ecuk268

Would be interesting to see a breakdown of these new jobs. How many were full-time or zero-hours contracts. How many were minimum wage? The tabloid media seems to delight in demonizing people on benefits, implying that the unemployed are the main problem. In fact the spending on unemployment benefit in 2012 was roughly £5bn. Spending on work-related benefits (tax credits etc) was £43bn and pensions was £88bn. The taxpayer is subsidising employers who pay low wages and for, the first time, the number of working families below the poverty line exceeds those not in work. Osborne says that he wants to reduce benefit spending by £25bn but doesn't mention the similar amount lost to corporate tax avoidance and cosy HMRC deals with the big corporations. But that might affect donations to the Tory Party.

Makes a change from "can reveal that......"

Gove criticizes the portrayal of WW1 in programmes such as Blackadder and the film "Oh What a Lovely War" as left-wing propaganda. The latter was largely based on the book "The Donkeys" written by military historian Alan Clark, the onetime Tory Minister who could in no way be described as left-wing.

The Isle of Wight appears to be adopting a similar approach...... http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2014/01/02/isle-of-wight-to-relax-rules-on-herbal-teas/

http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=70443

Um Bongo

Who moderates the Moderators???

Picked mine up from Duncan a couple of weeks ago and have since been engrossed. What surprises me is the number of players that I'e watched over the years but had completely forgotten about. Nice to see that an anecdote about Bill Stroud that I supplied being included.

I see that the Sun has lived up to it's usual high standards by buying (presumably) the story of one of the killer's mothers and printing a large front-page photo of him with bloodstained machete in hand.

Mrs ecuk268 could tell you some stories on that subject. She has met parents who aren't really bothered - she's had 4-year olds who are puzzled when they're given a book because they've never seen one before. It's a problem that parents who have struggled at school often don't value education as highly as they might. Thus the problem gets passed on to the next generation.

Depends what they miss in those 2 weeks. In reception and early years it could easily be a new topic in basic reading or maths. When they come back, the rest of the class will have moved on and your child may struggle to catch up. It you must take them out of school, talk to the teachers first so that you are aware of what they could be missing.

Mrs ecuk268 has spent her working life as an Infant teacher and has often despaired at the attitude of some parents who take their children out of school because "it doesn't matter at that age". These are the years where the foundations are built. The teaching of literacy and numeracy moves very quickly and a 2-week break can put a child at a serious disadvantage. This means that they either require extra attention when they return (to the detriment of the rest of the class) or they fall behind and face a real struggle to catch up. If you don't get it right at this age then you are creating problems for the future. Still, that's not as important as your bank balance is it?

Exactly. St Georges Day doesn't really commemorate anything. Just some Lebanese (or other Middle Eastern country) bloke who didn't really kill a dragon. I'd go for Henry VIII breaking from Rome thus making us a Protestant country and printing the Bible in English so that even the lower orders could read it thus lessening the powers of the Church. Don't think that he did it all in one day though.

If nothing else, Souness gave us that wonderful 6-3 hammering of Man U.

I think that back in the 60s and 70s most people in this area had their first go at driving at Stoney Cross. Sunday afternoons were quite entertaining if a bit hazardous.

We had our double glazing put in 25 years ago when we moved in. Although they still look fine, the rubber seals have started to shrink and there's small gaps at the corners. Doesn't seem worth replacing them as they're otherwise OK. Anyone ever has theirs refurbished?

Should have taken Onions.

I was in the same year as him at Barton Peveril in the 60's. Funny sort of nipper, never really fitted in and was probably mildly bullied.

Born P*mpey, but was a Methodist Minister in Hedge End. Prosecuted for propositioning men in the Gents and then moved up north. We were in the same year at Barton Peveril in the 60's.

Recent survey by PwC on best places to live in Britain: 1 Reading and Bracknell 2 Aberdeen 3 Edinburgh 4 Southampton 5 Cambridge 6 Oxford 7 Preston 8 Bristol 9 Belfast 10 Norwich http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/18/reading-clinches-top-spot-as-the-best-place-to-live-in-britain-4191573/

Isn't that Wayne Rooney?

Or as they said on R. Solent this morning "HMS Darling". Always had my doubts about those sailor boys.

Had a mate who spoke fluent Dutch so he got down the front at the Milton when we were playing Wimbledon and called Hans Segers "a dog's ****". Segers burst out laughing and something incomprehensible back.

The Old Bill seemed to take great delight in wading into the Milton and dishing out a good battering to anyone who came into reach.

Signed for Chelmsford in August and impressed so much that they've loaned him out to Dartford.