Well - the funny noise in the car is just that - a funny noise. Nothing serious, so that's a relief.

It was 'bad hair day' at school no 1. And end of SATs - so noo-one was really in the mood for playing the violin.

Got to school no 2 to find a note:-

"Dear Kate,

Could you take your first group down to year 2 and give them a concert and presentation about playing the violin and encourage some of them to start next term? Sorry not to have given you much notice"

Much notice indeed! Any notice would have been nice. Still - the first group did marvellously well - played 4 pieces and fielded questions from small people about violins. They even coped when year two sang along with Happy Birthday and Twinkle Twinkle.

It was the last day at school for the GCSE year at school no 3. Therefore there was washing up liquid on all the banisters, paint on the loo seats and stinkbombs in my corridor. Ah! Maybe that's why I've been sneezing...?

Charlotte was not impressed that I had asked her group to buy themselves the grade 2 music from the music shop in the village. "It's a rubbish shop Miss - they don't even sell music at all - they just sell skateboarding clothes!"

Well - I suppose they would - and maybe the cool looking shop next door sells music...? No - that would have needed an eye for a shop name, or some initiative, or something.

It was hot today.

My car radio has stopped working - the volume has set itself to off and won't move. It may be the lack of music which has enabled me to hear a disturbing and possibly clutch related noise in my car. Hmmmm....

Seemed to be rushing around like a mad, but tired, thing today. Started 6 new beginners at school No 3. Lots of:-

"Miss, Miss - is this my violin to keep now? Miss, Miss, this bow doesn't work. Miss... Shane's got his upside down. Miss.... This bridge is - oh - it isn't glued on... Miss...... "

One is autistic, one has behavioural problems. Oh joy! And after I specifically asked "Is there anything I should know about this list of children?" "Noooo, noooo - all lovely bright, co-operative kids"

5 minutes at home between school, picking up Becky's repaired violin and taking it to her lesson. That's one re-glued fingerboard coming out of a small girl's pocket money!

Wednesday

Had to report 3 year 9s to the head of music today for barging into my teaching room, being rude to me and refusing to leave. They know very well that I am not allowed to physically move them out of the way, so they think they can get away with being ill mannered and obnoxious. Is it the hormones? Is that really a valid excuse?? They'd done the same to the guitar teacher. Drum teacher's advice.... "Well - just lock your doors". Surely you shouldn't have to do that?

Only saw 3 people at that school anyway - which in 2.5 hours is pretty slack going. Spent half an hour of the time responding to Clarice's note though. The piece of paper said:-

"Dear Miss,

When you get a minute could you look at my cello? Cos the bridge has come off and so has the A string.

Clarice"

No idea how that bridge came off. Maybe the same force that knocked the soundpost down on the last cello she had. And I do wish she hadn't sellotaped the broken string to the varnish on the front of the cello. Mind you - it was still slightly less stressful to deal with than the note which said, "Dear Miss, Please don't kill me but I have sat on my violin and bust it". That week was fun.

Competing with trumpet playing at my second school, and two little fiddlers who announced that they were playing in assembly next week. "Oh really? What are you going to play?". "Umm...... don't know". Marvellous!

Met a new pupil this evening. Her dad wanted to check that she was sure before they went and bought a 1/10th size violin. Awww - sweet! She was very cute, and another very loved child. Father used to play the viola and we managed a duet of Old Macdonald, to show Grace what she'll be doing in - well - a year or so's time. She's taken away a starter violin / colouring book. I hope she'll be back!

Ooh - well that was nicer than yer average Tuesday.

Went up to Brum for a lesson with Helen. First time in over 9 years that I've paid someone to cast a critical eye over my playing. All very encouraging though. Bit of Brandenburg 6 to warm up with, then a bit of Berkeley and some Bach movements set to work at. Points learned include swimming butterfly stroke, breathing, rolling shoulders, wrapping and unwrapping, thinking of the lower string and other apparently unrelated items. Applying to decent orchestras is apparently not out of the question. We both agreed that my previous (and fondly remembered) teacher was exceptionally good at his job, and that his untimely death was deeply sad.

Lovely house, lovely area, same bathroom tiles as me (strange) and a nice cup of tea.

Returned via Cheltenham for lunch with parents and to pick up what I thought was going to be a half size violin. Turns out it's a 3/4 size, which needs a lot of work to make it playable. Took it to see Nick in the violin shop, and he suggested I either treat it as a small investment - do it up for a couple of hundred pounds and have a 'nice little instrument' worth about £600, or persuade the workshop to let me have a couple of small violins for half price.

Nuala's funny. She is very clingy with parents, but as chatty and confident as anything when they've insisted they are leaving her to let me do my worst for 45 mins. And Emily burps when she sings.

Dear me!

Nearly phoned the office today to tell them that I refuse to teach in my Monday afternoon school. I had a mutiny from year 4, because violin is now at the same time as puzzle club and I'm not as nice as Mrs Bowen, and they will only carry on doing violin if they can play Au Clair de la Lune every week for the rest of their lives and never do any practice. All apart from Molly, who is a good little creep and likes me very much.

There was a sausage on the floor where I was teaching today. And a squashed baked bean. And eventually I found out that I could have been teaching in the library after all. I only found that out when I was told I couldn't use the staff room after I'd moved from the kitchen. Do you see the problem?

Saw my part time grownup pupil this morning to run through the stuff she's doing in her chamber music club. Sad to lose a morning off, but she's never hard work - which is why I haven't told her that I've put my fees up.

At the end of the after school group, the office phoned me. Julia wants me to be the mug who leads the massed violins into battle next month. She will 'have a chat' about my problem school. She also wants to hijack my after school group for extra rehearsals. Well - that's OK I suppose - at least I'll get a reasonable number turning up.

Finally did a bit of practice before my lesson tomorrow. Ooh dear. I really should have had that bow rehaired. Still - see what happens...