This morning I went to a ‘new arrivals’ coffee morning at the school – juniors, am doing it all again for seniors tomorrow. Deep breath, chin up, straight back, and dive in, I hate being new. But I recognised a member of staff who had helped us last week so I went and spoke to her first – turns out her husband is from Buckley and she is from Warrington, so that helped, and then she introduced me to somebody from Macclesfield. I feel quite the honorary northerner. And then I met the mum of the girl that Jenny made friends with yesterday, and the lady who we think will be our next-door neighbour when we move, so that was all fine. Quite nice to speak to people I am not related to, after a week of nothing else! I am very fond of my family, but.

Home, trawled the ATMs until I found one that worked, quick trip round the Japanese supermarket. So funny that the Japanese shop is the easy option here! Even if the nespresso section was unmanned so I am still unable to make coffee in the flat. Spot of lunch, spot of ironing (grr) then it was time to go back and get the girls again.

Tried to buy Tamsin a school cap (*nobody* in Y6 wears the hat, mum, they all have caps) but as the uniform shop does not take a card and does not give change (!) that was a bit of a flop.

The little ones seem to have settled right in. Jenny has two friends and four housepoints and I think Tamsin is working on making a friend. I don’t think the senior school is quite as easy but it is only day 2 so fingers crossed Maggie settles in soon. She had to go to a Mandarin lesson today but she says there are only two absolute beginners so they were put in a class with kids who can already speak some. Which does not sound ideal.