Today I've mostly bin...

[giraffe]

You've just reminded me that in the 6th form we were taken skating and to a local squash club during PE lessons. I was totally rubbish at squash, but during the skating lessons most people were being taught to stand up, but the teacher started teaching me to dance, because I was already quite a competent skater.

[gill216]

The school posts have got me reminiscing!

I'm really surprised I managed to learn anything at all in senior school. All girls, and I thought we were quite well behaved- on reflection maybe we weren't. In fact we definitely weren't

We killed off the R.E teacher. The french teacher had a nervous breakdown and left overnight. The history teacher took one look at my maiden name and asked if I was any relation to Douglas, who had attended a different school in the area several moons ago. Stupid me said he was my father. He came straight back at me with " He used to smoke in the back of my classroom" . That was the end of any possible relationship there.

In fifth form, (16+) we got a new form teacher. Most of us ducked very quickly. We all used to head for the Uni bar at weekends and knew him quite well already. In fact one of our crowd knew him extremely well but what he didn't know was she was only 16 and still at school- and definitely didn't know she was attending his new school. The face said it all.

The chemistry teacher was useless but he liked me because I seemed to understand his homework and always got an A. What he didn't know was my elder cousin was a science teacher and always had to explain to me what he was actually trying to teach us. That poor man left -and wrote to me for years. He even invited me to his daughters christening. He still doesn't know to this day I wasn't the model pupil he thought I was.

Happy days!

[Bunnylump]

I went to a mixed school, which, to be honest, led me into all kinds of naughtiness. I remember a geography field trip when my friend Rachel smuggled in a bottle of Cinzano, and I smuggled in one of the boys!! It was a bit of a shock when I woke up with said boy dressed in my friend's nightie in between me and my friend (who were sharing a double bed). Fortunately nothing untoward had happened, but the bottle of Cinzano had certainly taken effect!! He looked quite shame-faced when he scuttled out before the teachers caught him!!

At the same school, my brother in law had a pet owl. So he used to pick up dead things he found which he would later feed to the owl. The chemistry teacher wondered what all the fuss was about at the back of the classroom, and demanded that he brought "whatever it was" to the front. She did turn a nice shade of green when presented with a dead hedgehog!! (This is the same brother in law who fitted wheels to a pigeon, but that's another story).

But back to PE. Of the few lessons I went to, one sticks in my mind. We were supposed to be cross country running, but my friend and I worked out a nice little short cut which incorporated firstly the sweet shop and then the pub!!

And now back to topic...
...today I've mostly bin

out for my walk in glorious sunshine again. We passed a wedding in the tin church

which was decorated all round the door with flowers. It looked stunning, all gleaming and white on such a lovely day. The couple looked so happy as they came out. And how lucky is that to have such a fabulous sunny day this late in September?

[Wulfruna]

Remembering sport at school........ not my scene, really - I did once manage to escape 'games' ( i.e. ghastly hockey!) for a whole year with another girl by discovering a storage shed which we could hide away in for the duration of the lesson. We used to read books and discuss them - much more to my taste. Then I discovered tennis and exercise became worthwhile (well, in the summer term, anyway).
However, it was in the fifities that an inspired sports mistress arrived and spotted some interesting talent in the school. So she introduced the idea of getting the school hockey team to take up cricket in the summer term - why shouldn't girls be equally good at a sport based on skill rather than strength? And it worked! In the early days this culminated in a big match at the end of term between a "Fathers" team and the school team, in which the Dads used to play left-handed as a handicap. But by 1957 all that had changed when the school revealed our secret weapon - a teenager with the name Rachel Heyhoe, who could bowl and bat them all off the pitch almost single-handed! The name of Rachel Heyhoe-Flint still inspires awe in true cricket fans.....
Kingsley, I hope your school still pays tribute to its most famous Old Girl???

[Biscuit]

Hi
Just googled her WOW what an inspiration. She was a real ground breaker. I love it when people who want to play sport can and are not hindered by who they are.

I was pleased that my daughter played a bit of cricket at school and has put herself forward for inter house cricket at uni too - a big step as she is quite shy when it comes to sports and loughborough are quite sporty.

My husband thinks she is really good if she would believe in herself. They wanted her to play for county but she was a bit nervous. My husband was a keen cricketer in his younger days and played for a good local team (Enfield) and in middlesex as a colt. So he should recognise if she is good. fingers crossed for her.

Paula

[giraffe]

Kingsley, I hope your school still pays tribute to its most famous Old Girl???

Yes there is a photo / press clipping about her just outside the girls loo in the main corridor.

Lally has been invited for county cricket trials! We're not sure whether to let her go. I think they invite all girls who play for a club, as they are a scarce resource, but she's not really much good. Probably a better bowler than batsman. Part of me says the experience would be good for her ( a lesson in taking failure in her stride) and part thinks it will frighten the life out of her and remove what little confidence she has.

[MBH]

I believe that kingsley is doing fencing

Fencing - on my list of "things to try at some point". I've worked with a fair few weapons, but the sword was the LAST one I got my hands on, and I didn't spend much time with it.

One of the most flexible guys I met (at a martial arts meet) was a fencer - I don't know if that was natural ability or due to the sport, but if it's the latter then maybe Kingsley will end up being able to touch her toes

[Bunnylump]

Fencing - on my list of "things to try at some point".

I laughed out loud at that one. Thanks for that.

[giraffe]

...waiting in for the dishwasher repair man to visit (again). He has condemned my dishwasher. I have had 5 dishwashers in 12 years and none has made it out of warranty. One never worked from the day it was delivered. The current one (the most long-lived to date at nearly 4 years) has had the same part replaced twice and it has gone again. So can anyone recommend a RELIABLE make of dishwasher?

[Scurra]

How about a person?

(Sorry. I realise that's not an entirely helpful reply.)

[giraffe]

I thought you might volunteer Fernando, but I did say RELIABLE !

[clvrlad]

well i dunno MBH did want to be adopted... is this his bribe
doing all the washing up

[Biscuit]

"I have had 5 dishwashers in 12 years"

Well i wouldn't go for neff. We have ours cobbled together with cord ties to hold up the basket arms otherwise all the dishes just fall over.

We have had it repaired twice - once it spilled out all over the wooden floor which has underfloor heating and we didn't realise till it kept shorting that the wood floor was "live". This of course happened on Christmas Day when I had the whole family around for dinner together with the drains blocking and whilst my husband was out back with his hand down the outside drain desparately trying to clear it so that the sink would empty, my son went to see one of our guinea pigs which had died and was as stiff as a board. Meanwhile we were trying to be sociable and serve drinks etc in the front room, with my son very upset etc.

In the end we hid the GP in a spare shoe box for later burial, gave up on the sink, and went in the front room for a drink.

Biscuit

[giraffe]

Christmas at your house sounds exciting!

[LAT]

It certainly sounds like a Christmas you won't forget in a hurry!

Never had a dishwasher so I can't offer advice on that I'm afraid.

[Biscuit]

it certainly was a christmas to remember.

This year we are going to have our first christmas at home with just our family. I am really looking forward to it.

Last year's Christmas was really upsetting and we are definately not going through that again (family issues - won't go into it again). It ended up with my children so upset they were texting me accross the room, and bursting into tears - not usual for teenagers at family gatherings.

We all go to a regular party in the morning anyway which is a meet of the families of the people in the road we grew up in, and their children and their children. It is a sort of drop in, drink, chat etc. So we will still get to see mum and dad on Christmas day anyhow.

Biscuit

[tricia]

Went back to work today for a rest - My sister and I had my cousin and his wife up from Eastbourne for the weekent. Typically Scotland lived up to John's experience - Cold and very little sun. We had a very enjoyable time - he had brought DVD's he had made of some of our holidays. There was even footage of me making a speech on the occasion of one of my sister's special birthday's. There was me with my specs on the end of my nose - as I peer over them looking at the assembled friends - it was a giggle.

Today was also quite interesting - work had a coffee morning to raise funds for McMillan Nurses last week and it was announced that we had raised £1192.00. I had made some cards and managed to sell about 40 - that amazed me. Now I'm looking forward to the quiet life and popping on here for some......................................................................Help in solving puzzles

Tricia

[Bunnylump]

Sounds good Tricia. Shame about the weather.

Biscuit - families eh? Who'd have 'em?

Giraffe - we've had a Bosch dishwasher for 5 years with no trouble at all. They are a bit more expensive than other makes, but it's been brilliant and completely trouble free. I say that and it will now stop working, of course.

And today I've mostly bin...

Having an ex pupil of our school drive into the back of my car at a roundabout. Yes, the bl**dy car needs to go into the garage AGAIN. I really haven't had much luck lately, have I? Last year, if you recall, I drove into an off duty policewoman (because my view was obscured at a junction, and IMHO she was driving too fast ) . THEN my OH wrote off my car by having one of those automatic barriers come up into the bottom of the engine. Now my NEW car needs work. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Still, at least no one was hurt, and the lad a) stopped b) Was insured c) had the grace to apologise. The only thing is he had his younger brother in the car (he's in year 11 at my school) so it'll be round the school like WILDFIRE tomorrow.

[BassBloke]

...So can anyone recommend a RELIABLE make of dishwasher?

Yip Bosch (Exxcel). I have been dutifully trying my best to overload, overuse, and generally abuse this one for 3 years now. It's never missed a beat.

Bosch make great power tools as well (drills, routers, sanders etc). Maybe you get what you pay for. Dunno.

Cheers. BB.

[clvrlad]

oh the wonderful days of high school
im sure youll have some wonderful names for the next few days/years based entirely on that incident

get what you pay for
what every are they teaching you
getting something a twice the cost that lasts three times aslong and then can be fixed and not thrown away obviously isnt worth it...