That September Feeling: Memories of School, Autumn and Days Gone By

There is something about September…

Even long after our school days are over, the arrival of autumn can bring back a familiar feeling. The mornings become a little cooler, the evenings begin to draw in, and suddenly there is a sense that something is starting again.

The smell of freshly sharpened pencils. The rustle of a new exercise book. A school blazer that felt slightly too big. Shiny shoes lined up by the front door. The nervous excitement of wondering what the school year was going to bring.

For many of us, September carries memories that have stayed with us for decades.

Do you remember your first day?

Think back to those first days of a new school year.

Perhaps you walked to school with friends, kicking piles of leaves along the way. Maybe you travelled by bus, carrying a packed lunch and a brand-new pencil case. There might have been a familiar teacher waiting at the classroom door, or a new teacher who seemed a bit too strict…

School was full of little rituals.

Writing your name inside your books. Choosing where to sit. Putting your coat on the peg. Learning the times tables. Singing in assembly. Playing games in the playground. Waiting impatiently for the bell to ring at the end of the day.

And then there were the things we couldn't wait to get home and tell our parents about.

A new friend. A playground argument. A funny thing the teacher had said. A particularly good school dinner, or perhaps a particularly bad one!

These seemingly ordinary moments can become some of our most treasured memories.

The changing seasons

September also marks that beautiful transition between summer and autumn.

Leaves turn golden, copper and red. Conkers appear on the ground. The mornings smell different. The sound of rain against the windows and the comforting feeling of coming home to a warm house after being outside.

For generations, autumn has brought its own familiar routines.

Picking blackberries. Collecting conkers. Raking up leaves. Jumping in puddles. Walking home from school in the rain. Sitting beside a warm fire. Making soup or stew for dinner. Perhaps watching television on a Sunday afternoon while the weather was miserable outside.

These are the kinds of memories that don't necessarily need photographs to bring them back. Sometimes, a smell, a sound, a song or even the feel of a crisp autumn morning can be enough.

Memories are everywhere

One of the wonderful things about memories is that they don't always arrive when we expect them.

A song on the radio might suddenly take us back to a school dance. The smell of baking might remind us of our mum or grandma. Seeing a particular make of car might bring back memories of family holidays. A familiar school photograph can open up a whole conversation about friends, teachers, games and adventures.

And sometimes the smallest details are the ones we remember most clearly.

The colour of the classroom walls. The sound of the school bell. The taste of a favourite sweet. The name of a teacher we haven't thought about for years. The feeling of walking through the school gates on that first September morning.

A little September reminiscence

As autumn approaches, why not take a moment to share some of your own memories?

• What was your school like?
• Did you have a favourite teacher?
• How did you get to school?
• What was your favourite school subject?
• What did you have in your packed lunch?
• Can you remember your first school friend?
• What did you do when you came home from school?

There are no right or wrong answers. Sometimes one memory leads to another, and before you know it, a simple conversation has travelled through decades of family stories, friendships and experiences.

At Alzheimer Café, we know how valuable those conversations can be. Sharing memories can bring people together, create moments of connection and give us the opportunity to listen to stories that might otherwise remain tucked away in the past.

So, as September arrives and the leaves begin to change, perhaps take a moment to enjoy that familiar feeling.

The new school year may be long behind us, but somewhere in our memories there may still be a child with a brand-new pencil case, polished shoes and a whole autumn ahead of them.

What do you remember about September?