I'll not mention the Liverpool result but I'm feeling quite pleased with our performance and we're top of the table.

I notice the pundits have gone dead quiet on Match of the Day, no doubt that will change as soon as we have a blip. Don't think Alan Shearer has ever forgiven us for beating Newcastle in the cup final. and don't get me started on Alan Hansen.

Hope nyannie has enjoyed her holiday, looking forward to hearing all about it.

when does Nyannie get back? It will be lovely hear all about her holiday...



so did everyone have a good weekend? What a contrast between Saturday night when we struggled to find anything we wanted to watch and last night, when there seemed to be far too much !!! Its all very well to save stuff and watch it later....but......im not always in the mood...!!!


We watched the James Hunt and Niki Lauda programme giving a different slant on events in 1976 F1 to the recent film.......

And then the 8 out of 10 cats quiz about the 80s.....

oops its so hard sometimes to know what to say isn't it. I think some clothes in some shops aren't actually designed to suit anyone.....

If you notice...most women who are picked out as being stylish, tend to mainly wear classic clothes that suit them, and would suit almost anyone....


I hate shopping and trying clothes on and finding out that they are cut in a strange way, that make me look even larger than I really am...or have a striking pattern that does nothing for me.

Unfortunately I think you are too late.....he already is making cupboards......I am just going to have to grin and bear it..and try hard not to put my foot In it......which isn't going to be easy....

Tell me about it!

By the way I popped into Evans today to look at shoes. Found some that may have been okay.....except that they start at size 4 and I am a 3 Well, you have to laugh.......

Oh no..............But that is funny

Good evening. What a glorious day it's been down here, hope it's been good where you are.

So Lindy, you've got lovely dainty feet too. Shame about Evans sizes though.

Is it tomorrow that nyannie's back? I hope she's had a fantastic time.

I take it there's no news from John?
Guess we'll have to wait until England head down under for the cricket. Think that's quite soon isn't it?

Update on the DIY.......
After spending the best part of the weekend trying to adjust the new sliding doors on the hall cupboard and not succeeding he looked at them yesterday and realised..... he'd got them UPSIDE DOWN!!!

Oh dear, Lena, not a good look to have the doors upside down!

Am exhausted after having some friends of OH round for dinner.......have to say the conversation wasn't the most scintillating!

Anyway night for now :yawn:

Sleep tight JJAT :sleep: :sleep:

Lindy xx

PS May hear from nyannie tomorrow.....

Hi
We are back - with bad colds

Washing machine on its 3rd load.

Feeling terrible so back to bed.

Cruise great - towns swamped with tourists from huge ocean liners who only spend 3 euros a day per person - is it worth it? Dubrovnik and Korcula and Kotor ruined by all the hoards. Fish wonderful!

More when I feel better.

Perhaps I'd best stay away - really interesting discussions. I too have big feet (size 8 narrow) and if you are right-handed left foot always a bit bigger for some reason - and vice versa.

Glad to learn that GB beat Croatia (didn't go down well there) in Davis Cup.

Back to bed. . . glad to be home!

Good morning JJat

what dinky feet you have lindy,
now i sound like the big bad wolf
finding shoes must be a nightmare

Lena upside down cupboards are not so good
this is where i sigh big with relief
hubs has not a DIY bone in his body, he even brings someone
in, to hang the pictures

Augusta good luck with not putting your foot in it, keeping my fingers crossed for your kitchen, try looking at it, as a DIY adventure

well busy week so far, just to let you know, sons cake came second to last
the one and only cake he beat, was uncooked
just to funny

also looking forward to Nyannie coming back
can't wait to hear all about her holiday

Welcome home nyannie

Glad you had a good time and hope you feel better soon.

It was a great win for GB in the Davis Cup.....we are in the World Group now for the first time in years. Of course it does help to have the Wimbledon champion playing for you . Murray's had a back op by the way and is out for the rest of the year. So sadly he won't be at the ATP Finals at the O2. Still apart from that it seems as good a time as any to get it seen to......I'm already looking forward to the Australian Open!

Have a good rest

afternoon all, glad you are back nyannie and that you had a nice break. shame that you aren't feeling that well

oh dear georgy what a shame about the cake......almost coming last is quite an achievement though.....!!!!

Training course tomorrow, and in related news, has everyone heard about the MOOC courses being organised by the Open University, free taster training courses...I like the idea of free courses, but there don't seem to be many options to choose from, But I think I might do the online course on Richard 111rd.

as anyone heard anything about our hero ? The infamous and enigmatic John James? I wonder if he is still alive?

No, I hadn't heard of MOOC courses, but I looked them up, and for anyone wondering, they are 'Massive Open Online Courses' , the idea being that they are free and are delivered online by experts in whatever field. They're very big in the US and we're just getting going over here.

They are available through FutureLearn, which is a private company owned by the OU . Not many courses yet, as you say, but I've enrolled on the Richard lll one (2 hours x 6 weeks from 25 November) so we'll see how it goes.

Many thanks Augusta for telling me about this

And in other news, I have taken over my daughter's iPhone and set it up. Even managed to register on the course through it! Very pleased I made the decision to finally upgrade

Best get some rest now :yawn:

Sleep tight all :sleep::sleep:

Lindy x

Lindy I hope your have fun with the iphone....what is your daughter doing though without it?


I have just been on a phonics course..it was well run and taught...but my head is spinning.

Apparently the latest curriculum is going to be very prescriptive about how to teach phonics and reading and spelling. because the results of children aren't good enough.

But what saddens me, is that I am a qualified professional, who does know how to teach...And I am tired of having the government spend millions on yet another scheme...to improve results, that tends to be rushed through and ill thought out....Like The Original National Curriculum of 20 odd years ago, the National Literacy and Numeracy strategy....and so on. None of these government strategies have worked.....yet the government insists that they know better than any teaching professonals or advisors....

The kind of things that totally confused me today.....was phonics teaching is implicit and mandatory within the KS1 and KS2 curriculum. VBut the lady teaching us today, was talking about how important it is to get the basics done in Nursery and Reception classes. But phonics teaching isn't really mentioned in the Early years Curriculum, and the kind of formal, structured teaching that was described isn't the way that a lot of Early years classes are run.

There has been a massive move away in early years classes from formal teaching styles to a more open ended, child initiated play based curriculum, similar to some European countries, so that effectively children start more formal learning in Year 1, when the majority of them are ready.

To be honest, if a child is ready then I do think that some kind of phonics teaching in Early years is a good idea, but, the EYC is already incredibly full, so if you are going to devote a lot of time to phonics teaching, then surely the rest of the Early years curriculum needs to be slimmed down so that it can be fitted in?

And what also saddens me, is that this phonics teaching suggests that children only read reading books that contain phonics that they can read. which means most of the traditional look and say style reading schemes are almost redundant. So most schools aren't going to have a very big stock of reading books to send home. So what then is going to happen with the idea of children reading at home with parents. Ok so the argument is that some parents never read with their children at home. But by the same token some parents do, and they enjoy feeling involved in their child's learning.


And finally, although the lady today, did come up with loads of relevant science, about how everyone learns to read via phonics. ( apparently even If you learnt by traditional look and say methods, as I did, we were still actually learning using unconscious phonics???) I think I would have been totally switched off reading, by the very structured phonics teaching that is being suggested. I would have been bored, looking out of the window or daydreaming....as I did when someone tried to teach me French in primary school, it got too repetitive and boring so I read a book under my desk instead and missed half of the lessons...

Evening all. Been to Dr and have started oral steroids shomy uld have started them while I was away) and antibiotics. Feel bit better but off to bed in a minute.

Have to download my pics - will do it when o/h around as I have no confidence with my computing skills.

Augusta, phonics was/is still taught in American schools. I studied phonics when I was about 4 1/2 and continued until about 2nd grade (aged 7). It was developed by a teacher in the US and I understand/understood it did have great success in getting children to read and spell better - I can't vouch for anyone else, but I am a voracious reader and my spelling isn't bad either. I once took a teaching phonics course at university and a school and the children who studied it certainly did find it easier to read and spell. Small sample I know.

Don't know if it was ever taught here but perhaps there will be pilot studies to show if it does improve reading/spelling.

Anyway, I am off to bed with a cup of tea. Hope to see you all tomorrow - I am supposed to be going to a Macmillan Coffee Morning so will see how I feel.

I have started the ironing mountain - ran out of energy after the 5th shirt and 4th tee-shirt.

Oh dear Augusta, sounds like you had a c**p day I do sympathise with you, so many professions have been de-professionalised over the last 15 years or so. To be honest, I can't remember how I learned to read, or much of a time when I couldn't.....but then I've always loved it

When our girls were aged 5 or so, they were subjected to 'the apprenticeship method' at primary school whereby they were supposed to choose and stare at any book, on the principle that they'd absorb reading as they would speech ......there was no teaching as such for a whole year, so that no-one could feel left behind. The worst thing was, I always believed that it was the children who didn't read at home, who most needed a structured system

It was absolutely appalling. Both our girls could read (and write a bit) when they started school. Within 6 months they were all at sea and my eldest in particular hated school so much, she had to be dragged there. With all due respect to teachers like yourself, I was never so glad as when they finished school altogether and could start living their lives! And that's coming from a reasonably academic mother who was once accused by a head teacher of being aspiring and middle class - both terms of abuse at the time!

Oh, don't get me started......

Friday tomorrow and then the weekend

Daughter has a new iPhone 5S by the way - that's how I inherited her old 4S

Morning all.

No news from John I see. There were some Australians from Melbourne on our boat but I forgot the name of the town John lived in so didn't mention it.

How are we all? I still have no energy but at least the coughing is better.

Hope you have a much better day augusta - remember, the weekend is only 24 hours a day. I'll be thinking of you.

Hope everyone else is fine and dandy.

Welcome back
so sorry you were ill on your holiday

i thought so to

he was ahead of the uncooked and last placed cake by a single point

i think he gets his baking talents from me

nothing ....... nowt........ zilch...........nada ..........gone

Morning all

Well, the day is (nearly) dawning We go on holiday tomorrow!!! We're off to Sardinia for a week, to a very quiet country hotel for a 'gastronomic' break No chance whatsoever of limiting the calories, I think.....

So today I am suddenly rushing around packing, topping up mum's shopping, and arranging all kinds of cover for when I'm away, from feeding the cat to putting out the bins. Unlike nyannie, I like to do it all at the last minute . Which can be exciting, or exhausting, depending on how it works out

The day we get back is mum's 92nd birthday so we'll be straight into celebrating that next weekend as well

I guess what I'm saying is, I may be gone some time...... Hope to be back on here later today or next weekend. In the meantime all the best everyone, hope you all have a good week

Lindy xx

sounds like you've had a really rotten day Augusta

Its a long time ago , but my sons prep school went with the Letterland System, and he loved it, right down to his letterland special words to learn, homework tin and that started at 4 until he was about eight, but the whole classroom was set up for this system books, flash cards, games, that the parents could use and take home

he still loves to read,

i really do feel teachers should just be allowed to teach, less time wasted having them filling out forms, trying to meet targets, smaller classes, each with a class room assistant and make early learning fun again, so a child look forward to school, with good early study practices.

well thats what i think anyway

Have a wonderful time
and a lovely break, will look forward to hearing all about it

Good evening, just a quickie will be back later for a proper read when I've recharged the laptop battery.
Been a busy couple of days with o/h home, he keeps making such a mess.

Welcome back nyannie, good to hear you enjoyed your holiday but sad to hear you've caught a nasty cold.
Hope you're feeling better soon.

Have a lovely holiday Lindy, see you when you get back.