Strategy Group, and Never on a Sunday doesn't apply.

Strategy Group was on Monday. This means leaving home at 2.30pm on Sunday and meeting up with the other National Officers (Bolton, Lowestoft, Barnsley, and Swindon) at a local hostelry near the NAHT HQ at Haywards Heath. This provides food and accommodation, and enables us to spend time going through current and forthcoming issues at length outside of formal meetings. A number of families across the Country are giving up family time to enable such meetings to happen. It's followed by a formal Strategy session at HQ on Monday with senior HQ Staff. One of the key debates is identifying the need for Government to understand that the NAHT is both a professional association and a trade union. We will continue to support our Members in raising standards of attainment of the new generation. Engagement between the DfE and us prior to announcements would improve legislation and it's impact. Five hours of meetings, including a teleconference, and it's back on the train for a three-hour working journey home. On the road for the rest of the week with five Heads' Groups, and Branch and Regional meetings across the South West.       

Christmas in the village

A snowy Christmas and an icy blast, but a fun family time. Also time with friends coming to share our first Christmas in this new home: The Old Chapel. James walked twice around the village taking in the animals - horses with jackets, ducks on ice, and the local male blackbird looking for food. James playing snowballs with Daddy in the snow, and arriving back for a hot chocolate with Mummy. Father Christmas drank his milk and ate a mince pie - James found the crumbs. Half an hour later we are all playing with a Hornby train set, new farm animals, and a helicopter. We finished the day with Fireman Sam books and a Little Red Tractor video. 
Awe and wonder comes in different ways, but we certainly enjoyed giving as well as getting. The Christmas Carol Service at St Mary's involved lighted candles. James didn't set anything on fire, but Fireman Sam must have been on standby.