Wot, no cheese???

Lawd.. where to start!!

Today's good I reckon cos what with my having the short term memory of a wombat, if I don't get it down now... it'll be shuntd by me brain into the nether regions, never to be heard of again!

I went to work... topiaried a Yew, didn't declare undying love to anyone by saying "Oh I love Yew.." Always good... then I went off around alllllllllllllllllll the schools in the town, in my capacity of the schools er... what to call it... dragging them in really, coordinator for the In Bloom Committee..... first school, primary, county run.. bloody marvellous, an allotment and a nature trail.. school 2.. similar, kitchen garden beds all dug out ready for planting... my school, well not mine, the one where I do the Gardening club I know will enter cos I entered them... note to self.. tell Head...

School, oh I forget which number...really impressive cos only opened last term and a kitchen garden was already being sorted out, so they'll be up and running by the time the Judges get here.... onto the local Comp, which is a truly excellent school... but the Head was in Court...

SO I beat a hasty retreat and left me phone number for her... then I arrived at the steely gates of one of the private Schools.... wow...hmm... gulp..... six hours later, having driven through a Park... I arrived at Reception which took me 4 hours to find.. *sigh* and was greeted by a very unfriendly, sneery receptionist who informed me that "we don't do that sort of thing...." and grabbed a passing pupil to interrogate and make sure that "we don't do that sort of thing"....

However they would "allow" us to drive the Judges through the Grounds to admire the work done by their groundsman... but no, sorry we need kids with dirty finger nails, weeds coming outta their ears, hoes hurled about the place and a look of glee... and it was the same in the other 2 Private er.. Establishments I visited... not the World's most welcoming of places I have to say... but then I guess I am one of the rabble...

And this got me to athunking.... these 'ere kiddies who are at these Schools cos of their parents so you can't blame them, and I imagine they do offer a remarkable education, and to be frank I know this cos I went to one... and nope, didn't get a choice, at the age of 11 you go where you are told... so whilst I can read grave stones in Latin... dead helpful...I far prefer and advocate the Real education of the Comprehnsive System... but I digress. there's a surprise... Now surely.. if we don't grab these younger kiddies at an early age and impress on them the importance of sustainable planting, how easy and healthy it is to grow your own veg and flowers, the health benefits of playing in the dirt, the satisfaction you get when you dig yer first tatties, the complex and startling relationship between all things living.... then what is the point????? Aren't we just producing yet more daleks for the future? And as to the private schools, these pupils are future Prime Ministers, Ministers, Business people, Professors etc etc.. or opt outs.. could go either way.... but I find it incredibly sad, remiss and darn right irresponsible of these institutions not to be pushing forward with the Global message, and I feel really sad for these kids who probably won't get to play in the dirt... cos everyone needs to play in the dirt don't they?

Speaking of which, I'm now off to go playin my dirt...! WHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!