Today I've mostly bin...

[kathlyn]

Dropped something on it from a great height no doubt. Why these baggage handles can't take more care with other peoples property is beyond me. It was our decent Samsonite case which is no use to anyone now!

[LAT]

What a nuisance for you. Hope you had a good holiday though.

[Bunnylump]

That's annoying. But hopefully it was a nice holiday despite that.

I've been out spending absurd amounts of money on a. A new washer dryer (ours is definitely on its way out and I'm not waiting this time until it actually dies, like last time ) and b. Getting K's saxophone fixed in time for her to to major rehearsals for this year's show. Last week someone knocked it of its stand by accident and bent up some of the keys... ). Well that's one way to spend two month's salary, I suppose.

[giraffe]

Took F shopping in Birmingham. I'm shattered. Managed to buy a suit for sixth form, but he will need another. Why they can't have a uniform I don't know, he will wreck a suit in a very short time, so I have bought a washable one, but they are few and far between. He got some holiday clothes too. I've just got in and later I have to drive back to Birmingham to take K to orchestra. Anyway we had a nice day out.

[Bunnylump]

I don't agree with suits for 6th formers either, for the same reason (my son went through his first suit within 6 months). However, I can see why schools do it. At our school, they know that the pupils would NO WAY stay on if they were expected to wear uniform. However, because the school isn't that strict on suits (they just say "business dress") the kids (naturally) stretch this to the outside limits and beyond. Consequently, the girls all look like slappers and the boys all look like oafs. So it really irritates me that they insist on a really strict STAFF dress code (no open toed sandals, no LINEN ( ) no T shirts for tops for women, no leggings, no low cut tops, no jeans or canvas trousers. Now I do agree that staff should look SMART - to look businesslike and to exact respect - but NO SANDALS? No LINEN? (even linen suits!!) So I end up spending a fortune on decent clothes, and they get ruined because I work in science lessons / art lessons / technology lessons. And do we get a clothes allowance? No. And when I'm wearing expensive business clothes and am working with oiks in beach gear, I get a bit arsy. So I largely ignore the dress code. I'm waiting to get challenged. But I don't think they dare.

[giraffe]

K's school it is smart business dress, but I find quite cheap things for her to wear. Primark and Matalan provide her school clothes or Tesco. They aren't allowed strappy tops, or denim, must wear a tailored jacket with their dress or suit, no cardigans, and if the skirts are too short they are told off or sent home. It's really strict.

F's school the boys suit must be dark, grey, navy or black and can have a pinstripe. They have to wear white shirts and one of the school ties (sixth form tie / prefect / colours / quincentennial) There isn't that much choice, just a pain finding something in his size that is washable.

[LAT]

Best advice is to get spare trousers for the suit. The trousers are much more likely to get mucked up and by buying a spare pair you in effect get the equivalent of two suits for only a bit more than one.

[giraffe]

Yes, Stephen does that with all his suits. I might see if I can get another pair, but I think F wants 2 outfits!

[kathlyn]

Case arrived quality good but not as good as the samsonite.

Yes, we did have a good holiday with good food and weather.

[giraffe]

Why didn't they give you a Samsonite?

[MBH]

the girls all look like slappers and the boys all look like oafs.

Capture. ^^^
Paste to banner design program.
Increase font size to 1200 point.
Make font colour purple.
Add a border of bunnies.
Hang in main hall of a certain school.

[Bunnylump]

And I should probably add "and the HLTA looks like a slob" to be fair...

[gill216]

I'm sitting in my caravan wondering quite seriously if we are in danger of a flash flood. There doesn't seem to be flood warnings in place for this area but in the last hour the puddles have all joined up and I'd need wellies to get into the car. There must be an inch of water on the road.The sky is black and the rain is torrential. I'm also the only one in my vicinity, everyone else has gone home. Best put on my best pj's.

[Bunnylump]

Hope you don't float off, Gill!! We had torrential rain last night and bits and bobs of rain during the day. Which, for me, is good because I'm supposed to be watering my neighbour's garden this week (without a hosepipe, I might add, as we STILL have a hosepipe ban)!!

[LAT]

Our ban hasn't been lifetd either. And I need wellies to get out to my car.

Hope you're OK though Gill.

[Redfraggle]

We have had torrential rain since yesterday. I think there are flood warnings all over here at the moment. Gill get your rubber ring on!

[Wulfruna]

Hang in there Gill, hope all is well....

Kathlyn, when we had our case slashed on a flight (also Lufthansa, I think - it was certainly when we were in Berlin) , they replaced it with a better one! And when we turned up at the airport for our return flight, we discovered that we had been upgraded to Club Class (and even enjoyed the posh lounge while we were waiting ). So we did quite well out of it

[giraffe]

My friend's husband works in the department that sorts things like that out for British Airways. When we flew somewhere she tried to get us put on the "Previously mishandled" list, which would have given an upgrade etc, but they were full in the better seats!

[strep98]

....been watching my little duckling grow into a swan from her Prom (very proud Mum!)

[LAT]

Aah, lovely! Was she pleased with how she looked in the end?