View From The Top

It's just an act. He's just a really sh_it troll who we all think is a co_ck.

I had the misfortune to watch San Andreas with my nipper. Dear God, I've watched some crap in my life but this was up there in the top 1.

Just back from another trip to Belgium. Really, you must go. Awesome.

I work in FE and it's fair to say that youngsters couldn't give a toss about folks sexuality, colour or religion.

Where are they 12/1 to finish bottom? That's very tempting.

He needs to watch out for those Kinder Eggs as well. 'kin deadly they are, deadly. So deadly that the state had to intervene to keep their children safe in an interfering nanny state sort of way. Kinder Eggs > Assault rifle.

I'm particularly fond of "limey" as if we find it insulting, which of course we don't, more quaint, used in a non-ironic way by a "limey". "Y'all" is up there as well. Bet that sounds great in a Bitterne brouge. He certainly does his best bless him. I guess when you get to his age you need a hobby.

I've just had the dreaded text from my Mrs "John Lewis do kitchens".

Be careful you don't bonk if you're doing fasted long rides. You should take at least a banana with you or home made high carb rice cakes. Trust me, if you bonk far from home it's agony. As for drinks running out just take a few quid with you and buy some bottles of water when you're out. We had to stop twice on Sunday to fill up our bidons. Keep your High5 tablets in the tube in your jersey and just add them as if you're sweaty and lose to may electrolytes then you run the risk of cramps.

Massive 230km/2230m ride out into the Welsh hills yesterday. Mate bonked big time with 50km to go.

My Mrs has decided that we'll stay in Padua instead of Venice and train in for the day. Saves a fortune when there is 5 of you.

He's really old, masturbates to gay prison shower fantasies and is universally derided as a utter tool DESPITE single handily saving Saints with a single post on Saintsweb so let's not burden him further with the Sholing tag. That's just low. Oh, George, whilst I know you love dreaming of my botty I hate to inform you that I've been back to the States. It was never going to be a issue and it wasn't.

This is a pretty shocking video. The officers were found not guilty. I'll let you make up your own minds. http://filmingcops.com/kelly/

The UK government will not go down the grammar school/technical school route, which is a pity in many respects as I like the academic/non-academic model. In fact, if they go down the grammar school route it is an acceptance that their own flagship education policy is a failure. They will persist with the utterly stupid idea of free schools.

You need to include the government (of all hues) in that. All students entering FE have to do English and maths up to GCSE and we are expected to get them through it in a year. There seems to be a reluctance to accept that not all kids are capable of passing GCSE maths and English at a grade above a C and their failure to master a subject does mean that they have failed in life but it's label applied to them and the careers that they go into, hospitality, care, etc are undervalued and quite frankly, looked down upon.

Good question. I'm a teacher as is my wife. I teach in FE and she's a SENCO in a really tough secondary. We moved from B'ham to Stafford because the schools are so much better (brought the house based on catchment) and we've recently moved our 2 girls to a newly opened academy because we weren't happy with the standard of some of the teaching or the SMT where they were. My son goes to the local secondary academy and he'll leave (as will my girls) with a full house of A* at GCSE and As at A level but that's because they are able plus mum and dad have ensured they have an understanding of the importance of learning and as a family we spend lots of time doing enjoyable educational stuff. My sister lives down at Hungerford Bottom and she fought tooth and nail to get her eldest into Wildern, which she did, but failed with her youngest. Instead of him going to Hamble sh'e paid to go private. My 1st teaching job was in a really, really tough south brum council estate school. One of the governors, very middle class and from a leafy street off the estate, sent her twin girls there. They both got 12 A* but went to the best school in the city for their A levels. If they kid can do it and wants to do it, they will.

Thinking out loud, so to speak, perhaps the grammar school debate is partly driven by our own experiences of putting our own kids through school and the success of failure of such kids?

That's called, in the trade, a "professional bubble". Happens mainly in the bigger cities although we have a similar one where I live. It's the only school in the county with no social housing in the catchment.

If you come from a wealthy middle class or professional Hindi background you may have got in, as experience has taught me that those background spend £1000s and £1000s on extra tuition etc for kids as young as 2 & 3 in preparation for entrance exams. There is a very good grammar not too far from me, admission by selection, you'll not see a car under £40k and older than 2 years picking the kids up and none will come from a working class background. Not one came from a state school. Not one. Friend of mine is Head of Science there. He's the token working class oik and his own kids go elsewhere. If anyone believes that grammar schools v2015 would be similar to grammar schools v1965 they are very mistaken.

For family holidays (my kids are 13, 10 & you're be hard pressed to beat Tuscany as it offers a bit of everything for everyone although my favourite is across the mountains in Le Marche. I'm not to keen on Southern Italy although Sicily is excellent.

We've been a few times as the wife loves the place. We usually stay at a family owned pension and simply spend the days bimbling around and nipping on and off water buses and just exploring. Spending carnival there was fun. We are taking the 3 kids to Rome/Florence/Venice at half term next year, doing it my train with flights into Rome and out of Milan.

Went out with 4 others for a fast ride tonight but made the mistake of wearing a jacket instead of layering. Overdressed = overheat = heart rate goes mental = sit up = fun over.