MrG

All very interesting this! I started teaching in 2001 and now find myself in a profession that has changed in many ways over the years, but you know what, I knew there was a possibility that this would happen when I started and so why should I moan about it now! In the same way my mates who work in the building trade had to deal with the changes that have come in with their job. I am guaranteed a wage at the end of every month and I do not have to go out and find work - unless I belt someone, my mortgage will be paid each month!! People are right when they say teaching is a vocation (or way of life) but, for me, the positives of this far outweigh the negatives. We have never left the school system and have had 14 weeks off a year since being four years old! I think that is great and cannot think of another rewarding job where you have this many holidays. I have been a HT for nearly three years now and still love the job, someone said earlier about teachers leaving school at 4pm - well they can, aslong as the job is done - everyone is different and some people prefer to work at home. It's about the quality of time - I have known some people who have stayed at school until locking up time, but much time has been spent chatting/gossiping and not working! I remember at uni, I was on my third year of teaching degree and the gov announced that for some teaching courses, people would get a 6k handout - then suddenly all the final year students (who didn't do very well in their exams) decided that this teaching lark looked good and the 6k would be great. They then all turned up in their brand new Citroen Saxos (6k was handy) and crawled over the teaching 'finishing line' - maybe we are now seeing the result of a generation of people who didn't go into the profession for the right reason?!? One thing that is certain is that there will always be change in education because the government changes, research is continually being done which informs how we work, so if you find adapting to change difficult then maybe find something else to do, please don't moan about it as you usually find the person who isn't rowing, finds the time to rock the boat!

Was this the match in 1987 when we were relegated? If it was - that was my first ever match! So actually, despite the result, quite a positive match for me as the next season I became a regular in the "sitting on the railings of the Burnden Terrace and only see your dad at full time" gang. For me, Boro in Carling final was frustrating as we had so long in the game to do something to get a result.

Evening all, helped needed please, There's a few of us from Athy wanting to book a coach to some up coming away games. We use to do it years ago but stopped as we all had kids etc etc. Anyway, we're looking to start it up again and make a regular thing of it and was wondering if anyone knew of any 'decent' companies. We use to use ABC from Swinton, but I'm pretty sure we didn't part on the best of terms (although it was 2007 and they may not remember!?!) We were discussing Forest away last night and now have 18 names down so we'd be looking at something that could accommodate between 20-30 people. Thanks

Honeymoon: South Africa (Kruger Park), Australia (Sydney), Cook Islands (Rarotonga) and finally USA (San Francisco)

I have been told (but have not checked it for myself) that Everton were the first (only?) football club to set up a school as an academy.

In 2003, when I worked in Leigh, I set up a football league for all the primary schools - I was initially told that it wouldn't work, it had been tried before etc. Other reasons given were with regards to the state of pitches and how more games would end up being called off etc. This was at the same time that many of the secondary schools in the area were having MUGA pitches (astro pitches) built. So I suggested using one of these schools as a central venue for all the matches. One high school agreed to let us use their pitch and now 11 years later I believe the league continues to run successfully with the same school being used as a central venue. The two leagues I run now are both based at 'central' high school venues and this works for many reasons - the surface allows children to develop their 'touch', games are never really called off, we can play matches all year round if we like as they have floodlights. High schools also like it as they have all those children/parents coming to their school each week and so it can be a potential marketing tool for them. So, with most high school now having these pitches and with many of them being open at weekends for adult learning etc, could local teams not join up with the schools and use existing 'astro-pitches' for their homes matches? I know that Athy Town are looking into building their own behind St. Michael's church (where the crappy all weather pitch is now). So, where I live/work, there could be: Hindsford using Freddie's for home matches, Athy Town using their own (eventually), Pennington using Atherton Community School. (Am not sure if Colls/LR have younger teams? Think LR do?) For teams in Leigh/Astley there are astro pitches at St. Mary's, Bedford, WHS and Lowton. I think Leigh Genesis already play on the pitches at LSV?! I do know that many of the first teams I have mentioned above, already use some of these schools for training on in the winter months and so they already have a link with the schools. I'm not sure what the state is in Bolton with regards to the provision of these pitches at schools or how/if you could join up with them. It would need the whole league to do this as if some teams played on grass there would be talk of how this would hold an advantage for those teams (like QPR, Oldham and PNE with their placky pitches). From the school side, the only potential issue I can think of is opening/locking up. But like I said, many large high schools are already open 'out of hours' and through employing more than one 'caretaker'/site manager they have shift systems set up so it could be covered. If this is not possible I do know of examples where a school has let a named club member become a key holder just for the pitches/pitch area.

Winning Contribution to School Sports Award at Wigan Sports Awards last year

Wolves away, Easter Monday 2003 I think, when we scored late on to win 2-1. We were sat right at front and at the end they all shouted they'd be waiting outside!! They weren't wrong as they spat at the fella in front of me in his face, as he was wiping it away he got butted!! Four of 'em cornered me and discussed whether I was the 'dickhead at the front'. Just blagged it saying that I was waiting for 'the missus and the little un, they'll be here in a minute'. Anyway somehow I managed to convince them and on my way I went, minus me dad and the others. Just kept my head down and was really worried about where my dad was........until I saw him leading the conga coming across Asda car park with the others, all wearing party hats, balloons and streamers!!!! That was the first time we booked our own coach and I think it got ruined on the way home! How ABC let us book with them again I'll never know! Same year WBA away, sat tea time KO. Four of us went, I drove. All through the game we were abusing their lots something royal. At the end of the match, it seemed like every Bolton fan got on a coach, which were parked directly outside the turnstile - we were the only ones left and we had to walk across the bloody motorway roundabout!!! Great! The other two lads went on ahead and were pissing about crossing the road back and forth and it was then that I clocked we were being followed. I said to Newquay white that 'if that lad crosses road again, when Si does, then we need to get ready to run/fight'. He did cross the road and suddenly it all kicked off! There were loads of them and so we gave it the legs, but as we ran down the street people had been waiting at bus shelters, hid in bushes and they all jumped out on us with bats and bottles. Newquay was crouched down in passenger seat asking where they were.....as one of em walked past my door with bat in hand!!! Think we kept the car doors locked until the M6 (coz we're well 'ard from Athy)

Evening all, Would like some advice please. I've seen many posts like this before and so thought I would involve some of the BWFC community in helping me to solve this issue. We have just had an extension to the house and today the new TV has arrived - Samsung Smart TV! We have SKY in the living room and I am thinking about multiroom?? I rang today and did the usual, I'm thinking of leaving etc and the best I got was free box and installation! (Must admit, am not the best at trying to blag things!!) The SKY guy even suggested apple TV? Because it is a SMART TV, can I not watch Sky Sports via the internet?? I am favouring the multi room option and so my final questions are - if you wish to get the very best deal from SKY, do you threaten to cancel (select the cancel option, which I didn't today, I selected upgrade) and then try your luck with this person. What should I push for (6 months free multi room, HD etc)? I would hate to say I am cancelling and the guy say, ok see you later pal!! Any advice gratefully received, Thanks

I hope it is not 'me plus 12'. I only got 12 tickets!!!!

They have been emailing schools for the game at LSV (Cook Island v Tonga), tickets going for half price. They are also have a tag rugby competition for schools at Leigh East during the afternoon and there is one on the pitch at half time.

Leigh, Wigan and the final

Over the last 10 years I have experienced OFSTED 4 times, at every level - teacher, deputy and more recently head. As head, I got all the staff together and told them to go home and chill out - 'we'd be fine!!!' Luckily we were!! Some stayed longer because they knew so much rested on the judgement that the school received, I did work 'longer hours' as i knew that they would want to see stuff that i simply hadn't updated as a result of recent assessment data etc etc. You receive a phone call just after 12pm the day before and you spend an hour on the phone where they tell you what documents they want to see and what they want you to send to them prior to their arrival at 8am the next day. They base all this on the data from the previous year, which is released to schools in Nov/Dec. so if you do not have what they want ready then you need to spend time getting it ready, for the next day. A good starter for me was that the lead inspector was a Bolton fan and so her eyes lit up when she saw the signed shirt in my office!! (Don't think this affected the judgment!?!) The inspectors come in with a judgement in mind (based on the data). It is then up to the school, in many cases, to 'persuade' the inspectors that they are better than the data suggests. Don't get me wrong, I am not moaning, I do cringe when I see images/read reports about teachers striking etc - think, as teachers we all have to accept that the cuts are affecting us all and that we will all have to work until we're 87!! Get over it, put some energy into doing your job, you might find you like it!!!

I'm pretty sure it is Darron Gibson, when he went to Everton from Utd.

Suits from Next are decent and I'm pretty sure the sale is starting this Saturday - if it is, go early (6am) have your size for jackets and trousers ready as they don't have fittings rooms open