Good News This Week

Number 1 - Heather has at last got a new job. No more hanging pants on hangers in an underwear shop for her. Oh no, she's got a proper grown-up job in a proper office doing grown-up complicated stuff. In London. Just off Fleet Street. Now I can transfer my worries away from her being over-qualified-for-shop-work-and-she-deserves-better-with-her-degree, to worries about her being caught up in a terrorist incident/spending an hour and a half each day twice a day on an overcrowded commuter train/ falling foul to one of the many pick-pockets who prowl the streets of London. Dickens' style. Of course.

Number 2 - I had a lesson observation and passed with flying colours mostly of the green tick variety. My observer said, 'Thank you. It was a lovely lesson to watch. You have such a good relationship with the students. Such a good atmosphere in your classroom. How do you stay so calm? Especially with THAT lot?' (That lot being a Year 10 group of dysfunctional teenage boys with every 'syndrome' under the sun and the attention span of a bunch of gnats.) I smiled benignly and gave a modest shrug o' the shoulders. 'Well,' I said, 'no point in getting shouty with them, is there?' I didn't tell him about the weeping, the wailing, the frustrations and the bars of chocolate. That's me, not the kids.

Number 3 - I closed my old bank account with the minimum of fuss and ado. I went into the branch yesterday afternoon ready for a battle, but didn't get one. The chappie who dealt with my request provided me, ironically, with the best customer service I've had from that bank in the last 7 years. 'Can I ask why you want to close your account?' he said. I gave him my best testy look. 'Do you really want to know?' I said. I added a sinister smile. He was bright, that chappie. He picked up on the subtle, but potentially dangerous undertone of the conversation. 'Probably not,' he said. 'But I have to ask.' Anyway, his attempt to change my mind went unheeded. I was all smiles and politeness - well, the sun was shining, it was a lovely day - and the transaction completed smoothly. 'Anything else I can help you with today?' said the chappie as I tucked the official paperwork into my purse. Bit late now to start being helpful, I thought. 'No thank you!' I said. 'Have a nice weekend!'

Number 4 - Three Year 11 students have this week asked me if I'm going to be teaching A level literature next year. I said, 'I don't know. I'm covering maternity leave at the moment. Depends if the school has a job for me next September. 'Oh,' they said. I am thinking, maybe I have some pupil power on my side. Maybe their enthusiasm will secure my job? I don't know. Still, it's nice to be wanted by the people who really matter. Then I thought, p'raps I ought to set up my own school teaching just English language and literature. And maybe a spot of drama.

Number 5 - the weather has been GORGEOUS. Hot, but gorgeous. Full days of sunshine and clear blue skies from 7 in the morning to 7 at night. Here we are at the start of October, cavorting about in sun dresses and T-shirts, cats sun bathing, chickens getting through buckets of water, roses having a second wind of blooming. It cheers the soul, doesn't it, a spot of sunshine?

Number 6 - the department store in town had a discount day yesterday and for the first ever time in my Chanel perfume buying history I bought a bottle of Number 19 with a 10% discount! Chanel NEVER do discount! I see this as a minor victory against the exclusivity of brand names. I shall enjoy every squirt of that perfume, knowing that it is 10% less than every squirt of the last bottle.

Number 7 - Strictly Come Dancing has returned to the screens! Need I say more? I think not!!