A new beginning.

Except for the dusty windowless hole with the metal bookshelves on which textbooks are piled high and two deep, all the rooms are shiny and clean. The walls have been painted new, to cover up messages - some rude, some loving - left by last year's pupils. When they return, much changed by more than six weeks of holidays, this year's pupils will find that some things are different - one girl has left, there are new teachers and new classes, but on the whole school is school and after a couple of days when all the news has been exchanged and chewed over, the holidays will be a distant memory.

Monday.

The party and cake were enjoyed by all.