We went to the hospital today for Zig’s appointment with her specialist and are returning tomorrow for her next treatment.  Lots of friends call in or phone to see how she is – she is such a dear person, everyone cares deeply for her and wants to help. The dogs have gone to stay with one friend for a couple of days.

I’ve spent much of my spare time on school stuff which can’t wait until I get home.  It’s a disconcertingly large amount of work.  The latest Governor’s Handbook, which I mentioned the other day, now has a recommendation that governors should serve no more than two terms of office in one school, then take their expertise on to another.  I can hardly describe how annoyed that makes me.  I’m involved with the school in my home town because I care about it specifically, as I did (and do) about the village school where I used to be a governor.  Why on earth would I choose to get involved anywhere else? It’s often frustrating and exhausting, which is not the school’s fault but that of successive governments and the local authority.  If it were not that I’m taking an active part in my community, I would have more time for enjoyment of things I want to do.   Once I finish my work at this school, I will be only too ready to put it all behind me – but I still have a job to do and I’m not quitting until I’ve done it.  I planned my leaving the village school for two years, with the intention that I would not be missed.  I’m well on the way to it again, having got an excellent successor lined up as the next chairman, with an equally fine vice chairman.  Then, one more year and I should be able to go.  It will depend on when I sell my house and leave, probably.

Of course, this is not to say that it’s a good thing for people to just stay in one post for the sake of continuity. It’s the balance that matters.  I remember, years ago, when I was the only person at my last school who had been there over five years and most were quite new, and it was not very easy.  We’ve had three new people join us in the last six months, out of eighteen altogether, and that’s fine, but if the proportion were the other way round, that would be little help to the school.  We all take our responsibilities seriously, but we are all volunteers, after all, and it’s not up to the government to dictate to us where we are to do that.