Someone get him off those drums!

This website has just offered me a "Streamlined post editor".  I have no idea what one of those is, but if you saw me at badminton last night, you would know full well:  I am already quite streamlined enough, thank you!

So blog - eagues, how goes it?  Are you well?  Looking forward to Autumn with all the impending joy as a bear looks to hibernation?  Or are you, like me rubbing your sequinned mits with glee - glee - at the proximity of a new season of Strictly?  Or are you just smirking for the fun of it? Oh well suit yourself.

So, how did this week go for you, me hearties?  Did you all enjoy talk like a pirate day?  We, as per usual, threw ourselves into it with sheer unadulterated gusto, and showed the world how it was done.

But was that the highlight?  Oh no.  Oh no no no no.

The highlight came today, seeing a row of loved violin cases outside class after their very first violin lessons.  Then seeing them taken outdoors for a lunchtime practice, and the pride with which people held and played them.  Then seeing people leave school with them this evening with them strapped to their backs, ready to rehearse and stretch those soon-to-be-aching fingers at home.

It does not stop there.

Tomorrow, the drum teacher lands, as does the guitar teacher, and then we will hear about the ukulele teacher, and soon our corridors will resemble on of the passage scenes from the first Fame movie.  All japery aside, it made me smile... and not a little bit proud.

Dare to dream everyone, as one day soon, Miss Dark may allow you - yes you Mr D - to have the keys to the music room during your lunch.

September has been a really positive start everyone.  Well done.

That is all.

Your face is familiar...

I’ve seen you before somewhere, haven’t I?  Yes, yes, I’m sure.

Did you once play drums for Spandua Ballet?  No?  That can’t be it then. 

Were you once reserve goalie in the local park team?  You remember, it was really cold and wet, our friend Alan’s dog was the first choice keeper, having saved 17 penalties in a single first half, and you were sharing the gloves with a bloke two pitches away?  No?  That not you either?  Oh.  Oh, okay.

Perhaps we once met somewhere more ethereal, perhaps more cyber optic?  Was it – yes! I knew it was you all along.  Yes, of course! How have you been doing?  You look well, you’ve not changed a bit.  Well, a bit older and a bit greyer perhaps but other than that not a bit.  Of course, I recognized you at once, it’s you:

All of my companions in the blogosphere!

It’s so lovely to see you again.  I’d love to tell you all how much I’ve missed you during the long, lovely, sun kissed sojourn that has been the summer.  I’d really love to…

Anyway, let’s get on with the most important news-since-we-last-met:  we are now of course Badock’s Wood Community Primary School and Children’s Centre, and very pleased we are too.  Our first official visitor lands tomorrow, called “The Lord Mayor”.  Pretty impressive eh?  Before all that however, we got down to some serious training as a whole organization on Monday – the results of which can be seen on the BW website. 

This summer we have mostly been listening to the Zummer 2012 playlist, by yours truly.  Ruben know all the words before the second playround; Thea knew all the weird noises by the second month.  From Arctic Monkeys to Xanadu, from Sunsets (Avalanche City)  to moonlight (ELO) and sunshine (Katy Perry) to the rain (Mint Royale) we have had a ball.  I hope you have too.  You all seem to have come back clean, healthy, shiny and refreshed, and I am delighted that we have been joined by over 20 new friends throughout the school, even before our shiny new reception and nursery children join us.

So, as I said to the staff on Monday, I could tell you all about our aims this year, but Paddy MacAloon of Prefab Sprout does it so much better than me, so here he goes:

“Our plans are ambitious, a blue print of wishes,

That will come true, and when they do –

Folks from the valley will look up and say

“You finally built it! Can we come and stay?!

And cynics will marvel and say “We confess

There were times when we thought it was just an address”.”

Once we’ve built it, they’ll call it amazing.

That is all for now, but, rest assured, there is so much more to come this year.

That is all.