Autumn

Miss L and I met Mrs C and Miss B at Stowe this morning. It was gorgeous!! I love it there at any time but it’s particularly special in Autumn.
We had a lovely walk after a bit of a rocky start. I didn’t realise Mrs C wasn’t a National Trust member when I booked tickets and the woman on the gate was determined not to let us pass and then we had to go and pay but the card machine wasn’t working.......) But all was well and we enjoyed our sneaky free walk!
Miss L and Miss B got in really well which was nice. They haven’t seen each other for months but picked up right where they left off. Brilliant.
We walked about three and a half miles round the lakes and then headed back up to the cafe for lunch for the kids and tea and coffee for the grown ups. Then it was home.
Miss L as usual had the windows open and music blasting out. She had my phone in her hand when an email from school came in. She clicked on it and read that there was some tragic news regarding the year 5 teacher. I told her not to read it and we’d see what it was when we got home. What are the odds she’d even see it - she’s never read an email from school before. Sigh.
The email said that the Year 5 teacher’s husband had died suddenly and unexpectedly a few weeks ago. The teacher is still on maternity leave with her newborn son, and has another young son who I think can only be three or four.
Miss W (as she was) was Miss E‘s teacher in Year One. She was very special and was brilliant for Miss E, recognising her ability, encouraging her, generally being very lovely. She was always smiling, always so bright and positive. Since then she’s got married and had two babies.
And now she’s lost her husband. She can’t be more than thirty three or four.
It’s so unfair. I can’t even think about what she must be going through.
The shit just keeps coming this year.