Back to school!

It’s happening at last, dear friends: I’ve started on my first Welsh class! I’d been waiting for this for two years, but of course it wasn’t possible during Coronavirus because all the face-to-face courses had been scrapped. I’d been learning with books and CDs and online with Duolingo, but it’s just not the same. Now, though, lots of adult courses are offered again by schools and universities, and Holyhead has got its own Welsh class for beginners – and what’s more, my ‘school’ is just two blocks away from our flat!

I’d already got my course book, of course, and a folder and notebook and pencil case, and my darling husband gave me his vintage briefcase from his days as a duty solicitor in South London as a schoolbag – so I was all ready to go!

Before the first lesson, I revised right from the beginning – all 29 letters of the Welsh alphabet…

But then, on the great day, came the anxiety: what is it going to be like, what are our teacher and my fellow pupils going to be like – and what is my Welsh pronunciation, which I’d almost never practised outside our home, going to be like?? Very soon, though, my worries were dispersed – our teacher is indeed very nice and competent and patient, and my fellow pupils (all nine of them) are also very nice people, and in no time we were having lots of fun learning. I can’t wait till the next lesson!

So, dear friends, if like me during lockdown you started thinking about taking up an adult class in something – be it a new language, arts, music, history, handicraft or whatever else you’re interested in – but haven’t gone through with it yet, just have a look online at offers for classes near you, I’m sure you’ll find something. They’re not terribly expensive, either; mine was £90 for a whole season – not that much money, really, for mastering a whole new language, a skill that might come in handy not only for social contact but also for new job possibilities!

Don’t hesitate to embark on an adventure like this, dear friends, it’s a great way of passing your time learning something, meeting people and also enhancing your self-confidence. Going back to school is a lot of fun!