About Julia

I’m Julia & live in the South West with my wonderful husband. I retired as the Headteacher of a primary school in July 2008. I have got an occasional series called ‘Tales from the Heads Office’ about some of my stories

The first 6 months were very hard, especially as I suffer from anxiety. It was an opportunity for the demons to flood in!

Now though, I’m on the way to building a new life! I’m a school governor which allows me to put something back. I’ve rediscovered cooking & found that I’m not bad at it!

This blog is a chance for me to share what I put on the blank piece of paper entitled ‘Life After School’. My husband is supporting me with some fantastic photographs for The Gallery which is a weekly meme developed by Tara Cain. I have had a go at doing some creative writing & these can be found at Writing Workshop &  Saturday Centus.

The rest is fun & silliness. It is for retired folk who are not ready to be retired who want to share their adventures. It is for all whether young in age or just heart! Join me on my journey!

If you’d like to contact me you can via email or Twitter or Face Book

Since July 2010, I have branched out & set up two more blogging spaces. The first is the new home for ‘Tales of the Head’s Office’. It now has it’s own blog & can be found at ‘The Head’s Office’

The other space is for photos. I have set up a blog to take part in Project 365. This is a photo a day for the whole year! Not sure if I will make it but do pop along to see how I’m doing! You can find it at The Head’s Office Posterous 

95 thoughts on “About Julia”

  1. Thanks so much for my lovely Secret Post pressie! And apologies for the late reply – life, work, a toddler, and terrible morning sickness all conspired to keep me from my email!!! Plus, I put your lovely card somewhere safe, then it took me a week to find it again!! xx

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  3. Don’t “retire.” “Re-inspire” is the name of a 6-week class I took recently, confirming the reason I blog. Exercising the mind and creating a sounding board for all kind of special causes, including a written record for some relative who may want to know what made this Child of the 60s still feel like a kid “in” his 60s.

    Nice to have stumbled here. Hope to leave bread crumbs to insure I find my way back.

    michael j

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  6. Don’t “retire.” “Re-inspire” is the name of a 6-week class I took recently, confirming the reason I blog. Exercising the mind and creating a sounding board for all kind of special causes, including a written record for some relative who may want to know what made this Child of the 60s still feel like a kid “in” his 60s.
    +1

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  7. Love your post about Swanage, it makes me realise just how far away we are from the coast. I love the seaside, especially all the little coves in Cornwall, but we haven’t been for years, it’s such a long way! After reading your piece though I might make the effort.

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  17. Hi Julia,

    Many thanks for your comments on my blog and for your support for a fellow “retiree”. I shall bookmark your blog and be following in the future.

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  18. You know, my mom retired in Sept of this past year and has really struggled with finding her footing. I try to do what I can to help with her anxiety but I wish there was more I could do. I hope she finds a way to look at things as a new adventure and redefine what she feels she is or what she needs as both she now looks at with less than rose colored glasses. I think I’ll start to hug her more and go from there.

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    • Hugs are wonderful! It is very difficult to accept that you still have a role if you no longer have a’job’ and your children are grown up. I had a couple of panic attacks over Christmas so even this far from my retirement date I’ve still not cracked. Do feel free to put her in contact with me as we can support each other!!xx

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  22. Hi Julia

    I’ve just come across your blog (still not quite sure how, probably following 100 word story inks) and I’m so glad I did. I’m looking forward to joining in the fun of the 100 Word Challenge for grown ups.

    Like you I’m a retired primary school Head – I retired in July 2009 and I’m having a great time. In the first year I started a couple of blogs one about learning (hanging on to what I knew best!) and then one which was just ramblings called Random Thoughts. I now write very little on either because my 3rd blog, which I started a year ago, has taken over. This is where I write my short stories, poetry and generally have fun. http://mjshorts.wordpress.com/

    I’m now off to explore your other blogs.

    Mike

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  24. Hi there, good to find another blogger who is 40 again!
    Hope you had a great birthday and enjoy this new chapter
    Love your blog and will be following
    With best wishes
    Dee 🙂

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  27. It is nice to have another English blogger to add to my list. I come from a family of teachers, I will look forward to reading more from you. Thanks for the like on my recent post. I hope you will come back again.

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  31. Hi just wanted to say it’s so lovely to hear from an energetic and fun ex-head. Without realising it you have kept me going and inspired me as I race towards headship! Found you through twitter and your 100wc which I have shared with my staff. Keep up your optimistic tweets – thank you for your rays of sunshine in the world of education 🙂

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  33. Hi Julia!

    Well there is no grass growing under your feet! You are quite ambitious in your endeavors and clearly have many interests. Cool!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such a lovely comment today. Hope to see you again real soon!

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  38. Hi
    love your blog! I am not quite retired – a sprint chicken at 52 🙂 but have recently cut back on my teaching hours to do more of the things I love and write about them! Will dip and see you again.
    Alvina

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  39. Hi Julia! I have been absent for a while (Busy Season) but I am due back in your challenge again very soon. Meanwhile, I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award. Have a visit to my page and see your nomination. Also, visit the award page and see if you are up for it. There is a little bit of writing involved but I thought you might like it. http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/

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  43. To let you know that I have named your site as one that I enjoy visiting. I hope you get some new traffic to your site as a result. Don’t feel you have to, but if you wish to participate in these awards visit http://lynneayersbeyondthebrush.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/appreciation-and-inspiration/#more-1833 for the rules and regs. And you are entitled to display the icon for the Kreativ Blogger Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award on your site … if you aren’t already doing so. 

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  45. I love the challenges-received an entry from a blogger I follow and decided to try it myself-I don’t see it on your site, I’m not sure how that works-I used 100WCGU as a tag, Check your’ home pqage and see if I did it right.Thanks. beebeesworld

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    • you have to click where it says ‘Click here’. That takes you to another page where you enter the link of your post. I then transfer it to the front page later. I have done yours for you but give me a shout if you get stuck next time! 😉

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  46. Pingback: The 100 Word Challenge « The Short Pages

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  52. Hiya! I’ve just done a 100 word thingy wotsit for Limebird Writers (I’m LimebirdCat on there, but I do have my own blog ‘Continuous Strings’). Have just started to get into them which is ace! Wonderful blog and so glad you’re going something so inspiring and postitive with retirement. I’ve got another 40 or so years to go (unless I win the lottery of course), so please live that dream for me! 😀

    C x

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  53. Thank you for a beautiful comment that made me happy!

    And, as I’m a teacher too, and thinking of retiring, I like to visit people who are at least on their way to retiring to see what it’s like…I’m also an Anglophil (e?) and simply love everything English. This means I will go rambling about your posts and just enjoy!

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  55. Just the past couple of weeks I’ve found the time (or made the time) to get involved in the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups. It’s so much fun. But I thought I’d hop around here and get to know the host better. Sounds like you have a lot to look forward to in your “retirement.” Blogging can be a very real tool in connecting and interacting with the world. I used to think otherwise — thought it provided merely surface chatter. But since I’ve been doing the blogs, I’ve learned that there truly are REAL people out there who want to know what I think and feel and who want to share their thoughts and feelings with me. I have made a number of new friends from all over the world, and my life is much richer for it. I hope you find it the same. I have been a teacher all my life, as well as an author and a minister of the Gospel. I’m finding avenues of relationships in all of those venues through the blogging. ( I now have six — but two are strictly for ministry purposes.) I’m looking forward to visiting your “Head’s Office” blog.

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  59. I nominated you for the versatile blogger award! Best Wishes.

    The Versatile Blogger Award acceptance rules:

    1). Thank the person who nominated you
    2). Link back to their blog
    3). Nominate up to 15 people for the award (let them know they have been nominated)
    4). Share seven things about yourself

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    • Thank you SO much. I’m very touched by your kindness. Life is manic at the moment so it will take me a while to respond but thank you!

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  65. I’m extremely pleased to find this great site. I wanted to thank you for ones time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it and i also have you bookmarked to check out new stuff on your website.

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  67. Whew, I made it to a blank comment. Love your 100 word challenge, that you’re retired and finding a way to produce, and that you “muse” just like me. I retired in 2006.

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