Years and years ago

Years and years ago I was given an Abba album by my brother.  Years before that he gave me the 7" black record of Vienna by Ultravox and some popcorn, years later in a final act of kindness he gave me away when I eventually married a friend of his.

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture ....

I adore my brother, he is 2 years older than me and has always looked out for me, sometimes it's through his fingers covering his eyes but he will always be my brother!  He placated mum when I got rusticated; he told mum I'd had my ears pierced; he once ran away when I thumped a contemporary of his at prep school.  Oh yes, he's my brother!

I always have sepia memories of my school days at this time of year.  The trunks would come out and we would sort out our school uniform, tuck and sometimes contraband.  I recall Mum driving us both to Malvern and we'd then set about starting a new school year!  Mine would be peppered with explosions of teenage love angst, my brother never expressed angst - only exasperation - possibly because I had the monopoly!

Now, years later and my own children are starting afresh in key stages and schools.  My smallest starts junior school where the other two had been, she leaves behind the comfort of the infant school that welcomed us when we arrived, crushed by the private sector and my old prep school.  The middle child goes up to the secondary school and joins the eldest who begins her GCSE years.  I admit I did shed a tear on the last day of the summer term as I dropped them to school! 

I hope in years to come my girls will look back on these days and remember their sisters with fondness and love.

School bag in hand she leaves home in the early morning ...