I read the book quickly - it is very good as an overview of the issues and processes for developing a playground. I asked the school to buy one for the staffroom - I hope it might inspire them!

I went to a governors sub committee yesterday evening and presented my plans. Everyone is complementary about the plans - but I don't feel I'm getting much engagement yet - I 'own' it too much. I sensed from one comment that the staff think its nice but there is some scepticism about it happening. I understand that - it is hard to believe that it could happen, especially when there is no history or experience of such things. I know it will happen because I'm committed to it and when I commit to doing something I do it - even though I struggle with in on the way. And I did do it at Victoria.

There are !!! about the climbing wall - I realise I should call it a traversing wall - along, not up. There's a lovely picture of one in the book.

Today I went to Ashlyns to meet some year 10 students who need to do some community projects for a GCSE in citizenship. It's a new course so it's a bit experimental to me. In some ways I'm a bit sceptical about it as an acedemic activity but actually on reflection if they can carry through a playground project it'll give them some much more useful skills and experience than anything I did at that age! (such as parents in the future improving their children's playgrounds). There are two groups - the s group, who are keen. They used to go to TC, and quickyl decided to do a courtyard, which I wanted them to do. Some of the boys are a bit harder to engage, but we settled on doing a wildlife area. They all thought it was funny that I was proposing a staff garden - somehow they didn't think the teachers needed one! I left them with the plan and instructions to think about the projects and will meet them on site next week.

I also found myself advising a group of girls who are doing a project to renovate the garden area at Ashlyns. I'm pleased they are doing it as it's annoyed me everytime I've been there - It's a rather nice sunken garden detail full of horrid overgrown shrubs. It is quite ambitious though, though a lovely project.

I realise this is going to take quite a bit of work for me. Unpaid. However, I hope it will yield rewards, both in getting some projects done, and helping the students develop and learn - who knows, maybe it'll take some of them into careers. I suppose I'm doing my bit for the future and passing on my skills and culture, which I guess is the responsibility of old adults.

I've just discovered there is some odd editing going on - girl and adult have been deleted (not boy) - I guess it is our cybersitter, which has objections to all sorts of random words. I've switched it off and will see what happens now