Monday
With all the students on summer leave, you might be forgiven for thinking my job settles down in the summer months. You'd be wrong!
This morning I e-mail information to a second-year student preparing her dissertation synopsis. Students have been choosing topics such as music, physical activity and diet, and racial equality in the early years.
I get in touch with one of the student representatives about her welcoming letter to the incoming first years. I hope this will give them a fresh perspective on the course - one that differs from the course director's!
My colleague from the Experimental Psychology Department, who teaches social psychology on the BSc in Early Childhood Studies, invites me for a working lunch.
I spend the afternoon with the ECS course director, Brian Caddick, preparing to take on his role when he retires later this summer. In the academic trade, those helping their successor settle into their own job are known as 'the living dead', but no one could be more helpful and alive to the key information I need than Brian.
Tuesday
It's an early start in Cardiff today. My colleagues from the Law School and the School for Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies and I will be discussing the work plan for a new jointly-led project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. We're developing a national dissemination programme targeting a wide range of practitioners and policy makers. The project focuses on the impact of divorce and separation on families with children.
We make good progress and I'm back at my desk in Bristol at 2pm.
I now work on the first review produced by the Early Years Review Group of the DfES-funded Evidence for Policy and Practice Initiative (EPPI), based at London University. EPPI tries to make research more relevant to users.
This review concerns the impact of integrated care and education on young children and their families. The EPPI Group includes not only academics, but also voluntary sector and independent researchers. It is a really stimulating project and I look forward to the meetings.
Later, I attend 'An Evening with Patrick Augustus', the author of the 'Babyfather' books and founder of the Babyfather Alliance. The chair, Dr Robert Beckford, director of the Centre for Black Theology at the University of Birmingham, encourages a lively and well-informed discussion about the role that black fathers play in their children's lives.
Wednesday
It's graduation day for our third-year Early Childhood Studies students.
The sun is blazing and the future looks bright. Students have exciting plans for further professional study and career routes. Some will be studying for early years PGCEs; others have decided to go into law, social work or journalism.
I sit among the academics in their colourful robes behind the chancellor, vice and pro vice chancellors. Bristol's Lord Mayor is sporting an amazing hat of black feathers and the City Sword Bearer is wearing a huge fur hat.
We occupy the semi-circular rows of seats facing the audience of proud parents and happy students in the imposing Wills Memorial Hall. Don't the British just love their traditions? It is a good thing we start preparing children early in the dressing-up corner.
When all the excitement is over, I return to the office to catch up on the latest Sure Start and DfES news.
Thursday
Most of today is spent preparing for the course team's Away Day, which takes place tomorrow. This is where we get together to discuss the annual ECS programme review.
In the afternoon, I meet with marketing colleagues to plan the new look for the course publicity material.
I pop to the hairdressers after work, before joining an old friend for a birthday supper at a waterside restaurant.
Friday
All the lecturers on the course consider the lessons from this academic year, including student feedback on every course module, and plan for next year's intake.
An extremely productive and enjoyable day, rounded off with a drink with a friend. I'm looking forward to catching up with my family in London at the weekend.
