Early Risers.

[CathcartCircle]

Well the wait is over and I got my rejection from Network Rail yesterday afternoon! I emailed asking for my test result and I failed 3 questions on the calculation paper and 1 on the verbal ability paper! I tell you, whoever got through must be a freaking genius particularly on the calculation paper which was pretty tough, not in terms of the questions but in the time limits imposed! I was pretty gutted yesterday because I know I could do the job with my eyes closed as the saying goes and felt it was so unfair that I was being judged on a few minutes of tests, when I have over 28 years unbroken (before redundancy) experience! As Mrs CC said though, I shouldn't take it personally, that it's not a judgement on my ability to do a job but a way of weeding applications and most of all it's their loss! and that's how I'm taking it! Anyhoo, there are more irons in the fire! Onwards and Upwards!

Have a good day all!

 

G

[southern42]

Foggy.

 

And on that bombshell, hello and goodbye.

 

 

Oops. Sorry. Foggy.  You can't see me.  Ooo, that's good, I can  just be m'self.

 

 

 

Polly

 

Polly  [You didn't see that...]

Edited April 30, 2014 by southern42

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

I'm gutted, CC. I really hope you find something suitable and soon.

 

Pete's tornado film was quite gripping in its reality. Having - as I'm sure I've posted before - survived a tornado in Florida, I am aware of how "impressive" the power of these things can be.

 

I really don't remember much about the skooling in primary, but it must have been effective, as I passed my 11+ a year early, and the pass rate was well above what it should have been for a small village skool with only three classes. What I was told, more or less at the time, was that on my first day, at a couple of months short of my 5th birthday, with my father present, I was asked if I was going to line up with the other boys and girls? Apparently I said "Well I think it's a perfectly barmy idea, but I suppose I might as well!" Mouthy git then, mouthy git now! Early days at skool were  bit marred by the fact that the night before I started, mum gave birth to twins. Freud would make something of that, I bet.

 

Hope midweek finds you well.

[New Haven Neil]

Good morning, drizzly here but warm.  Warm for us that is, not the worryingly absent Don.

 

Office quiet as several staff off for one reason or another - one who has had a knee operation now knows what pain I had from the hip last year, as they were somewhat sceptical at the time with a hint of saying I was swinging the lamp - an apology has been forthcoming!

 

Flow of information through our little team is poor at times of staff shortage, with the resultant opening of floodgates later, when inter-agency channels re-open.  This will occur before I leave unfortunately!

 

Sorry to hear your news Cathcart Circle, but please do remain positive.  Having had the experience of redundancy years ago I know how badly it can affect your outlook, I was young then and didn't deal with it well at all, I still have the mental scars.  I couldn't see my way out as my thinking was blinkered, I could only see re-entering my then career pathway which remained closed to me for years.  Having taken a dead end job out of desperation this then lead on to 7 other totally unconnected roles over the years, and I learned to sell myself on flexibility!  When I was offered employment back in my original career (Merchant Navy Engineer Officer) some years later I wasn't interested!

[New Haven Neil]

Primary education was a mixed bag for me, I just didn't find it interesting or engaging, in fact I didn't much see the point.  I was reading well before then and was reasonably numerate, although I have an issue with learning things parrot fashion so reciting times tables went in one ear and were lost forever.  Still are.  I have to think hard for such things - number dyslexia apparently. 

 

This didn't stop me passing 11 plus without much effort and obtaining distinctions at college in technical subjects though, and here am I compiling and analysing statistics for our annual report. (for the last time, not that I'm counting the 56 sleeps to go) I just have to think hard to work out what 7x9 is.  Odd, isn't it!

[PhilJ W]

IIRC the weedkiller trains are not allowed to spray much beyond the rails. So Jock it looks like you will have to get the glyphosphate out.

[Adams442T]

Morning Gentles All!

 

Well done CC on keeping a positive attitude after that set-back.  Mrs CC is right about the 'weeding', I used to infuriate the other school governors by insisting on reading all the teacher applications and not just throwing out those who didn't 'tick all the boxes'.  I'm glad to say it resulted in the school employing two excellent teachers, which otherwise it would have discarded.

 

I think that might have been a reaction against my Primary School where we had a 'Dragon Teacher', called Miss Fox.  She was the one who forced me to learn to write with my right hand, even though I was left-handed (as most of my family & kids are) Being a poor London East End school we had music lessons with cardboard piano keyboards.  Miss Fox, wielding an inch thick solid round rule, would thwack you over the knuckles saying, "You played a wrong note!"  How the hell she knew I never figured out!

 

Being bloody minded though I actually worked to overcome it and became their first 11+ pass - ever!  And at least I'm ambidextrous in most things!

[Oldddudders]

 we had a 'Dragon Teacher', called Miss Fox. 

"The Fox & Dragon" sounds like the sort of place some of us enjoy visiting.....

[southern42]

Primary education was a mixed bag for me, I just didn't find it interesting or engaging, in fact I didn't much see the point.  I was reading well before then and was reasonably numerate, although I have an issue with learning things parrot fashion so reciting times tables went in one ear and were lost forever.  Still are.  I have to think hard for such things - number dyslexia apparently. 

 

This didn't stop me passing 11 plus without much effort and obtaining distinctions at college in technical subjects though, and here am I compiling and analysing statistics for our annual report. (for the last time, not that I'm counting the 56 sleeps to go) I just have to think hard to work out what 7x9 is.  Odd, isn't it!

 

63  (still in my head - well,  just about, these days)

 

And 3 shillings and 6 pence was 42 pence not that I ever spent more that than 6d in the sweet shop!

 

Polly

[AndyB]

Morning all,

A misty start has evaporated to a lovely sunny day. 

 

Primary school. Memories are mainly not being able to see the blackboard (wish I'd had an eye test) so forming my letters was somewhat challenging. I recently went to a presentation at my children's school on how they teach cursive writing, so glad my nearest and dearest will get a better start.

Then there was the bullying. TBH I was glad to go to a comprehensive miles away from those I'd shared a primary school with.

On the plus side we were taught French from an early age and when I got to secondary school was the only person in the intake who had been taught all the tenses. I later spent many of my school holidays in Paris, became a translator for the MoD and dated a French lady for a number of years. So, not all bad then.  

 

Have a nice day everyone. Proposal writing this morning then off to Wickes to buy the final piece of insulation for the garage and the chipboard on which the railway will sit. 

[New Haven Neil]

I'm with Adams on selection, although it goes down badly with HR, somewhat laughably, as I am an ex-HR practitioner and CIPD qualified.....ahem.

 

Our most effective probation officer here only got an interview because of my opinion on that, and one boss went with me - virtually as soon she began to talk in the interview she had the job, being streets ahead of the other 'more qualified/experienced' ie 'all boxes ticked', applicants.

 

Reminds me why I left HR though.......

[skipepsi]

Morning all, not inspiring weather but not wet yet. Plodding on at work, report writing is not my favourite pastime but has to be done so work done can be recorded, recording takes as long as the work sometimes...   Our caretaker was made redundant after 27 years and talking to him it sounds as if his world fell to pieces and he has never quite got over it. So CC you are doing well being positive and a supportive partner is a treasure.

[beast66606]

Morning all,

 

Very disappointing CC, my lad has never got beyond the application stage, being rejected every time, despite having a very senior NR signalling engineer as a referee ! I've read his applications and can't see what he's doing wrong but never mind, onwards and upwards.

 

Dull morning again on this last day of April, but at least a stone train is heading my way so something to go out for later.

 

Have a good day all.

[bbishop]

First day at school was traumatic for most concerned. My birthday was a week after the start of the academic year, so I should have stayed at home until the following September. But my mother was Welsh. So on my fifth birthday my mother marched me into the headmistress's office, announced "'E's five today. 'E's yours", and marched straight out again. So I was left with Miss Heaven (and never was someone more misnamed) who rang the education office to find out that, technically, she had to take me. So I was put into a class, to find out I was the only one who could read and do sums. The advantage of a Welsh mother. Miss Heaven hated me thereafter.

 

And I was expected to get home by myself. Cross one road on the "lollipop" and left, right, left opposite our house.

 

Bill

[PhilJ W]

Funnily enough I can only remember my infant school teacher, a Miss Whitaker, but because of her I entered junior school able to read and write quite well.

[Jock67B]

Morning all, stretches me a bit to go back to primary, but juniors gave us Mrs Wilson, beyond retirement age and complete with black clothes and silver hair bun. She was a bit of a tyrant but had us doing algebra, reading novels and and speaking French before we left for seniors. Sudden flash to senior school after move to England - got Mrs Tebb for maths complete with cleavage and Dusty Springfield hair-do as well as divorced! Ah the m*mmaries!! Got 'A' grade at 'O' and 'A' level probably due to intense concentration! Neil, the 'old girl' in Scotland taught me how to use factors and to this day I do 7 x 10 - 7 for that kind of sum : makes for impressively quick dartboard scoring so of some value? George, fed up to hear your news but impressed with your fortitude - hope it helps that so many members are supportive and it looks as if the same can certainly be said of your wife! Keep at it mate. Today's taxi roster includes great grandson to nursery and then the boss to an eye clinic in the creaking Victorian building aka 'Essex County Hospital' in Colchester (largely sans parking so something to look forward to!) Ian, have you had nightmares about that experience - it is a virtually irresistible force and still makes me wonder why people build homes on the likely paths?

Hope you enjoy your day folks,

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[NGT6 1315]

What I remember best from primary school is that I scored the one and only A grade I ever got on a maths exam while there! However, my writing skills were so good that I made no more than two mistakes in all the four years at primary.

[Oldddudders]

No, Jock, no lasting damage done. Deb and I were with a lot of friends (mainly Internet sourced) at Sebring Raceway in Florida. We were all offered refuge in an RV (campervan to you and me) and the thing passed over us. But you knew it was powerful when water started coming through the roof of this new-ish RV! I was told at the time (a day or so later) that it was Category 6, whatever that means, but suspect such tales are like those of fishermen...... I do not know what happened to light planes etc on the adjacent airfield, on part of which the track was built in the '50s, but Florida expects weather, and that's that.

[New Haven Neil]

Jock, that is how I have managed over the years, but I had to devise the method myself - school seemed to think hitting me harder would work instead.

 

Infants, now I don't have much memory of that, but certainly recall walking the mile or so every day.  No recollection of teachers at all from then, but oddly recall all the primary ones perfectly. 

 

In primary Miss Bainbridge was lovely, Mrs Fyall a bit tougher, and Mrs Watt (for two years) was a harridan who hated boys and favoured girls beyond all belief.  Her favourite girl failed her 11 plus which was a point of much amusement as we boys (who all passed) sloped off to the boys grammar school!

[edcayton]

 

And I was expected to get home by myself. Cross one road on the "lollipop" and left, right, left opposite our house.

 

Bill

 

I thought it was right, left, right. Maybe that's why they changed to the Green Cross Code?

 

7x9 is one I still have trouble with. I have to start with either 9x9 or 7x7 and go from there, but I remember that the digits of the answer must add up to be a number divisible by 9.

 

Given the choice I would remember one less loco name and number, but remember 7x9=63.

 

Ed

[Shedman5]

Morning, back after being absent  due to a tennis camp (booze up really)) in sunny Spain for 5 days which was very nice more so as one participant was a keen railway modeller.

 

Primary School, I can remember most of my teachers names but I can also recall how safe it was in comparison to today to be a youngster, out on bikes ( Cycle Proficiency Test Passed) walking to school, footie on the park, the joy of finding abandoned pop bottles and taking them back to get the return money for them etc. Innocent times.

 

Off to purchase some new walking boots today, enjoy your day.

[Oldddudders]

 

Given the choice I would remember one less loco name and number, but remember 7x9=63.

 

 

Deb always thought my use of numbers as a trainspotter gave me an "awareness" of them that helped me later in life. She certainly hadn't learnt - or at least retained - her times-tables as I certainly have. And if I ventured beyond 12 x 12, which I can only really do for a few more iterations, she was baffled. Yet she was quite good with the Carol Vorderman stuff on Countdown, sometimes getting number puzzles that Carol didn't.

 

But I would not regard myself as numerate. When you've had a boss - a signal engineer by background - who can apparently do Discounted Cash Flows in the back of his head.......

[Jock67B]

Thanks Ian - Sebring eh? One of the tracks I would have loved to visit. Managed Laguna Seca (Can-Am) and the 'Brickyard' (no racing on!). I take it from that, and your current geographic position that you are a more than average endurance racing fan. One day I might bore you with tales of one of my 6month periods in industry (Part of my engineering course) with 'Weslakes' at Rye in Sussex. Worked in the design office and was responsible for the cam box covers and valley cover of the 'Big Engine Chevy' unit for John Surtees' Can-Am car.(Eventually topped 900BHP on the dyno - a lot for the time!) Got to mess with final layout drawings of Dan Gurney's fabulous 'Eagle -Weslake' V12! working under the wonderful 'Aubrey Woods' (designer of Graham Hill's championship winning BRM engine). Strange how the mention of a single word like 'Sebring' should set my mind racing back to such a vibrant time in my life. From this you can probably deduce that, although now stricken, I have had almost 67 mainly fantastic years thanks largely to indulgent and loving parents and some superb teachers/tutors. I feel very lucky despite everything! Thanks for re-awakening the memories!!

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[bbishop]

But I would not regard myself as numerate. When you've had a boss - a signal engineer by background - who can apparently do Discounted Cash Flows in the back of his head.......

Well yes, why not. I spent 14 years performing DCF calculations for BT. It was Internal Rate of Return that required pen and paper (and later a calculator).

 

Bill

[Judge Dread]

As this posting is supposedly about primary school memories, I had better list one. First year at St. George's Road school in Hull in about 1948/9, using a individual slate board with a chalk stick.

Scroll forward to 1959 and joining the S & T Dept, still in Hull. I was thrown in amongst the collection of "old soldiers" who told me that they had left school at the age of 14,(that had to be pre-WW1) with no real formal qualifications, but if you asked them how much you should get back on a "flag bet" at certain odds, they would tell you to the penny!  

Edited April 30, 2014 by Judge Dread