture of the school is which sort of old fashioned, (with a few notable and much appreciated exceptions!).

Lots of local schools have been or are in the process of being rebuilt, (including Betsy's) and I've seen inside several of them, and they are all spectacular; fabulous modern designs, innovative, light, airy and full of great little touches, but perhaps they had more money to spend! One new thing Al's school has done though is add huge new windows. (Al tells me that they are too high for the children to see out of, but I'm sure that can't be true!). The children are all impressed and excited, which is the main thing.

They have even replicated the narrow switchback staircases with 'Keep Left' signs everywhere which bring back memories of my school days and which the all the new secondary schools were at pains to avoid at all costs. I find it all peculiarly reassuring somehow, though I can't imagine what it's like at break time with 100 eight year olds rushing down them to get out to play!