After a long break from writing anything on this blog of mine, I’ve decided to post some of my Happy Thoughts.

I’ve come into work this morning feeling unusually chipper! I only have three days left at my current school and then it’s the SUMMER HOLIDAYS!! In September I start my new job as Second in Science in a school that is only 10min walk from my house (not sure if this will turn out to be a good thing!).

This last term has been a mixture of emotions and experiences. Losing my tutor group was a sad affair. I never realised, until they were gone, how much they have been an influence in my life over the past five years. They have been a constant source of entertainment for me. They have shown me compassion when I was sick, made me laugh when I was down and supported me when I tried to give up smoking. As a leaving present, they had a photograph of themselves framed with comments from each member. I very nearly cried! Also in the goodie bag was a 125yr anniversary Tottenham Hotspurs T-shirt, a Guinness mug, several corny ‘teacher’ poems, a soft toy, a wooden praying mantis model and written confirmation of my second Teaching Awards Certificate! In return, I photographed, mounted and framed each member of the group’s portrait and took them all out for dinner at Pizza Express. The dinner was a laugh and they all signed a Pizza Express paper hat as a reminder of the evening! I shall miss them all.

Today, I was presented at the door of the staff room with (what looks like) a very good bottle of red wine by a PE teacher colleague of mine. This was quite unexpected; however, I’m not complaining! She has been a solid member of staff at the school for nearly 25 years and, right from the start, has been a kind of mentor to me. My lasting memory of her will be when she slipped ‘off-piste’ during the ski trip. From my vantage point, it looked as if she had skied off of the mountain!! In fact, she had only fallen down a bank of soft snow. How I panicked that day, so, as a memento, I think I shall present her with a first aid kit during my leaver’s speech.

I have a lesson now so I shall sign off. It’s the 10W group, ‘W’ stands for Work Experience! You can probably guess the kind of children that are in this group? I will be copping out and watching the ‘Mystery of Life’ evolution video with them. Not a total waste as it is still ‘Science’, but a doss nonetheless.

Have a good day my friends.

These three photos show my new Figure 8 puffer fish going in for the kill (a bit of an exaggeration!!). I think that this is possibly one of the cutest beings on the planet, and it's a fish!!

I have chosen to post today on Schnee and Sleepy’s badg..advice. I have also setup a new flickr album called snap-attack, where you can view larger versions of these photos plus many more. Thanks for the reminder guys. I sometimes forget I have a blog!

Kind regards

Crisp-e x

A short break does wonders for the soul. I have just got back from Brussels with my girlfriend; we both love the city and thought that a re-visit was long overdue. The thing I love most about the city, apart from its friendly inhabitants and the Atomium, is the countless places to eat, drink and make merry. For those of you who have never been, you are missing out on a real treat. Every single restaurant, bistro and sandwich bar offers superbly prepared food that is fresh, tasty and of far superior quality to anywhere else in Europe.

So I ask myself, why is it that food in Brussels is set apart from the rest? The answer, I have come to realise, is a simple fact that is very much in tune with my own beliefs about the restaurant business…care and attention.

Belgians seem to really care about how food is prepared and served, and they are very keen to ensure that you have an enjoyable experience. I really value this and, therefore, will continue to go as long as I am able. Why this kind of service does not exist in our own country is beyond me and it is a question that may never be answered. I think that Brits generally seem far too ready to accept adequate quality and this may be because many know no better; however, I would like to see our Fair Isle follow suit with countries like Belgium.

That is why I really like programs like Master Chef and Saturday Morning Kitchen. Sleepy and I tend to talk about these programs a lot, which just goes to show how potentially inspirational they can be. We have plenty of talent in this country, so, come on peeps, lets get cooking and show the world that we Brits are a gastronomic force to be reckoned with. Ye roast beef of old England! Hurrah!