After 50 years in the education system, in both England and Scotland, as pupil and teacher, Seån McPartlin looks back and reflects on the importance of pastoral guidance, the elements needed for a successful school, and the joy of working with pupils, families, and colleagues during a career he considered a vocation. From nervous first day pupil in suburban Edinburgh, through teaching in city centre comprehensive, a youth strategy support centre in the inner city, and finally as a Depute Head in West Lothian, he writes with authority and enthusiasm about education, its place in society and how we develop our views of the system. Most of all he seeks to answer the question: What was all that about?