Class of 2009

It was Prom last night. The weather was perfect. The girls looked beautiful and the boys were incredibly handsome. The parents blubbed (well me, a bit!) and a great time was had by all. It was great, and hats off to school (again) for everything they did to make it so special - a huge awning over the main entance and a red carpet, the keystage head emceeing arrivals with really funny comments, the two teachers who took on the role of bouncers - ipods plugged into one ear and talking into their sleeves whilst 'checking' tickets - then a good old dance and an 'after party' at a friend's house and a sleepover which was really a crash where you fall arrangement and then a very large, very fried breakfast. How fun to be nearly 16 and have a Prom. I know it's an American tradition and it's infiltrated our traditions and I know that in terms of cost it can get incredibly silly. But it's been quite a good sort of closure really; Leaver's Day was so emotionally charged that the enjoyment of it all was coloured by how much it meant. Prom was just fun. Ours had choices - nice dresses and a 'do-it-yourself-transport', or a shared limo experience and the best we could do for a dress. Well, they certainly chose well. A decorated farm trailer pulled round the village on a vintage tractor thanks to a well connected chum was the most fun and definitely the best transport of the evening. The limos were fab to see, but windows were blacked out and all we could see was a big ol' car - no sign of the kids having fun inside. To be honest, it was all so exciting that this lot would happily have walked into the school drive - it wouldn't have mattered a jot. So if you have a prom to face in the coming years, take this advice - keep it balanced, don't allow stressy drama type behaviour over being the only one who doesn't have blah blah blah. Make it fun in other ways...the Class of 2009 that rode that trailer thing done up with balloons and crepe paper will never forget the fun, or have any regrets over a shiny limo! As for scrapbook opportunities - well, you can imagine! Watch this space as they say in really interesting, less self-indulgent blogs!