Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

.... What I did not expect was the overnight removal of the Interactive Whiteboard screen. The blank wall that remained was not at all welcome - I had planned to use it all morning, and again in the latter part of the afternoon. I was fuming, but decided not to bother with a face off. I am sure that is what the boss wants.

What instruction is required this late in the term? Are there final exams to conclude?

 

Perhaps it is time to simply sit in the room and supervise the students doing whatever they feel like on their 'phones, texting, playing games, conversing etc? In unenlightened, non-electronic times students would play games like hangman or battleship. Perhaps this is now all that is possible in the class room without suitable educational aids?

 

Either way, take a deep breath and don't let it get to you. Don't expect anything complimentary. According to the administration, you are an unperson at this school and as hard and unfair as that may be to accept, you need to expect to be treated as such. Take comfort in the fact that it will end soon.

[laurenceb]

It will soon be over Andy!

Night awl

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[AndyID]

And western Canada. Saw many of these - http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/bc_trucks/kelowna/dct_chambers_ws1.jpg on a 640km trip across southern BC yesterday. (Wood chip truck.)

 

Apparently AKA a "long combination"

 

I was under the impression long combinations were something else but you learn something every day.

[AndyID]

Does that mean that I'm also in the elite as I've got an Ifor and not the engine.

 

Jamie

 

It took me a bit of Googling to find out what y'all were on about. They seem to be heavily galfanized.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have a somewhat damp morning in this part of the world.  Temperatures are due to be high again, so it will be pretty humid later on!

 

Apart from that, there isn't a lot else to report, so I guess it is time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

I woke later than planned after a weird dream majoring on buses.  Goodness knows what that was all about.  Yesterday's Area Group lunch was quite convivial, with one new member and a guest joining the merry band.  Apparently my reports for the EMGS newsletter could do with being less "expansive".  How to achieve that and have them remain interesting will be fun.

 

Andyram, I grow more and more appalled by the treatment to which you have been subjected.  It sounds awfully like constructive dismissal to me but Ivan will know more about that.  I had experience of the absence of a meeting of minds in my working life, now 12 years behind me and counting [thank goodness].  My sort of manager would have given me a job, set out the parameters and left me to get on with it instead of constantly making life difficult.  Oh, how Utopian that would have been.

 

Best wishes to all in distress and recovery

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

It took me a bit of Googling to find out what y'all were on about. They seem to be heavily galfanized.

I decided to buy a trailer last year to assist with out move to France and looked at all sorts of options. My sons who both have dealings with trailers professionally, told me to pay the extra and get an Ifor. Buying new didn't cost very much more than a decent secondhand, once I'd factored in the costs of getting it registered in France in due course as the new one comes with a European compliance certificate. So far I have had n reason to regret the decision and a nephew has revealed himself as a secret trailer geek.

 

Anyway enough about Ifor's at the moment. I was up at, or just before, sparrow fa*t this morning. Yesterday I had been asked to sort the sin out as it seemed to be blocked. After taking it all apart a huge black ball of gunge was found between the sink outlet and the P trap. I eventually sorted it, found some silicone and put it all back together but the thread on the long securing bolt stripped and leaks occurred. As I woke up early I had brainwave and headed for the shed where some M6 threaded rod saved the day. Brownie points appear to have been earned as SWMBO has now appeared and seems impressed. I now just need to wait for the silicone sealant to go off and then use my cutting disk to remove the excess threaded rod from the plughole. Does anyone know how long to leave silicone to go off.

 

In other news No 1 son has got himself saely to Dunkirk and is about to set off towards Cambrai. He did 84 miles yesterday.

 

Apart from that there is a slim chance that I may get a morning trainspotting and then in the evening we are going out again to some neighbours in the village. Also the TV is now working again so I may well be watching the last mountain top finish on Le Tour this afternoon. I hope that Froome can keep going.

 

Generic commiserations and congratulations

 

Jamie

[TheQ]

Morning Awl, a not too bad nights sleep though I awoke to turn over serval times in the heat.

 

It's noticeable the traffic flows, were somewhat different this morning, as the last of the children finish School, two of the four schools I pass had closed yesterday, I suppose the other two will today.

This will make it much easier to get home with no parentwombles around.  the roads will be generally quieter all round. There will be an increase in rubbish strewn around as the tourists throw their stuff out of the car windows, (chip wrappers , macdonalds packaging, etc).

 

The start of the School holidays also means the start of regatta season, this weekend sees the start of Wroxham sailing clubs regatta. you can sail every day throughout the summer. There are 200 individual events in the next 30 days alone in the  Norfolk and Suffolk broads area , for instance on Sunday 30th of July there is this:

 

*NBYC - Open Regatta....................................................................................Wroxham Broad*
HSC - Club Regatta Weekend - Broad............................................................Horning
NPC - Club Racing and Jubilee Bowl................................................................Barton Broad
HBSC - Summer Series points racing..............................................................Hickling Broad
RBSC - Whit Series.......................... ...............................................................Rollesby Broad
GWYC - Summer Cruise Week 2 ..............................................
TSC - Yare Do..................................................................................................Mid Yare
CHSC - Downriver Racing..... ..........................................................................Mid Yare
BSC - 3rd Cantley Race....................................................................................Mid Yare
WOBYC - Summer series racing Programme A...............................................Oulton Broad
GYGSC - Watling Plate -5................................................................................Gorleston

 

Even on weekdays you can have up to a dozen different sailing events on.

 

Should you have an interest  then look at http://www.thegreenbook.org.uk/ the events are listed under diary, in fact if you are visiting the broads at all, have a look at the Green Book, which is the Annual book issued by the Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association.

 

Time to ... go and do some work...

[emt_911]

Morning all. An excellent nights sleep and for a change I feel refreshed.

 

It looks like it's been raining for quite a while but it still feels muggy so I don't think that I've slept through any storms.

 

A couple of jobs today before heading home but with the weather and the possibility of cockwombles causing accidents I don't expect to be very early.

 

Time for another coffee.

 

Have a good day everyone.

[TheQ]

Jamie's sons visit through Dunkirk seems appropriate this week, as the Film Dunkirk is to be released.

My father is determinded to go see the film, although I worry about his health watching it. My Grandfather

who was a Company Sergeant Major in the Royal Tank Regiment at the time, left Dunkirk on 29th May 1940,

 

Both  would be / would have been, also  be interested in Cambrai, as the Battle of Cambrai 20 Nov – 7 Dec 1917, the battle is celebrated By the Royal Tank Regiment as the first real tank advance, had the rest of the army followed through, WW1 could have ended a year earlier.

 

 

Strangely, I too had strange dreams last night, mostly about trying to leave Saudi, something I successfully did 16 years ago, and not in the manner of the dream...

 

Time too..Continue waiting for the major equipment to finish the over night run...

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone

 

It's raining, on and off at times, but raining none the less. I think we're going to get wet today, ho hum!

The car is packed ready and I'm just waiting for Sheila to say, right let's go!

 

Back later.

[Barry O]

Morning to most, evening to others from a damp and wet North West Leeds highlands.

 

Jamie, our builders told us to leave silicone sealant for 24 hours.

 

One of my grandma's brothers was killed at Dunkirk. She didn't say how but she was always very sad about his passing.

 

"Through mud, and blood to the green fields beyond".....fear naught. Quite apt for the RTR..along with the march " our boy Willie"

 

Billb I didn't see the post so no offence taken here..

 

Strange when yesterday the fees paid to presenters at the BBC were revealed nothing was said about other TV stations...or the overpaid professional soccer players, managers and agents. We seem to have totally lost the plot in that area.

 

Time to wrap a parcel and post it then to continue tidying up as we have visitors on Saturday for some party for some reason.

 

Have a great 24 hours on Planet Earth everyone!

 

Baz

[lightengine]

Send the head an email with your concerns regarding the removal of coatpegs and whiteboard.

 

 

Oh........

 

Cheers,

Mick

Or write a nicely worded letter to Ofsted mentioning the concerns about the school that you mentioned here previously and comments made to you by parents etc. Time it to reach them in the 1st week of December

[roundhouse]

Good morning from a very hot Vienna. Highs of 35 forecast today so we are currently sitting in an air con Ubahn train keeping cool. Phone signal underground aswell.

Will transfer to an S bahn service shortly.

Will leave the sight seeing till this evening when it cools down.

[Barry O]

Andyram

 

Get some photos and seek help. I would suggest the union will have something to say about it...the children's parents may not be too happy either...

 

If the guy isn't stopped he could end up with pushing a teacher past breaking point.

 

I used IM to negotiate on my behalf. There lady solicitor was very, very good.

 

Baz

[AndyB]

Morning all and it's a rainy one here today.

 

As AndyRam has his last day or two at his old school I detect a certain closing of ranks by the management. Quelle surprise. 

The only advice I can offer is to let it all wash over you, take the 6 weeks to draw breath and recognise that at your new school you have the perk of just delivering the hours you are contracted to do and not get involved in any of the politics. And if you don't like the new school you can move on; no need to be a martyr.

 

Some housework beckons as today's allotment of job applications has gone in. 

[TheQ]

I wonder if anyone in Ofstead is a railway modeller who reads this forum?

 

My grandfather served in Matilda tanks alongside the Anzacs at Tobruk with the 7th RTR, their Regimental March was quite appropriately.........Waltzing Matilda.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

If I dreamed last night I have no recollection of them!

It must have rained during the night as the garden looks damp but it is merely overcast now.

Aditi is off to Leigh on Sea later this morning to do something with the French Circle. Accounts I think. There is a spreadsheet and Aditi seems to be the only member with a computer.

I have no plans. I suspect Aditi will leave Robbie in charge when she goes out. Actually I think there is cricket to watch, India v Australia, the semi final to see who plays England at the weekend.

Tony

[45156]

Morning All

 

Firstly, it is generic greetings all round.  All posts read and rated. 

 

Well, what a wet evening we had here after all.  Geoff mentioned it, and it seems that the rain in Lancaster was pretty disruptive for a while - report here for info it you're reading this Geoff - and I hope that you're still enjoying your time away. The traffic reports showed some road closures last night in the city centre, and flooding on the M6 around Carnforth where the A6 was also flooded.  I was indoors at the time, so can't testify as to just how bad the traffic really was.

 

http://www.thebay.co.uk/news/local-news/flash-downpours-cause-traffic-chaos/

 

BTW, the village got very heavy rain also, but seemed to avoid any damage or problems, and as far as I can see, your house is not under water.  There seemed little traffic disruption this morning when I took 30747 to work, and her boss who comes in from Heysham was there on time having negotiated the usual Lancaster traffic jams as normal.  

 

Anyway, back to here and now, and I can already award the henwomble of the year award to the driver of the white Mercedes who came up on me as I turned onto the back road to Lancaster, round a blind bend, but in a 30 zone and doing a lot more than that.  As I increased speed up to the legal maximum, she was on my tail and bumper hugging, and gesticulating to me to get a move on.  So out of the 30 and onto the 60 stretches with bad bends, loads of blind spots, and the strong probability of some flooded patches after last night's storms,  So for me, a maximum of 40 seemed to be both safe and sensible.  Not for henwomble, who was pushing, pushing, pushing.  There is nowhere to pull over, nor did I want to do so.  (I was so sorry that there was no farm traffic ahead as this road is infested by tractors and the like, as well as a JCB which makes daily appearances on this road about 07.45 to 08.00 and won't give way);  So onwards and with my normal technique of not using the brakes unless essential, and using the gearbox instead, she was really hanging on my back bumper by now.  There are only a few stretches where one can overtake, and she was not able to do so, as there was oncoming traffic.  So then as I turned off to head South, she stayed on the route to town, and as I turned, gave me a sarcastic hand clap as she went one way, and I the other.   I do hope that she was heading for work at 08.00 and as was running late, as we parted at 07.58 with about five minutes to get anywhere in town, and she had no chance.

 

Then back home, and another fall out with the carp washing machine when it decided not to play, as the door got stuck and I tried to start it up, and it went into some sort of electonic sulk and when I closed the door, is decided to just sit there doing nothing with the door locked light illuminated, and after about ten minutes, it decided to unlock.  I do wish I still had a twin tub where everything was manual, and didn't rely on e-logic....

 

Back later

Regards to All

Stewart

Edited July 20, 2017 by 45156

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Had a few spots of rain here first thing but all signs have now disappeared. On the subject of trailers, last year I purchased a new trailer. The trailer is an Erde, the smallest model available and I find it ideal for my purposes, the only problem is that it is so light that it tends to bounce at any speed, open containers are a no no, guess how I discovered that. The fencer phoned yesterday morning to say he couldn't make it yesterday so he'll be here this afternoon. So long for now, be back later.

[jamie92208]

Thanks for the tip Baz. At the moment the seal seems to be holding and I am to do the washing up from the last day or so soo. Fortunately nothing needs to be moved and it's the waste water outlet so no pressure is involved.

 

Presently Martin is going past Hazebrook going quite a bit faster than yesterday 15 mph average. He will be going not far from where his great uncle was killed near Arras. Geoff was killed on 23rd April 1917. Martin was born on 23 April 1980.

 

Dunkirk is quite appropriate. My mother had a cousin who as a young surgeon was in the RAMC at some sort of field hospital in Dunkirk. As the final pull out approached the doctors drew lots as to who should stay with the wounded who couldn't be moved. He lost and spent the rest of the war in POW camps. Apparently he did several hundred ops in the camps with very little equipment. He came back and became a general surgeon in Bradford but always wore fleece lined boots in later years because of damage to his feet when he was a POW.

 

Jamie

[Gwiwer]

Morning all.

 

Later than intended on deck owing to a poor night's attempt at sleep which instead became, by turns, a leg-jiggling marathon, a self-baking session (quite how I managed to roll myself up in the duvet still defies my comprehension) and multiple trips to the bathroom.  Also interrupted by a 6am alarm call which SWMBO had requested due to her need for an early start.  I never miss an alarm no matter what hour it is set for and am, she tells me, far more reliable than her own alarm at waking her.

 

The mouse needs new batteries which will require a walk to somewhere more distant than the corner shop.  Mrs. Corner-shop doesn't stock that size.  I'll probably grab a coffee and harvest some vegetables for tonight's meal while I'm there.  

 

It's wet and humid outside.  Intermittent heavy showers are occurring.  The Seaweed-wranglers have sent a Yellow Warning of Rain yet again which is, yet again, being treated with a degree of "yeah, right" as previous warnings have proved largely unreliable.  Unless, of course, you live in areas which have actually had some yellow rain.

 

Happy Thursday one and all.  Almost over Andy - chin up lad as you know who ends up the better man out of all this.

[Horsetan]

.....Strange when yesterday the fees paid to presenters at the BBC were revealed nothing was said about other TV stations...or the overpaid professional soccer players, managers and agents. We seem to have totally lost the plot in that area.....

 

I'm pretty sanguine about these things, partly because those telephone number fees could just as easily have been paid to you or me if we had been in that line of work. The words "grass" "greener" and "other side" spring to mind.

 

I certainly wouldn't be complaining if I was offered that kind of income as it means I could afford to have more than one Citroen CX - never look a gift horse in the mouth.

[Danemouth]

Earlier in the week I posted the news that my sister's husband had succumbed to the big C.

 

I've been overwhelmed by the support all of you ERs have shown. I mentioned this to my sister and she was also deeply touched by your support.

 

We would both like to say a heartfelt thank you for your condolences at this sad time.

 

May God bless you all,

 

Dave