At 1 o'clock I looked out of the window & saw it was a spectacularly sunny February day - a pleasant surprise after the uninterrupted grey skies & rain. Why not go for a walk? (The usual pre-work stroll around the neighbourhood had to be cancelled after the traffic jam on the Ring - one car on its roof, another spun off into the woods ... nasty).

Almost furtively I put on my hat & coat. Ridiculous, given the number of times colleagues sign out on 'errands' real or imaginary. But that's the absurdity of school life - the regulated atmosphere rubs off on you, it's as though you're playing hookey. Meanwhile, in the 'real' grown up world, people are out buying sandwiches, going to the bank, all sorts of exotic & daring things.

Out in the fresh air, I start in on my usual route & then think to hell with it - why not carry on? I take a right on the path along the side of the fields & find myself heading out towards Lasne. One road leads into another. A slight sense of panic ... what if I were to get lost? What would happen to my class? I start formulating excuses ...

Then a main road ahead: I recognise the shops. Turn right again & I'm back on familiar ground. Looking at my watch I see it's only 1:30. Plenty of time. Past the dentist ... the chemist ... the string of shops ... swipe the card at the gate & ... back in my room. 1:45 on the clock.

There's the usual milling about in the corridors, slamming of doors, shrieks of laughter & passing conversations. Someone has dumped their bag on a desk to then go off for lunch. Not a soul has noticed my little act of liberation. I'm tempted to send an email & share the secret with a few trusties. But why? It wouldn't do to have everyone stomping around the neighbourhood. Better far, to keep it to myself. & you, of course.