test please delete

[BrilloPad]

Population
2222 Revenues
514050 € Unemployment 1 %
Transport 98 %
Crime rate 2 %
Pollution 1 %

rank=341

[BrowneIssue]

Ah, for those dear, dead days when it was accepted by all of society that the only form of address appropriate to, and necessary for, a teacher was <[Mr | Miss | Mrs] Surname>

In the school I went to it was Sir or Miss.

We all had a copy of the school rule book; as I recall there were something like 140-odd rules. And of them, about 130 were odd.

When in the 2nd year I suddenly decided I would never call anyone Sir or Miss again. And there, in the rulebook, it said teachers shall be referred to as Sir or Miss or, alternatively when required, by their appropriate title and surname to get their attention. But the rule was ambiguous: surely we only ever speak to someone wanting their attention?

So I started using title and surname. I was the first in the school to do it.

I was given many detentions and sets of lines but was a right little barrack-room lawyer (and still am, really) so they couldn't make them stick. A lot of resentment was created but I won each time.

To this day I adhere to my rule. Nobody, but nobody, gets called 'Sir' or 'Miss' or 'Madam' or 'Ma'am' by me.

So, as in many things, having a "form of address appropriate to, and necessary for, a teacher was [Mr | Miss | Mrs] <Surname>" was actually a liberty that had been fought for.

[BrowneIssue]

Other freedoms where I was in the vanguard:

- being allowed to wear white shirts (instead of grey) from the 4th year onward;

- being permitted to take all three sciences at O Level.

[BrowneIssue]

My experience was slightly different from that of Suggs.

All I really learned at school was how to bend or break the rules.

Useful experience for later life.

But there is a sorry list of other things that would have been more useful.

[BrilloPad]

Morning BI

How are you?

[voodooflux]

[voodooflux]

21 March: A new factory has just opened.

[voodooflux]

Nearly time for the flight - just popping in to wish VDF a happy birthday.

Ta muchly

[voodooflux]

Mind you, I got another 120 pints brewing today. 2 x 40 ale and 40 pints of cider.

Lady VF suggested I could grow some hops on her allotment - I quite fancy giving that a go.

[voodooflux]

I could murder a kebab.

But there's none to be had in this part of the world. Bugger all, in fact.

The stuff of nightmares, that.