Monday 18 August 2008

One of life's ironies

Squirrel, Tiger and Shark take to the fields with pitchforks and rakes. This hay making fest is a creation of the landscape services section of the local council. They would like school kids to stop lolling about at home, and get out into fields. We get out into fields most days, but I'm not telling them that.


After ten minutes of this performance, Grit plans to turn the hay-making experience into a bit of educational art history. If we're doing OK she'll then have a go at a discussion about the life of agricultural labourers in the eighteenth century. If the wind's sailing in the right scholastic direction, she may even try and get in a bit of the Peasant's Revolt.


Then the woman from the council turns up. She is very impressed. She doesn't know Squirrel, Tiger and Shark are home educated, and I don't tell her. She thinks they are a good example of how the landscape services section of the local council is getting schoolchildren into fields during their school holidays. She even suggests Squirrel, Tiger and Shark pose for a photograph so that she can use them in publicity shots to encourage children to find new things to do after school.

Well, Squirrel, Shark and Tiger are the only children who've turned up, so I can see her point. And since we have stuck up two fingers to their educational provision, I happily agree.

3 comments:

Catherine said...

It sounds like a very jolly summer for your family. And no rain in your photos either!

sharon said...

Sounds like the Parks Dept is after some cheap, ie free, labour to me. Should tie in nicely with the life of the agricultural peasantry.

Have thought of another idea for the Dolls House - use rubber stamping to make wallpaper, you can get lots of quite detailed 'background' stamps that will make splendid period wallpaper.

Unknown said...

Well, I ate my breakfast and read all about the history of women and pitchforks vs rakes. I would never have dreamed that this was a topic worthy of research.

Thank you Grit, I now feel home educated too.