The end is nigh

It is Sunday the 31st of August and I can almost hardly believe that I am sitting here at the end of my summer holidays, preparing to go back to work. Where was the summer? What happened to the sun?

This year, unlike any previous year, I don't feel like I've had a rest. Of course I know that I have, considering I spent a week in Egypt and a few days in Cornwall and Kent. Mentally though I don't feel like I have detached myself from work like I usually do. In previous years, I have literally watched the clock strike 3pm on the last day of term and by 3.05pm I have a cold pint in my hand celebrating the beginning of six weeks of summer. I would then not return to, or even think about school until the first day back. This year has been different, Firstly, I spent a couple of days at the start of the holidays, sorting out my classroom, filing and generally tidying. I then returned to school to watch my students open their exams results - this is the first time I have made the effort to do it and it was completely worth it! I have also been into school to pick stuff up and drop things off, so really I do not feel that I have rested my tired little brain.

Anyway, what has my summer been like? Mostly I have visited, read and wrote. Oh, and maybe consumed a bucket or two of coffee along the way, frequented many coffee shops across the country and purchased far to many clothes and books for my bank balance's liking!

This summer I have brought the following books: 'Catcher in the Rye' JD Salinger; 'Rebecca' Daphne Du Maurier; 'The historian' Elizabeth Kostova; 'The House of Riverton' Kate Morton; Writer's and Artist's yearbook 2009; 'Shadow of the Wind' Carlos Ruiz Zafon and 'The Gospel according to Chris Moyles (I know, the last one was only 50p at a bootfair, that's my excuse). Furthermore, I have read three books this summer which consisted of: 'The Thames' - a fascinating journey through the history of The Thames river; 'Three men in a float' - a light-hearted and hilarious tale of three men who travelled across Britain, East to West in a milk float that averaged only 15mph; and finally 'The Historian' - a modern and dramatic retelling of Dracula, which I confess I am still reading at the moment. It was my aim to read something other than the usual chick-lit stuff, which has it's place in my life, but I felt it was time to get back to something a bit more gritty. I think I have succeeded so far.

As I think back to my summer I realise that much of it really has been spent either at my computer writing, sitting reading or drinking coffee, chatting and laughing with my favourite people in this world. I really have been happiest sitting in a coffee shop with a latte (and perhaps the odd piece of cake), whiling away the time talking. I think it's these times that I have been most relaxed and at ease. So it is with apprehension that I start the new term; I hope I have enough time to fit in a good few coffee, cake and chat sessions before half term.