Today is a magical day

Today is the day that all children of school age love, the day when they finish for their school summer holidays.

I was reminded of this when driving past our local primary school this evening and seeing the school railings festooned with school ties - its the tradition around here for the ones who are leaving primary school and going onto high school next term to tie their now-unneeded and unwanted school ties to the fence on their way out.

Don't know who started that tradition but they are a genius, its a rite of passage, the day when mothers stand in the school playground for the last time as their now 11 year olds leave the safety of their primary school and in the same way that those mothers shed a tear when their kin entered that school at 5 years old, they now shed one for their grown-up son or daughter as they gleefully rip off their ties and abandon them on the fence not realising what awaits them in high school in september.

Amanda is now 17 and has just finished the first year of her A level course with a view to moving into vocational further education next year, possibly in tax accounting which is study based whilst working, she passed her driving test last month and is now mobile having snaffled Suzannes car for 90% of the time - Jodie is 14 and moving inextricably towards GCSE's, making subject choices now that will determine which sort of career path her adult life goes down - and yet I can still remember both of them coming home from primary school with their shirts covered in autographs from their clasmates (some of whom went to different high schools and so have never been seen again) and their ties secured to the school fence - it seems like it was last week.


Just imagine tonight, sitting at home, with at least six weeks holidays stretched out in front of you in what promises to be one of the best summers that we've had in recent years, make the most of it kids, it doesn't last for long.