Farewell to the Summer

I did my last day of working on a holiday programme today,back at Scoughall in North Berwick for a day of activities with 20+ primary age kids from across East Lothian schools. I was doing the archery again, whilst others did the assault course, the flying fox and beach games. Earlier in the summer I had spent a week over at Scoughall with an SU Camp and although it was maybe only 8 miles away, I really could have been anywhere. It's a great campsite for that has been handed over to SU for over 50 years by the farmers who own the land and 100's if not thousands of people have passed through it. In fact there was an nice piece in the paper the other day in the 50 years ago today bit, where it reported how boys on an SU camp at Scoughall had found human remains whilst climbing up cliffs near Auldhame. As I sat there on the very same camp site amongst kids of another generation reading about it, I was amused to think of how few (if any) health & safety rules were being followed then. Whilst there are sometimes good reasons for them today, I can't help think that they suffocate kids sense of discovery. Anyway, as the day closed today, a team of volunteers arrived to take down the tents. The marking where they once stood are all that remains to tell of the great holidays many kids (and adults) have had there this summer.

The teachers are back in school already. Despite having several weeks off and with the prospect of even more holidays in waiting, it always beggars belief that they even dare to attempt to squeeze a drop of sympathy out of civilians like us. I am however looking forward to working along side them all again, and this year I will be working with Stuart's class which should be good fun. Before then I still have 2 more days with the kids off school before sending them back to school. Andrew is now in secondary school, adding more sense of panic to my life as I try and work out 'where has it all gone?'

So it was a great summer really. Earlier in the year I had wondered what I would do to fill it. Tuscany was brilliant and enriching and I am working on writing it up on another blog for my own records and anyone else who might be interested. It was then a pretty full on second half. A week camp, a week long holiday club followed by another week long holiday club. Yesterday was my first day off in 3 weeks. With grey skies and a nip in the air I am grateful to the Scottish holidays being so much earlier. Well i suppose I should pack away my summer stuff and move on. Away with the shorts, the flip flops and the cool box. Out come the thermals and sensible shoes and a hat that keeps the heat in rather than off. Oh yes, and with some order to my life again, the running can resume once more.