[WokStation]

The council are getting a clear lesson in The Streisand Effect.

[Mallaha]

Originally Posted by biggle2000

Think she might be a budding restaurant critic.

I already like her more than that Adrian AA Gill bloke.

[zounds]

http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/2...ple-pasta.html

She wonders:

"I went for chicken fajita. I'd really like to know where the chicken comes from so I am going to write to the lady in charge to ask. I know it comes from a hen but I'd like to know where the hen lived".

This is the info that was sent

Yum!

[Kapellmeister]

Town and city councils attract the worst sort of mini Hitlers.

[mazzy50]

Originally Posted by Ænima

Heard about this on radio 4. I got what her dad was saying and he did say the school waa very supportive but I can see how it might be a bit irritating. I mean, everyone knows the deal with school dinners, we've had Jamie Oliver shoving it down our throats for years, but it can't be very nice for the people who make them and it could portray the school in a bad light. I mean it could essentially be judged on one little kids opinion since she got a following, so I can see why they did it.

If she's really so creative, I'm sure she can find something else to blog about. I don't see what's so creative about taking pictures of food snd rating it anyway, but that's just me.

Martha has the school's permission, it was the local council that intervened.

Even if people do know that school dinners were very poor, the fact that not much appears to have changed in some places is still important.

All you have to do is spend a few minutes looking at Martha's blog to see that school dinners in many other parts of the world are far more nutricious and balanced - why on earth shouldn't we be allowed to see this? I have no doubt that there will be huge variations and some schools in the UK will be providing excellent meals - some of the stuff Martha was given is far from excellent and not mentioning it to avoid embarrassment seems to be missing the point. Her council should be looking at the blog and considered what they can do to improve local school dinners, not getting offended and issuing bans.

[zounds]

Positive thing to come out of this:

She was worried she wasn't going to hit her charity target, It's almost twice the target already due to this exposure! nice

http://www.justgiving.com/neverseconds

[pugamo]

Originally Posted by zounds

Positive thing to come out of this:

She was worried she wasn't going to hit her charity target, It's almost twice the target already due to this exposure! nice

http://www.justgiving.com/neverseconds

Aw bless, thanks for the link I just had to send her a few pounds, it'll be interesting to see how much she makes. The total seems to be rising very rapidly.

[tysonstorm]

Originally Posted by pugamo

Aw bless, thanks for the link I just had to send her a few pounds, it'll be interesting to see how much she makes. The total seems to be rising very rapidly.

Someone donated £50 today.

Good on her, I hope she keeps up her excellent work and won't let the council keep her down.

[ninjahandfriend]

Originally Posted by delthedude

I had the feeling that little Martha's daddy was actually the one behind the blog...

Nah, I think she had some help, but I think that's a positive thing rather than nefarious.

[Ænima]

Originally Posted by mazzy50

Martha has the school's permission, it was the local council that intervened.

Even if people do know that school dinners were very poor, the fact that not much appears to have changed in some places is still important.

All you have to do is spend a few minutes looking at Martha's blog to see that school dinners in many other parts of the world are far more nutricious and balanced - why on earth shouldn't we be allowed to see this? I have no doubt that there will be huge variations and some schools in the UK will be providing excellent meals - some of the stuff Martha was given is far from excellent and not mentioning it to avoid embarrassment seems to be missing the point. Her council should be looking at the blog and considered what they can do to improve local school dinners, not getting offended and issuing bans.

I know it was the council who intervened. I said the school was supportive. I heard the full story on radio 4 this morning. The rest of your post is irrelevant to what I said.

[Ginger Nut]

I think the horse has bolted for the Council already.

Looking at the first page of the blog the contrast between some of the other school dinners and the rubbish this kid is getting is startling.

[fainéant]

I fear that the big guns who have jumped on the bandwagon will be left with egg on their face! The girl has done good - raised twice her target and more than enough for two school kitchens in the third world. She has highlighted the issue of school dinners yet again but has done so eloquently and fairly. Time to move on. Having the Council backed into a corner from which it cannot escape without compromising well established privacy policies will do the girl no good at all. She has a couple of years left at that school and the rest of her education for her parents to think of too. Her goodbye post was the right thing to do and she should not be used by the media and pressurised into fronting a hostile media campaign.

[Belligerence]

I say Martha just continues posting pics of her school dinners if she wants to. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

[Mal80]

It's crazy how this topic has gone from an average local news story, to a national/international internet outrage. I would hate to be anyone involved in this situation.

[sarahj1986]

I remember seeing this afwew weeks ago. Ive look at her blob afew times. I cant believe this food that is served up it looks terrible! Now my school meals werent great but they look a darn sight more better than this!

I hope the council back down, she is highlighting a serious issue with school meals, with obesity on the rise its about educating kids into eating good from an early age so they continue this in later life. The council are only doing it because they know the meals are bad, else they would have allowed it.

[zounds]

Originally Posted by fainéant

Her goodbye post was the right thing to do and she should not be used by the media and pressurised into fronting a hostile media campaign.

I agree, she's far too young to be held as some kind of martyr for the cause. It's sad, but definitely for the best if she doesn't continue that particular blog imo.

[Ginger Nut]

Rory Cellan-Jones has an interesting take on the story that the blog ban is a ploy by the council to raise their own profile. A spat like this causes worldwide notoriety and interest in them.

That's a gamble that the publicity win outweighs the evidence that their school dinner provision is woeful.

[njp]

Leader of the council just on the radio ("World at One") rescinding the instruction as I write...

[ladymoanalot]

Rotherham Council did not seem to object when Jamie oliver stuck his beak in, regarding school meals and broadcast to the whole nation on TV just how under par they were.. Mind you the council probably got paid by the Tv company.

[zounds]

Originally Posted by njp

Leader of the council just on the radio ("World at One") rescinding the instruction as I write...

Glad to hear that!

Is it still viable to continue the blog after this much exposure tho'?

[Cissy Fairfax]

What a peculiar way to set about raising money for a charity.

[Mal80]

Originally Posted by ladymoanalot

Rotherham Council did not seem to object when Jamie oliver stuck his beak in, regarding school meals and broadcast to the whole nation on TV just how under par they were.. Mind you the council probably got paid by the Tv company.

Bear in mind, this school and council is sort-of out in the sticks, they'll have no real experience with handling the national media and internet.

[sarahj1986]

BREAKING NEWS


They have dropped the ban....according to BBC

[zounds]

Originally Posted by Cissy Fairfax

What a peculiar way to set about raising money for a charity.

hehe - not that it is, but if it had been a conspiracy to raise cash for hungry children it'd be genius!

[njp]

Originally Posted by zounds

Glad to hear that!

Is it still viable to continue the blog after this much exposure tho'?

The claim was that it had already "gone viral" (how?) before the tabloid hacks got to it, so I don't suppose a bit more temporary traffic will hurt.

I had a quick look, and whilst the meal that started it off was truly dire, many of the more recent ones are fine and she rates them 10/10.