Got tales of flooded tents, floating caravans and hurricanes to tell your staffroom colleagues? Liverpool primary teacher Andy Richards can trump all the holiday horror stories with tales of how he taught in a 120-pupil Sri Lankan classroom surrounded by rampaging elephants (page 15). Although teaching hours are considerably more onerous than most other workers believe, it’s easy to forget that long holidays are still a great perk of the job. What a shame, then, that some teachers are apparently too stressed to relax fully during the summer.

So, what’s to be done about the worriers? Joining a different union might help - perks for new PAT members include cheap Ramblers’ Association membership. Volunteering to teach abroad usually puts things in perspective. And remember - there’s another holiday in a couple of months.

Enjoy it.