Wednesday 17thJuly

After a break of a few years I seem to be surrounded by young children again, both my partners and my own grandchildren.  They are charming and no matter what we, the older generation, think about the lack of discipline our own children display, they are not really bad at all.  At my Mum’s party at the weekend they were delightful, and despite my partners fears were great with the dogs, taking it in turns to walk them round and round the house until the dogs, weary and exhausted took to hiding behind chairs for protection.

And today, entering Mile End tube station I saw a whole class full of five or six year olds.  Walking excitedly in pairs, holding hands, black and brown and Chinese and Indonesian and all races and colours in between; there were even one or two white kids in there somewhere.  They all had sun-hats on, caps and floppy white cotton ones.  They wore a delightful school uniform of khaki shorts and white T-shirts and were having the time of their lives.  The few teachers had little to do, but shepherd them along, they were so well-behaved.   I just had to stop and look at them, such a delight to see this crowd of happy integrated faces unafraid of the world.

And despite all the stupid press and attacks from Government ministers they are being taught well; a hell of a lot better than I or my children were anyway.

And these smiling little faces are our greatest treasure, they are our future.  I am already at the age where I feel like letting go.  My own kids are all grown up with families of their own.  I no longer feel any real responsibility for them, just a slightly sidelined, but no more genuine for that, abiding care for their well-being – and even more importantly for their children’s well being.    There may be a lot wrong with the world as readers of this blog will need no reminding, but the future is safe with these children.