— 10 Jul 2023, 23:41 by Alex Hardy
Monday 10th July, 2023
I am beginning today's contribution shortly before lunch and woefully ignorant of exactly what has happened thus far, so I will do the best I can for now and fill you in once my colleagues and I can share notes.
The boys slept a good 10 hours, this I can say with safety, and after breakfast the Years 5/6 went off to 'circus skills' with Mrs F and S, while Mrs C and I explored Avallon and Mrs W stayed here with the Year 7s who did a variety of Frenchie things, like learning about the local area, archery (the French, remember, were great at blocking arrows in the Hundred Years War) and learning a song about an elephant on a cobweb. If you want to give them a nice surprise on their return, sing them this and see if they recognise it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns92r5TQH3k
This afternoon, the groups will swap round with a neat rotation of staff too.
Of course, I have left out the main event of the trip so far, which is my discovery of something called Inch to Gram, or something - Mr Taylor texted me and told me to use it, which caused some considerable angst, let me tell you. Last night, I was so proud of myself when I took and downloaded a photo of the MCF, only for Mrs Corrigan this morning to send me a dozen messages telling me how to improve on this, include things called 'hashed eggs', gawd helps us, it sounds totally impenetrable. But, dear parents, there is nothing I won't do (apart from not avoid using double negatives) to keep you happy and appraised of all that is happening (as I have already proved, you will agree.
....
It is late afternoon now and dinner beckons. Already, I feel the pounds pouring onto the midriff. The circus skills all went well. There was a bit of an issue with an escaped elephant, but the Year 7s chased after him, and after a few mishaps, got him back. The archery was as popular as ever with boys popping balloons from a safe disctance. As I type this, Bel has taken over the Innocent Gran and is making a list of pictures with hearts to load as 'favourites' to post in a moment. Sounds like gibberish. Before you all start wondering why there are no photos of the archery, we had to choose between having the camera stay with one group all day to cover the full panoply of activities, or get both groups photographed as much as possible. Apologies if there are not pictures of your BS (for those who like Mumsnet), we can't please all the mothers all the time, but we are trying, we really are. And more to the point, I am praying with all my heart that Mrs Corrigan is pleased, it is why I get up in the morning.
The food here is really something, it must be said - like going to a cosy restaurant for a three course meal twice a day. As I finish typing this for the day, they are charging around the field, playing football, volleyball, table tennis and that is just my colleagues. Soon the bell will go for the annual jigsaw challenge, results in the morning! It is hot, hot, hot, hot, hot. Tomorrow is the Big Day, with Vezelay and kayaking, I am so excited!
