• When last I visited Ysgol Y Foryd, I think it was still called Towyn Infant School. They still have the drawing and pictures that I did up on the walls – it’s always interesting to see them! I left behind a couple of big books last time. The Libraries recued them for me and I was finally reunited with them yesterday – and very pleased to be too – I only ever had one copy of Slug Makes a House, and it’s such fun to read in the big edition.

    It’s unusual to meet a male Early Years teacher, and Mark Patterson made an impression on me last time I visited. He has a wonderful way with the children. I watched him work the electronic white board, flipping from a photo of me drawing to a drawing program, he got a child out to draw on the screen as I’d shown them how to do. Instant electronic recording and teaching – just what the electronic whiteboard does really well.

    You can see the pictures at their website here.

    Thanks a lot for a great day everyone, especially ElenHaf Jones, from Conway Libraries, who sorted everything out and “minded” for the trip! Remember to get town to the Library, borrow all my books and make Elen happy!

  • I’m off to visit the Sir James Henderson School in Milan next week. It was all sorted, then EasyJet cancelled my filiht back to Bristol Airport. I then had to rebook with British Airways. Their flights suited me down to the ground, although I had to stay over at Heathrow the night before to catch the cheap early flight, it meant I got the rest of the day to have a look around.

    Then cam the dreaded email from BA, this week, to tell be the flights had been cancelled because of the strike.

    My brain is not working too well today, but I’ve managed to rebook. I’m now flying from East Midlands! I’m hoping that it’s third time lucky and everything will go nice and smoothly this time… cross fingers for me!

  • Here’s a new drawing lesson – how to draw a whale. I’ve learned a bit doing this. Cetaceans are warm blooded mammals and the skeleton of their front flippers show that they once lived out of the water and had forearms with five digits. Returning to the water, their back legs almost disappeared. There are vestigial bones to show that they once had them and a pelvis too. That is why the Whales tail is different to a fish. It is horizontal. A fish tail is vertical. So now you know!

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