@bullstuff2
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In a nation of 1.5 billion Ed, that is a very small percentage; 0.0225% in fact. Apply the same percentage to a UK population of 66,573,504 in 2018, as reckoned by Global bank and we have the number 149,790.384. Around 150,00 top achievers. Compared to 1.5 billion of other-directed Chinese, that is not contemptible, but should definitely be improved.
Now if you are talking about removing ” Media or Art History Studies ” from the curriculum, I would agree if those are chosen by students too lazy, lacking ambition and drive, or too unfocussed to do anything else. But you fail to detect and include the high exports from the UK of media productions. Our film and TV productions are sold all over the world: Hollywood uses UK studios and regions, with the varied landscapes throughout the British Isles, for a great deal of work.
Art History I do not understand, apart from the fact that it brings tourists from all over the world to view our many Art Galleries and Museums. These are generally wealthy people who are prepared to spend money in the local economy. It brings in a fair few £millions, I would venture. Since the £ seems to have lost so much, Tourism in the UK is more affordable and lots of people, many from China, are coming here to soak up British culture.
Even may years ago, whilst serving in BAOR, my German best mate Rolf asked me to give him a month’s itinerary for a visit to Britain. He wanted landscapes, holiday resorts, museums and Art galleries and I fixed him up well enough to earn his praise for our country. He said he felt especially at home, sitting in a Carlisle restaurant during a heavy rain shower, eating Ochsenschwanzsuppe mit Champignons*, Bratwürst and chips provided by a waitress whose father was also in BAOR some years ago and schooled in Germany. A remarkable meal for a German citizen to be given, in a 1970’s Carlisle restaurant!
*Oxtail soup with button mushrooms. I loved that myself. Bratwürst you probably know is a grilled German sausage of remarkable proportions. I loved that too, covered in ketchup with a dip of Zempf (German mustard, quite mild). I get mine in Tesco, as they sell the best genuine German brand. A rare treat for me, as I invariably need the peppermints later, before bed!
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I'm out.I took my 11 Plus exam in 1956 at 11, did not get enough marks to make Grammar school, as did 8 more of my schoolmates in a class of pit village kids. It did not bother me, as I was offered a place at one of the new Technical schools which were set up by the government to address the problem of too few engineers and other technical trades. (Does that sound familiar) Although I achieved no qualifications, mainly due to my inability to concentrate and stop messing about in my last year, that school gave me a grounding in engineering that paid off when I joined the Army as an AAC aircraft Technician, and after leaving HMF, when I became a Motor Engineer and managed a garage and workshop.
My friends who joined grammars and Uni’s, later had such careers as a Dental Surgeon, (owned several practices in West London, later retired comfortably after the sales) Chemist, Pharmaceutical Scientist, Biologist, Teacher/Head. There was also one who was found dead and homeless in Birmingham, as a sad counterweight. I felt absolutely no jealousy for any of them, neither did any of the ones who failed, some of whom took their own route to success as engineers, builders, etc. In fact, our ‘organiser’ back in Notts decided to have a 50th Reunion for the “Class of 1950” who started at the village school in that year, and it was well attended by all those who could go (and were still above ground by then) Unfortunately It was 2000 and I was quite unwell, having treatment for a paralysed spine. I received a huge card, signed by everyone attending, including several old pals I had not seen for many decades. I am now in touch with them all via FB and the village website: unfortunately we are all getting on, some (like me) have problems and some have passed since 200. But one of the letters in the card was from my oldest friend, a girl from a family of 6 next door. We grew up together and one of my prized photos is of us both sitting on her front doorstep, at perhaps 4 or 5 years old. Mary (now married to a Mansfield Labour Councillor) told me that everyone at the Reunion had mixed and talked about their lives: there was no jealousy or animosity, everyone recalling the times together as children up to 11 or 15, depending upon which course their education took them. I really wish I could have been there, but at the same time my mate Vic who moved to OZ, was also in hospital, so we both met up with many who had been there in 2001.
Education then was a fixed purpose and those being educated, understood the paths they took. Changes were few until the Trendy educators began to appear in the 60’s and that got worse. Successive governments have done nothing but make frequent changes since, poking education with a sharp stick and inflicting change where there should be a settled routine, which most educators and all children, like.
I say that from the viewpoint of the father of a daughter who teaches. She and her colleagues are sick and tired of politicians who understand education mostly from a Public School standpoint, and pass on stupid, unworkable solutions too frequently.
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I'm out.When I began Chemo, I was advised by my consultant and the senior Macmillan nurse who is his deputy and my case advisor, to drink only white wine and that a small glass every third day. Just before this, my lovely daughter had bought me a bottle of Australian “Kangaroo Point” Merlot, which was absolutely gorgeous, just the type of strong (13%) deeply dark Red that I love to sip slowly and take a few evenings to finish. I manged most of it before the ban, but if I ever am allowed back into Redheaven again, I will look for it. I can only drink most Whites in Spritzers anyway, although I really like a good Chenin Blanc neat, with pleasure. SWMBO likes cheap German sweet wines, Social Bonus! ??
It seems very cruel that, as I was just getting used to appreciate good wine sipped slowly and enjoy for flavour, instead of tipped down the neck in quantity, I was banned from that pleasure. Life is a bitch!
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I'm out.Enjoy it Nolan, a fascinating read.
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I'm out.Interesting post Wasbit. I only appreciate two titles: VIZ and what is listed in a Typo as “Fourtean Times” and should really be named “Fortean Times”.
But the fact that the wishes of Felix Dennis in regard to the the Heart of England Forest charity, are to be respected and followed up, is encouraging. I love trees, I wander through our very large Legbourne Wood of old British trees, floors covered in early Spring by thousands of Bluebells. I am thought of as a bit of a nutter by locals, (and SWMBO of course!) who have seen me there, sitting on a huge tree root of an old Oak and reading or meditating, bare feet buried in soil and leaf matter. There are reasons for this:
*It’s a cool, shaded area during the hot weather, although I have also done this on a winter day.
*It’s a part of my belief system (please don’t call it a religion, the only church is the Great Outdoors!) passed from my Romany gran and my dad. This belief is that everything on the planet is connected, via plants and trees, connected underground by microscopic fibres. Animals know this, we have lost it. I maintain it and I do feel something when I bury my feet in that rich old soil. Trees are, after all, the lifeblood of the planet. My gran was original Romany and had oral memories passed down to her from her ancestors, the Dravidian people of North India, who were chased out by the first Moghul Emperors, and dispersed across the world. Centuries of these beliefs and actions have come down to myself and a female cousin, who is teaching her grandchildren. Only my youngest Gdaughter is interested, but also retains a Christian belief. The other 3 are sceptical about organised religion, so there may be time…
” …everything on the planet is connected, via plants and trees, connected underground by microscopic fibres. ”
Scientists have recently discovered that this is true, I posted it here somewhere.I have had foxes , voles, mice and rabbits pass me in that spot and not be bothered about my presence. Looked upon as having a few tiles missing I think, but it gives me peace, especially at this time of medical problems atm.
I tell my Gert that plants in pots are prisoners, cut off from their real world. She just laughs, then wonders why some die.
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I'm out.Always the Ship Canal if you like slightly less polluted water than the Irish Sea, Mark. ??
Or the many lakes in Greater Manc… http://tinyurl.com/yc8ay9ay
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I'm out.Same league, Richard, same kind of problem. In both cases, a misuse of power, neglect and abuse of that power, and incompetence. I find it spreading amongst many organisations today, it grinds my gears. What to blame, but the desire amongst trendy educational establishments and the Labour Party activists, who want to ban Grammar Schools and any educational initiatives that bring the cream rising to the top. The best of our generations have been increasingly hobbled by this for the last 40 years. How are we to produce the best scientists, engineers, medical professionals, mathematicians etc., in numbers, when these idiots are determined to stifle the competitive spirit that the human race evolved over millions of years? I feel so pleased that my 13 yo gdaughter is in a very good Lincolnshire Grammar, producing A and A* results.
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I'm out.Same league, Richard, same kind of problem.
In both cases, a misuse of power, neglect and abuse of that power, and incompetence.
I find it spreading amongst many organisations today, it grinds my gears. What to blame, but the desire amongst trendy educational establishments and the Labour Party activists, who want to ban Grammar Schools and any educational initiatives that bring the cream rising to the top. The bets of our generations have been increasingly hobbled by this for the last 40 years.
How can we produce the best scientists, engineers, medical professionals, mathematicians etc., in numbers, when these idiots are determined to stifle the competitive spirit that the human race evolved over millions of years? I feel so pleased that my 13 yo gdaughter is in a very good Lincolnshire Grammar, producing A and A* results.
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I'm out.To true, 1 day waisted because it would not line up. It’s not the printer either. I printed a photo this morning with a border and it was bob on. I used Avery online designer selecting there business card size and product number as it is avery cards I was using but nope, nothing is working. You can manual offset in there online designer but the problem is one column of 5 cards was outline more than the other column and you can not adjust each one. Anyhow I have opted for instantprint as they let you design your card from scratch and I could not find a way to do that at vista print. My blood presure is slowly returning to normal now but atleast I have had a little reminder of why I do not use printers! Never have I had any luck with printers, NEVER! Funny thing is when I was younger I always fancied getting into the printing game ?
Don’t blame you for taking an easier solution that preserves your health, Lee! I got out of the printing game when I took a look at the early attempts at supplying businesses with instant solutions. I was ready for retirement anyway, but I thought ‘These companies will only get better, their products will undercut people like me. Time to pack it in.’ I recall the attitude of a city High Street printing shop, when I produced a DVD of book covers and asked him to give me a price for printing a run of 500. He practically chased me out: “Back street cowboys like you are taking the bread from my mouth!” I found a way and abetter printer and I was away, managed to get a good income from that. Last time I passed the Printshop, it was closed and boarded up.
It reminded me of all the NCB “Fitters” who tried to set up car repair businesses literally in the back streets, when I was a workshop foreman. My boss wanted to stop them bringing cars up for MOT tests, but I said no, take their money: how can a guy who was servicing and maintaining coal cutters, relate to car repair & maintenance?” The penny dropped with most of them after several successive Fails. Some were actually dangerously repaired and I told them the car could only be moved from the garage on a recovery truck, which we could provide at a cost of £££.
Those people were not taking bread from my mouth: they were giving me more money for less effort, thus more bread. The kind of customers who went to those people, usually had older cars. One by one, they began to return to us. What really p****d me off, was that the ex-‘fitters’ had taken a big lump of British Coal and government compensation, for losing their jobs. Which they had actually voted to lose.
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I'm out.Dan: yes, their dad. My son, his kids being my smashing grandbrats.
Steve, your mate smoking in the house is worse for anyone else in the house at the same time. Family, guests, anyone. It’s called Passive Smoking and it is just as dangerous for those breathing in the expelled smoke, than the dangerous crap the smoker is taking in. Those non-smokers who are exposed to that, have no choice. Why should they suffer possible lung & heart problems, often years down the line, because a smoker cba to take it outside? This is all scientifically proved Steve, cannot be denied.
When my son’s marriage broke up and he was given full custody of his two children, I reminded him that then 2yo grandson had been diagnosed with Asthma. If he smoked in the house, I told him, he would make it very much worse. Well, he loves those kids, always has done, so he took to going to the bottom of his garden and smoking there. Even vaping as he does now, he does outside.
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I'm out.Chip pan fires, brings back a painful memory:
58 years ago, shortly before my 14th birthday, I was looking after my 9 and 7 yo nephews at our house while my SIL was visiting their dad, my big bro, in hospital. My parents had gone to Nottingham to buy what I later learned was a radiogram for my birthday, for delivery on the day. They gave me and the lads strict instructions about what not to do: they knew that the 3 of us were a triple accident always in danger of happening! My nephews and I were always very close and wandered the local countryside together with our dog Patch, getting up to all kinds of mischief.
We had a coal oven and a coal fire and the boys wanted chips. Local chippy being closed at the time, I decided to get the chip pan out and do some egg & chip meals. Of course that meant putting the pan directly on the coals, which I had done may times before. No adult had expressly forbidden cooking before they left. Mindful of the fact that the 9 yo had been badly scalded by a pan of boiling potatoes as a 2yo, I kept the boys well away from the pan, until the 7yo shouts “Pan is tipping!” and grabs it. It was not tipping, just slightly askew on the coals and his action caused it to tip, with predictable results. I flung him out of the way, grabbed the flaming pan and carried it slowly towards the short space to the outside door. My mam had left the ‘Ewbank’ carpet sweeper outside the first door and I tripped over it, but had the presence of mind to throw it outside with a huge heave from my prone position. Didn’t know until afterwards, but that took out about 2 inches of hair and my eyebrows. The pan had landed miraculously upright and was now a beacon of flame. I fetched a heavy old wartime “Blackout” blanket that was used to cover floors when decorating, folded it a few times and covered the pan. It extinguished the flames eventually and I walked back in, beginning to feel the results upon my head and face. The lads burst out laughing at my red face, missing head and facial hair.
I will draw a veil over what happened when my parents returned, except to say that their different temperaments were displayed: mam screaming invective and terrible punishments upon me, dad taking her to one side and calming her down, then sending her to her mates’ house before sitting me down and tearing me to pieces quietly and very calmly. That was worse than the screaming, much worse.
As my nephews grew older and we often met for a drink or a Forest match, they would remind me of the day “I almost burnt Granddad’s house down.” Well, that was their exaggerated version anyway. They would always laugh uproariously at Uncle Bob’s embarrassment, of course!
Both those guys are gone now, cancer and massive heart attack in their very early 50’s. I loved them like kid brothers and I will miss them, together with their dad and mam, until my last day.
RIP Eric, Marion, Mike and Alan Williams. A very big part of my life.
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I'm out.So far, so good, so happy Dan! ?May it continue to please.?
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I'm out.JB, that toilet looks exactly like mine. Think I asked you this before: are you with Waterloo Housing Group?
I have terrible damp on an outside wall, beneath guttering and the large lounge window. Due to clay roof tiles, there is a lot of moss on the roof which the birds turn over to look for eggs, larvae and insects. This rolls down the roof and into the guttering, blocking it and causing overspill when it rains, all down that corner where the damp/mould is. It has been treated by our decorator in 2015 with anti-mould paint, but is coming again.
I was particularly interested in Richard’s information regarding health risks. My wife has an ongoing, hacking cough and so far no scans, cameras etc. have discovered a cause. Thanks for that Richard, looking it up and using what I find for GP’s ammunition and more reports to our bloody useless, deaf & blind, incompetent landlord.
Before treatment pic.
I have another corner on the same wall which was like this. Treatment was 2015, I know it’s coming back and I know the guttering overspill is causing this. Landlord refuses to do any gutter clearance until September. I asked them to phone before they come last year, they didn’t. We were in, neighbour was out and we had no key for her place. There are 6 bungalows, link-connected by a small utility room. There is no access to the rear of any except No’s 1 and 6. I live at No.5, neighbour at No.4. Totally fed up with this landlord now, they are about to become the largest Social Housing group in the UK with yet another merger. i am going to report this and several other problems, then give them a timeline. If I don’t have a result, I move to Health & Safety Executive and local Environmental Housing.
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I'm out.Mine is genuine Lee, would appreciate it if everyone with a gen addy told you that.
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I'm out.Yes I still get security patches Steve. Actually I have been very pleased with the WF Swift, as a first smartphone it has been good and I have learned a lot about Google services using it. Our Gert likes her Spark and has only small requirements from it: does not use data, just mainly texts and calls, with photos. We share our Google Photos accounts.
The only concern I have about WF, even after they merged with another company in March and have started up again, is that I wonder if it will crash and burn again.
My 11 yo gdaughter has the latest Swift 2x and loves it, we bought it for her last Chrimbo present. Now she also has a laptop, an 8″ tablet and a gaming desktop (13th birthday) built by her IT engineer big bro, she is in Device Heaven.
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I'm out.Steve, why not put the willpower that got you through RM training, into just saying to yourself “I am going to stop smoking RIGHT NOW and never smoke again? That is what I did at 32 and I have never smoked since. Giving up a bit at a time, and/or using lozenges, does not work. Cold Turkey is the only thing that does. It took me 7 frustrating, maddening weeks before I lost the urge for a smoke, but now I could throw up if I go into a home where a smoker lives. Best thing for me was when they stopped it in public places, including pubs.
Look on it as something you can do for your family: they want you to live as long as possible. I say this after sitting with my dad, big brother (59) FIL and a nephew who was more like a kid brother, and watching them all die of lung cancer. All heavy smokers.
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I'm out.WileyFox are good at updates(recently updated mine to Oreo)
Does not help either myself or my missus, Ed. I have the original Swift and SWMBO has the original Spark. No chance of upgrades for either phone. When either/both phones need replacing, we will not be choosing a Wileyfox.
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I'm out.No one knows what is going to happen. We may be worse off for a short time, but I doubt very much that it will be for a long time, Ed. Anyone can make up a scenario that will “demonstrate” a result that puts us all below the poverty line, or indeed a scenario which has us living happily ever after, in relative prosperity, while the EU splits into several parts. Surely, that’s what happened before the Referendum, is it not? Various politicians taking sides and spending money provided by us dumb taxpayers, assisted by funds from various ‘backers’ of Leave or Remain. That was the start of the lies and half truths from each side of the argument and still it continues in the same vein.
I have lost all patience with the Brexit issue. I will not post here again on the Brexit forum.
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I'm out.What make & model of printer Lee?
Try going into the printer software and looking for something called Alignment or similar, set it up with that and print a test page. Then try aligning the cards again. Did you look at the publishing software link I posted?
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I'm out.So glad my son took up vaping instead of the horrible roll ups he smoked. Don’t really like to see him vaping, but the utility room where he used to smoke* does not reek of tars & tobacco anymore.
A conversation with one of his old gf’s, a really heavy smoker :
Me: “Those things will kill you!” Son’s ex gf: “I could get hit by a bus crossing the road!”
Me: “Oh really. Would you pay the driver to run you down? That’s what you do when you buy a pack of ciggies, you pay for something to give you a very painful death.”
Blank look from son’s ex.
Should explain 2 things. 1 – son once had a large number of exes, after a marriage break up some 17 years ago. He has given up now he’s 50 I think. 2 – I was once a 300+ a week smoker, until my early 30’s. Never touched a ciggy since.
Converts make good preachers!??
*Kids banished him from the house when he smoked. Then nagged him to take up vaping instead. They are still working on the vaping.
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