Having recovered from the two week festivities, I took great pleasure today in filling in the personal details section in my new diary - in my best handwriting, of course. This is my everyday working, appointments type diary, rather than my page-a-day journal which runs July to June each year.

As you have probably just done the same, may I just make a plea to all of you ....

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RECYCLE !!

Don't throw the old one away. An old diary is a wonderful source of inspiration and memories which can be used to prompt new writing. At the very least it lends a year's perspective to bygone events.

In the first week of January 2007 I was about to take up a contract in a local(ish) secondary school to tide me over a couple of terms. Looking back at the entry - 8.30 am Boxmoor - now makes me laugh and brings back some wonderful memories; I also remember how scared I was at the time - a sort of stage fright I guess; teaching is much akin to improvised drama in front of a classroom full of savage critics and only thrilling once you get it right, always triumph or disaster, with little in between. So yes, I was scared, but rightly so I think.
I left in July having made a raft of new friends among the teaching and support staff and with new insights into well loved texts and poetry offered by the students.

This year I am going to use my 2007 diary and look back on each corresponding week and see what it throws up. Enough of the throw away society; I'm going to recycle last year and see it I can make anything out of it.

Who knows what gems you've got stored in yours.