Here’s some advice. When you wake up in the morning thinking, “I fucking hate this job”, stop going. I did just that this year and I feel a LOT better. I’d worked at Vatel for nine years and, frankly, for the past couple of years they’d been taking the piss. Things really came to a head early in 2022 when, having asked for timetable changes for the previous two years, the changes were again refused on the grounds that “New teachers need those slots or they won’t come to work for us”, or some such nonsense. So experienced teachers with 9 years of seniority go to the back of the queue. Get lost.

I was, naturally, worried – very worried – about finding a job elsewhere, but soon discovered that there’s something of a shortage of English teachers around here. Lots of former teachers went back to England after Brexit since it became very difficult to work on the black, and left lots of jobs open. In the end I took on too much work and am, as recently as three weeks ago, still turning down job offers. So, as usual, I was worrying for nothing.

I now work in three new schools, only for whole or half days (no more “Come in from 9-11 then come back for another lesson from 5-6pm’“ rubbish), and in general they’re delightful. One has proven very complicated from an administrative point of view but, at last, they’ve started paying their bills. My morning drive takes me to Nimes just one day a week now, and for two or three days a week I drive to Montpellier along the Grand Travers, a narrow spit of land between the Étang de Mauguio and the Mediterranean.

It’s a beautiful drive, for 15 minutes with the sea on one side and the ponds full of flamingos on the other with the sun rising behind me in the morning and setting behind me in the evening. I don’t get to do it every day but I do love those days when I can take this route.

I’ve also had to start making my own lunches again; this is not really a hardship, and the canteen at Vatel was never that great. Some days I make an effort, other days – well, other days I don’t.

We went to England in the summer, the first time since 2019 and it was a real joy to see everyone. My father was in good spirits but seemed frail.

In London for the day we visited the Science museum. We also saw lots of the family and went to the Harry Potter studios which kindled the idea in Scarlett’s mind that she’d like to work building film sets.

The autumn brought LOTS of work for me, too much as I said, and lots of administrative problems. But most of all I’ll remember the autumn of 2022 for the half-dozen trips I made to England to visit my dying father, and then to come to his funeral, and all the travel problems that came with those trips. Flights cancelled, delayed, moved a hundred kilometres to another airport, trains cancelled, waiting on train platforms listening to a live commentary of the driver’s lunch…it moved from despairing through ridiculous to impossible. A few months I never, ever want to have to repeat. I had already had my fill of flying when I gave up journalism and I’m REALLY sick of it now. Flights are to be barely tolerated, they are impossible to enjoy.

We ended the year at Karen and Martyn’s for Christmas, the first time since 2019 and one of my favourite moments every year. I – we, the sisters and me – we love their welcome, their home and their company. We had Christmas lunch at Matt and Helen’s, a new tradition for us. May it continue for a long time to come.

Happy New Year, everyone.