The soul agreed it was worth it

Look, I know that I reassured my worn-out soul only days ago that I would stop dragging it about while I pursued adventure under the sticking-plaster title of education (when we all really know that I am a highly distractable character who can't sit still for more than ten minutes without the ADHD kicking in). But. I had my fingers crossed behind my back. 

By concession, I told the sulky soul how bad habits and routines are hard to break, so I would try again, but for now shut up. Knicker Drawers has been headhunted to appear at a Loveliness Festival 100 miles in that direction, so get in the car and stop grumbling.

The Loveliness Festival is exactly that. Lovely. Filled with lovely things and lovely people. Squirrel helped run the journey book activity at the stall, and showed me a part of her character I never knew existed before. 

For five hours she sat patiently explaining the concept of double-sided sticky tape to dozens of bewildered children. 

I can tell you, the handwriting and spelling of your average eight-year old is far, far better than mine. Pretty amazing, by anyone's standards. This shows, I think, how children are spending their time in school. On spelling and handwriting and not on footling with materials to see what they can do. 

Almost none of Squirrel's customers knew what double-sided sticky tape was, nor had any idea what it could be used for. (That included some of the adults, by the way.) I suppose you can be reassured or deflated by this observation. Your English education system is turning out people who can spell journey but wouldn't be able to survive in a crisis involving paper, string and leaves. 

But I like to feel that today, by our lovely presence at the lovely festival with the lovely books and the lovely activity, I helped inspire at least a few eight-year olds towards that fluid, unfathomable, directionless creativity; the activity which is otherwise disdained as that time-wasting, pointless, art and craft. 

Anyway, enough. It was huge fun, Squirrel earned herself a tenner, I sold books, the soul was glad they came along. If the Loveliness doesn't happen again next year, we shall probably cry. Here, have pictures.