'I loved the school run second-time round!'

How I dreaded the school run with my own children! I was always running late, either because of writing deadlines or because I hadn't allowed for sheep crossing the lane. Yet now I'm a granny, I love it! I still have the same deadlines, but I am never, ever late for collecting my grandchildren. Actually, I almost feel more responsible for them than my own children, and leave at least 20 minutes earlier than necessary. I already have drinks and healthy snacks in my bag, and a full tank of petrol. Back in the 90s, one of my three was almost late for an exam because I ran out of fuel.

- Jane Corry

The joy of arriving early is that I'm usually first in the queue. This is a novelty, since in the old days I was accustomed to teachers' tuts. Only now do I realise how selfish I'd been with my poor timekeeping. I've also discovered that the early bird makes friends with the other early birds. Many are grandparents like me who help out, even though they’re working too. In my day, our age category was rarely on pick-up duty. Sometimes I can’t help being a mother hen with the younger parents (‘Don’t worry - my youngest didn’t sleep t