Awkward.....

I went to a Year 7's Parent's information evening at Lola's school.

At the end, I met her form teacher. All went well. Turned out she did her teacher training at Wood Green School, Witney. Small world an' all that! So I know where she's come from, she said in a loaded way though I wasn't entirely sure what the load was.

Then I met the Headteacher. Didn't go so well.

We'd been asked to fill out feedback forms about how well we thought the school had helped our daughters to settle in. As the Head was going round collecting in the forms, she stopped to chat to me. Then she reached out her hand - I thought to shake my hand but actually just to take my form - and we had this excruciating, bumbly, twisted, cack-handed hand-shake where I had hold of only two of her perfectly nail-polished fingers and was moving them up and down vigorously.....until I realized my mistake.

Oh sorry, I blurted. I thought you were trying to shake my hand but you weren't, were you?..... I did think it was a funny sort of handshake! I added, in my best cheeky, chirpy, Cockney voice, trying to lighten things up.

Cool as a cucumber, she smiled a smile that was actually a grimace and walked away.