A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE

A Class oabout the same age in the U.K.

I have been asked, as the Grandfather of our dear Emily, to speak to her Class -Year I of Primary School  . The topic is to consider  life and times in my childhood and compare them to  the present day. There will be about 40 children.

I am looking forward to it very much. So much has changed that I am not sure that 6yr olds could take it in. The key will be to hook them in repeatedly with challenging questions, in my humble opinion. We shall see. Most 6yr olds seem pretty civilised,  its the precocious ones that are a worry for amateurs like me.

The invitation brought back many happy memories of my own Primary Schooling up to Year 4 at St. Peter Chanel's Convent School Berala.Memories of The Penny Catechism learned and recited by heart, times tables learned by heart , and both of them embedded in my brain so that to-day, I don't need a calculator to do simple shopping calculations like most of the young Shop Assistants, and when some expert idiot makes a heretical statement I know instinctively that he is wrong and where and why he is wrong.

Yes, I am looking forward to my encounter with 40 Little Australians, and to the effort to open their minds a tad , to interest them in the recent past. Quite a bit of preparation to do!

Most of all, I must not let Emily down. Interesting isn't it? At this age she is excited at the idea of her Grandad making an appearance before the Class, but a few years down the track she would no doubt be embarrassed at the appearance of any relative before the Class. It isn't easy growing up!