Scottish children had half term last week. However for reasons best understood by the education folk, teachers have an in-service training day always arranged for the Monday of the week following half term, so the children get an extra day's holiday. A bonus for pupils but it is an ill-thought-out arrangement because of the difficulties created for working mothers. They are the ones who are inconvenienced the most because they have to find an extra day of child care. More money from their salary and more searching around for someone to help out. Why on earth the teachers cannot do their quota of 5 in-service days a year during half term or the long school holidays beats me. They are not exactly short on holiday during the course of a year.
So today is an extra day for the crew next door and amid much whingeing and whining I managed to prize them away from gadgets with screens and get them out of the house and down to the beach in North Berwick. There is a coastal path which makes life a bit more interesting, especially with steep drops to rocks below, and children never want to listen to warnings about walking sensibly, but, amazingly, we all survived and they enjoyed themselves. They marked out a rectangle on the beach for a game of rugby,
had a half time break for hot chocolate and a snack
and then some hide and seek amongst rocks followed by the second half of the rugby match.
There were some good bits and pieces for me to photograph. The cormorants on the rocks weren't interested in the rugby, they were too busy looking across the Firth of Forth to Pittenweem on the far side.
And best of all I have finally found something to concentrate my efforts on for the second half of the term at Leith School of Art. I have dragged a broken lobster pot home. I will take it into the school next Thursday and hopefully explore all it's twists and turns during the course of the next few weeks. That journey should start with an interesting interlude on the bus down Leith Walk and along to the school!
So today is an extra day for the crew next door and amid much whingeing and whining I managed to prize them away from gadgets with screens and get them out of the house and down to the beach in North Berwick. There is a coastal path which makes life a bit more interesting, especially with steep drops to rocks below, and children never want to listen to warnings about walking sensibly, but, amazingly, we all survived and they enjoyed themselves. They marked out a rectangle on the beach for a game of rugby,
There were some good bits and pieces for me to photograph. The cormorants on the rocks weren't interested in the rugby, they were too busy looking across the Firth of Forth to Pittenweem on the far side.
On a dull day the yellow of lichen on the rocks brightened things up a bit.
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