Early Risers.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

Considering I’ve been up since 8:30 I haven’t been able to get outside yet, as I’ve been busy earning a few extra brownie points. My first task was to refill one laundry product bottles. Sheila uses small bottles for this, as she finds them easier to handle, but we buy bigger bottles as they are generally cheaper and just top up the small bottles as required. Then I replaced the battery in her favourite watch and finally I placed an order for a couple of shirts for her, I’ll pick these up from John Lewis on Friday. 
 

As I’m sat writing this, I’ve spied a blackbird carrying nesting material into the hedge, so it looks like we’ve now got blackbirds nesting too. 
 

Anyway, I’m now going to attempt to get some gardening done, before I’m asked to do anything else. 
 

Back later. 
 

Brian

[New Haven Neil]

4 hours ago, polybear said:

happen to know why Mickey D retired? 

 

He fried the clutch.

 

Morning wurld.  Windy and a bit chilly here started at 12, 16 now, hardly summer, but at least it is sunny.

 

The rock returns to it's more usual languid self, everyone is knackered after the frantic fortnight TT brings, but many local businesses survive the rest of the year by the huge amount of trade TT brings, bear in mind the visitors number half of our population.

 

I'm off doing errands now, and preparing for a little time off-rock.

 

re dyslexia, I have mentioned before that my 'daughter' Charlotte (Charlie or Lottie usually!) was undiagnosed at school and one of those just given up on - it took an observant college lecturer ten minutes to sus her when she started on a basic healthcare course - and that took her to a Masters degree in Social Work/Probation rapidly afterwards.  She's a clever girl and a tough cookie - she's sort Trumpy out on probation for sure!

 

Just because.  Charlie, Gaz and ickle Phoebe, back in March.

 

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Unfortunately, far too often labelling a child as dyslexic or worse labelling the child “special needs” pigeonholes the child and then - as far as the school is concerned - they can write them off. Why don’t schools and educators just say “Child X has epilepsy, we just need to take X, Y and Z into consideration” I would argue that by recognising what afflicts the child and treating them as individuals as opposed to being just one of an amorphous mass, you take them out of that dead end alley which comes with being labelled “special needs” and then you can maximise the child’s potential. 

Fortunately my friends children when they started school had a complete and thorough assessment of their needs. The problem arose that there were no primary school special needs places available for them so they both had to wait. A place was found for his daughter in a secondary special needs school (year six) where she made a lot of progress and when she was sixteen she went on to 'special needs' further education. Her brother went to the same school and was admitted a year early (he was year five), virtually taking his sisters place. The changes were profound for the boy, before he went to the special school he was illiterate but they got him up to speed within eighteen months. He slipped back a bit during lockdown but is now doing well.

[grandadbob]

He's back.  Let's see how things progress now. Oh and I've just had another text to say that he's connecting us.....

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Unfortunately, far too often labelling a child as dyslexic or worse labelling the child “special needs” pigeonholes the child and then - as far as the school is concerned - they can write them off. Why don’t schools and educators just say “Child X has epilepsy, we just need to take X, Y and Z into consideration” I would argue that by recognising what afflicts the child and treating them as individuals as opposed to being just one of an amorphous mass, you take them out of that dead end alley which comes with being labelled “special needs” and then you can maximise the child’s potential. 
 

“Special needs” encompasses so many different conditions that affect children that it really is not helpful to label a child as such. In fact, I think it’s counter-productive. You have to regard each case individually, which is not always the case. Sadly, it is easier just to dump them in to the “special-needs” bin, and just pretty much forget about them (as seems to be the case in many schools)

 

It would be good to understand exactly how much of this is based on familiarity with the current situation in English schools. As a primary school governor, I am well aware of the situation around SEND provision, not least the lack of resource available. For every child with a SEND statement, a school has to find about £6,000 from its basic funding - at a time when that basic funding is already stretched to the extent that a school can struggle to cover its essential staff costs - before it gets any additional funding. Much of the local authority support has been cut away, leaving schools to struggle on their own to meet rising levels of need. I would like you to soap the words in your last sentence and then eat them, because they are most disrespectful to the professionals trying to meet the increasing needs of all children with ever-decreasing resources.

[Gwiwer]

4 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

There does seem to be a tendency within Britain nowadays to become more and more “identity” focused and things that were once considered as “normal” although being at one end or the other of the normal distribution of a given behaviour, now have becomes “a condition“, a “special need“ or a “disability”.

I agree in general terms.  I am sure our illustrious Doctor would also agree that in part there is a greater awareness of genuine "conditions" than there once was alongside a wider recognition that "normal" is a somewhat abstract concept akin to "average", "median" or "mean".  Who is "normal" and who is to say what "normal" is when all behaviours are on a scale of some sort?  

 

Speaking of which .....

 

We were out yesterday and chose to stop at a tea-room we had not previously visited.  The experience wasn't great with poorly-made coffee and a grumpy response to a request that the table be wiped after we found previously-deposited jam thereupon.  And then around the corner came a couple who clearly recognised us and came straight over.  I was waiting for Dr. SWMBO to introduce me ..... until it dawned on me that these were an old friend and her father, the very same I had bought a camera from quite recently, but out of context I hadn't recognised either.  Asperger's moment.  Big time.  And a partial cover made with responses to her questions and a "lovely to see you" reply.  It happens.  I don't like it happening but it's me and always has been.  I don't recognise "famous faces" at all most of the time (Dr. SWMBO is brilliant at spotting them in a crowd) and have had somewhat embarrassing moments like this one throughout life when someone I know very well turns up out of context and my brain says "Who's this?" 

 

Is that a condition? It's not a special need nor do I consider it a disability.  On the other hand I do consider that Dr. SWMBO has a level of mobility impairment that merits being awarded a "blue badge" for the Little Red Driving Box.  The Powers That Be do not agree.  Which means I cannot drop / collect her at the point of need sometimes, cannot take her to some places we would like to visit (because she cannot walk / cannot comfortably walk from car park to location) and I have to book assistance for her weekly travels by train as she is not accompanied by a helpful husband able to get her on and off the train and deal with her bags.  

 

That, to my mind, is a disability but it is not being recognised as such officially.  Yet.  If she could get new knees things might improve.  She isn't even on the waiting list yet as she has been assessed as "not urgent" and there is a weight issue of concern to the anaesthetist.  How urgent does one need to be?  If things progress very much more she will be on four wheels every time she leaves the front door.  

[grandadbob]

Things are progressing.  I've just had an email that says "We've just arrived and we're connecting you today."

 

It's really good to be kept informed about what's happening.  😂

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. It certainly rained last night but bright blue sky with a few clouds at the moment and the temperature unlikely to top twenty according to the seaweed twirlers. Still got things to do so I'll be back later.

[Gwiwer]

Cool here.  Quite windy.  From the north which is not helping with the arrival of additional Centigrades.  It rained first thing but is mostly sunny now.  This is not June weather - it belongs in March.  Or October.  On the other hand the last of the daylight is currently hanging in the sky until 11pm.  

 

I was working in the office last night after Dr. SWMBO had hit the hay and heard a car being revved loudly in the car park around 400 yards away.  There has been a "throaty" BMW ragging around these past few days loaded with lairy teen lads.  It does come back as taxed and insured but I can't prove to whom.  That is most unusual behaviour for these parts and they have attracted a lot of attention with their antisocial antics.  They managed to make the car emit clouds of black smoke too, partially obscuring its rear number plate.  

 

After an hour - and at half past ten - this thing was still being revved and "tuned" to the annoyance of a good many local people who live within earshot in a quiet little town.  

 

I popped out to see what was afoot.  Just in time to see the lads being removed and offered the rear of a police van as transport to their overnight accommodation!!!  Much to the relief and apparent delight of others who had had enough of them.  The car isn't there today.  

[TheQ]

Put a heart for the disruption to our far out west correspondent, but it could have been a tick for the final outcome...

 

Suspect the car might not have been owned by those in it.

 

Like Gwiwer I often don't recognise people I know, even if the face is familiar the name won't appear in my brain. Embarrassing when everyone remembers my odd name...

 

Accounts done except for the teabar. A trial print out was done, it's going to need an A3 folder...

 

Decorative stuff looks worse due to filler, but that cane be sanded tomorrow.

 

Still a hoolie out side, but the weather radar says there's a Collie walking Gap in the soggyness due soon..

 

A motorcycle stopped outside, rider and bike all in black. Bike cut out.. it took some minutes before he got it going againafter several tries...

[iL Dottore]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

….And boy have them upset them. They have left cars parked everywhere, even though they put up polite signs saying not too but forgot to enforce them.

What about putting up signs saying “illegally parked cars may suffer from

criminal damage“. 🤣

 

A few smashed car windows and a dozen or so slashed tires would certainly make people much more aware about where they park….. not that I am advocating any kind of illegal behaviour, God forbid, but you know how these festivals are – apart from the usual punters, they also tend to attract assorted lowlife’s and the criminal element 😳😁

 

And with all the riff raff at these festivals there are many more more likely suspects for any such criminal acts, certainly not the good Bürgers and citizens who live near the park….. 😯😳🤣

 

 

[4630]

Having spent the best part of ten years working in a Special Educational Needs School in Bradford until 2014, I have nothing but admiration for the majority of the parents who had to battle the endless (and mindless) bureaucracy of both the educational and medical professions to secure the most appropriate and timely provision for their children.

 

I'd like to think in a supposed modern and affluent economy that the process was consciously designed to achieve the most efficient and effective outcome for users.  In my first hand  experience the opposite seems to be far more common.

 

I doubt things have improved since I moved on. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10 by 4630

[Hroth]

Sunny. Warm. Gentle breeze.

Wow.

 

Just popped in to straighten my back and have a cool drink after spending some time painting the components of a raised wooden planter with shed/fence paint prior to assembly.

 

Now to pop out to finish the rest before lunch.  With any luck the warmth and breeze will enable assembly by mid afternoon.

 

And off we go...

 

[iL Dottore]

58 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

It would be good to understand exactly how much of this is based on familiarity with the current situation in English schools. As a primary school governor, I am well aware of the situation around SEND provision, not least the lack of resource available. For every child with a SEND statement, a school has to find about £6,000 from its basic funding - at a time when that basic funding is already stretched to the extent that a school can struggle to cover its essential staff costs - before it gets any additional funding. Much of the local authority support has been cut away, leaving schools to struggle on their own to meet rising levels of need. I would like you to soap the words in your last sentence and then eat them, because they are most disrespectful to the professionals trying to meet the increasing needs of all children with ever-decreasing resources.

That’s horrendous, you are basically being forced to choose between the good of the few versus the good of the many. 
 

And my comment about “special needs” being used as a dumping ground is is a NOT a comment about the professionals doing their utmost to help such children in the most trying of circumstances (who have my highest admiration) but rather on an insensitive and inflexible educational, and sometimes medical, bureaucracy. 

[The Lurker]

Just a quick photo to show how the Foxgloves are doing:

 

Edited June 10 by The Lurker

[iL Dottore]

20 minutes ago, 4630 said:

Having spent the best part of ten years working in a Special Educational Needs School in Bradford until 2014, I have nothing but admiration for the majority of the parents who had to battle the endless (and mindless) bureaucracy* of both the educational and medical professions to secure the most appropriate and timely provision for their children.

 

I'd like to think in a supposed modern and affluent economy that the process was consciously designed to achieve the most efficient and effective outcome for users.  In my first hand  experience the opposite seems to be far more common.

 

I doubt things have improved since I moved on. 

This is what comes from putting a price on everything (monetisation).
 

I’ve seen this in the US healthcare system: I am currently working on an oncology study, where part of the patient’s treatment involves the normal standard of care – which is usually paid for by the patient’s insurance company, however recently in a couple of situations the insurance company has refused to pay for the standard of care because by being in a clinical trial, the patients “didn’t meet the criteria for payment of standard of care”.

 

Medical bureaucracy at its finest….

[Compound2632]

4 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

That’s horrendous, you are basically being forced to choose between the good of the few versus the good of the many. 
 

And my comment about “special needs” being used as a dumping ground is is a NOT a comment about the professionals doing their utmost to help such children in the most trying of circumstances (who have my highest admiration) but rather on an insensitive and inflexible educational, and sometimes medical, bureaucracy. 

 

One aspect of this is that schools are having to deal on their own with social and psychological problems that used to be the business of several agencies that have been cut to the bone. We were very fortunate about a decade ago when one of my children was suffering with OCD that his school pushed incredibly hard with the local child mental health services as a result of which he got a timely psychiatric intervention - whether that would be possible now I don't know,  their waiting lists have got much longer.  Fortunately that is now pretty much in the past for us.

[petethemole]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

On the other hand I do consider that Dr. SWMBO has a level of mobility impairment that merits being awarded a "blue badge" for the Little Red Driving Box.  The Powers That Be do not agree.  Which means I cannot drop / collect her at the point of need sometimes, cannot take her to some places we would like to visit (because she cannot walk / cannot comfortably walk from car park to location) and I have to book assistance for her weekly travels by train as she is not accompanied by a helpful husband able to get her on and off the train and deal with her bags.  

 

That, to my mind, is a disability but it is not being recognised as such officially.  

I assume from this that Dr. Sharon has applied for PIP mobility component at the higher rate, which allow one to get Blue Badge, and been turned down.  If so, she should appeal the decision; a lot of appeals are successful.  Mrs mole went to tribunal and won, partly because the initial assessor had lied, which we were able to prove.

[4630]

5 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

This is what comes from putting a price on everything (monetisation).

 

Yes, I'm sure there's a significant element of that.

 

To my mind though other factors were/probably still are at play.

 

To name two;

 

A distinct lack of pace and urgency although I do acknowledge that resources, or a perceived lack of them, is an issue here.

 

Ineffective/inadequate performance management of the process, across all those involved, from start to finish.

 

 

 

 

[grandadbob]

Coo, now connected via full fibre broadband.  I might leave it a while before I start playing with the other gubbins.

[Tony_S]

32 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Coo, now connected via full fibre broadband.  I might leave it a while before I start playing with the other gubbins.

Mine isn’t fibre to the house just the nearby green cabinet but as for all the other gubbins may I suggest that you have all or any passwords and account names handy for anything you subscribe to before you start. Also some of the broadcasters have become very keen on putting QR codes on screen to register. Have fun!

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Need to shop for bread, eggs and milk this afternoon. I need to get my ears lowered and will do if they aren't to busy.

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, petethemole said:

I assume from this that Dr. Sharon has applied for PIP mobility component at the higher rate, which allow one to get Blue Badge, and been turned down.  If so, she should appeal the decision; a lot of appeals are successful.

Not quite at that level.  We are arguing the issue at the discretionary level but bear in mind we live in a hilly area with some cobbled and stepped streets which impede mobility for those who largely rely on two sticks to walk.  PIP at the higher level automatically gets you a blue badge but the mobility component is determined by an inability to walk 50 metres or to walk at all as assessed by a competent medical practitioner.  

 

Dr. SWMBO can manage 100m unaided most of the time though often with severe pain, discomfort and very slowly.  Sometimes she can barely manage 10m.  Other days she can walk for substantial distances.  With her sticks she is faster and has less pain but cannot significantly increase the distance she can comfortably walk.  

[tigerburnie]

Bt fitted me up with Halo full fibre for the digital phone and broadband, only thing to be aware of is the gubbins needs to be away from electrical noise, I had mine near a 4 plug socket extension for my hi-fi, after a couple of weeks I had to do a hard re-boot to reset it. I moved the gubbins and it has worked trouble free since, except that the foot on the gubbins is made of toffee and the foot snapped off when I moved it, hardly touched the bloody thing, it is propped up against a unit and works fine though.

[petethemole]

17 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

Not quite at that level.  We are arguing the issue at the discretionary level but bear in mind we live in a hilly area with some cobbled and stepped streets which impede mobility for those who largely rely on two sticks to walk.  PIP at the higher level automatically gets you a blue badge but the mobility component is determined by an inability to walk 50 metres or to walk at all as assessed by a competent medical practitioner.  

 

Dr. SWMBO can manage 100m unaided most of the time though often with severe pain, discomfort and very slowly.  Sometimes she can barely manage 10m.  Other days she can walk for substantial distances.  With her sticks she is faster and has less pain but cannot significantly increase the distance she can comfortably walk.  

Mrs mole can walk substantial distances with one or two crutches, and short distances unaided.  The crucial point is she is always in pain doing so.  The criterion is the inability to walk the specified distance "safely, reliably, repeatedly and in a reasonable time and pain free".  So I suggest that a PIP claim may be worth doing.  If so, read the claim form very carefully, and if Sharon has to have a face-to-face assessment, accompany her, take notes, and watch out for the distance traps, such as the distance from the car park to the door, or the waiting area to the assesment room.  Mrs mole's was in a newly built health centre and I was able to disprove the lies with the aid of a plan downloaded from the planning application, backed up by a visit in person (with permission) to measure the actual distances.