Today I've mostly bin...

[Laura]

Ooo - well done on both accounts!

I bet your popular at the drama group then?

[giraffe]

....sitting in the dark! The downstairs lights went out at half past six and have refused to come back on since. I have turned all the lights off (I think) and tried to reset the switch on the fuse board, but it just keeps flipping out again. I have an electrician coming in the morning, when I was supposed to be having the brakes fixed on my car but in the meantime we are sitting here with desk lamps and torches. The lights went out just before the piano teacher arrived, so he got the best lamps to work by and we have been in semi darkness.

[Bunnylump]

That's usually to do with something like a KETTLE or an iron in my experience. If they become faulty they trip the safety switch. Try unplugging the kettle!

[giraffe]

It's just the lighting circuit for downstairs. Kettle, toaster, etc all still work, as do lamps plugged into sockets, but not lights. Which is fine as I have put lamps in most rooms, but the downstairs loo is torchlight only.

[Bunnylump]

Do you have separate switches for the different bits?

[giraffe]

Yes, instead of old fashioned bits of fuse wire it has switches for downstairs lights, upstairs lights, plug sockets, cooker, etc. I think the landing lights are separate from the other lights, but include the smoke alarms. It's good in some ways, it's sensitive so it should prevent a fire, but if a bulb goes it always trips the switch, and usually you just turn it back on and replace the bulb, but tonight that isn't working, it won't switch back on.

[MBH]

...opening a Christmas present. I won't tell you who sent it (you know who you are) but I will tell you its title.

The 2011 Calendar of BUNNY SUICIDES.

I looked at that as well - I'm surprised you only got one (knowing this lot) Some very funny ones.

... stirring up trouble in my drama group by refusing to agree the casting for our next show

Is Miss Mountjoy causing you trouble again Margot?


I missed out getting online on Monday, but this week I've started the Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) course that I've been on my soapbox complaining about for a couple of years now. The only way I'm there is that one section of work is paying for it and my section of work is releasing me for the 3-hour per week slot during work time.

The rules are such a grey area (or that is the way I'm arguing it ) in so far as "This is a minimum requirement for any Government funded teaching or training of over-16s". That description obviously covers the work I did in the past teaching evening classes (funded through Family, Adult and Community Learning - FACL - which are in turn funded by the government) BUT..... what about the library staff that I've been training to teach members of the public to use computers? Technically they are 'funded by government', but do they need professional teacher-training to do it? THIS is how I convinced them to give me the time

It was an interesting first session (after I embarrassingly arrived late ), with at least 4 others of the class of 14 doing the course "beacuse they need to"... in other words, their arm twisted behind their back even though they are experienced at the jobs they do. They seem a nice crowd with the expected selection of 'characters' More on this as we get to know each other.

I'm TRYING to be a good pupil and burying all thoughts of 'grandparents' and 'egg-sucking' - I've got this chance to get this first certificate for free, so I'm going to take it - but I think everyone can see the subtext. OK - I'll behave

Homework every week that which I need to find time to do, but I know what I'm doing for the next 10 Monday mornings.

[dramaticat]

I bet your popular at the drama group then?

I'm probably not very popular with the committee at the moment

But given the state of most dramatic societies where the ladies tend to outnumber the men, to have to approve a cast list for a show which the director assured us he could cast from the society (with the exception of the juvenile male lead) which includes semi-professional opera singers brought in specially for the audition goes against the grain, particularly when all the men (except said juv lead) are society members.

And especially when one of our members - who has played a number of lead roles for us before, who sings and acts beautifully and who could do this part falling off a log - was passed over for one of these imports (lovely, friendly girl, before you brand me a total bitch!) who's top notes were decidedly dodgy and who's acting was more wooden than Pinocchio.

The director loves opera, and I think he's trying to turn this operetta into grand opera. It's not necessarily a misconceived approach in itself, but he needs to go and find an opera company or operatic society to do this with. Our society does musicals and that is the approach he should be using if he wants to do the production with us. He's managed to cast all the male parts (except the juv lead) from the society, so why do we need female opera singers?

/Rant over

On a more pragmatic note, out of three major and one minor lead female roles, only the minor role has gone to a member. The other three (one of which hasn't event been found yet) will go to new people, so that's four unknown quantities in major roles for this production, which is quite a risk.

Also, although we always welcome new members, we do hope they will stick around and become valuable members of the group. That's not going to happen with these opera singers, so no advantage there.

The director is also being difficult over other things (nothing new there) - he was yelling at us down the phone last night. Ian and I are almost hoping he'll pull out so we can find something simpler to do!

The other complication is he's our neighbour and friend and he feeds our cat and we feed his fish

[MBH]

The other complication is he's our neighbour and friend and he feeds our cat and we feed his fish

Ouch - horrible mental image of things escalating and his poor fish getting fed to your cat





Parts for dedicated members of the group - that's my thoughts. Stick to your guns.

[dramaticat]

Parts for dedicated members of the group - that's my thoughts. Stick to your guns.

I thought it was supposed to be an unwritten rule that where a member and non-member audition for a part and both could do an equally good job, we should be urging the director to go with the member. Other members of the committee see this as promoting a 'cliquey' atmosphere. While I can understand where they're coming from, there's a fine line between interfering in artistic decisions and making sure that all our members (the director and the people that have to run round after him doing his bidding including his cast included) get a fair chance to do the things they like to do. I have been in societies where people were often 'brought in' for no apparently good reason and after a while it creates resentment. Luckily it rarely happens in my group.

If we were talking about only one part, it would be such an issue. Four new people in major roles is too much, in my mind.

I have registered my concerns and have not agreed to that particular bit of casting, but have been outvoted - as I knew I would be.

[giraffe]

(No I haven't solved a puzzle)

[tricia]

yipee you have your lights fixed

[Bunnylump]

Yes but obviously only three of them...

I think you're absolutely right, Dramaticat. Really, what's the point of having a membership if they aren't being allowed to do anything?? I'm glad you said your bit. I would have too (although I am a bolshy cow and often find myself being the "spokesperson" which probably isn't such a good thing).

MBH I'm so pleased you've managed to get your organisation to see sense at last and pay for you to do this stupid flipping course. Why you actually have to do it is beyond me but once it's done, it's done. Who knows? It may lead to more opportunities in the future? Here's hoping, anyway.

I've had a hugely frustrating day with kids who don't want to learn and teachers who don't want to teach. But it cheered me up that at the end of the horrible day I got a text from a former pupil (who left 2 years ago) telling me how well he's doing at university and asking how I am. He was the most fantastic success story and a lovely lad to boot. That made me remember why I do this.

[LAT]

How lovely that he still keeps in touch!

Glad to hear you've got the lights sorted giraffe.

Today I have been to London to the Gauguin Exhibition at Tate Modern. (Also had a quick peep at the sunflower seeds that we're not allowed to touch anymore. )The exhibition was very interesting with lots of his work on display including some images from when he lived in Pont Aven in Brittany which we visited a few years ago on holiday. It doesn't seem to have changed much.
And we even got home again in time for a cup of tea.

[Bunnylump]

...To see The King's Speech

Pretty good - I thought Colin Firth was brilliant, but as it is a "true" story it suffered rather from the same syndrome as "The Queen", in that there was little storyline. However, the photography and sets are sumptuous, and the film contains a certain amount of comedy. For example, watching the king stomping around a room shouting "f**k s**t bu**ar bum t**s!" has a certain charm. Oh, and that little girl from Outnumbered was Princess Margaret. If it had been me I would have had her as Elizabeth, but there you go.

[MBH]

I've had a hugely frustrating day with kids who don't want to learn and teachers who don't want to teach.

I'll match that with two brilliant mornings with a group of gardening staff (Tuesday), and random manual workers (Wednesday) backed up by the head of the Union Learning Reps who thinks my teaching method and way with engaging 'difficult' burly guys is amazing He's there as a link man, but I can see him out the corner of my eye hanging on my every word In conversation with him today it turns out he went home Tuesday night and passed on to his wife some of my theories and ideas about computers.

I think I've got a fan [always handy in these uncertain times]

[Bunnylump]

It is nice to be appreciated, isn 't it? Good for you.

[eirian]

... wishing the management had sent the email about the expected job losses around before people left for the day yesterday (sent at 10pm), meaning the first we heard about it (apart from the gossip that's been flying around over the last couple of weeks) was on the local news this morning...
Well, I doubt much work will get done thoughout Manchester City Council today! Think I might have to work on my CV, even though I'm pretty sure I'll be ok as they are hoping to get enough people going voluntarily (although 2000 is a lot of people..) Going to be interesting to see what the actual packages being offered are - not had that through yet.

[Bunnylump]

I heard about that on the news today and thought of you. Hope it doesn't affect you too badly, Eirian.

I'm just fed up with my workplace. I just got home (6 30) and started work at 8 30. I didn't get a lunch break or a tea break and I was paid for 5 hours. I'm also having to go in tomorrow ON MY DAY OFF when I'm not paid at all, mainly because of a monumental c*** up made by my boss. It's just a REALLY bad time to be trying to get anything else! I wouldn't mind doing it IF I got paid!!

edit Sorry for being so grumpy. I'll be better humoured when I've eaten something and had a cuppa I expect...

[Scurra]

edit Sorry for being so grumpy. I'll be better humoured when I've eaten something and had a cuppa I expect...

Yes, but that's the problem Bunny. You probably will. Which is how they get you to do it.