One of my favourite features in the Guardian is In praise of… Today’s column is tribute to the annual return to school: a hugely significant time for millions of children.

I still have vivid memories of starting school in 1968: headmaster Mr Davies talking to Mum in our street in Whitton, Middlesex, just before I started; playing in the autumn sunshine on the front lawn of  Bishop Perrin school. (That first year was unforgettable: we watched Prince Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales, and learned all about the first moon landing.)

Mr Davies was a fellow Welshman. He was a firm believer in traditional teaching methods: the 3 Rs. It worked: I learned to read quickly at Bishop Perrin, despite the 1930s books. When we moved back to Cardiff, I was amazed how many of my new friends were struggling with reading. And I found the new maths teaching baffling. (Though I was relieved that going decimal made counting money a lot easier!)

Fast forward seven years and the challenge of adjusting to ‘big school’: Cardiff High, one of Cardiff’s best regarded schools. In those early days it all seemed daunting: scurrying around the seemingly huge site from lesson to lesson. I wondered how I would ever get used to it. Within weeks, it seemed like second nature.

Yes, those first days at school leave an indelible mark.

This is my last post for a while. We’re off to Germany and the Czech Republic tomorrow. I’m looking forward to sampling the finest Czech and German beers!