Not too sad, I hope, Sheila, and some jolly ones too.
For example, I remember my very first 'playground duty', about this time of year in 1963. The people in the staff-room gave me an Acme Thunderer on a lanyard and I asked what I would have to do. 'It's easy,' I was told, 'Just stand in the middle of the boys' playground and every time you seen any boys running blow your whistle and tell them to stand still.'
So I was ready waiting at the start of playtime when the boys burst down the stairs and out of the door, yelling and scuffling, and running. I blew the whistle, and the whole playground froze, wondering who was this strange new young man. 'No running', I shouted, and because it was such a well disciplined school nobody did, till another class rushed out and I had to do it ll over again. Ad so on till the end of break.
They all they all lines up and filed silently back into school, looking at me most suspiciously.
When I got back upstairs to the classroom the whole staff were waiting for me, still laughing.
So sorry to her about Enid Stott. She was very good to me.
Andrew.