School

As the bustle of the school year gears up toward its grand, heated finale of forgotten shoes, overflowing knapsacks and armfuls of artwork heading homeward the mind skips backward to September; the last lazy days of summer to be savoured, crammed full of friends and late nights; the fresh school clothes waiting to be put on, lunchbags as yet unsquashed, unsmelly, thermoses still in their places.

I love the first morning, walking and gathering neighbourhood kids like a snowball until at the last corner we are a gaggle of parents and kids catching up - from last week, last night or all of summer in a few steps - before jumping in and joining the crowd in the playground.