End of term catch-up!



Salford Media City about 10pm. ( You can't see the dalek from here!)

 Just two weeks to the summer hols!  Has to be the fastest year yet.  As always, I'm overwhelmed with the amount of stuff which still remains to be done before we break up. This year as well, several people I've worked very closely with during my years in my job are retiring, leaving two more holes in our department.  I know there's a theory that no one is irreplaceable, but that isn't actually true.  Physically there may be people sitting in their rooms, doing the same jobs they did, but those new faces cannot replace the old at all.
Not going to get all philosophical about the state of education here or how my job has changed beyond belief in the last five or so years.  Instead, I'll sing the praises of the wonderful Hazelnut and Raspberry cake we ate at the Sage music centre yesterday afternoon to the accompaniment of a massed ukulele band!  Gloriously over-pink icing but a real raspberry taste!
Other than work (ie Ofsted inspection and aftermath) and cake what has gone on since April?  Well, the Kindle has become part of the family and a constant companion on my daily commute to work.  I think I truly love it! 
We've done Manchester in the pouring rain, wind and low low temperatures for ballet, staying in the heart of the new 'Media Centre' in Salford and met a 'real' dalek. 
We've done Birmingham in the baking heat 2 weeks later - again for ballet - and discovered a gorgeous part of the city we'd previously overlooked. 
I discovered the joy of buying old postcards on ebay and sang all the verses of 'American Pie' with Don McLean without having to brave Glastonbury mud. I photographed the Hogwarts Express and got up very close to Mallard at the Shildon railway museum.
I've narrowly missed out on seeing Ian Rankin in Edinburgh in August but managed to get a ticket to see Alfie Boe in concert in January, survived the experience of being in a theatre with 2000 Paolo Nuttini fans (has to be experienced to be believed!) but managed to avoid Take That (even though we started to suspect they were following us round!) Finally, I protested about the early closure of the wonderful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Love Never Dies - and hastily rearranged a trip to go and see it YET AGAIN before it closes!
And  - last but not least - thirty two years after I fell head over heels in love with Adam Ant I finally got to see him live on stage and he was as amazing as ever.  I don't think either of us are wearing too badly! First gig I've ever been to alone - although there were people there I knew - and, surprisingly, it was fun!  This gentleman was the support act and for a while I did wonder if he was just a figment of my imagination...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOad0FU9zF8   I can only imagine what Grouse's comment would be!

Not a bad list, really.  Not very surprising that I didn't find time to blog!!