Friday February 28th 2025

Dear Diary,

Today’s school visit was to Madresfield Primary. It was really frosty when I set off, but the reception I received upon arrival was wonderfully warm and welcoming. With fewer than 100 pupils at the school, my assembly was a very cosy affair. What’s more, there was a delightful echo in the room because George (who’d purchased a copy of WARNING: Magic Can Be Dangerous! prior to my visit) kept joining in every now and then as I read a couple of chapters aloud! And I was tickled by how many pupils responded to my narrator (who breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the reader). My first workshop of the day was for the Reception pupils in Robins Class. We’d set aside 45 minutes for their activity session, but had only anticipated them staying engaged for around 30 minutes. So, it was lucky I had some extra activities with me, as not only were they super speedy workers, but they were also still going strong all the way to the end of the session. Esmae really impressed me when it came to drawing incredibly odd Uncle John. She’d clearly been listening extremely intently during my assembly, as she remembered so many details about him! But with every pupil working so hard – despite their arms aching from all the writing they did – it only felt right to award each of them a certificate! My second workshop was for Buzzards Class – Years 5 & 6. These children also worked at the speed of light and produced some fabulous work. I especially loved Henri’s story about the Normal Normans. He’s a brilliant storyteller, and I have no doubt he’ll have books of his own published in the future! And he wasn’t the only budding author. The room was full of them. After lunch, it was time for me to visit Kestrels Class – Years 1 & 2. Someone who really stood out for me during this session was Huey. When a few of his classmates were reluctant to read their work aloud, he kindly stepped in (saving me from having to search for my glasses) and read them to me on their behalf – earning himself a Creative Champion certificate. I’m so pleased Phoebe allowed him to read me her story, as it was a real treat! As time began to run away with itself, I hosted the last workshop of the day, for Owls Class – Years 3 & 4. Just like in all the other sessions, I found the pupils incredibly engaged, polite, hard-working, and talented. Their teachers and I really struggled to decide who to give certificates out to in this session. And to be honest, every pupil at Madresfield deserved one today. (I keep upping the number of certificates I take on school visits, yet I still never seem to have enough!) Following some book sales in the playground after school (by which point my tired old brain could no longer remember how to spell any names… including my own!), it was sadly time to say my goodbyes. And it was a real wrench to leave.