Walking Stick

I now use a walking stick. I became worried because of falls, trips, problems with stairs, walking into things. I was worried that my tumour was putting pressure on my ear and effecting my balance. I now think differently. I think it is more to do with my poor aatention span and poor concentration. Now I m being more careful and trying to think ahead I am doing much better. Just need to be careful at kerbs, verges and on uneven gound. No running up and down stairs and use bnnisters. Stick is very useful in town.
I went shopping in Telford one day last week with Jamie. While he went around some clothes shops I tried the book shops. Unfortunately I could not remember where we were to meet and I got lost I was wandering with my stick looking lost and several nice shop assistants came and offered help which was nice. The mobile phone is very useful in such situations
Later in the week we were in Tesco. I was using the trolley for the shoppping and to lean on as I walked around. I managed to crash into a lady in front of me who was not well pleased. She turned on me but saw my stick and it was a 'get out of jail free card'
On Monday this week James had to go to Aberystwyth to sort out some documentation for his new course. I went with him and had a nice walk along the sea front while he was in the Admin block. It was great. The footpaths along the front are very goodand it was easy for me with my stick. There were also lots of rails and posts to hold on to. Brilliant - thank you Aberystwyth council.

My stick is an Acacea stick from Africa so I hope that whoever cut it got a fair share of the price I paid

Teaching Tales :Menzies 3

Menzies was one of those schools with several multi story teaching blocks. Maths was taught on the third floor. The block had two flights of stairs, one for girls the other for boys. I was standing at my class room dooor on dAy waiting for the class to arive. A fifth form girl walked up the stairs, she was wearing her own version of school uniform. This involved a very Short skirt and knee length leather boots. SuddEnly a lad ran up behind her, slid his hand up her thigh and under the hem of her skirt. She turned and gave him an almighty punch in the face. He fell backwards and rolled and bounced down to the first landing. I walked across. I could see no serious injury but he would have a black eye and several bruises by the next day. he jumped up and apologised. I explained that there was no point apologising to me - the girl had gone off to her lesson. This was the first time I used my procedure for such events - a procedure that has served me me well over many years. I wrote a full account of what had happened and got them both to sign and date it as a true record. I then reported everything to my auperiors in case of rpercussions. My superiors took the view that justice had been done. I suppose these days thy would both have been sent on awareness raising, anger management etc. now I havE had my fill of awareness rising and there have been times when I would have preferred punch in the face.

BLOGS AND EMAILS

I am now into that well known phase where I have a clear memory of what I did forty years ago but cannot remember where I put my wallet yesyerday or what I plan to do today. So when I post to th blog I mull over what I am going to say during one of my naps. I then Word Process a first draft -partly to check spelling but mainly because I am often clumsy and keep hitting the wrong keys. Read the draft, redraft and then copy as a post. With emails I am keen to reply as soon as posible and to respond to what has been said in the email. I have found this difficult recently but I have all the emails and will strt replying as soon as I feel as bit more alert

Teaching Tales - Menzies 2

When I started at Menzies I taught a year 10 class that included two young ladies - Pat and Gill. These two took an instant dislike to me. They were rude, aggressive, uncooperative, nasty. I think it was because I was only a few years older and they resented me telling them what to do and commenting on their skills. Pat in particular was very unpleasant. She had a habit of sitting on a bench in the quadrangle and shouting abuse if she saw me pass or in the distance.
This got so bad that one day I thought I must do something. I went and sought advice from Miss Davies who was Deputy Head with reponsibility for girls. Miss Davies asked when I would next see the two girls in a lesson. It was that afternoon after lunch.
As the lesson started a sixth form girl arrived with a message from Miss Davies. Pat and Gill were to go and see her. They went immediately. They returned after 20 minutes, they knocked on the door! They came in quietly, sat down, took out their books and asked what they should be doing. They worked in absolute silence for the remainder of the lesson apart from Pat occasionally weeping into her hanky. I have no idea what Miss Davies did but it worked for as long as I can remember. I was never brave enough to use Miss Davies' first name and cannot remember it but I remember Miss Davies.
I had a friend who taught in the 'remedial' department. this was for difficult and challenging pupils who were a new phenomenon at Menzies. (Incidentally I remember my sister coming home from her first day at Comprehensive School and saying "they have a special department for the naughty kids - the sign on the door says they are the Redeemed department).
Anyway my friend in the remedial department at Menzies said that Miss Davies taught English to one of their most difficult groups. This was a group who rioted with everyone else, fighting, throwing chairs, running out of the room etc. With Miss Davies they were good and got on with their reading and writing like angels. Furthermore Miss Davies often got called away for other duties and in her absence they would continue to be well-behaved. My friend spotted that Miss Davies always left her handbag on the desk. On day when she had to leave he slipped into the room and removed the handbag. As soon as he left chaos erupted but as soon as he took the handbag back peace descended.


One final story about Miss Davies.
I went to my classroom one afternoon and found a chap in overalls adjusting a radiator with a spanner. I said hello and asked if there was a problem. He took me on one side and introduced himself as a local Police Inspector. There was a rumour that the kids from another local comp - Churchfields- were coming down after school for a fight with the Menzies kids. There were policemen stationed around the estate and the Inspector was coordinating his response from my window using a very old fashioned and very chunky walky talky. As the end of the day approached we could see a very large group of Churchfield lads gathering on the pavement. The Inspector got his troops organised. Unfortunately no one had thought to tell Miss Davies what was going on. She spotted the gang from her office window ands she was straight out with "What are you boys doing here? Clear off home at once and I do not want to see you here again". They all disappeared at once! I was left with a very disgruntled Police Inspector who had to send his men back to the station.

We had another senior lady named Gwen. It was Gwen's duty to station herself every Friday afternoon at the top of the stairs leading up to the staff room where she would check everyone's register for the week for presentation, quality and correct adding of totals across and down - no computers in those days or even calculators - it was all best handwriting and mental arithmetic. There were also no modesty boards on on desks. There was many a young lad like me who first saw Directoire Knickers and brogues when taking a register to be checked by Gwen. Older staff would delight in sending us on errands to the staff room followed by close questioning on what we had seen. These old grammar school teachers wer such scallys.

Teaching Tales - Menzies Years

I joined Menzies in 1971 at a time when schools were desperate to appoint teachers. Menzies was just changing from a grammar chool to a comprehensive and a lot of the experienced staff had decided to move on.

I had done a long teaching practice at Menzies early in the year and then back to college to work on my 30,000 word essay - this was a shock as I had written no essays since A level General studies three years before. One day I got a message to say would I ring the Head of Maths at Menzies? I did so - if I was looking for as job they had some maths vacancies - could I go for interview that afternoon? I went to meet the Headmaster - I was at least one hour late - public transport! It did not matter. Head very friendly. He said while he had waited he had filled an application form in for me if I was interested. I was interested and had to fill in the rest and make some minor corrections. I had to drop the form in at the local Education office on my way back to Birmingham.The LEA gave me a list of places to live in West Bromwich. So I had my first job and soon had my first digs!

I discovered later tht the Headmaster had spent the morning touring local teacher training colleges recruiting other staff. Three of us joined in September as brand new maths teachers.

Time Trousers 2

At University in the 60s. This is a group of us at a cottage near Barrow in Furness for a few days. I am on the left in the top picture with the bobble hat.

It was here that I first had the chance to try cannabis but did not do so - I had just started a long, meaningful and deeply satisfying relationship with Newcastle Brown Ale and would not be distracted. To be honest I have never smoked at all and I think this has a lot to do with Junior School where we had a coal fire in the classroom, milk at break was defrosted by the fire and us daring lads would light our milk straws and pretend to smoke - not very enjoyable!

Anyway this is the time trouser where I squandered my chance to be qualified to join Gordon Brown's cabinet.