Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

Had my haircut yesterday, went from scruffy Beatle to 'Bovver-boy' in 5 minutes flat.

I just tell the barber my wife said my hair is scruffy and sort it out please.

AndyB. If your daughter is getting a dress, what will your son get? As ringbearer, something Hobbity perhaps? 

[beast66606]

AndyB. If your daughter is getting a dress, what will your son get? As ringbearer, something Hobbity perhaps? 

 

Something precious ?

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

Currently rather grey and dismal but no rain promised so I'll no doubt walk down to the chiropractor's establishment followed by visits to Waitrose, WHS and the bank - truly wild life!  Dining room clearing is now underway, fascinating process coming across stuff one hasn't looked at 'for some time' - bit like archeology in a way I s'pose, and i haven't even got to the most interesting bits (stacks) yet.

 

Talking of jobs one I forgot to mention - as it came during my 'on the railway' time was working as a barman (occasional) plus I used to take a week off every year at regatta time to run a pub, the long closed 'Red Cross Inn' and the only pub I ever came across that was drunk out of draught beer in a day; those were the days.

 

Have a good day one & all and keep counting Neil - it suddenly goes a lot quicker than you were expecting

[Happy Hippo]

Was yesterday haircut time for ERs?

 

'Cos I got my pre summer trim as well.

 

Out on the bike this morning, I saw courtesy and down right ignorance of cyclists within a few seconds

 

Waiting to cross the road at a roundabout on the usual cock up where cyclists have to yield to traffic, I patiently waited.

 

With a build up of traffic on the roundabout, the car in the inside lane stops short of the crossing zone allowing me to cross.  However as I am crossing, (keeping a wary eye out) a van comes down the outside lane, doesn't attempt to stop for me, despite me being clearly visible and then brakes abruptly to pull up at the roundabout give way line.  And is now blocking my exit off the road! Road users behind him were much more courteous.  The van driver, you might have guessed by now, was on his mobile phone, so was obviously not paying attention to the task in hand.

 

Ironically since we fitted a front and rear cameras to our car, we've not yet been cut up/tailgated etc by anyone.  So tomorrow it's on with the go pro camera my son has for his paintballing/skiing/extreme sport recordings, and see if it makes a difference!

 

The rest of the ride was lovely.

 

It is a bit grey and damp here today, and I expect this standard to remain over the bank holiday weekend.

[Andrew P]

Morning all, dog duties done and more clothes ordered on line from 'Cotton Traders' to supplement madams' holiday wardrobe! To finish on teaching, (I meant to add this last night but got too tired!) I think we should give a vote of confidence to 'our' teachers within the RMweb who seem to be the committed and caring sort!! It's easy for an old f*rt like me to forget about the other influences on the kids : the disintegration of society (see Leeds Monday), the drop in support at home (thank you Mrs T and her sort who have forced most parents out to work) then add in outside interference (Ofsted and the like) and it is easy to see that it is an entirely different job now than it was when most of us were at school! Keep up the good work folks. Great to hear from Sherry on her travels - if you can pick up on this, hope you enjoy the rest of your hols. Not long now Neil (bet it's dragging for you!). Try to remember which way up it floats!! Have any of you seen the locos that AndrewP is selling off (pics on his 'Kingsley'. Thread) - if only the funding was in place I would adore that Duchess - he truly is great at weathering. Have a good if damp day for most (hopefully not Neil),

Kind regards

Jock67B.

Thanks Jock, but with the Bachmann price increase I think I need to add another naught on the end.

 

P.S. Morning all, just catching up as it took most of last night reading and digesting the Bachmann Report.

[Shedman5]

Morning, wet and damp here today.

 

Just caught up with the posts and sadly have to concur with others as way back years ago I was written off by my teacher.

20 years later at a school reunion said teacher who was then in his fifties was present.

I was able to give him my business card with pronounced me as UK Sales Director for a well known  company listed on the Stock Exchange with a turnover in excess of 100 million, at the time it gave me great pleasure ie up yours mate. Yes we chatted and I realised he was a classic Man amongst Boys Boy amongst Men character who knew little of the commercial world.

Looking back now I just feel how sad that an "educated" person would write someone off at 16 hardly motivational or inspiring.

 

Teaching particularity today is not easy and good ones should be rewarded.

  How "successful " in life one has been is a personal view it contains  many parts and exam results/qualifications form a small part of that equation.

 

Enjoy the day

[trisonic]

 

Looking back now I just feel how sad that an "educated" person would write someone off at 16 hardly motivational or inspiring.

 

Teaching particularity today is not easy and good ones should be rewarded.

  How "successful " in life one has been is a personal view it contains  many parts and exam results/qualifications form a small part of that equation.

 

Enjoy the day

Exactly so. Agree totally.

Like you I met one of my old teachers and handed him a card saying I was Director of Production at a major record company in Manhattan. He said:

 

“I thought you were some kind  of musician?” - I replied,  I was - I just do this on the side............

 

After that I was bombarded with invites to “reunions” all of which I turned down.

 

Best, Pete.

[The Stationmaster]

Fortunately I had minimal contact with 'discouraging' teachers in the 3 schools which I attended - many were inspirational and virtually all were good teachers who prepared their lessons well and taught well.  

 

However the big 'write-off' came from our fairly recently arrived Headmaster at my grammar school who spoke to me a month or so before then end of my final term and asked which university I was going to?  I explained to him that I wasn't as I had been accepted for a railway industry training scheme - he never spoke to me again (which worried me not one jot as he was a useless Headmaster who had clearly been promoted to the job on 'political' grounds which certainly didn't take account of either his teaching, administrative or pastoral care abilities - in all of which he was distinctly lacking).  Fortunately I never met him again after I left, unlike one reunion nearly 30 years later which was attended by some of the best teachers we'd had at the school in my era there and who it was a pleasure to meet again.

[New Haven Neil]

Grey and rain forecast here. Appointment with physio later.

 

Just taken a newsletter to be printed. At least that's put of the way. Now to write the shopping list.

 

Exciting times!

 

John, I'm not sure what physio for your condition would consist of!!!       

 

PS That's not a request for information.......

Edited May 1, 2014 by New Haven Neil

[Happy Hippo]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Polly, DD and all those west of Offa's Dyke for the wonderful rainstorm that is now battering our part of Shropshire.

 

Your generosity in allowing an expatiate Welsh family to have some proper Welsh rain is just wonderful.

 

Fortunately I am crossing the border tomorrow and will be resident in Llandudno with the Wicked Witch of the North (aka MiL)

 

It will make a nice change to look out over a wind farm, rather than our view when visiting my mother at Margam, which is the  Steelworks. (If you really look hard)

 

Diolch!

[beast66606]

I only had one discouraging teacher during my school life, although a couple were ambivalent, my English teacher, the reports he wrote about me were full of sarcasm about my ability - until I passed the English O level with grade A where upon I taught him a bit of Anglo Saxon English - with no witnesses, aside from my school mates, of course. Funny, he never reported that episode.

 

Our maths teacher was a hoot, he drove a green MkIII Ford Cortina and really should have been in the Sweeny, he was violent (in the throwing chalk at pupils rather than beating them way) and arrogant - but we all passed, I doubt any of us would have dared fail - I saw him in the local for a year or two after I left school and on occasion shared a beer with him, quite a nice bloke really !

[AndyB]

Interestingly I was recently asked if I'd retrain as a teacher and put my name forward to work at the local secondary school. 

 

I'm not averse to the idea - I get a buzz out of volunteering at our local school to teach science anyway - but there is the practicality of working long hours+having young children who have to be looked after before and after school+swmbo working long hours too. 

 

SWMBO did say if I wanted to do it  she  could cut her hours but then you start looking at the fine detail and wonder if as a trainee teacher as a family would we be worse off for years? 

If any of our resident  teachers know realistic starting salaries -  or more precisely if everyone starts at the lowest spine point - I'd be interested. 

 

Andy

[AndyB]

I saw him in the local for a year or two after I left school and on occasion shared a beer with him, quite a nice bloke really !

 

Undoubtedly good teachers can have a lasting impact on their pupils.

I was having a beer with some middle-aged friends a few years ago up in Wimbledon when one of their former teachers walked in to the pub.

"Good afternoon Sir!" was the chorus from the bar flies.

They all must have left school 30 years previously! 

 

 

[Donw]

I could read and count when starting infants school but hadn't learned to write. So when the teacher asked us to copy down some writing from the blackboard I did a lovely job of it however it was mirror image behing left handed I had copied the treachers movements but reversed because I used the other hand. For some reason the teacher would not allow me to write that natural way to me.  I can still write backwards 60 years later.

Mr Kemp headmaster at Reading school would give a bad reference to any boy going into engineering as he considered those professions to be beneath his pupils. Naturally all the local firms new this and ignored the references.

 

Don

[Barry O]

my father was left handed but was schooled to write with his right hand.. this had some positives as he could already write left handed ....he ended up being able to bowl left arm spin and right arm seam up... our youngest Herbert is a Right handed bowler/left handed batsman....

 

I have returned from the General Infirmary at Leeds having had an ECG,been echosounded (thought that was for finding submarines??) and a blood pressure monitor fitted. Next time I won't volunteer(!) Back tomorrow to have an MRI..... they didn't mention having tubes fitted to your arms when this happens.....

 

 

Any roads up I believe that we all have memories of teachers both good and bad but mine were not a bad bunch and I can't complain except for one of my English teachers who did his best to hate English.  He didn't like the boys in the class at al!

[grandadbob]

Get thee behind me Satan Hattons!  Forgive me Boss for I have sinned!

Whilst reading about Bachmann price increases I saw that Cravens Class 105s were being offered for £70 in Liverpool and I was tempted. I know I shouldn't - but I did!

I mean it would have been rude not to - wouldn't it?

I believe a list of penances is about to be compiled

 

Contrite of Sutton  

[Tony_S]

Interestingly I was recently asked if I'd retrain as a teacher and put my name forward to work at the local secondary school. 

 

I'm not averse to the idea - I get a buzz out of volunteering at our local school to teach science anyway - but there is the practicality of working long hours+having young children who have to be looked after before and after school+swmbo working long hours too. 

 

SWMBO did say if I wanted to do it  she  could cut her hours but then you start looking at the fine detail and wonder if as a trainee teacher as a family would we be worse off for years? 

If any of our resident  teachers know realistic starting salaries -  or more precisely if everyone starts at the lowest spine point - I'd be interested. 

 

Andy

There are so many schemes around now, including those where you earn while you teach and do a teaching qualification at the same time. Where you started on a pay scale spine  used to be fairly fixed but when Aditi went to her present job and moved from a senior lecturer scale to a management scale she said she wasn't prepared to take the job unless she started on the maximum increment. She did get the salary. She had been told she would get that if successful however the HR people tried to tell her that meant some time in the future. There are all kinds of other contracts especially in colleges. Probably the best way of finding out what salaries are, is to get a copy of the TES (Times Educational Supplement) probably still published on Fridays and look at the advert section.

[beast66606]

Did I say "No trains" earlier - I was wrong, owing to 90010 pulling a wheel flat there was a Witham - Norwich stock move, headed by 47805 with the DVT and coaches behind (the disgraced 90 is in the loop at Witham awaiting recovery on a skate) - looking rather nice under full power ! that's probably the excitement of the day over with though

[Ian Abel]

4, cloudy, drizzle...pinch, punch...

 

Items of interest   Drivel to bore you with and best ignored;

1) Had a great evening with our two closest friends, dinner then a play. More importantly, started in ernest our discussion/planning for a few vacations/getaways, and  top of the planning list is a "British Canal Barge/Narrow boat Holiday" next year.

  Been on one years ago and was a great time (albeit I WAS in my mid-20s at the time!!), on the Grand Onion (deliberate misspelling, not an idiot ), and would appreciate any suggestions for various routes/companies others may have experience with...we'll do one week on the narrow boat and probably one week "general holidaying" after that, probabyl early September - rates look better from a quick preview...

 

2) ROAD TRIP - Will be absent (I do have a note, sir, from me mum, sir) and possibly not managing to post at all from mid-tomorrow through Monday evening.

   The MiL is 96, and her remaining sister who is 99 today want to get together "one more time" - preferrably before one of them is horizontal - so we're off to Chicago tomorrow morning, me the Mrs and MiL, for a 3+ day visit with this frail 99 year old. Is certainly going to be a "unique" experience as Mrs puts it. I've met the sister plenty of times but only here, NEVER at her home. She's "quite old fashioned" and I'm led to believe it will be like returning to the '40s upon crossing the threshold to her place!

   Additionally, we're apparently going to ALSO/THEN take a mini-road trip to the cemetery their parents are buried (request from both ladies), which it turns out is a 2+ hour each way "day trip" from the Chicago area, crossing through the state of Indiana and up into SW Michigan - yay, I'll be driving about 20+ hours in the next 4 days <phew>.

 

3) COMPUTER - <expletives abound> my work laptop - personally owned but used for work - is showing signs of terminal hard drive failure, some death throes and annoying failures to start after a long night sleep. I HATE having to load everything onto a new drive, but that is the best solution, so that will be rather a painful task that will be ongoing. An "option" would be to mirror the existing one onto a new drive, but past personal experience shows it's generally MUCH better and cleaner to start from scratch and build the drive form the ground up - hey ho, I didn't want to do any bloody modelling in my spare time anyway, did I??

 

 

I'll do my best to check in over the weekend, otherwise I KNOW I'll be a lesser person for missing all the action, but have a good, safe, enjoyable weekend if I don't see you all

[The Stationmaster]

Undoubtedly good teachers can have a lasting impact on their pupils.

I was having a beer with some middle-aged friends a few years ago up in Wimbledon when one of their former teachers walked in to the pub.

"Good afternoon Sir!" was the chorus from the bar flies.

They all must have left school 30 years previously! 

 

 

That happened once at our school - when I was still at school.  Wednesday afternoon was sport day for the 6th form and I used to go rowing so my usual procedure was to nip off immediately after lunch for a quick half in the pub next to the boathouse before everyone else arrive.  Anyway one day I was delayed and that was the day the Latin master also decided to pop in for a quick half - as did 3 others who were going rowing, oops.

 

Alas unlike the Games master one could not go out drinking with the Latin master so it ended uncomfortably for those 3.

[AndyB]

There are so many schemes around now, including those where you earn while you teach and do a teaching qualification at the same time. Where you started on a pay scale spine  used to be fairly fixed but when Aditi went to her present job and moved from a senior lecturer scale to a management scale she said she wasn't prepared to take the job unless she started on the maximum increment. She did get the salary. She had been told she would get that if successful however the HR people tried to tell her that meant some time in the future. There are all kinds of other contracts especially in colleges. Probably the best way of finding out what salaries are, is to get a copy of the TES (Times Educational Supplement) probably still published on Fridays and look at the advert section.

Thanks, Tony.

The TES has an online calculator where you can dial in the qualification, level of responsibility extra. That then comes up with a salary range. I was curious if you had to start at the bottom if newly qualified. I think you answered that very well, Thanks! With about 25 post grad experience in science and management in a variety of industries I wouldn't fancy starting at £21k again! 

Andy

[Jock67B]

Ian, hope your epic 'road trip' goes by without incident - probably your biggest problem (I certainly found it in the states) will be staying alert on those endless featureless ribbons of tar the yanks call roads!

Beware of the boating holiday! My favourite anecdote concerns a splendid art teacher who decided on a Norfolk Broads holiday with his lovely pottery teaching wife on a  'Hoseasons' boat. He really was a splendid

bearded fellow of 'Falstaff' proportion who most certainly enjoyed a pint or nine (this from one who tried to keep up on occasion!) His boat was a lovely broad beamed affair with the heads(nautical name for loo?) at

the sternmost end of the beam length companionway. When nearing the third or fourth broad-side pub, he mistakenly allowed madam to take over the helm so he good answer a call of nature ; he had (literally) barely

sat down when she managed to ram the bank bows on!!. This shot him off the seat, through the door and sliding down the fairly worn marine ply! Apparently it was several days before all the splinters were finally

removed - shudder to think how much he had to drink to keep the pain at bay? Needless to say, she was banned from wheel duties for the rest of the holiday. You have been warned Abel family : it isn't only the water

to beware of !!

Have a great time whatever you choose to do.

Kind regards,

Jock67B. 

Edited May 1, 2014 by Jock67B

[travelintrev]

Evenin all,   & a Belated Happy Mayday!   (It's Workers day here today - so NO work!)

 

Been netless for the last 24 hours or so....well sort of, it would connect then teasingly let me open the email inboxes...then drop out for a couple of hours...to just repeat.. GF is not happy with me!  (The "list" now includes fixing the dishwasher!)  But she has clear a space for "modelling"!  What do you make of that?

 

On the old school teacher theme....apart from one  none remain in my memory...that one was very left wing (think "reds - under -the Bed")  Some decades later when going to a GCHQ outstation (on business)  I was interrogated  (in a very nice British way) by the MOD police asking when the last contact I had had with this guy! ..They seemed satisfied when I said not seen him since I left school in 1967....

One other I did meet asked me what I was up to (he had been Geography master),  seemed quite impressed when I told him I was a service engineer for Rolls Royce.... I didnt mention the D word though! 

 

I might be back later...or another day, 

 

Be good

 

Trev.

[Tony_S]

Thanks, Tony.

The TES has an online calculator where you can dial in the qualification, level of responsibility extra. That then comes up with a salary range. I was curious if you had to start at the bottom if newly qualified. I think you answered that very well, Thanks! With about 25 post grad experience in science and management in a variety of industries I wouldn't fancy starting at £21k again! 

Andy

Aditi's cousin (second, once removed or whatever) worked for BP in something to do with ships in London . His health wasn't good(congenital heart defects) so in his mid 30s (a couple of years ago) he took redundancy and retrained as a teacher, no problems with qualifications, degree, MBA etc  from respectable American universities. He and his wife are now British citizens. He did a probationary year and was offered a job as head of economics with enough responsibility allowance to move him up the salary spine. He is finding the work load quite considerable and he is finding that an economics teacher also has to teach "business" which isn't as intellectually demanding but requires plenty of interpersonal skills encouraging the children to work. Although he has plenty of academic knowledge and business experience I'm not sure he has previously interacted  young people quite like those he is now.

 

In the old days some work experience counted as one year work = one year up the salary spine. Some experience required 3 years for one teaching increment. I think back in the dark ages there was some argument about how relevant bringing a child up was worth in such schemes.

However what happens while qualifying I don't know.

[PhilJ W]

A fellow member of my local model railway club retired from teaching a couple of years ago. When we attend local shows invariably some young (and not so young) people come to talk to him, all his ex pupils. There was even one young man who was operating on a layout that features strongly on RMweb!

Edited May 1, 2014 by PhilJ W