The important years. 1st Part
1970-born in Oxford. Father finishing degree at University. Mother,qualified teacher, now stay-at-home mum.
1971-family moves to London,where Dad joins the Foreign Office. Living in attic flat of large detached house belonging to eccentric but kind couple of father and daughter Professors. Links with L.S.E., most radical Uni in London.
1972-cost of living too high, Mum decides she has to work. Also move into ‘urban commune’ in Wembley with some friends. Well,it’s the seventies after all!
1972-1976-exciting formative years in multi-cultural environment. Jamaicans to the left,Asians to the right! Even my lovely child minder is Asian. We’re all on a learning curve. Dad disillusioned with F.O. and decides to join Mum in a teaching career. Life is good, the music’s great, the food’s delicious. I have never lost my love of Indian food and at the age of 4 or 5, the hotter the better!
1976-my horizons broaden. Parents arrange exchange with 2 French teachers and we’re off to a small town in the Loire valley. Exciting stuff,but no one told me I’d be thrown into a French school and told to get on with it. My folks obviously thought it was the same as swimming! But it only took me 3 months to become fluent in French.The education system was/is very formal,but they sure taught me how to read and write perfectly.
1976-Back to London and my English Primary school,where if you felt like playing in the sandbox,you did! Everything was child-centred,open plan and bordering on chaos! Back to playing with my Asian friends and trying to avoid the big girls at school, who, for some reason, seemed intent on beating me up! Bullying at school is nothing new,but for me,that’s all water under the bridge.
1978-probably the most important year in the history of my family.My parents were on the move again. This time to Algeria, that is before the Islamic Revolution. But as my parents were to find out,there were rumblings! Me left behind with relatives,while parents drove to North Africa in a camper van. A whole book should be written about what happened there!Very quickly found themselves back and docking in Almería. Civilization found! On arrival in Málaga the soul searching decision…..back to England or stay in Spain? THEY STAYED!Hip HIP Hurrah!But I’m still in England,no idea of my parents’ whereabouts and fighting with my cousin!
1979-After 6 months,finally reunited with my family.Imagine my joy to find them living in Pedregalejo Alto in the grounds of another large house,owned by a Belgian lady …and here comes the good part…Over 20 CATS!!!Ecstasy!! But one big problem. School! I knew they were going to do that ‘swimming’thing again. I was pulled kicking and screaming by my poor Dad into the Spanish education system. I wish I could say it was a happy experience. Yes,at 8yrs.old, it took me 6 months to learn Spanish and I was given a wide , thorough education, but it wasn’t ’til my final year that I made the best friends of my life.Even now we’re all in touch and socialize regularly. They were my life savers.
Just a touch of pride here….’Juana la Loca’ got the 2nd highest mark at Selectividad in the class. Not a great mark,but la Loca done good!…say my Mum and Dad.
1988 Finish school. Swore I would NEVER teach. Everyone but my parents said it was the obvious thing to do,but a reluctant teacher is a bad teacher. Yet needed to make a contribution. Became social worker.
1998. Had to stand in for my mother. Thought it was going to be a temporary thing but…GOT THE SURPRISE OF MY LIFE!
I have had the chance to discover what teaching really invloves and I have been hooked ever since.
…to be continued.
