Thursday, 31 May 2012
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Old?
Spent time with a friend yesterday who announced researching into 'age' and when did I think people became old? Then, went on to announce that according to modern research 42 is the start of being old.
I bit my lip and did not make any acerbic comments. After all I do not consider myself to be old...okay I am older than some people but not 'old' per se.
This led me to remembering a conversation about how lucky one of my family felt to have grown old in the 20th century. Born in 1902, she had noticed women in particular being old before their time.
By the time someone was in their 30s they'd wear black. My relative revelled in being able to wear bright colours all her life.
She'd lived thro' some desperately hard times. Her husband had been in WWI. But, all he'd ever say about it was that the reason why he smoked a pipe was that the queues were shorter.
Returning to the idea of 'ageing'...42 is definitely not Old, nor 50 some-things...
Ageing tends to become apparent once you turn 60 but definitely not Old yet...
I bit my lip and did not make any acerbic comments. After all I do not consider myself to be old...okay I am older than some people but not 'old' per se.
This led me to remembering a conversation about how lucky one of my family felt to have grown old in the 20th century. Born in 1902, she had noticed women in particular being old before their time.
By the time someone was in their 30s they'd wear black. My relative revelled in being able to wear bright colours all her life.
She'd lived thro' some desperately hard times. Her husband had been in WWI. But, all he'd ever say about it was that the reason why he smoked a pipe was that the queues were shorter.
Returning to the idea of 'ageing'...42 is definitely not Old, nor 50 some-things...
Ageing tends to become apparent once you turn 60 but definitely not Old yet...
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
In hiatus between courses
I've finally started to investigate my family history.
Unfortunately, most guides recommend asking your family...but, no can do. So, time to resort to online research but not from the giant of the industry but a UK company.
So far I'm interested in people and the places where they lived.
Faint memories from long ago tell me my family hale from Lancashire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, with perhaps a link to Ireland?
Lancashire - Chipping
Derbyshire - the Dark Peak
Yorkshire - Almondbury, West Riding near Huddersfield
The latter stirs up a memory from 1960 when 'family' from Huddersfield arrived en masse to claim property, goods because someone had died. I was too young to appreciate what was going on and in those days no-one kept children 'in the loop'.
Unfortunately, most guides recommend asking your family...but, no can do. So, time to resort to online research but not from the giant of the industry but a UK company.
So far I'm interested in people and the places where they lived.
Faint memories from long ago tell me my family hale from Lancashire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, with perhaps a link to Ireland?
Lancashire - Chipping
Derbyshire - the Dark Peak
Yorkshire - Almondbury, West Riding near Huddersfield
The latter stirs up a memory from 1960 when 'family' from Huddersfield arrived en masse to claim property, goods because someone had died. I was too young to appreciate what was going on and in those days no-one kept children 'in the loop'.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Times are a-changing?
Have just been reading in another blog where someone thinks of history and geography as 'twin subjects'. Boy, did that open a 'can of worms' in my memory-banks!
For most of my school-days I was taught 'capes and bays geography'.
GCE (General Certificate of Education 'O' level) consisted of learning about England and how to draw and annotate maps.
Rivers flowing into the North Sea:
Tees, Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe, Aire, Calder, Don and Trent.
Farming: hill sheep (Cumbria), Market gardening (Lancashire Plain), East Anglia mixed farming.
We studied industries: Cotton, Woollen, Pottery, Steel, Ship building and Coal mining to name but a few.
By far the most enjoyable was geomorphology: limestone scenery, coast erosion, chalk downs, glaciation...processes that were studied in more detail for 'A' level.
Sixth form 'A' level was went into geomorphology processes in more detail.
We learnt in great detail about Switzerland, Italy and Latin America.
Nowadays much of that geography exists no longer.
Instead we have social geography (yuck) and even worse...'humanities'. Population studies, globalisation, migration and sustainability. Full of statistics, charts, graphs and tables.
At least in my day there were games and simulations of the pen, paper and crayons variety.
For most of my school-days I was taught 'capes and bays geography'.
GCE (General Certificate of Education 'O' level) consisted of learning about England and how to draw and annotate maps.
Rivers flowing into the North Sea:
Tees, Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe, Aire, Calder, Don and Trent.
Farming: hill sheep (Cumbria), Market gardening (Lancashire Plain), East Anglia mixed farming.
We studied industries: Cotton, Woollen, Pottery, Steel, Ship building and Coal mining to name but a few.
By far the most enjoyable was geomorphology: limestone scenery, coast erosion, chalk downs, glaciation...processes that were studied in more detail for 'A' level.
Sixth form 'A' level was went into geomorphology processes in more detail.
We learnt in great detail about Switzerland, Italy and Latin America.
Nowadays much of that geography exists no longer.
Instead we have social geography (yuck) and even worse...'humanities'. Population studies, globalisation, migration and sustainability. Full of statistics, charts, graphs and tables.
At least in my day there were games and simulations of the pen, paper and crayons variety.
Monday, 7 May 2012
continuum?
All email postings are so intermittent and can/do cross over so much. Plus recipients may be many and varied.
Over the past couple of weeks I've been in intermittent 'conversation' with the OU (Open Uni).
1. I withdrew from SXN390 - huge sigh of relief, but it took several emails to several places before it was accomplished.
2. I learnt I was eligible for a 60% refund.
3. That was put towards another course...glutton for punishment that I am.
4. Today, and email arrived that re-confirmed exit from course, re-confirmed 60% refund paid towards next course.
5. Some of my previous level 2 courses now count towards my next qualification
Over the past couple of weeks I've been in intermittent 'conversation' with the OU (Open Uni).
1. I withdrew from SXN390 - huge sigh of relief, but it took several emails to several places before it was accomplished.
2. I learnt I was eligible for a 60% refund.
3. That was put towards another course...glutton for punishment that I am.
4. Today, and email arrived that re-confirmed exit from course, re-confirmed 60% refund paid towards next course.
5. Some of my previous level 2 courses now count towards my next qualification
Friday, 4 May 2012
Missing the point?
Missing the point my old dear?
"Nick Clegg insists his party will "continue to play our role" in the coalition. Speaking outside his London home a short time ago, he said: "I am really sad that so many colleagues and friends, Liberal Democrat councillors... have lost their seats. It's not an easy job and it can't be done overnight..."
You have done it over the last 2 years! Propping up Tories as they are the scourge of pensioners, disable people... Go figure!
Yes, I feel a tad sorry for local councillor who has been unseated after many years. Local council is now 100% labour party with no-one to leaven the lump or attempt to talk any common-sense.
After some 30 years, the local shopping area is being re-developed.
At least for the time being some of the trees survive.
But...
This is all that remains of a Junior/Infant school...
Site to be redeveloped as?
A bus terminal...
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
moving on
My last stint with the OU is a miserable failure; I gave up having lost all motivation. Wow, huge sigh of relief to be 'free'. I'm no good at introspection, reflection or navel gazing in general. 20% of the marks for writing a plan that might be 'acceptable' without any proper guidance! No, thank you.
Onwards...admitted to OH what I'd done and much to my surprise he advised me to find something else and carry on studying (dear man).
OH is busy this week, helping out next door, or more precisely acting as foreman and encouraging H to do the necessary DIY.
Onwards...admitted to OH what I'd done and much to my surprise he advised me to find something else and carry on studying (dear man).
OH is busy this week, helping out next door, or more precisely acting as foreman and encouraging H to do the necessary DIY.
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