A MAYISH HALF TERM

Half term round these parts, which means this morning’s train to Oxford is pleasantly spacious. It’s probably the best half-term for a jaunt too, as the weather is typically Mayish. You don’t get that with other half terms.

Mayish. It’s nearly June, if you can believe it! Anyway, the sky is forget-me-not blue, the morning sun is falling deliciously on the fresh green trees, and after last night’s rain, the air is new with promise. And the train’s empty.

I’ve not seen Bossman for a while. I wonder what happened to him? Perhaps he works on different days now, or perhaps he changed jobs? That would be so him.

Another good thing about half term is that Sammy gets to rest. I get the impression that school holidays for teachers are a bit like coming up for air, rather than swimming back to shore. It’s just enough time to breathe, enjoy the glinting sunshine of the overworld, before you have to dip back down under the murky waves. She’s doing okay - and she is resting; I find myself wishing she didn’t have to be in the ocean at all.

There’s an advert on this train I don’t understand. It’s a poster that says:

“Someone eating a tuna melt? There are no surprises when you switch bank accounts.”

Underneath there’s a picture of a giant clothes peg.

I guess it’s suggesting you can switch bank accounts like you can switch train carriages due to some antisocial food stench, but that doesn’t make sense because if I’m reading this ad, I’m in the same carriage, and if I’ve just switched here from another carriage then it’s highly unlikely that I’m still stuck with the smell of tuna melt.

And anyway, I quite like a tuna melt. It’s not that bad; they should have chosen egg sandwiches or chicken kyivs or something universally obnoxious for train travel - like the sound of someone else’s music or their personal conversation on speaker.

Speaking of marketing, I guess I’m nearly at work. It really is a lovely day - almost too good not to enjoy. Maybe this Mayish train journey is a kind of popping above the waves for me too. I like that I can take a leaf out of Sammy’s book and just enjoy every breath, every moment. Especially when the world is so beautiful, and there’s hardly anyone else on the train to Oxford.