Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June 2015

[RogerOThornhill]

If anyone cares ...

David Laws joins CentreForum as Executive Chairman; Nick Tyrone becomes Executive Director
http://www.libdemvoice.org/david-laws-j ... 46417.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

News reaches the Voice from CentreForum, the liberal think tank:
CentreForum are pleased to announce that David Laws, former Minister of State for the Cabinet Office as well as Minister of State for Schools, is joining the liberal think tank as Executive Chairman, overseeing a new body of work on education policy. This is part of a move by CentreForum to refocus on the core work of the think tank, which will be education and children’s mental health going forward, although projects will continue to be undertaken in other policy areas in which liberal solutions are called for.

At the same time, Nick Tyrone, who was Associate Director, External Affairs, will now become Executive Director, responsible for the day to day running of CentreForum.

Stephen Lee is resigning as Chief Executive to take up new opportunities in the academic world. ...

David Laws said:

“Centreforum has established a formidable reputation as a think tank, not least in the area of education and social mobility. I am delighted to have this opportunity to oversee the work of Centreforum, particularly in its core areas of education and children’s mental health – areas which I have a strong personal commitment to.”

I actually think Laws did an OK job at the DfE - wasn't nearly as gung ho as Gove on academies and wanted a similar structure overseeing all schools that Hunt did.

[citizenJA]

Or they just don't train people.

Earlier today I saw a clip on BBCnews24 about hauliers being unable to find enough lorry drivers. They spoke to a company boss who said he had to turn down work because he didn't have enough drivers. He said something about the cost of the HGV license, and how young people couldn't afford it.
Didn't seem to occur to him that there was an obvious solution. Well, 2 solutions really, no doubt they're lobbying the 'govt' ie taxpayers to pay for them.

The company I worked for paid the HGV license for all our drivers. Thing of the past I guess - load all costs onto the employee instead.

Here it is again.
Some owners standing around wondering why workers aren't performing miracles for no pay.
Can't get good help these day, eh?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Laws was indeed OK at Education. I was expecting him to be the Education Secretary in a Coalition, whether with Labour or Tory.

He's got silly ideas about overall public spending and would have been quite appalling as Chief Secretary, but (contrary to what one might have expected) was OK when in a much more directly practical job.

[RogerOThornhill]

Re the three oral questions on fair funding for education tomorrow, i hadn't realised that there was an article about it...and look why they didn't get anything done in the last 5 years.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... al-schools" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Matt Hancock, the Tory MP who was an education minister in the previous coalition, said: “We’ve got a new government and we no longer have to negotiate these things with Liberal Democrat MPs so we’re clear we want to see further progress on this.

"We would have done it by now if it hadn't been for those pesky LibDems!"

“This needs to be done in a way that is careful, within tight budgets. It would be easy if we had loads of money to spray around.”

Oh, tight budgets now is it? Didn't stop you splashing money around like it was going out of fashion on free schools and converting academies.

[citizenJA]

My day already happiness impaired & along comes Dan Hodges.

Can you not ignore him? It's what I do for 99% of the time. Very occasionally he has a view I agree with - but rarely.

Yes, it's my usual operating procedure - I usually avoid terminal brats.
I was perusing an article linked here on the Telegraph website.
A few words & his face prominently posted next to the article I read intruded for a moment.
I got out as soon as I could.
I recovered some time ago.
Mr. citzen is still poorly.

[AngryAsWell]

Not sure what is happening at this school. I thought (hazy memory) they had won the fight against forced to become an academy a few months ago, but seems they still have problems (or am I mixed up with Medway Primary?)

Emma Hill ‏@PopoffHill · 9 mins9 minutes ago
Do I email schl govs at #Twydall regarding my concern about fact that come Sept, only 6 permanent teachers continue teaching at school?

https://twitter.com/PopoffHill/with_replies?lang=en-gb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ohsocynical]

European comet probe wakes up from hibernation
Philae makes contact with controllers seven months after becoming the first spacecraft to land on a comet.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/e ... 40960.html

And isn't this brilliant.

[rebeccariots2]

George Osborne to handle PMQs on Wednesday in Commons 'audition' for future Tory leadership bid
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ge ... ay-5883191" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ooooh, doesn't that give you a nice warm glowy feeling - to know that our country, our nation, will be in such good hands (those hands that have folded nice soft luxury towels) when Cammy hangs up his boots?

[seeingclearly]

Statistical data set
FE library: apprenticeships
Skills Funding Agency and Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
14 May 2015

Information on the number of apprenticeship starts and achievements
All Age Apprenticeship Participation by Age (2002/03 to 2013/14)

2002-03
25+ 200
2003-04
25+ 2,500
2004-05
25+ 6,200
2005-06
25+ 8,100
2006-07
25+ 7,300
2007-08
25+ 32,000
2008-09
25+ 79,100
2009-10
25+ 93,900
2010-11
25+ 210,900
2011-12
25+ 344,800
2012-13
25+ 392,900
2013-14
25+ 356,900

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistic ... nticeships" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So theoretically at least we ought to have well trained ready to work citizens coming hot from their apprenticeships not just to fill those vacancies we are told are there with no one adequately skilled enough to fill, but also we should have plenty of spare for people to come and set up new specialist businesses? After all that's just one age group and one kind of training.

On the other hand the last time I asked about UJM it was still full of non jobs, featuring sex work and the occasional exorcism among other dubious oddities, and very old military recruitment ads. And mt youngsters pals who have found work did so in S Korea, Belgium, and Germany. The rest are making themselves generally useful, but penniless, languishing either under their parents wing or on the dole. None, to my knowledge have ever been offered an apprenticeship, though my lad would probably like one of the ones with Google, mentioned in that link that takes us to the skills page set up by the government. But I guess those are most likely reserved for more special people.....

[RogerOThornhill]

Not sure what is happening at this school. I thought (hazy memory) they had won the fight against forced to become an academy a few months ago, but seems they still have problems (or am I mixed up with Medway Primary?)

Emma Hill ‏@PopoffHill · 9 mins9 minutes ago
Do I email schl govs at #Twydall regarding my concern about fact that come Sept, only 6 permanent teachers continue teaching at school?

https://twitter.com/PopoffHill/with_replies?lang=en-gb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, forced academization being fought.

Department for Education accused of bullying governors of Twydall Primary School in to accepting Thinking Schools Academy trust as academy sponsor

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news ... ics-32507/

Parents of primary school pupils have accused the Department for Education of bullying the school's governing body in to accepting an unwanted academy trust.

Earlier this month, governors at Twydall Primary School voted against accepting the Thinking Skills Academy Trust (TSAT) as sponsors. But the DfE has told them it will be considering whether to replace them with an interim executive board (IEB) which would vote in favour of TSAT.

A spokesman for Parents And Twydall Together (PATT) said they were "completely shocked" that the DfE is still threatening the governors, despite a very strong case being made by the governing body for turning down TSAT.

I'll take a look and see what else TSAT get up to...

[rebeccariots2]

Former Hywel Dda boss Trevor Purt suspended
http://www.pembrokeshire-herald.com/165 ... suspended/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This tells you what our main challenge is here re the Assembly election next year. When I say really bad decisions were made - as I have said here - some of them are clearly outlined. I hope the last paragraph is correct in saying the Welsh Government might have started to realise there are real problems and issues with health services planning and configuration in this part of Wales that they do need to address - and be seen to address.

To be, that article, and the way it's reported, is very telling. Put in terms of "getting a grip" from the centre- not saying that's the wrong way to report it because that's exactly what people expect now with public services.

The Green Party/ Labour left stuff of having local councillors (elected on low turnouts) in charge of health and education is far less tenable now than before. There's much more data published, much more prominent inspections. Winding up Ofsted and scrapping league tables isn't tenable. People want governments to be responding to bad stuff and making sure it gets better. It's got very silly, but you can't turn back the clock either. T Hunt got criticized for being nebulous when he talked about changing culture in Ofsted, but to me that was a more sensible thing to promise than scrapping it.

Welsh Labour got unlucky with the SNP rallying Welsh voters to the Tories, but they also got off lightly with Bennett and Wood being less than stellar. Nonetheless, Labour did badly in Wales. If "proper Labour" policies were an easy answer, they'd have done much better.

Not quite getting your drift Tubby. The health service decisions made here are not in the hands of local authorities. We have Health Boards managing larger regions under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government.

This particular bloke has overseen some really really bad planning and implementation by the Health Board with, in some instances, no proper consultation with local communities. He has a repeat history of this. It is up to the Welsh Government to realise what has been going on and start to intervene and sort it out. They aren't going to get off lightly in the coming Assembly election.

[tinyclanger2]

Osborne. PM.
And I used to take the proverbial out of the Italians for their choice in politicians.

[Willow904]

Osborne. PM.
And I used to take the proverbial out of the Italians for their choice in politicians.

I can't see Osborne being anyone's choice. Could be a helpful move for Labour.

[Eric_WLothian]

Or they just don't train people.

Earlier today I saw a clip on BBCnews24 about hauliers being unable to find enough lorry drivers. They spoke to a company boss who said he had to turn down work because he didn't have enough drivers. He said something about the cost of the HGV license, and how young people couldn't afford it.
Didn't seem to occur to him that there was an obvious solution. Well, 2 solutions really, no doubt they're lobbying the 'govt' ie taxpayers to pay for them.

The company I worked for paid the HGV license for all our drivers. Thing of the past I guess - load all costs onto the employee instead.

Here it is again.
Some owners standing around wondering why workers aren't performing miracles for no pay.
Can't get good help these day, eh?

Not a new phenomenon! When I joined the Civil Service as a trainee programmer, the training was in-house. Once the training was complete, many programmers promptly left for better paid jobs at Edinburgh banks, insurance companies and a brewery (non of which recruited untrained IT staff).
The CS paid for some staff to take degrees or professional qualifications in IT and other disciplines. Anyone taking up such an offer had to sign a contract to stay in the CS for an agreed period after qualification, or pay the costs back. Seems like a sensible solution to me.

[RogerOThornhill]

@AAW

On TSAT...they have 10 academies altogether - 6 primaries (4 Medway, 2 Portsmouth) and 4 secondaries.

Of the primary schools 5 joined since March 2014. The one they had before was a converter who was adjudged Good already.

I can see why they might be nervous as there's no real history of them turning schools around yet.

Odd that one of the sponsored ones was Good before it joined them - you don't expect them to go down the sponsored route if they are already good or outstanding.

Even odder is that their website says:

The lead academy is the Rochester Grammar School which is not only an outstanding school but has a rich history and inspiring reputation as one of the country’s leading state Grammar Schools.

This also was a converter...which was Outstanding before they joined TSAT.

[rebeccariots2]

I'll bet footy fans are really pleased to hear Sepp Blatter is reconsidering his resignation now ... thinking he might actually stay on instead. Not just twisted - totally contorted reasoning.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Not quite getting your drift Tubby. The health service decisions made here are not in the hands of local authorities. We have Health Boards managing larger regions under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government.

This particular bloke has overseen some really really bad planning and implementation by the Health Board with, in some instances, no proper consultation with local communities. He has a repeat history of this. It is up to the Welsh Government to realise what has been going on and start to intervene and sort it out. They aren't going to get off lightly in the coming Assembly election.

I was a bit vague. Thinking in more general terms- the public expect national governments to be sorting stuff out at more devolved levels. Even if the boards were elected in some way, there'd be the same problem. Nowadays a national government minister saying "not our problem, hold your local board to account" would be toast.

[mbc1955]

I'll bet footy fans are really pleased to hear Sepp Blatter is reconsidering his resignation now ... thinking he might actually stay on instead. Not just twisted - totally contorted reasoning.

Quelle surprise.

Just arrest the bastard. I'm sure he can fall downstairs somewhere, you guys have had enough practice by now. Pretend he's black...

[gilsey]

None, to my knowledge have ever been offered an apprenticeship, though my lad would probably like one of the ones with Google, mentioned in that link that takes us to the skills page set up by the government. But I guess those are most likely reserved for more special people.....

My hairdresser's son has a proper apprenticeship, as a stonemason.
He has some GCSEs but didn't like school so after much heart-searching Mum and stepdad agreed to him leaving, found the apprenticeship by chance. There was some kind of trial period the parents had to fund, though.

[AngryAsWell]

Not sure what is happening at this school. I thought (hazy memory) they had won the fight against forced to become an academy a few months ago, but seems they still have problems (or am I mixed up with Medway Primary?)

Emma Hill ‏@PopoffHill · 9 mins9 minutes ago
Do I email schl govs at #Twydall regarding my concern about fact that come Sept, only 6 permanent teachers continue teaching at school?

https://twitter.com/PopoffHill/with_replies?lang=en-gb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, forced academization being fought.

Department for Education accused of bullying governors of Twydall Primary School in to accepting Thinking Schools Academy trust as academy sponsor

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news ... ics-32507/

Parents of primary school pupils have accused the Department for Education of bullying the school's governing body in to accepting an unwanted academy trust.

Earlier this month, governors at Twydall Primary School voted against accepting the Thinking Skills Academy Trust (TSAT) as sponsors. But the DfE has told them it will be considering whether to replace them with an interim executive board (IEB) which would vote in favour of TSAT.

A spokesman for Parents And Twydall Together (PATT) said they were "completely shocked" that the DfE is still threatening the governors, despite a very strong case being made by the governing body for turning down TSAT.

I'll take a look and see what else TSAT get up to...

Thanks for this Roger, not my area but I find the whole academy / free school program appalling, so take a bit of an interest in it.
Have TSAT taken over the school yet? Or is the idea of having only 6 permanent teachers part of running it down so take over becomes inevitable ?

[RogerOThornhill]

I do like this guy's writing...I keep meaning to pick up his book Trivium 21c which had some great reviews.

Nicky Morgan and the Ghastly New World of Morgantopia

https://martinrobborobinson.wordpress.c ... rgantopia/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Morgan is just an unthinking drone. I mean...

“I want it to be the thing that parents really look at when they choose secondary schools, in the same way that teenagers choosing university ask: what am I getting for my £9000 fees?”

In Morgantopia will every parent REALLY be able to choose a Secondary school? REALLY ?

Well quite - the only way all parents can get the secondary school of their choice is to have surplus places in all of them and if there is one highly sought after in an area, an unlimited number of places.

[RogerOThornhill]

Thanks for this Roger, not my area but I find the whole academy / free school program appalling, so take a bit of an interest in it.
Have TSAT taken over the school yet? Or is the idea of having only 6 permanent teachers part of running it down so take over becomes inevitable ?

No, doesn't look like it's been taken over as yet according to the latest file which was out the other day.

[LadyCentauria]

Well this is going to please Lady C - and a fair few others. What she was hoping for.

Philae comet lander wakes up
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33126885" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It has indeed – there were quite a lot of happy-tears shed when we heard the news during the Birthday Picnic of one of my best friends', from which I'm not long home Lots of lovely data for the science teams to look forward to – and, hopefully, pictures for us!

[thatchersorphan]

Trade unions, socialism and social justice http://www.bankierepublic.org/2015/06/t ... l-justice/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[seeingclearly]

None, to my knowledge have ever been offered an apprenticeship, though my lad would probably like one of the ones with Google, mentioned in that link that takes us to the skills page set up by the government. But I guess those are most likely reserved for more special people.....

My hairdresser's son has a proper apprenticeship, as a stonemason.
He has some GCSEs but didn't like school so after much heart-searching Mum and stepdad agreed to him leaving, found the apprenticeship by chance. There was some kind of trial period the parents had to fund, though.

The figures that CitizenJA posted though imply a huge surge in apprenticeships, and as I live in a major city I'd have expected more evidence of them, and jobs too, but very little on offer. Sounds like your hairdressers lad has done ok, there was a programme some time ago about a church restoration that suggested that good stonemasons are very thin on the ground. Should be well worth anything his parents stumped up if he has taken to it. Meantime most Jobseeker's have to go on endless courses in dingy buildings no one else wants to use to have their basic skills upgraded by people who often don't turn up. Mostly it's more like punishment than opportunity.

[citizenJA]

Statistical data set
FE library: apprenticeships
Skills Funding Agency and Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
14 May 2015
[my edit]
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistic ... nticeships" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So theoretically at least we ought to have well trained ready to work citizens coming hot from their apprenticeships not just to fill those vacancies we are told are there with no one adequately skilled enough to fill, but also we should have plenty of spare for people to come and set up new specialist businesses? After all that's just one age group and one kind of training.

On the other hand the last time I asked about UJM it was still full of non jobs, featuring sex work and the occasional exorcism among other dubious oddities, and very old military recruitment ads. And mt youngsters pals who have found work did so in S Korea, Belgium, and Germany. The rest are making themselves generally useful, but penniless, languishing either under their parents wing or on the dole. None, to my knowledge have ever been offered an apprenticeship, though my lad would probably like one of the ones with Google, mentioned in that link that takes us to the skills page set up by the government. But I guess those are most likely reserved for more special people.....

It's been an education for me today flipping through the UK government apprenticeship website & looking over the statistical data at the same time. I've posted the data for those apprentices participating in apprenticeship schemes over the age of twenty-five as an indicator of how this is one way unemployment figures are kept low. It's indicative of what this Tory government have done - they're making skilled, experienced workers made redundant go into the apprenticeship schemes.

Enshrined the term 'apprenticeship' in law? Seriously, that's the news item posted on the government website today.

Press release
Government kick-starts plans to reach 3 million apprenticeships
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and Nick Boles MP
14 June 2015

The term ‘apprenticeship’ will be protected in law, the government has announced today (14 June 2015).
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gove ... nticeships" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Many care working placements on the government apprenticeship website are bad, in my opinion. Not all of them by any means - there's an extraordinary range of requirements & pay from my recent research. The different care agencies, local authorities & private individuals posting apprenticeships care worker placements are many & some are good. The ones that are bad are some of the most insulting apprenticeships & work placements I've ever read.

Those stipulating an apprentice care worker must have their own automobile for use to get to different jobs often without even offering any compensation for petrol are awful. It's not appropriate. The automobile is paid for by the apprentice care worker, all maintenance, licensing, the financial responsibility of the apprentice care worker. Outrageous. Most of the time petrol isn't even reimbursed. Not only a drivers' license required the but ownership of an automobile required too. That automobile isn't being used for the private use of the apprentice care worker or the people the care worker is caring for. That automobile is effectively commandeered for the use of whomever is profiting from not having to pay workers for travel time, petrol, maintenance on the vehicle.

[LadyCentauria]

I didn't include the list of machinery the 'apprentice' would be required to know how to operate prior to obtaining this choice position.
Or the list of duties.
And the expertise the 'apprentice' must have prior to being considered for this 'apprenticeship'.
All for £142.80 a week & 40 hours a week
You have to be god damned kidding me.
This person isn't an apprentice, this is a senior farm hand.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, it's called an apprenticeship but this:

Qualifications required
Farm work experience

says that it's past that level.

Cheap labour.

Remember the coalition government scrapped the Agricultural Wages Board that set the minimum wages and conditions. That is they scrapped it in England - it was considered to be unecessary regulation, part of the bonfire of quangos that turned out to be more of a small camping fire. Wales opted to keep their AWB and are being hounded by Cameron's lot for supposedly not having the right to do so.

My thoughts, exactly! Plus: the only way you could have gained the experience & qualifications required for this 'intermediate apprenticeship' would be to have been brought up helping on a farm, to have done a basic apprenticeship in farming & agriculture, or to have been to an agricultural college. So, what are they proposing that the successful applicant does following completion of the 'intermediate apprenticeship'? An 'advanced apprenticeship'? A proper job at full wages?

Scrapping the Agricultural Wages Board was a disgusting act of vandalism, and this business of calling practically all training-places or low-waged-jobs-with-a-bit-of-training-thrown-in 'apprenticeships' is, too :flame:

[Tubby Isaacs]

Re the three oral questions on fair funding for education tomorrow, i hadn't realised that there was an article about it...and look why they didn't get anything done in the last 5 years.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/20 ... al-schools" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Matt Hancock, the Tory MP who was an education minister in the previous coalition, said: “We’ve got a new government and we no longer have to negotiate these things with Liberal Democrat MPs so we’re clear we want to see further progress on this.

"We would have done it by now if it hadn't been for those pesky LibDems!"

“This needs to be done in a way that is careful, within tight budgets. It would be easy if we had loads of money to spray around.”

Oh, tight budgets now is it? Didn't stop you splashing money around like it was going out of fashion on free schools and converting academies.

Don't know what other areas are like by I find where my sister lives (Gloucs/Worcs/Heref border) has too many small primary schools. My niece's kid has 60 something kids across 7 year groups. School about 15 minutes away has 106 (albeit in a different county). That to me is money being wasted.

[citizenJA]

None, to my knowledge have ever been offered an apprenticeship, though my lad would probably like one of the ones with Google, mentioned in that link that takes us to the skills page set up by the government. But I guess those are most likely reserved for more special people.....

My hairdresser's son has a proper apprenticeship, as a stonemason.
He has some GCSEs but didn't like school so after much heart-searching Mum and stepdad agreed to him leaving, found the apprenticeship by chance. There was some kind of trial period the parents had to fund, though.

I don't know what I'd do without you, without FlyTheNest.
Thank you for sharing what you know with me.
I'm glad you know of appropriate apprenticeships being offered. Some employers, training organisations are decent & it's good they're making sure people are trained & compensated properly. I shouldn't think this would be so novel, decency. Current government aren't wholesome, wise or competent. They're really an amateur group of people.

'...make sure the fortune we know your former employer gave you prior to redundancy is saved for the rainy day we are here at the DWP - you'll have to wait a couple of months until we're ready to disperse your lawful entitlements.'

lol,
IDS

Current government policies & documented reports speak for themselves. On their heads be it. People must be cared for. This government are failing too many.

[citizenJA]

George Osborne to handle PMQs on Wednesday in Commons 'audition' for future Tory leadership bid
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ge ... ay-5883191" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ooooh, doesn't that give you a nice warm glowy feeling - to know that our country, our nation, will be in such good hands (those hands that have folded nice soft luxury towels) when Cammy hangs up his boots?

It made me burst into tears.
I'm fine now, though.

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, friends
love,
cJA

[LadyCentauria]

Goodnight to all those who have already toddled off for the night – and hello to the night-owls

Here is Cartoonist Rowson's offering on the anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, entitled 'Runny.' It centres upon TCC who is seated on a Serco-sponsored throne engaged in the signing of his 'Magna Farta':
http://www.theguardian.com/law/picture/ ... ta-cartoon

[Hobiejoe]

Goodnight to all those who have already toddled off for the night – and hello to the night-owls

Here is Cartoonist Rowson's offering on the anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, entitled 'Runny.' It centres upon TCC who is seated on a Serco-sponsored throne engaged in the signing of his 'Magna Farta':
http://www.theguardian.com/law/picture/ ... ta-cartoon

Magnificent, M'Lady. So much detail to enjoy in a Rowson, especially as the Graun now offer cartoons in a decent resolution, which meant that, fer instance, we can see that the swallows/house martins are euros. Would've missed that previously.

Got a fair connection to Runnymede, my university hall of residence was at the end of Coopers Hill Lane, just past the RAF Memorial to those that never returned, and up the hill from Runnymede itself. What I remember most about the two of them is the barking of dogs in the Battersea Dogs Home's country outpost.

And as a thankyou from us nightowlers, I'll post the bizarrest yet cover version over in the pub. Made especially, err, special, by being recorded in my pub. It's batshit crazy, and a complete deconstruction of a song, but I like both it and the bloke who performed it. It was during our local music festival, so I had let the organisers put whoever they thought best in our place. This guy, Ash Mandrake, was on on Sunday lunchtime. Did I mention batshit crazy? Then add virtuouso linguist.

Probably better enjoyed in the flesh than on tiny tinny speakers and youtube audio. And hats. Google and Ash Mandrake should see you through.

So we're trying to arrange a return gig anyway.

[LadyCentauria]

Goodnight to all those who have already toddled off for the night – and hello to the night-owls

Here is Cartoonist Rowson's offering on the anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, entitled 'Runny.' It centres upon TCC who is seated on a Serco-sponsored throne engaged in the signing of his 'Magna Farta':
http://www.theguardian.com/law/picture/ ... ta-cartoon

Magnificent, M'Lady. So much detail to enjoy in a Rowson, especially as the Graun now offer cartoons in a decent resolution, which meant that, fer instance, we can see that the swallows/house martins are euros. Would've missed that previously.

Got a fair connection to Runnymede, my university hall of residence was at the end of Coopers Hill Lane, just past the RAF Memorial to those that never returned, and up the hill from Runnymede itself. What I remember most about the two of them is the barking of dogs in the Battersea Dogs Home's country outpost.

And as a thankyou from us nightowlers, I'll post the bizarrest yet cover version over in the pub. Made especially, err, special, by being recorded in my pub. It's batshit crazy, and a complete deconstruction of a song, but I like both it and the bloke who performed it. It was during our local music festival, so I had let the organisers put whoever they thought best in our place. This guy, Ash Mandrake, was on on Sunday lunchtime. Did I mention batshit crazy? Then add virtuouso linguist.

Probably better enjoyed in the flesh than on tiny tinny speakers and youtube audio. And hats. Google and Ash Mandrake should see you through.

So we're trying to arrange a return gig anyway.

Cheers, Hobiejoe! Yep, I'm very appreciative of the better resolution on the cartoons, too.

Ash Mandrake has been duly added to my list of fine musos to watch And I'll definitely be visiting you and your pub if I'm ever able to get down your way

[LadyCentauria]

PCS has had to delay the start of the Universal Credit strike ballot at Bolton and Glasgow by one week.

Ballot papers will now be issued on Monday 22 June 2015. The ballot will close two weeks later on 6 July 2015.
PCS has been forced to do this after DWP, using the anti-trade union laws, tried to have the ballot called off by threatening a legal challenge.
PCS has now re-submitted the formal notice of our intention to ballot to DWP to clarify exactly who it is we are balloting. The ballot will now go ahead as planned, only one week later than originally planned.

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for ... r-one-week

(Found via the twitter-feed on this link that was posted earlier, but I can't remember who posted it:http://www.bankierepublic.org/2015/06/t ... l-justice/ )

[LadyCentauria]

There's lots of Twitter comment about this but this sums it up:

Martin Robinson ‏@SurrealAnarchy 2h2 hours ago
To think Ofqual spent all that time and effort making all GCSEs hard only to find out some are obviously more difficult than others #fail

His piece is very good - putting the boot into Nick Gibb and a swipe at Ken Robinson too.

https://martinrobborobinson.wordpress.c ... education/

It's very good indeed. This is one of the things that struck me:

“That is not to say, of course, that subjects outside the English Baccalaureate have no place in schools. The EBacc is a specific, limited measure consisting of only 5 subject areas and up to 8 GCSEs. Whilst this means that there are several valuable subjects which are not included, it also means that there is time for most pupils to study other subjects in addition to the EBacc.”

(My bold and italic)

So, my question to Nick Gibb is, "Which pupils will not have time to study other subjects? The ones who struggle to reach the required standard in the basic 5 GCSEs amongst the compulsory subjects? Or the ones who have the academic aptitude (or who intensive extra coaching, outside school) to take all 8 GCSEs in the Ebacc? And how do you define 'most'? 51%?"