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Chicago and Manchester have some of the friendliest people that I have ever met. In either city just ask for help and there it is. People genuine and real, no fakes, down to earth , "the salt of the earth." The people of Manchester made our stay here a treasured experience. Sure it rains a lot, but there is more to life than weather.

I remember when we first arrived in Manchester I was speaking to a senior citizen while trekking around in the pouring rain. She told me that if we waited for the rain to stop we would never do anything. I always remember that advice. It was good advice. The rain did not stop us, we carried on with our umbrellas and raincoats in hand.

Speaking of rain I learned many different ways to say that it is raining while learning to "speak Manchester." It is teeming down, it's chucking it down, tipping it down, or the best one, coming down in stair rods.

I can't wait to try them out on my friends back in California. I know the old Beach Boys song states that "It Never Rains in California," it does, occasionally but it does, sorry, sounds like a bit a bragging.

I can hardly believe that my time in Manchester and teaching at Crumpsall Lane Primary School is coming to an end. In five weeks school will close for the summer holiday and a week later my husband and I will be heading back to our home in California. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends. We leave knowing that we will be reunited with our loved ones but also knowing that we leaving behind our treasured new friends. We would like to extend a big note of thanks to all of the wonderful people that made our year in Manchester truly one to remember.

We will be back, we 'ave ta.