Return To Never Never Land

On Friday afternoon I was back somewhere I thought I would never return to after nearly ten years. No, not Brit Pop, but my old grammar school.

I usually enjoy re-visiting places of the past, as you remember how it used to be, can see the changes made over the years and you leave contented.

I return to my primary school every few years to vote and it brings back happy memories and I usually bump into someone I know which brings back a flood of internal snapshots and escapades that have been filed away in storage.

But grammar school is different and after leaving the shady corridors of teenage awkwardness I never wanted to go back. I really only enjoyed my last two years there after spending 5 years as a social pariah, slowly building up friendships. It was difficult at first because I, like my brother, was the only person from my primary school to go to this school and the vast difference was overwhelming.

But I digress.

The reason I was back was because I needed to pick up my A-level certificates. I know, I know. What the deuce? Having gone straight from school to University and gaining a degree, it has superseeded any prequisite for needing A-levels and I've always gotten by through producing receipts of my results. However, I thought it might be handy to pick them up now or never as I'll be off to New Zealand soon and unable to do anything about it.

I was also surprised that they haven't been thrown out by now either. Nevertheless, after a quick phonecall to Student Records, they confirmed my certificates were in storage and I could pick them up that afternoon and I after ten years, I finally have my A-levels.

And I'll never have to set foot in that place again.