Early Risers.

[Happy Hippo]

11 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Evening All, 

Sorry but due to work commitments not upto date with what everyone’s been getting up to.

Back to smells, there’s an abattoir on the road to a Mils, about two miles away. In the summer that place really stinks, goodness( and perhaps Flavio)  only knows what the smell is and to tell you the truth I really don’t want to know. There are a few houses next door and a pub and I don’t know how they stand it. 
Anyway, early night as work again tomorrow so

Goodnight.

We have a slaughter house quite close by and when the wind is in the right direction and when the temperatures are up, it can be quite noxious, but that is one of the downsides of living in that rural idyll that townies like to think of as the countryside.  The other side of the compass we have a large chicken farm that is cleaned out every couple of months, and that too has an aroma all of it's own.  I wish that such folk would actually realise is the 'countryside' is the biggest industrial unit in the whole of the UK.

 

Add to that the usual stuff that farmers spread on the fields as fertilisers and you can begin to gather why I have large nostrils and an extremely strong constitution.

 

 Around here, when new neighbours are not complaining of the smells, they whine about low flying helicopters.

 

Well, you bought a house under one of the low flying training areas of the Defence Flying School, so what do you expect?

 

A friend of the Obergrumpenfuhrer bought a house in Headcorn about 25 years ago, whenever we visit she complains about the noise from aircraft at the local airfield.

 

I've told her, that:

 

1. The airfield was operating there long before she bought here house in the area.

 

2. Stop moaning.........until you've lived close to the threshold of QRA airfield you have little to complain about in the noise department.

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by Happy Hippo

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Belated birthday greetings to SE Eric.

Very breezy here with a bit of rain and sunshine.

Great afternoon and evening spent at Nicki's celebrating Gemma's success.  Many thanks for all the good wishes and congratulations for her.  She's been a bit down lately but has now gone back to her lovely cheery self and is over the moon.

Joe had some good news as well, his A level grade C has been regraded to a B.  This means that he could have gone to his 1st choice university UCL.  However he would then have stayed at home and commuted into London and having thought at length about that is glad he's now going to Sussex, especially now he's seen pictures of the accommodation he's been given.  He's also spoken at length to Dan, son of our friend Steve who went to Sussex last year and has given him excellent reports.

Now raining again so I'm staying in for now.

Have a good one,

Bob.

[tigerburnie]

Morning, Happy Birthday for yesterday Eric.........................rain and wind forecast, so not much planned, I am still trying to spend modelling tokens on flea bay but keep getting out bid, some folk seem to have more money than sense.....................or am I becoming even tighter than I was?

[New Haven Neil]

Great news about Gemma, GDB.

 

The rain earlier (aka Ark Time) has stopped and it is gloriously sunny now - typical Isle of Fraggle weather!  Humidity 92% though, gooey.

 

OK, off to the club.

Edited August 21, 2020 by New Haven Neil

[AndyB]

10 hours ago, polybear said:

I had a feeling that squeezing in that last D&S Wagon Kit into the Great Unbuilt K*t Cupboard on the wall was a mistake....anyone got any polyfilla?

 

In other news:

I see that GCSE Passes have risen dramatically.  Could that mean that prospective employers will look upon those with qualifications dating from 2020 will look upon them with suspicion?  And will we see an increase in University students struggling with the work in coming years?

 

I'd be interested in the opinions of fellow ERer's as regards pro's and cons of various suppliers of self-install kitchens - Wickes, B&Q, Ikea, Magnet, possibly Howdens etc. etc.

 

 

 

GCSEs: I think that long before this cohort gets to Uni then they'll have to demonstrate an ability at A level. This should weed out those whose grades were inflated and wouldn't cope with uni. 

 

The GCSE results that I saw yesterday were entirely in line with what had been assessed over the previous 3 years of my eldest'son course work. With only one exception where a grade was lower - we suspect because a piece of course work had been lost by the teacher and therefore not included in the final assessment. There was also a lot of moderation, too to remove teacher bias etc.

It's understandable if people are sceptical. But, as mentioned, from my personal experience the evidence of what would be a justifiable grade was there long before the exams/algorithm/teacher debacle. 

 

My advice to my eldest is to assume from Day 1 at 6th form that A levels in 2 years time will be assessed by coursework, too. Who knows what may hapoen. So, make every assignment count as if it was the real exam. Same for the younger children who is embarking on GCSEs. 

 

I also believe that in employment we end up having to deliver consistently for about 40 years. 

So what is the better judge of this - a 90 minute exam, possibly crammed the night before, or a 3 -year demo of achievement?

 

Kitchens: I've only done this once some 25 years ago. B&Q who outsourced delivery. What was delivered had several vital bits missing - "not my problem, gov, you'll have to go back to B&Q". B&Qs process to rectify was lengthy and frustrating, not dissimilar to Snakes and Ladders.

I've heard good things about Howdens. 

[Tony_S]

11 minutes ago, AndyB said:

we suspect because a piece of course work had been lost by the teacher

That happened to Matthew. However the teacher Economics GCSE) admitted immediately to him that she had lost it (flew away from the back seat of her car, a BMW convertible). She said “do you have any notes or evidence I can mark?” . He said he would bring in a complete reprint next day or she could have it that day if she let him go home. She told us what had happened too.

Tony

 

[tigerburnie]

I am not convinced that exam results are any real indicator of either intelligence or indeed the ability to retain knowledge, teaching to pass exams rather then teaching is not the answer, the world is full of highly qualified idiots as it is.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Blowing a hooley outside at the moment but at least its dry and forecast to stay that way. Neil, I can guarantee that within a very short time you'll be wondering how you had time to go to work.

30 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

Morning, Happy Birthday for yesterday Eric.........................rain and wind forecast, so not much planned, I am still trying to spend modelling tokens on flea bay but keep getting out bid, some folk seem to have more money than sense.....................or am I becoming even tighter than I was?

Your a Scotsman, its in the job description. Seriously though, I set myself a limit on e-bay and stick to it. About two thirds of items I get before the limit is reached and about one third I'm outbid. If I'm the first bidder I start out by bidding just above the minimum amount and quite often I'm the only bidder. Just realised that I'm almost out of milk, just enough for a couple of mugs of tea so I'll have to venture out shortly for more.

[Erichill16]

51 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

We have a slaughter house quite close by and when the wind is in the right direction and when the temperatures are up, it can be quite noxious, but that is one of the downsides of living in that rural idyll that townies like to think of as the countryside.  The other side of the compass we have a large chicken farm that is cleaned out every couple of months, and that too has an aroma all of it's own.  I wish that such folk would actually realise is the 'countryside' is the biggest industrial unit in the whole of the UK.

 

Add to that the usual stuff that farmers spread on the fields as fertilisers and you can begin to gather why I have large nostrils and an extremely strong constitution.

 

 Around here, when new neighbours are not complaining of the smells, they whine about low flying helicopters.

 

Well, you bought a house under one of the low flying training areas of the Defence Flying School, so what do you expect?

 

A friend of the Obergrumpenfuhrer bought a house in Headcorn about 25 years ago, whenever we visit she complains about the noise from aircraft at the local airfield.

 

I've told her, that:

 

1. The airfield was operating there long before she bought here house in the area.

 

2. Stop moaning.........until you've lived close to the threshold of QRA airfield you have little to complain about in the noise department.

 

A friend whose father was a farmer told us that a local rendering plant had got the contract to dispose of dead dolphins (or whales?) that had beached on the east coast. I bet that was a sight and smell never to forget.

Robert

[skipepsi]

8 minutes ago, tigerburnie said:

I am not convinced that exam results are any real indicator of either intelligence or indeed the ability to retain knowledge, teaching to pass exams rather then teaching is not the answer, the world is full of highly qualified idiots as it is.

Sadly it was decreed that teachers should have performance management which is pass rates for SATs, GCSEs and A levels etc which are all also used for grading schools. This would work well if children were tins of beans but they are individuals and have a multitude of needs or difficulties which require attention. The truth now that your child can be a failure before they start in reception disgusts me but watching nursery teachers assessing children rather than nurturing them is what the system demands. Two years left to retirement and I have met and observed a lot of great teachers burn themselves out trying to combine teaching and recording. 

I will not even start on headteachers who think sacking female teachers over the age of 50 is the right thing to do...

Rant over.

[Happy Hippo]

11 hours ago, polybear said:

I had a feeling that squeezing in that last D&S Wagon Kit into the Great Unbuilt K*t Cupboard on the wall was a mistake....anyone got any polyfilla?

 

 

I'd be interested in the opinions of fellow ERer's as regards pro's and cons of various suppliers of self-install kitchens - Wickes, B&Q, Ikea, Magnet, possibly Howdens etc. etc.

We've had one self fix kitchen from Howdens which was very good, and a B&Q kitchen which was supplied and fitted by themselves.  The B&Q one was put in very well, and prompted us to have one fitted in one of the Obergrumpenfuhrer's rental properties.  The Howden self fit was used as we had a very good offer from them, and we will probably use them again in a new build we are involved with, although we will get them to install as well as supply. (It is  more cost effective for us to do it this way.)

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, skipepsi said:

Sadly it was decreed that teachers should have performance management which is pass rates for SATs, GCSEs and A levels etc which are all also used for grading schools. This would work well if children were tins of beans but they are individuals and have a multitude of needs or difficulties which require attention. The truth now that your child can be a failure before they start in reception disgusts me but watching nursery teachers assessing children rather than nurturing them is what the system demands. Two years left to retirement and I have met and observed a lot of great teachers burn themselves out trying to combine teaching and recording. 

I will not even start on headteachers who think sacking female teachers over the age of 50 is the right thing to do...

Rant over.

 

On your last point, that is something that ought to be taken up by the union as there's discrimination on at least two counts there - to say nothing of the presumable financial motivation to get rid of a teacher well up the main pay scale. The head in question is clearly blessed with supine governors; it would do them good to be shaken up by having to go to a tribunal.

 

As a late-entrant not-very-successful secondary science teacher, I've seen the pressures that teachers have been put under by school leadership - focusing effort on those pupils who can be moved up from 3 to 4 (D to C in old money), to the neglect of those scraping along at the bottom or indeed those who might be got up from 6 to 7+ (B to A). I've also seen the professionalism with which teachers have taken those instructions with a pinch of salt and done their best for all their pupils. 

[skipepsi]

Quote

'On your last point, that is something that ought to be taken up by the union as there's discrimination on at least two counts there - to say nothing of the presumable financial motivation to get rid of a teacher well up the main pay scale. The head in question is clearly blessed with supine governors; it would do them good to be shaken up by having to go to a tribunal.'

Sadly of those I have seen disposed of their morale and self esteem is so low they just leave.

[PeterBB]

If he will allow a member of this forum, AndyRam, was one such committed individual whose head made life impossibly difficult such that the end result was that he was lost to education.  Thankfully he is establishing himself in the model railway supply field and personally delivered to his customers during Covid to keep it going.

 

[Two_sugars]

Morning all . . .Baz, . . .It's a bit draughty. . .oh . and occasionally damp.

 

GCSE . . .Granddaughter had all passes, but where she expected a 7 turned up a 6. . . college starts soon fer her anyway.

she celebrated by polishing her newest pair of "DOCS"(Martins), and dying her hair 

PINK

I have been assured it will wash out in a couple of days.

 

'Ave a good'un, and keep smiling.

 

 

John

Edited August 21, 2020 by Two_sugars

[PhilJ W]

Congratulations to your granddaughter Two Sugars. Make sure you take a pic of the pink hair to show to her offspring in years to come.

[grandadbob]

Many congratulations to your granddaughter John.  

[Simon G]

Morning all (just!).  Blowing a hoolie here as you might expect.  I am looking out on a very angry looking Irish Sea today.  The heavy rain earlier has given way to a little sunshine.  My poor runner beans are now cocooned in some windbreak material, which is hopefully protecting them from the worst of the wind - time will tell.  Cooking apples have been blown off our tree, so I have used some of them this morning by making apple chutney.  It is currently “brewing” as I write this.  I haven’t made apple chutney before, so I hope it turns out well.

[grandadbob]

Our friend Russ next door gave us a load of cooking apples and I have made some individual apple pies this morning.  They don't look very pretty but when they've cooled down I'm hoping that the taste will make up for it.

This afternoon I will be making my version of  Cornish Pasties ..... Sutton pasties!

Edited August 21, 2020 by grandadbob

[The Lurker]

Greetings all from Sidcup where the wind is blowing the clouds over at quite a rate.

 

Mrs Lurker went into town yesterday to meet friends for lunch. Her observations as to who was not wearing masks chime with those of Roundhouse (those statistically most vulnerable), plus the overweight businessman on the Thameslink, feet on the seats and drinking a can of strongbow at 4 in the afternoon. 

 

I was going to be off work today but we have two different situations involving Tanzania that need dealing with today (tax legal so can't wait til Monday). In any case, the weather's not brill so we would not be doing much anyway.

 

Thinking of pleasant smells, i used like the journey to and from town when i was a kid because we used to go past Peek Freans on the approach to London Bridge ;not only did it have a digital clock/temperature read out but the smell of the biscuits was nice.

[simontaylor484]

Morning all

 

Wind is getting up here but its dry at the minute thankfully. 

 

 

[Tony_S]

Congratulations to all those receiving exam results.  For years no one ever asked for proof that I had my claimed qualifications but there was a demand for them in my final years of teaching and also proof I was entitled to work in the UK. All of us being asked for proof that we were entitled to work here may have been my fault as I mentioned to the HR admin person that her questioning of just black, Asian and people with “foreign” surnames looked a bit suspicious. She did agree and said she was just following orders.

Everyone at Aditi’s last college had to have a GCSE grade C in English and maths. She was surprised after a few years there to have to take their numeracy and literacy tests as she only had O levels in those subjects.  
I once had a maths group at the sixth form college who seemed quite mature. They basically were not leaving until they achieved at least a C grade which was a requirement for various careers. As long as you were 16 when you started at the college you could keep applying for courses and stay beyond the normal 16 to 19. The maths department getting me to teach them was very much a desperate last chance I think. I am pleased to say it worked. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

17 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

Morning all

 

Wind is getting up here but its dry at the minute thankfully. 

 

 

Wet and windy here in North Herefordshire.

 

And very windy at 5am when I remembered that I had left all the parasols out last night!

[Tony_S]

I noticed a couple of chaps bother wearing bright orange T shirts going door to door today. Not masked. But not every door. I was trying to work out where they were calling. Then I realised it was houses with BMW or Mercedes cars in the drive. The two chaps had turned up in a large Mercedes. Perhaps they were second hand car dealers. We did get asked a month ago by some chaps if we wanted to sell our cars. They were asking people whose cars were covered in cobwebs. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

10 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

 

Everyone at Aditi’s last college had to have a GCSE grade C in English and maths. She was surprised after a few years there to have to take their numeracy and literacy tests as she only had O levels in those subjects.  
 

 

Any GCE O level pass (Grades 1-6 as they were then) is equivalent to GCSE grade C. So she should not have been asked to take those tests.