If you are a parent and have ever volunteered to go along as a helper on a class excursion then you will know what I mean by that heading. I congratulate the teachers as they really come up with some very inspired choices for these outings; when I was a kid we went to boring places like art galleries (the meaning is lost on kids unless the paintings are of funny looking nudes…) and the local shopping centre. These days the kids get out to see some very interesting places.

Today we both went along with James’ class for a tour around the fire station at Belfast’s George Best City Airport and I have to say we had a ball! okay so Arnold was the only Dad among us three Mums but I think he enjoyed that aspect…he was a bit of a novelty you see.

But we got to see the fire engines and crew who man the emergency services at the airport and we even got the fireman to drop down the sliding pole a few times which the kids thought to be the highlight…I thought they only did that in the films. We also saw around the Watchroom which has a front row seat on the runway – and despite there being a big green button in the middle of the control panel saying EMERGENCY PRESS! none of the kids were tempted to press it. Though I had to ask what it did…

I have been on school trips with my older sons and had to take stress leave afterwards – try supervising a group of five seven year old boys for a day at a pioneer park and then tell me you’ve experienced more stress elsewhere!