Thursday 30 July 2015

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!

The end of the summer term at school is always a bit of a rush, with many last minute jobs crammed in. I had decided early on in the academic year that I would do an exhibition with my art clubs but as the weeks crept closer to the end I realised how much I had left to do… The results, I have to say, were pretty good! Although the whirlwind of activity was contained well within half an hour, there was a good turn out and many positive comments.






























I was surprised when the children from all years loaded me up with cards at the leavers’ assembly on the second to last day. The words were touching...





(and some rather odd. I'm nearly 100% sure this should say 'reading'...)



My first mission for when I get to New Zealand - 
find a Kiwi bird!




I particularly enjoyed the card which spelt out my name using the words 
'Lovely, Understanding, Caring and Young' - maybe these should make an appearance on my CV too?!



The flowers and Clinique gifts were very unexpected but beautiful and very much appreciated! 






I can't believe how quickly the year has gone. In the same week I had to say goodbye to the people I volunteered with and the families I read with at Doorstep Library. It was great to meet such lovely, like-minded people and know that we had made a difference, however small. I came away after exchanging books (and some hugs too) with some cards and a new Doorstep bookmark (which of course I'm currently using). Working with such different families has been an enriching experience and I would definitely recommend it to others. Thank you Doorstep!




Sunday 5 July 2015

Moving on out

Will has now handed in his notice, which means I am allowed to actually publish the blog, HOORAY!! I was expecting some drama; we had hyped it up for months, talked about the various reactions and when the day finally arrived – nothing. Not a single raised voice or thrown stapler in sight. It’s for the best… I suppose.

Due to work shifts, we didn’t move out of our flat until Wednesday 1st. Mum and John set off from North Wales with the moderately sized van but as their journey continued south the temperature slowly crept up until it reached its peak at an impressive 37oC. As you can imagine the exchange of boxes and bags was a sweaty affair but only took about an hour and half. The harder part was still to come.


Cleaning two days after the hottest day of the year - it wasn’t pretty. We both stripped down to our bare essentials (my clothes would have been dripping in minutes) and set to work scrubbing and sweeping. I wasted a good bit of our time after I broke the shower screen and we struggled to squeeze it back together lest our precious deposit be lost forever! It was definitely a sight for sore eyes what with us in our underwear and the screen constantly slipping out of our fingers due to the amount of Flash I had applied… I also managed to punch a large hole into the bin but APART from that it was fine. So we have returned the keys and moved back to Ashford for the time being.


Things I will miss about Greenwich:
The ever changing architecture
Observatory Hill








































The easy access to art
PHOEBE ENGLISH @ NOW GALLERY

Made up of tiny beads, from far away it looks like a fishing net
I quite like the way the gallery lights left geometric patterns on the vitrines






 And the amazing food on the doorstep

Craft cafe, wood fired, doughy and crispy!

Had a small chunk missing so got an extra brownie free!

WE WON'T FORGET YOU!