the evenings getting darker and even the word September……

The weather getting better. The sun always seemed to come out within 10 minutes of sitting down in the classroom on the first day back!

Blackberries growing on the side of the road. Always new it was nearly time to go back to school when they started growing.

Taking the pins out of the new school shirts. Discovering plastic copy covers. Wrapping the school books with wall paper, taping it up and then realising the pattern is all crooked.

For me it would have to be porridge and Ready Brek!

rose of tralee, always hated the bloody thing and to me it always signaled the end of the summer and back to school

The Oxford mathematical drawing set!!

Traffic.

Sandwich spread sandwiches wrapped in Brennans bread paper. And of course the ubiquitous copies wrapped in wallpaper…the more flocked the better!

Half decent weather!

A clean school bag.

When I was in primary school it was Glenroe being back and then when I hit secondary, London’s Burning…. As soon as both where over it was bed time and the ‘oh crap I’ve no homework done’ feeling

All Ireland hurling final – it was nearly always on the day before first day of term

Watching Where in the world with Teresa Lowe, followed by Glenroe, and awoken by the big breakfast theme tune.

For me it the Minute Puck Fair ended. Growing up there my whole life and still to this day, I always think , thats it now the summer is over and back to school.

Washing out the pencil case and getting new stationary and copies!

The beginning of hand cramps from school rules.

Stupid traffic in the morning and having to now leave for work 15 mins earlier again due to all the mammy’s dropping off their little darlings. 15 minutes, I shall miss you in bed.

Roadworks.

Always wait till school starts up again before the roadworks start aswell

Glenroe…for me it was that awful show on tv3 heartbeat…the definition of Sunday night..yuck!

Me mudder saying I’ll soon have you back in school so get out yer bag and I’ll give it a wipe, this was a stomach Churner for sure .

The sense of tension and anxiety in the air, from fellow students of course.

Not being allowed to wear sandals anymore and instead having to wear big heavy black shoes with long grey socks.

In Primary School we all kept our books on our desks in those blue plastic boxes they display mushrooms in in Tesco. I’ll always remember going early to get mine before there was a rush on them.

Uggy, the teacher who fought in the Vietnam war and didn’t receive any counselling. As far as I know, he still has my teachers copy of Shakespeare’s Henry the eight. The terror in his eyes is something I’ll never forget. I wish him well.

the smell of a new school book.. school books have a smell.. you know it