As she turned into Ragley High Street, she once again enjoyed the sight of this little corner of North Yorkshire. Outside the village hall the almond trees were in blossom, while the closed buds on the cherry trees were waiting for the trigger of life from the arrival of the warm days ahead. Daffodils and tulips brightened the tubs outside The Royal Oak and the weeping willow on the village green was flushed with new green leaves.

Lily parked her bicycle and walked across the playground, where Winnie Pickles and Edie Stubbs were playing two-ball against the school wall. Both their speed and their dexterity were impressive.

‘Good morning, girls. I used to do that.’

‘Can you show us, Miss?’

Lily put down her bag of books and picked up the two tennis balls. Hesitantly at first, but then with growing confidence, she began to bounce them against the wall.

‘Hey, you’re really good, Miss!’ said Winnie.

‘And so was I once upon a time,’ said another voice. Vera had arrived.

‘Perhaps Miss Evans would like to try,’ said Lily with a smile.

‘I seem to remember I did it with a partner.’

‘So did I,’ said Lily. ‘Let’s give it a go.’

Some skills are never forgotten, and when John Pruett pulled up in his car he saw his two colleagues giggling like schoolgirls amidst a flurry of tennis balls.

‘Good morning, ladies,’ he shouted from the car park.

Suitably embarrassed, Lily and Vera hurried into school.

‘There are some things you just can’t forget,’ said Vera.

There was a moment’s hesitation before Lily nodded and hurried to hang up her coat.

Big Dave had called for Little Malcolm on his way to school.

‘Are y’ready, Malc?’

‘Not yet. Ah’ve got summat t’show you.’

Little Malcolm’s aunty Maureen had brought him a present from Cleethorpes. It was a John Bull Printing Set and he looked at it in wonder.

‘Dave,’ he called, ‘come an’ look!’

Big Dave peered into the box. There was an inkpad and a stamper with little rubber letters.

‘Ah’ll ’ave a go,’ said Big Dave with the confidence of youth. Then he looked around furtively. ‘Where’s y’mam?’

‘In ’er shed mekkin’ ’er Devil’s Brew. It’s ’er new ’obby. M’dad sez it’s like paint stripper.’

‘So does mine,’ said Dave. ‘’E were poorly f’two days an’ me mam weren’t pleased.’

He picked up the letters carefully and thought of a word. Then he smiled and began to insert them on to the wooden block. Ah’m good at spellin’, he thought.

Little Malcolm had found his mother’s shopping list on the kitchen table. The reverse side was blank. Big Dave pressed the stamper on to the ink pad and stared at the row of letters. Then he pressed it firmly on to the paper, unaware that the letters had to be arranged in reverse order.