Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

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

I hope they were all still there!

[Joseph_Pestell]

Just now, Tony_S said:

I hope they were all still there!

 

Fortunately, yes. They are quite heavy, made in wood (thank you, Westons') and only one had been left in the "up" position. The steel pin has been well and truly bent though.

[Tony_S]

Just now, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

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.

Well she, you and I knew that but it seemed educational management didn’t. It was either minimum of GCSE C or take the tests. 
My Matthew didn’t do well in his GCSEs but fortunately  did get C grades in English and Maths.  His grades for everything improved while at sixth form. After a BA at Leicester and an MSc from the LSE he applied for MRes courses. He was turned down by Stockholm as he didn’t meet their English language standard (B GCSE). He didn’t have a problem applying to the Netherlands. 

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Well she, you and I knew that but it seemed educational management didn’t. It was either minimum of GCSE C or take the tests. 
My Matthew didn’t do well in his GCSEs but fortunately  did get C grades in English and Maths.  His grades for everything improved while at sixth form. After a BA at Leicester and an MSc from the LSE he applied for MRes courses. He was turned down by Stockholm as he didn’t meet their English language standard (B GCSE). He didn’t have a problem applying to the Netherlands. 

 

Maybe I am bolshie? Well, I know I am.

 

But I would have told the "management" where to go on that one. It is a joke that they should be managers in education if they do not understand the basic qualifications framework.

 

It is ageist to discriminate those of us that are old enough to have taken GCE O Level.

[Gwiwer]

Well. What a mixed day so far. 
 

At 05.00 I discovered the milk was off and had to manage without muggertee and Weetabix; there’s nowhere open at that hour to help.  Toast and banana it had to be. 
 

The wind is making alarming noises in our large trees and around the buildings. And it continues to increase in strength. 
 

My annual assessment of competence resulted in another 100% and some very favourable feedback from our safety standards manager. 
 

And in a few minutes I must set off to collect the weekend’s hire car and hope this interesting weather doesn’t put paid to our plans. 
 

A couple of belated birthday greetings are due. 
 

Friday Drinks will be celebrated moderately later on as I have to retain control of the car in order to get SWMBO to Kew and back. Taking advantage of having the transport available she is braving the workplace (after hours) to collect some books required at home. She has also threatened to walk around the Gardens with me but that may become a victim of the high winds. 

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Simon G said:

 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.

 

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

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!

Try baked apples. Core the apples and slash the peel. Fill the centre with brown sugar and spices and insert cloves where you've slashed the peel. If the peel is a bit battered remove it and replace with a pastry jacket, don't forget to leave a hole for the steam to escape. Serve with oodles of custard.

[Tony_S]

14 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Maybe I am bolshie? Well, I know I am.

 

But I would have told the "management" where to go on that one. It is a joke that they should be managers in education if they do not understand the basic qualifications framework.

 

It is ageist to discriminate those of us that are old enough to have taken GCE O Level.

I suspect someone had set a target for staff literacy and numeracy and there were no exceptions. Aditi was miffed not to get 100% on the literacy exam. She said that there must have been an error. The numeracy test included some calculus at the end and she couldn’t recall anything to do with that. Strangely enough at the time she was teaching stats to first year social science  undergraduates but still had to do the test. 
Tony

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 minute ago, PhilJ W said:

 

Try baked apples. Core the apples and slash the peel. Fill the centre with brown sugar and spices and insert cloves where you've slashed the peel. If the peel is a bit battered remove it and replace with a pastry jacket, don't forget to leave a hole for the steam to escape. Serve with oodles of custard.

 

I love baked apples. But I prefer them with mixed dried fruit in the middle where the core has been taken out.

[Joseph_Pestell]

2 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I suspect someone had set a target for staff literacy and numeracy and there were no exceptions. Aditi was miffed not to get 100% on the literacy exam. She said that there must have been an error. The numeracy test included some calculus at the end and she couldn’t recall anything to do with that. Strangely enough at the time she was teaching stats to first year social science  undergraduates but still had to do the test. 
Tony

 

 

Certainly there was no calculus at the time I did GCE O level maths (1972). I don't think that there was even any in Additional Maths O level (1973).

 

What could they have done if she had refused to sit the test? If they had sacked her, she would have had a great claim for unfair dismissal.

[PhilJ W]

4 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

I love baked apples. But I prefer them with mixed dried fruit in the middle where the core has been taken out.

Oops, sorry I forgot the mixed dry fruit, and don't forget to let it cool down before you eat it.

[Tony_S]

4 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

What could they have done if she had refused to sit the test? If they had sacked her, she would have had a great claim for unfair dismissal.

There was calculus in my O level. I did a modern maths A level and the amount of calculus was less than many traditional mathematics courses. This was a problem at university as physics lecturers assumed a lot of pre existing maths knowledge/skill. 
I suspect Aditi was told that there were no exceptions and as she was senior staff she had to set an example. In a college you could be senior and manage things but not be “management “. 
Older readers of this thread will remember the college did try to make her redundant (health grounds) and she won. Part of this process had her wondering just how qualified the people trying to get rid of her were. She didn’t want to use LinkedIn to research as she didn’t want them to know. So Robbie the spaniel had an account created (10 years pest control and water activities) and did the research. Her line manager didn’t want her to go and said that she had been prepared to intervene but clearly didn’t need to (with a “well done, carry on!” message).

 

[The Stationmaster]

Afternoon all,

 

The wind bloweth (outdoors) but nobody has been blown away - yet.  The plumbers are busily plumbing and have reached the stage, or rather reached it a couple of hours ago, where the water had to be cut off.  We will definitely get some of it back before too long but whether that will include all the cold and hot water to taps is another thing; they might over-run into tomorrow.  I have suggested to Mrs Stationmaster that she needs to obtain some Duraglit or Brasso to keep all the new exposed copper pipework suitably shiny.  She mentioned something called 'paint' in reply but I have advised her that paint can discolour on pipes conveying hot water so an area of 'failed to agree' remains outstanding.

 

For the second day running Tesco's sarnies provided lunch and some sort of takeaway will again provide dinner this evening - Mr Singh's fish & chips last night were excellent but I'm told we might be moving up market this evening.  Because of the less than clement weather the kitchen is just about accessible for only the most critical activity - making tea.  Not so much time to think about things happening elsewhere with all these momentous events going on indoors.

 

Have a good day folks and stay safe

[tigerburnie]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

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. 

I'm actually Leicester born and bred, still regarded as an incomer up here(that's one grade up from a white settler apparently) though I'm happy to become more "grippit" when it comes spending money lol.

[Coombe Barton]

Dear Ladybird Books

 

After my shopping trip to Sainsbury’s, would you please consider producing these titles:

 

How to Count up to One.

(For those who, despite there being a sign saying one shopper, manage to come in gaggles)

 

Anatomy of the Face.

(For those who think that covering your mouth only or wearing one below the chin is wearing a mask)

 

What Two Metres Looks Like

(For those times I’ve been pushed out of the way because I’ve been waiting for someone else)

 

The Virtues – 5 – Patience

(Same as previous)

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Two _sugars wasn't wrong.. blowing a gale and raining but...

 

we found the new station.. BoD gave directions and ..there it was..

 

and people are using it to go to places like.. Hartlepool... Newcastle....

 

 

 

or even to wave at Two_Sugars and BoD as the train passes them on the way North... Note the accomodation crossing to get to the farm..

 

Baz

 

[Dave Hunt]

Not the best of days so far. Last night I developed what seems to be some sort of gastric lurgy with a fever, rotten headache, lots of time in the bathroom etc. Today has seen some improvement aided by Jill's ministrations but I still feel like something the cat dragged in. I only climbed out of bed an hour or so ago and even doing the Telegraph crossword seems beyond me so I'm about to see what the haunted fish tank has to offer. Does this show that I'm still a cockeyed optimist?

 

Dave

[Compound2632]

2 hours 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.  

 

I think those tests may be mandatory for new entrants to teacher training. I had to do them, though I also had the relevant O level grades. Between my wife and I, we have one GCSE - Spanish, which she did in evening classes c. 1997. However, I also have a CSE which came free with my O level Chemistry.

[Compound2632]

5 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

a cockeyed optimist?

 

A cockney optometrist? I think I need to get my post-Covid eye test.

[Barry O]

@skipepsi  I agree.. but my first head teacher told my parents I would go to University.. which I did.

 

The higher grades being handed out (improvements year on year) will end in tears. When you see a placard wielded by a student who was complaining that her A Level English had been "downlowered" from an expected A* to a B things are sliding away...

 

While Universities hold the key to the exam process things will, eventually, go "pop" - how can someone pass A Level Mathematics without being able to "derive from First Principles" followed by QED.. Quad erat demonstrandum or "and so it has been shown?"

 

All of our graduate intakes in Engineering over the years showed us how to pass exams and pass interviews.. as Engineers they had limited practical ability to undertake the tasks given to them as they had not received any form of training in how to turn a problem into a solution using analytical means...

 

My A Level Mathematics teacher explained that" I am here to give you access to a set of mathematical tools which allow you to turn a "Pink" Elephant (ie a problem you don't understand and can't solve) into a Grey Elephant - ie a problem which you can solve as you see what the real problem is.

 

Interestingly enough Dr Eldest Herbert has to teach some of these new high grades students. He is less than impressed by the inability to produce sentences, paragraphs or use a bit of thought process before launching into their work (Geography is not a strong point either.. did you know that Israel is in Egypt?)

 

sorry for  the rant but people must be ready for what happens next...

 

Baz

Edited August 21, 2020 by Barry O

[Compound2632]

13 minutes ago, Barry O said:

did you know that Israel is in Egypt?

'Tis if you're studying Handel.

[J. S. Bach]

10 hours ago, TheQ said:

Rugby union is like American football, except. 

Remove the body armour, 

Remove the quarterback so no forward throws, 

No one can be forward of the ball. 

You can't tackle / block anyone who hasn't got the ball. 

To touch down,  you actually touch the ball down on the ground. 

Team size 15 +8 substitutes, but once taken off you can't normally go back on. 

The match is two halves of 40minutes, only additional time for injuries,  so it's all over in under 2 hours total.  Not going on and on and on for 5hours plus.. 

 

I used to like watching American football,  but only recorded matches not the 5hour live matches... 

Clear as Mississippi mud; sir, clear as mud. Of course I know only slightly more (very slightly)  about our football! Baseball on the other hand, well, I had great teachers;

 

[simontaylor484]

Oh well just had call from the nurse i am T2 diabetic 

 

[TheQ]

Try having Scottish certificates of education,  they often caused confusion, O grade is the equivalent of gcses but highers are done in one year,  so you have an extra year for resits or additional courses.   It's generally thought 5 SCE highers  is 4 A Levels. 

The other problem I had was going to an English tech college on day release,  they had assumptions on the way maths was done,  which didn't match how I was taught. 

At all jobs I've had,  they have taken my folder of certificates for photocopying, whether they bothered to actually read any of it I don't know.. 

 

What has changed was in my day only a C or above IE score of 50% was rated a pass,  D or E wasn't,  just grounds for a resit or another years re-learning,  nowadays only F is rated a Fail.  

 

The wind is howling round the house and was also round the MhRC.  Ben the supervising Collie did not approve, so supervised by looking through the MhRC patio doors.

 

The step of the alleyway new entrance, the outer line of bricks were mortared in, then a more liquid mix was poured in,  on doing that a little frog about an inch and a half long crawled out...  I scooped it up put it somewhere safe and poured the spare water over him to wash him off.  He then happily hopped off. 

 

Then to the barbeque,  discussions were had,  various measurements taken,  and some changes ordered. 

One section of Wall was cut vertically and half demolished, the bricks and blocks recovered.  They were mostly used in the repair and reinforcement of the other wall. 

Looking from above the barbeque area is an E shape,  it was the middle leg that was shortened,  the bottom U is the barbeque itself,  the upper,  will be a servery table.  

The Barbeque table is now fixed in place,  the servery is just held in place by blocks on top at the moment although the mountings below are now fixed in place. 

 

I've been looking at the old stand for the barbeque,  eight very rusty bolts to be removed,  so I can lift the barbeque off and onto the new table. But that,  and fixing the servery table in place is for tomorrow. 

[The Lurker]

42 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

I think those tests may be mandatory for new entrants to teacher training. I had to do them, though I also had the relevant O level grades. Between my wife and I, we have one GCSE - Spanish, which she did in evening classes c. 1997. However, I also have a CSE which came free with my O level Chemistry.

i was about to add that i have heard of others who had suffered the same fate as Aditi - but it may be that Tony has related the tale before.

 

Mrs Lurker did the last  O levels (87) and managed to fail the maths, at which she was distraught, as she was moving to a new area and knew she could not retake in the autumn. She did however pass the GCSE the following summer.

 

My Dad too maths o level four times and failed it every time. He is however very good at arithmetic. I suspect he is like me - maths gets a lot harder when they start replacing the numbers with letters. I did however manage to pass my own maths o level, and eventually got through the more difficult statistics i had to do in my accountancy exams, mainly because by then i had sufficient exam technique to teach myself what a question requiring poisson distribution as an answer looked like, vs standard deviation and so on. Wind the clock to Elder Lurker struggled with his maths GCSE and i found myself delegated to help him. I am pleased to say he passed, a silver lining to what was at the time a cloudy day

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

Certainly there was no calculus at the time I did GCE O level maths (1972). I don't think that there was even any in Additional Maths O level (1973).

 

What could they have done if she had refused to sit the test? If they had sacked her, she would have had a great claim for unfair dismissal.

I took O level maths in 68, no calculus. That only camevat A level the next year. In 1970 2 C' and a D were good enough for me to get offers of places from Nottingham,  Shaffield, UMIST and Newcastle to do Chemical  Engineering. 

 

At work however A few years later, most prisonerscaged 40 or over were literate and had no difficulty reading and copying  the addendum that they had to write on what were known as voluntary statements. Teenagers and early 20's often had to have the words spelt out to them letter by letter.

 

Jamie