It's all a bit poor!

Spot the extra cost

2012-01-17T21:54:00.000Z

When does a tyre need inflating? When the pressure is low.

Not according to ATS. My wife went to the local depot to have a puncture repaired although it turned out that they had to replace the tyre; I don't have a problem with that and I had given her a guide price of £50.00.

They do their blasted Vehicle Health Check to see if they can screw you for any more dosh. Here are some results.

As you can see the Before and After pressure of all 4 tyres (even the one with the puncture!) was 28. Why then was Mrs TS charged for the Nitrogen inflation of four tyres?

Oh yes and what about the charge of £32.99 for wheel alignment? As they always do, they offered to check her alignment for free. Guess what! It was out and needed resetting. I had told Mrs TS that they would try to sell her other goods and services but she is inexperienced in these matters and allowed the work.

Grand total for a nail in a tyre including VAT = £96.94. F*@k me!

I have emailed to complain. I will let you know the outcome.

Don't be caught out

2012-01-10T18:43:00.005Z

[Slightly edited following a valid comment]

I was idly checking an invoice last night (as you do). I found an error, mind it was only 2p - I thought. I sent off a quick email saying I wasn't going to quibble but, in the 21st century they ought to be able to get their software to add up the figures correctly. (The sub total is wrong)

On closer examination today (following their reply) I also notice that the right hand price column is wrong so the sub total is 4p out.

The reason given by the company is:

Thank you for your email. This is due to the prices having extra decimal places which aren't shown on the invoice and so some are rounded up by a penny.

I think that is silly but, even so, the mathematics on the page ought to be correct.

The correct figures (I hope)

Avoid this company. Am I allowed to say that?

Should I report them - but to whom? My local Trading Standards?

Lowering standards

2012-01-10T00:16:00.001Z

Over at an educational forum I visit now and again, a poster as asked for song suggestions; the only wants those which have a good chorus. One reply has suggested "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz, so I went to Youtube and had a listen and was able to see the lyrics too.

Dear God, what are we teaching children these days about quality music, not to mention spelling and melodic content?

Mission Impossible

2012-01-03T17:36:00.000Z

My daughter and I went to see Mission Impossible - Ghost protocol this afternoon. With my Odeon Premiere club Card points the 2 of us got in for under a fiver! I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I like when all the baddies get their comeuppance. Just the right mix of action, gadgets, complete absurdity and good casting (of the IMF team) particularly the delicious Paula Patton as Jane Carter.

Well worth going to see.

Electrics

2011-12-29T15:05:00.002Z

Meanwhile, over at Tenon's Projects...

Software blues on XP machine

2011-12-26T19:09:00.004Z

I have been uploading sight-singing videos to Youtube. I have been using Windows Movie Maker to jazz them up a bit.

During the last few days I decided to try some screen video capture software but it didn't work as well as I wanted. I had, some time ago, installed a trial copy of Debut from NCH and the trial was up so I paid to register it. I captured the screen video with no bother [although I am still in email contact with them about the issues regarding recording the sound at the same time]. As my trial had been up I'd downloaded the software onto my Windows 7 laptop to give it another go before I paid for it on my XP machine, although it reckoned my laptop is so slow it set the software to 1 frame per second!

The above image is a screen shot of moving green line I wanted to show in my tutorial. I was quite pleased with the results so I went ahead and imported it into Windows Movie Maker (WMM). Unfortunately the result was squashed. For some bizarre reason I cannot take a screen shot of the squashed image - Gadwin Print Screen and Windows Media Player do not get on (I've tried others too)

After MUCH - and I do mean MUCH - investigation of Debut, trying all the codecs, setting and what have you, I decided the problem was in WMM. I Googled and found a place where I could download another copy; I did check which version I had and the one I downloaded said it was newer and it was for XP.

Well it did install but I do wish I hadn't done it. Nevertheless I started to use NCH's Video Pad Editor which will run 'free' with some restrictions and I completed the video.

During all this I tried out a piece of software from BSR. It was slightly more expensive but very simple to use. It come with 2 other programs which allow some video editing.

My video is here -at least it is for the moment - the quality seems to have suffered between me and Youtube.* Don't feel you have to watch. The moving bit is at 1.57 or so. [The width is wrong on here but OK on Youtube]

*PS I looked at it on my laptop and it is as fine as it is going to be. I think my PC - having been on all day - needed a reboot.

Old computer parts

2011-12-24T09:37:00.000Z

This is what you do with them:

School photo

2011-12-21T10:18:00.002Z

Over at Bloggertropolis, Steve has put up a picture on which he does not appear. Here is one on which I do appear but I am not front row, 3rd from the right in case you wondered. (Sorry Mike). I didn't scan this photo, I found it on Friends reunited!

Nice try

2011-12-21T10:10:00.002Z

This appeared in my Yahoo spam box. I wonder how many people they caught out.

Decisions

2011-12-20T20:58:00.000Z

Freegle again!

Daughter #1 - who is now reading for a PhD - replaced her laptop in the summer as it had had 4 years of hammer. Well, I replaced it for her as she was rather penniless at the time and I asked if could have the old one. I thought I had a use for it but it boots up very slowly despite my having removed all the software I could see, cleaned the HDD and run Temp Cleaner, CCleaner, generally defragged and burnt incense over it.

I offered it on Freegle because I am such an altruistic guy. I ended my advert with "Please form an orderly e-mail queue" and I duly had about 60 replies. This caused a problem. Who would win the item?

I decided to rule out anybody who had replied within an hour of seeing the advert as some people stay on the site all day looking for goods to resell (I reckon) and, if they could do that they jolly well do not need another laptop.

Next I decided to rule out all those people whose messages ended "Sent from my Blackberry". I cannot afford a bloody Blackberry so they are too well heeled.

Also removed from the list were parents who wanted it for a child younger than 9 - what's wrong with Monopoly for Christmas?

I had several parents, brothers and aunts after it for a family member who was about to start A levels or GCSEs. Hang on! It's December. 'A' level and GCSE courses begin in September. Porky pies?

Out went careless people - I've trodden on my son's laptop and cannot afford to get it replaced.

I finally picked a lady who said she did not have a laptop unless she went on the bus to Corby (some 14 miles away) to use her mother's. Sadly, all my e-mails bounced back so her settings are clearly wrong.

I then decided to select somebody who had not told me a sob story, did not want it for somebody else and and who had replied quite late (suggesting that they access the Internet in a library or friend's house). Long story short, she has not got back in touch after saying she would phone me 'tomorrow', in an email timed at 00:27 on Monday; that's Sunday to me (just before bed time for some) and it is now Tuesday evening.

I have picked somebody else.

I wish I hadn't started. The responsibility is too great.

Bank Genie Pro

2011-12-18T15:17:00.003Z

Some time ago I decided my copy of Quicken was not running correctly and I discovered that there is not much support for the software. Well it did come with my first PC and the only upgrade I've had was when they sent the Year 2000 Solution.

I have now been running Bank Genie Pro for a couple of months although it isn't as colourful and I am still getting used to it. However, I have been able to reconcile all my statements which is more than I could do in Quicken of late. I also managed to export data from Quicken and Import to BGP to set it all up.

The developer is only an email away and he has helped me address a few issues whilst I have reported some minor bugs.

If you need such software I can recommend it.

Christmas Competition

2011-12-17T12:06:00.002Z

Tenon is now on holiday. Last Tuesday we had our Carol Service and for 2 weeks before that we were all struggling to write our reports and upload them to the school system from whence they are generated into printable files which the Head then reads. We used to have to print our reports onto paper by writing them in a Word template. We would hand them back to colleagues for correction if we found mistakes. These days we can go in and edit small errors made by colleagues (typos and so on) but subject terminology has to be checked with the teacher concerned.

The office staff stay on after the end of term to produce the reports and post them out to parents; the Head proof reads EVERY report and then writes his own.

Now, I admit that when I write reports I use my friends CTRL-C and CTRL-V if a phrase is needed again. If one make an error this is duplicated! I had an email yesterday from the secretary saying that a report had been sent back to her and could I explain what I meant. I checked all the reports for that class and found ten which had the same typo. How many of my colleagues had actually read my report on the children in question, let alone understood what I was saying or thought to question it? NONE.

COMPETITION

Find the mistake in the following report.

This term we have been exploring the way composers use texture. In one session pupils composed a melody against a drone note. John's piece was very dissonant because his melody was in one key whilst his drone note (when it eventually appeared) was totally foreign to the key. In a group composition task pupils had to compose and produce the score of a piece which had three stands of sound, with a single rhythm to each part. Given that he and his colleagues only wrote five bars and included another three bars of rest in the middle of the piece I have to say this was disappointing especially as only two bars used more than a single strand of sound. John obtained 64% in a recent listening test about texture. He needs to absorb musical vocabulary when he encounters it and to avoid errors such as failing to circle one of four options in a multiple choice question.

Sorry, there is not a prize but I should like to know how this was not picked up until it reached the Head.

Reports

2011-12-03T12:51:00.001Z

It is school report season.

"Peter has had some issues with grammar concepts..." I have read from both the English and French departments.

It struck me that they should have put 'grammatical concepts' but when I Googled it there were plenty of hits for their version. Am I just old-fashioned?

I cannot afford it

2011-12-02T20:50:00.001Z

I cannot afford my union fee.

I hope it is a typo!

Cloud 9

2011-12-01T21:52:00.001Z

I am very busy at the moment and absolutely exhausted (more later).

To get an email from the Head saying "Thanks for sorting all that out...You are a star..." doesn't half help.

Are you there, David?

2011-11-26T09:44:00.004Z

I know David reads my blog, and what a fountain of [computer] wisdom he is. Perhaps Kelloggsville could also have some input as she is IT savvy.

So there I was at school on Tuesday using my laptop to order stuff from Ebay such as clarinet reeds, check my personal mail (in my own time) and so on. OK, too, Wednesday morning.

Come the afternoon and I could surf the web but I could not access any sites which needed me to log on if they had https:// - This one was OK because it doesn't have the 's' although I do need to log in.

It meant all my school work was not going to Dropbox even though the proxy server settings are correct - Poo! I had to take my laptop home, boot it up at home and let Dropbox update before turning on my desktop (I do not really like typing on a laptop) and for my AV to update it seems too.

Anyway, at school I did everything I could. I cleaned the Temp files, checked Tools/Option/Advanced/SSL and Googled the issue. The Head of IT was no help. When I questioned if the fact the our network clock is 30 minutes slow he just said "It's quite hard to change, I must get onto Bloxx to see if they can do it. Every school where I have worked has had a network clock which was wrong!"

So today, after more surfing, I have found this page with a Fix it which I have run.

Fingers crossed; I'll check it on Monday.

Any comments David? Why would Windows 7 suddenly stop allowing me to log in? I am the only Windows 7 user at school; all the rest are on Vista or XP. I even upgraded to IE9 to see if it would help. Some sites now run more slowly unless I click on Compatibility View.

I wrote this page on my laptop but, for some reason, there were saving problems; I took the precaution of saving the text locally and have now come onto my desktop to complete the job.

The only major change to my laptop in the last 2 weeks has been to install iTunes which I don't use, but I need it to get some music onto a netbook which didn't have a CD drive.

Don't you just hate computers?

Memories

2011-11-06T20:25:00.000Z

Over at Kate Takes 5 there is a list of men she used to fancy (OK have a crush on). It seems to be for ladies only so I will start one for blokes.

I have long had a soft spot for Sue Lawley although she had aged somewhat; but who am I to talk?

More years ago than I care to remember I instinctively knew that Elizabeth Montgomery was very attractive. I am devastated to discover that she died at the age of 62. Oh how I loved Bewitched.

A little later in my life I quite fancied Elaine Paige

A recent TV crush is for Amanda Tapping who plays Samantha Carter on Stargate SG1.

Stating the obvious

2011-11-05T10:14:00.000Z

Pink chicken

2011-11-03T22:19:00.000Z

Would you eat pink chicken? I mean roast chicken which looks pink? We were presented with this at lunch today at school. I queried it and was told by one cook that it had been probed and checked as being up to 86 degrees. (They cook chicken portions and then slice them.)

Now I accept that the meat was only pink on the outside but it just didn't look nice.

Later, the main chef told me that he had cooked the bacon for breakfast in trays and left the fat in the tray to flavour the chicken. The bacon colour had impregnated the meat.

Our chef is very good, but this was a step too far for me.

Pink chicken - no thanks.

More blood

2011-10-24T16:59:00.001+01:00

I phoned the blood service last week to see if my recent operation excludes me from giving blood. It does, until January 2012.

Imagine my surprise to be phoned today and asked to make an appointment. I was not best pleased; surely these people have computers and the computers tell the workers the correct information!

I have made a complaint (because I am a very petty, small minded person) and expect these people to be more efficient in future.

Sad Music

2011-10-23T23:24:00.002+01:00

I've been a bit low today so I thought I'd indulge myself.

Have just listened to "Goodbye to Love" (Carpenters) and the 3rd movement of Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto.

I'm currently on "All by myself" (Eric Carmen) although I quite enjoy Celine Dion version (on now).

Next will be "Nobody does it better" (Carly Simon)

I may finish with "Ain't it a kick in the head".

Finally, sorry to Julie who I may have upset with a comment to this post. I wasn't serious.

New Blogs

2011-10-23T22:44:00.000+01:00

Don't take this the wrong way. I am a little bored. I log into Google Reader and see your new posts; I even comment on a few. But I new new stimulation.

I have therefore been hitting the 'Next Blog' button in blogger to see what is out there. It didn't really work because if, say you arrive at a blog about knitting, then the next, next blog is also knitting related; and the next; and the next. Eventually you find a new theme. However, many blogs have not been updated in a while.

So I tried another method. I went to blogs I already (ahem!) 'read' and looked in the side bars. I have added a few blogs to Google Reader, just to see how I go. They are:

Mewells

Computerhelpzone

Swanage Bellringing

Please, send me your recommendations for a good blog. Posts need to be not too long, and funny is good. Though provoking, something I feel I can comment on (see my About me - that will narrow it down).

Above all, keep entertaining me yourselves!

Half Term

2011-10-20T08:08:00.000+01:00

We broke up yesterday but I am going into school today to rehearse with the band for the school show. On Friday I have to go in again to let the piano tuner in so I will tidy up. I thought both my readers would enjoy this.

PC fixed

2011-10-03T12:25:00.000+01:00

My man came (who I trust greatly) and ran a few tests as the system started up with no graphics problems.

When I bought this machine 2 years ago he put the old HDD in so he could move the data to the new HDD and left it in as a spare (there were good reasons for this). However, today he disconnected the old HDD and reseated the RAM. All seems well; phew! Seems quicker too.

Poorly PC

2011-09-28T21:53:00.000+01:00

Methinks this is not good. It's a shot of my PC desktop I managed to send to my laptop (and to the guy who fixes my PC) having watched a youtube video linked to from a blog I follow (not blaming you David!)

Too much information?

2011-09-22T18:16:00.000+01:00

I had an operation yesterday so I am not going to be at work for a few days. Nobody at school knows my secret, except the Headmaster who I told in confidence, so do I want the world to know? I said I'd be back at work on Monday; I have no idea where I got that from. The blurb I have read says 7 to 10 days so I could go back on Thursday i.e. next week. The surgeon said 7 days or if I felt like it.

I wondered if I ought to say what I have had done - is that too personal for a blog? Will it scare readers away? It's mentioned in the Bible several times so it can't be all that bad. Telling both my readers about my moustache upset one of you [did I say I was shaved off by the end of the year?], so goodness knows what TMI about the 'op' would do.

Part of me thinks "Hush there boy; some things are best left to the imagination, or not even that".

Another part of me thinks it could help other people who have the same condition (it was not leprosy by the way). I suppose the danger is that once I start I may be tempted to give you updates; after all this is only the second day of healing - things could still go pear-shaped. 'Banana shaped' might be expected but pear shaped, no.

I am on strong antibiotics. A kind doctor (representing the surgeon) came to my room to bring them, stating that one is usually dosed up with medication in theatre but Mr. K wanted me to have 5 days worth of these pills. Mrs TS has gone to buy pro-biotic yoghurt as the pills kill off..... No, No it's getting disgusting.

There will have to be life-style changes; even those could be too much for you.

In closing I want to share that it is a real pain setting cover work for my subject. Maths have it easy; if you are away you set sums, drawing shapes and so on. I can set simple theory, drawing instruments, writing about composers but it ain't the same as doing practical work.

NHS Summary Care Records

2011-09-02T12:59:00.001+01:00

Three of the Saw household had a letter from the NHS today. (Daughter #1 is probably registered at university).

Summary Care Records are being introduced and one can opt in (by doing nothing) or opt out by sending back the reply.

Now the population of this county was 683,000 in 2009. No matter what size family people live in let's assume that each person over 16 receives a letter, so that's about 553,000 letters. I'll be generous and work on a figure of 500,000 letters. If a second class stamp costs 36p, then the cost of the exercise was:

£180,000 of which the Saw family cost £1.08.

This does not take into account those who opt out and decide to post their response back again. Nor have I included the cost of the paper.

Multiply this nationwide and you can see why the country and NHS is in a mess.

I estimate the cost (using 2009 figures) as £14,664,240 in England alone.

More from Eon

2011-09-02T10:30:00.001+01:00

I was called today by a more senior chap from Eon who listened to my concerns. Direct Debit is going down to £78 (from £86) and he has ordered me a free energy monitor.

He also said that it is possible to change one's direct debit online if one builds up credit; I didn't know that.

He agreed that his staff need a degree of retraining.

Laptop

2011-09-01T17:46:00.003+01:00

My laptop's hard drive has died. £40 for a new 250GB drive and £100 to reinstall Windows 7 including labour.

Dang!

Everything is backed up on Dropbox.

Man from EON he speak with forked tongue

2011-08-23T22:10:00.001+01:00

After my phone call to Eon yesterday I received an automated email saying my statement was ready. I had actually read the meter and provided these readings via their website which I was going to do anyway.

I opened the PDF and found that "We would like to increase your Direct Debit to £86", not the £76 I had expected. At first I thought this was because the PDF was automatically generated. However it had on it the fact that I was on the new tariff.

Today I phoned EON to check on this but I spoke to a particularly obnoxious little git so I asked for the matter to be treated as a complaint. Yet again (I've blogged this before) the call centre person (and in the UK too!) could not believe a customer wanted to insist and have something checked; did I not believe that he had his eye on the company crystal ball and knew everything? Not a word of "Sorry for the confusion" but, instead, "Gavin (who I spoke to yesterday) is not at this call center" as if to say that I ought to realise that EON have more than one call centre.

Little turd - I am very cross about this as you can tell and I feel a letter coming on. Well Graham Bartlett, I hope you are bracing yourself.

iPhones

2011-08-23T10:36:00.000+01:00

I have no idea about iPhones except that they annoy me.

I have spent ages planning timetables for visiting music staff and I have emailed out PDFs. One member of staff is not happy but it seems the point of an iPhone is to be able to use Twitter. I assume this because her messages are as brief as Tweets and I feel as if I am growing feathers.

To do my job properly I need information; I do not need a 'comment', tweet, soundbite or what have you.

Is it not possible to send long e-mails on iPhones? I guess it is quite hard to view a document designed on a 15inch screen for printing out on A4 paper. Do these people not have a computer at home? Must they do everything on the hoof?

I am frustrated.

Energy

2011-08-22T10:28:00.000+01:00

Energy prices are soaring!

I have spent the morning entering the costs of various plans into a spreadsheet to see which works out best (if you'd like a copy of the Excel file send me an email - see About me).

So it's onto E.ON Save Online9 for us at a cost of some £70-£80 quid a month.

Where are those candles?

My To do list (2)

2011-08-22T08:36:00.001+01:00

Based on the previous post, this stands as follows:

Rebuild the garden wall - nearly done after 5 full days [not consecutive] on the patio and wall combined
Grade 3 clarinet practice - going steadily.
Grade 8 piano practice - going steadily.
Plan lessons and cover until half term. DONE!
Peripatetic teacher timetables DONE!
Plan the carol service DONE!
Sort out the band for the school play - In hand (sort of, sort of!)
Do a little bit of family history which I have not touched this holiday. - Not attempted
Revise the plans for carpentry at school - Not attempted
Get the car serviced - Not attempted
Finish reading Steve's book which he emailed me - I'm still only 1/8 of the way in.
Continue my series of Youtube videos on music theory. Not attempted

I cannot decide

2011-08-11T21:44:00.001+01:00

I have been watching Sally Morgan on television; or Psychic Sally as she is known. There are a couple of people on the other side from whom I might like a message but such communication is frowned upon in the church. She books up fast and there are not many places I can easily get to. There is another medium coming to Kettering and I have a mate who will go with me but should I go or not? I realise it is all hocus pocus - very clever hocus pocus - but on the other hand there could be something in it.

Today I have been working on the patio wall. Whenever I do DIY I feel close to my late father and chat to him, more by way of anticipating him saying what a stupid ass I am when I make a mistake; I like to get in first! I was using his tools (and I can tell you that a lump hammer gives you a good workout) and I had to clean up some old bricks then chop a few in half before I was ready to start cementing.

I knew I need a line to stretch across the courses, having found the level. I could picture Dad's line [which I don't have] and I knew I had uncle Stanley's wind up one. Blowed if I could find it. Had I disposed of it?

I felt the urge to have another look in the large tool box; there it was.

Now I have a history of using cement and my uncle was the one who advised me to soak the bricks in water first so they do not absorb too much water from the cement. Today I just felt Dad and my uncle were watching me work and I had a good laugh with them when things did not go according to plan. I also made sure I washed Dad's tools after work - just in case!

Plural

2011-08-10T08:03:00.003+01:00

I happened to go here.

I just wonder what the country is coming to when I see -

Seen on the link above

To me 'cannon' is already plural but - upon research - I find I am no longer correct.

EDIT

I rest my case:

(Thanks Wikipedia)

My To do list

2011-08-09T11:46:00.003+01:00

Regular readers will know that I sometimes make a 'To do' list. Having completed the patio my list now stands as follows.

Rebuild the garden wall
Grade 3 clarinet practice
Grade 8 piano practice (I passed this many years ago but I feel I should brush up, given that I have to teach to that level next term, having been an organist for the last 30 years - my school usually only gets boys to Grade 4 [before they leave at age 13] but a lad is coming to us who has had a head start!)
Plan lessons and cover (as I have a small operation in September) until half term.
Peripatetic teacher timetables
Plan the carol service
Sort out the band for the school play
Do a little bit of family history which I have not touched this holiday
Revise the plans for carpentry at school (which I 'teach', though not as a lesson)
Get the car serviced
Finish reading Steve's book which he emailed m
Continue my series of Youtube videos on music theory

There may be more.

Yahoo

2011-08-07T22:50:00.000+01:00

This is a portion of the sight which I see every time I go to the Yahoo webmail log-in page.

What would be more useful is some kind of explanation as to why I cannot log into my mail. Perhaps an estimated time that it will take to fix. I see from downrightnow that this has been going on for a while.

I am annoyed. I noe use Yahoo almost exclusively having given up on Outlook and Outlook Express so that I can get my mail on my laptop or elsewhere, should I need to.

Grrrr!

The Patio

2011-08-05T21:58:00.001+01:00

Details over here.

Me and a horse

2011-08-05T00:18:00.001+01:00

Over at Daydreamer, Ray has put up a photo of herself. I felt I should do the same by way of moral support.

So here is a snap of myself taken at Acton Scott Working Farm which I mentioned in a recent post. I took this with the time feature on my digital camera. The horse is made of metal in case you were wondering.

Going Home

2011-07-30T18:55:00.000+01:00

After breakfast I drove into Hereford and met up with the choir I used to conduct. I had intended to hear them sing at Evensong but it would have meant hanging around until 5.30 and then driving 133 miles home. I had a quick look around the cathedral (having sat in on their rehearsal for a while) and noted the changes since I last went there. I met up with folk I knew at coffee time and then came home.

I have tweaked a couple of short videos I made and uploaded them.

Holiday post 4 - Thursday and Friday

2011-07-29T23:09:00.003+01:00

I was too tired yesterday to blog and today will probably be brief.

Thursday 28th July

I spent the day on the Severn Valley Railway having driven down to Kidderminster from near Crewe where I had spent 2 nights. I got a full ticket and stopped off at Highly where there is an engine shed - not that I know much about trains and I certainly do not have an anorak. I caught the train on to Bridgnorth and went up the cliff railway. I walked round the town making for the museum and the church, except that St. Leonard's is redundant.

I then walked to St Mary Magdalene where I made a stunning discovery. The organ there was the one I had played a couple of times when I was organ scholar in Bristol as a student. I had had lessons at Clifton College with David Pettitt although he taught me on the 4 manual Harrison once it had been rebuilt. How this Willis found its way to Bridgnorth is explained here.

Friday 29th July

Acton Scott Working Farm

Then an hour in Church Stretton and back to Craven Arms to see Land of Lost Content. Next I went to Stokesay Castle but decided only to go into the church. Finally I drove to the Park and Ride at Ludlow and hopped on a bus to the town spending an hour in the church and town. Having found my B&B I had a meal and went bell ringing at Lugwardine.

Then I came back and wrote this blog. I think I have done a lot today!

Holiday post 3 - according to plan

2011-07-27T17:21:00.000+01:00

Today I started by visiting Market Drayton (and it was market day) and then went on to the main objective - to visit Hack Green Nuclear Bunker.

I stood and watch the DVD playing in the entrance as this was so interesting and then had a spot of lunch. The tour takes you round (or you take yourself) various underground rooms filled with cold war equipment; it all looks dated but then tecnology soon becomes obsolete - even my vinyl record player at home!

A banned BBC film (on show in a room and lasting 45 minutes) reveals much of what the government had decided about what would happen should Britain have been hit with a nuke. It was quite disturbing; I shall not try to sum it up here. I am actually working on my laptop which is perched on a bedside table, such is the basic nature of this B&B.

After all that I went to Whitchurch and then came back. Later I am off to Barthomley for a meal and to ring on the 8 there.

Holiday post 2 - more changes of plan

2011-07-26T23:56:00.000+01:00

The plan today was to drive from Wakefield to the Nantwich area. I reasoned that after 92 miles on the motorway I would appreciate an ice-cream bought at Snugbury's; it was not to be. To get there the sat-nav took me off the M6 at junction 18 but there was a hold up. I had noticed a sign to Jodrell Bank so I turned round and went there for a pleasant visit. [I cannot think of that place without the slang meaning - having a Jodrell].

After that I headed towards Congleton as I intended go bellringing in the evening; as was near I decided to check out the place. It's a pleasant market town. Then onwards to Nantwich to see the church and museum. No good trying to go on Wednesday as the place will be chock-a-block; it is the annual cheese show. Why did this not show up on Google when I was planning my visit?

I then headed for my B&B, checked my email and did a review of the previous establishment on Tripadvisor. I did return to Congleton and had a good ring as well as a jar or two (shandy) afterwards.

Holiday post 1 - not the day I intended

2011-07-25T17:19:00.002+01:00

Sunday 24th July

I drove to Wakefield and found my hotel.

Walked into the town (had a snack) then visited the cathedral and looked round. I returned later for Evensong sung by the choir of St. Giles, Pontefract. I was pleased to see they were using genuine copies of the canticles and anthem. Wood in D is not very familiar even though I have played it; I would not list it amongst the best settings. The anthem “Through the day” by Phillip Moore was new to me and a perfectly decent bit of writing although not entirely to my taste.

I came to Wakefield to hear the organ and I was not disappointed. The service was accompanied by Thomas Moore who knew the instrument intimately. He showed off most of it during the service and it has a huge dynamic range as well as plenty of interesting sounds. I was surprised (not having researched it beforehand) that it was a five manual console. I sat on the South side of the choir stalls from where one looks directly at the organist; there are few places where the console is in such an ideal position to accompany the choir. Tom’s improvisations were superb; he has a secure harmonic vocabulary and knows how to invent a piece in consistent style. At the end of the service he played the choir out with a fanfare-style piece which contained some really juicy chords and harmony I wish I could find when I improvise. His voluntary, “Sunshine Song” by Hollins, was entertaining without being excessive – a massive piece using full organ would not have been quite right on the occasion (we had heard nearly full organ in Cwm Rhondda).

The psalm singing was very passable although the sopranos did not always find their top E. There was a little flat singing here and there but the choir did a good job even though the sound was not inspiring.

The worst aspect of the visit was the fact that some guy was attempting to repair the lights on the choir stalls only minutes before the service; this was poor, especially when I had to move to allow him to carry on. He failed to repair them and I suspect that they will need to employ an electrician to trace the fault.

I did not go up to the tower to ring before the service. They rang 8, including a touch of Stedman before the service (at least the treble was dodging at the back for a long time, so I assume that’s what it was). They also rang some rounds on all 12.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Today (Monday) I have been to Selby (mainly to look at the Abbey), Tadcaster, Pontefract (home of Haribo but otherwise a dreadfully boring place) and Sandal Castle (a pile of ruins).

I then came back to the hotel to have a sleep as I had been woken by traffic at 6.30am. I am going ringing at Emley later on. (I now know what the huge mast is I saw from Sandal Castle)

As it happens I had planned to go to various places near Leeds (and indeed Leeds Parish Church itself). However, I found out this morning that most of the places I wanted to visit are closed on Mondays!

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/armleyMills/

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/abbeyHouse/

http://www.leeds.gov.uk/cityMuseum/

It's all a bit poor.

Fence

2011-07-21T23:04:00.000+01:00

This is the last photo I can take from my garden of the work in the field beyond; today they erected a wooden fence the other side of the chain link one.

The last few days

2011-07-19T23:43:00.002+01:00

I've been planning a few days away next week when Mrs TS gets back from her hols with Mother-in-law and daughters. I've been booking my accommodation and places to go.

I have also been working on two puzzles for a small magazine a friend of mine publishes for the local bell ringers. They do not come here so I can show you one of the puzzles. This took me about 45 minutes to do (only because I had fun using formulae in Excel to work it out - all those days with a Commodore 64 were not wasted as some Excel formulae are similar to the Basic I used to know.) The other puzzle is too complicated to post here, but it is a logic puzzle [probably not a very good one].

The ringers below have rung the number of peals shown. How many peals has Penny Wilson rung?

John Law    16
Peter Cox    25
Jo Bloggs    32
Sophie Coe    36
Eric Smith    256
Martin Marsh    1296
Christopher Kent    1331
Penny Wilson    ????

I've been cooking for myself and a slow-cooked stew has done me for three days.

Today I went to play piano duets and some clarinet pieces with a good friend of mine. She put me onto some videos a pupil of hers has put up. I share one below - enjoy!

Heard it before

2011-07-12T15:33:00.002+01:00

I do hate it when I complain and all I get is:

"Nobody has mentioned it before".

I went to a cafe for lunch today where I have been several times over the last 2 years; I love their baked potatoes with Coronation Chicken.

They have menus in A5 plastic pocket folders/booklet thingies. To be honest, the one on my tables was acting like a petri dish; it was disgusting.

The meal was fine but, when I went to pay, I took the offending article to the till and told them what I thought.

It was as if I had sprouted an extra head - total disbelief. Then she uttered the line above. My retort was "Just because nobody has said anything before doesn't mean I am wrong". I wish I had added that other people may not have SAID anything but may have made a mental note not to return.

Assuming she was correct and I was the first to say something, there has to be a first person at some stage. How long will she wait? Until 20 people have mentioned it?

Seven Links

2011-07-12T09:00:00.002+01:00

I have been mentioned on The Vernacular Curate as someone who 'says it like it is'. This is my response to the Seven Links Project.

To participate

A blogger must be nominated by another blogger.
He/she publishes their 7 links on their own blog. One link for each category.
He/she nominates up to five more bloggers to take part.

1. My most beautiful post (I found this very hard as I don't think of my blog as beautiful)

Given that the post reminds me of a lovely time spent with my daughter at a time when I was not happy, I have picked this one.

2. My most popular post

Quite a surprise too with 372 hits so far. See here.

3. My most controversial post

Actually this was a series of posts when I openly critical of the Student Loan system, but I did have to decide if I would actually post this one. (The series is here)

4. My most helpful post

Since I like people to sing hymns correctly I must cite this post although it could also go in the 'A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved' category.

5. A post whose success surprises me

My flippant comments about Organ Tuners has been visited 249 times often as the result of Google searches!

6. A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved

Wind Chimes are the invention of the Devil; they should be collected and publicly destroyed.

7. The post I am most proud of

No contest. Just to be able to announce this was fantastic.

5 bloggers I nominate are given below. I have not listed morecanterburytales as I suspect The Sag. has enough to do at the moment.

http://bloggertropolis.blogspot.com/

http://kelloggsville.blogspot.com/

http://www.lynnspace.com/blog/

http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/

http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/

Check your diaries

2011-07-11T17:39:00.000+01:00

Today has been -

National "Let's Annoy Tenon Saw Day": [I originally used a phrase in which one word rhymed with Kiss and another was the opposite of 'on']

Phone Call #1: From British Gas. I have all my energy from Eon now although we were with BG at Tenon Towers for many years. We still have a boiler care agreement with them.

[Scottish Voice, reading from script] I believe you had your boiler's annual service recently and I wondered if it was done to your satisfaction. (all this after various preliminaries about the call being recorded)

[Tenon] That's odd, somebody called a week ago and asked me to upgrade my boiler cover.

The conversation continued with me venting my spleen at this nob head who really didn't care, but admitted the query was only asked in passing. He wanted to sign me up to buy gas again. I told him where to go.

Phone Call #2: from Insure.

[Bloke in his 20's obviously reading a script] "I'm just checking that you received all your insurance paperwork and that you have checked it.

[Tenon] Yes I have. Is there a problem?

[Bloke] I noticed there were some options which you did not tick on the application so your whole family is not covered for legal protection.

[Tenon] Are you related to a guy who works for British Gas?

I told both these chaps that I was pleased the calls were being recorded and they they should play them back to the people who check them for quality. I also suggested that if this call wasted any more of my time I may not renew my policy with Insure next year. No apology but, "That's up to you Sir". Quite honestly, whilst that is true I can be swayed by being treated like a moron.

Noise

On the building site over the fence a bulldozer has been leveling the ground all day. The house has been shaking. When he reverses his machine goes bleep, bleep, bleep very loudly. He started work at 7.30am

I am chagrined.

A better day

2011-07-08T22:37:00.001+01:00

The concert went OK; a piano teacher friend of mine came and turned pages.

Curiously, since 3pm today I can get my teeth together again.

Work has started

2011-07-07T21:49:00.001+01:00

The work of which I wrote has begun today. I awoke thinking I had heard several trains go by only to discover that it was a bulldozer. Now, although I did not go to school today (as I had a hospital appointment) I was not up very late so these people must rise with the lark!

TMD

2011-07-07T11:39:00.000+01:00

I have had a touch of TMD since Sunday and cannot bring my teeth together. I found that it is caued by stress. These are the causes of stress I have had this week, and recently.

School Choir Trip to Alton Towers. (Organisation, driving the minibus)
Had a hospital consultation recently and have a small operation booked for September.
Having to learn a load of music very quickly.
My daughter's graduation (30th) was an emotional day - I may blog about it if there is time.
Report writing.

Oh well, as a teacher I shall have plenty of holiday soon in which I shall, of course, do nothing!! (don't believe all you read on the internet)

W7 Service Pack 1

2011-07-03T00:17:00.002+01:00

Beware Windows 7 Service Pack 1 - it took ages to install.

Buzz

2011-07-02T14:21:00.004+01:00

I have a small bee in my bonnet. They arrive occasionally. We have a box of Mr Kipling's Mini Classics in our house. On the box it states:

Baked with Free Range Eggs.

Now, I do not know the recipe or quantities Mr. K uses in his factory. Let's assume he uses 5,000 eggs in a day. If only 3 of those are Free Range then he can genuinely claim that the cakes are baked with Free Range Eggs. He is not telling a lie.

So I went to his website and sent and e-mail to ask if they could honestly say the cakes were baked WITH ONLY Free Range Eggs. There is a difference.

EDIT - They replied quickly

Thank you for your suggestion regarding Mr Kipling cakes and the wording on our packaging. Its always good to receive feedback and we appreciate the time taken to contact us. We only use free range eggs in our cakes and have done so since November of last year.

We can confirm that your comments have now been forwarded on to our marketing department for their information.

I might have guessed

2011-07-01T21:12:00.003+01:00

After 22 years I had a phone call from somebody I knew in the area when I was organist at a particular church. They sing in a Ladies' choir and their pianist has let them down. Was I available on July 8th? Could I come to rehearse on July 4th? 'Yes' to the first 'Difficult' to the second. The phone call ended with me saying they could ring back if no other enquiries were fruitful.

The phone went again 30 minutes later and arrangements were made to bring round some music the next evening; the original pianist had the music in London and would return it - sometime.

As I guessed, the music (some 100 minutes worth) consisted entirely of photocopies in plastic wallets in a ring binder; not very legible photocopies at that. Some had the DO NOT PHOTOCOPY logo on them.

Well it isn't my business but it makes me sick. I appreciate music is expensive but photocopying is one reason why originals are expensive.

I have to work until 7.45pm and then drive 9 miles to their rehearsal on Monday. I will have spent the day at Alton Towers with my choir as their annual treat; I shall be tired. The Ladies' choir usually stops rehearsing at 8.30 but they will stay until 9pm to get about an hour with me. I had asked the conductress (whose phone number I was given, she didn't phone me!) to spend more time with me herself so at least she and I know that I will play the music how she wants. She has not leapt at this suggestion so it seems some items will be put together on the day in the concert as there is no warm-up at the venue.

The musicians amongst you will know all this is bizarre. You will also sympathise when I say there are cuts and repeats in some items which make it seem like playing spaghetti. You will say I am mad. I shall agree. However, it has flexed my musical brain and done me some good. I may let you know how it goes.

Reports

2011-06-27T09:50:00.002+01:00

It is report writing season. I try to be original but it is difficult. Gone are the days when an end of year report was a one-liner. I shall always be 'grateful' to my PE teacher at school for:

Content to attempt little, therefore achieves little.

To my shame I have used that about a few music pupils over the last 25 years but if I could write reports on the staff who took me for sport they might go as follows:

Mr. C assumes that Tenon knows the rules of the three main sports we play at Queen's School; rugby, hockey and cricket simply because most other pupils are content to play without a knowledge of the laws of the game; when they encounter an issue they behave as they see the heroes do on TV. To be honest, there is not a great deal of teaching in any sports lessons. Boys have to run when they are told, throw things about once a year (again assuming they have the skill) and tolerate the taunts of boys who are fitter and faster. A sport lesson can an humiliating experience and Mr. C has not given credit for the tenacity Tenon has shown. He might want to consider why Tenon often arrives with a note from his mother; has he considered that there is a genuine health issue? It is not acceptable for Mr. C to express his doubts to the pupil whilst not taking his suspicions any further in order to get at the truth. If Tenon is indeed swinging the lead, then Mr. C would do well to put his own house in order and realise that sport is for all but not all pupils are as able as others and need to be encouraged not down-trodden.

Well I could use stronger term!

Celebrations and Jubilations

2011-06-16T21:26:00.004+01:00

Daughter #1 has just phoned to say she has been awarded a FIRST in Natural Science by Cambridge. She got a first last year for her BA (Not BSc. as it's Cambridge) but stayed on to do an MSc; she felt she may not maintain the standard (anyone who knows her would think that unlikely)

PhD next I think!

It doesn't seem 5 minutes ago that she went.

They grow up so fast.

She has had a fantastic time as a Choral Scholar a Clare but will leave the choir at the end of this year. (She is on the left of the conductor, on the end of the row nearest him; there's a good view at 43:38.

When I was going to Bristol I was told they would be the best years of my life - and they were.

Can't help feeling proud, obviously.

Mains hum

2011-06-15T10:27:00.002+01:00

Just before I start, I have to say that I have just popped into my blog to make this comment but I feel that it is but trivia when compared to what I have just read on Kelloggsville.

I have never blogged from work before so I must be quick. I am in a room of quiet pupils just supervising. There is no talking at all, just pens on paper. I am annoyed at the mains hum assaulting my ears.

We have data projectors around the school but most staff leave the audio side switched on so the speakers hum. This annoys me as a waste of power too. I usually turn them off; in fact I am the phantom turner-off of mains sockets.

This room used to have a socket labeled "Do not turn off" by the Head as it controls some timing device to do with outside lighting. The label has gone. So now, as I do not remember which one it was, I dare not turn off any sockets.

Arghh! another 45 minutes of 'mmmmmmmm'.

Jobs

2011-06-01T20:56:00.002+01:00

As I am on half term I have:

Done my Tax Return (boring)

Made a video

Been bell-ringing

Made some shelves
Done lots of clarinet practice as well as composing a study.

Family History Research tomorrow.

Cor Blimey

2011-05-30T22:52:00.002+01:00

When we watched the recent Royal Wedding at school (yes, term had started) my enjoyment of Parry's "I was glad" was rather spoilt by the female members of staff commenting on the clothing and hats of the ladies they saw on screen.

I was lucky enough to hear the piece in Clare College with additional voices. Some call this bombastic music but it makes me feel nostalgic for my days as a chorister. I came across this video today which is a ratther good performance [hence the title of the post] and includes the "Vivats".

Enjoy (Steve, it's a bit long I shall not be offended if you don't listen!)

Impressive

2011-05-30T14:22:00.000+01:00

It is amazing what the human body can be trained to do. Fast notes from Simon Gledhill and a pure trumpet sound from Alison Balsom. (Crumpet with a trumpet)

Both of these are a feast for the eyes in their own ways!

Disappointment

2011-05-27T22:07:00.002+01:00

I thought I liked Bill Bailey, and I have just watched 'Have I Got News For You' on which he was his normal self. I also enjoyed his Guide to the Orchestra some time ago.

Yesterday I gave myself an evening off. For Christmas (2010) I had asked for a Bill Bailey DVD and was given "Dandelion Mind" so I grabbed the chance to watch it as there was nothing anybody else wanted to see.

I was disappointed. I did not laugh once. In fact I had to skip over some offensive bits about religion. I shall put my copy on EBay or something today; I shall not watch it again.

On the other hand I received one of the funniest emails I have ever read today. It was some quick fire jokes which had me screaming out loud with mirth. A few examples:

WARNING if you like things to be 'PC' DO NOT read on.

A man calls 999 and says "I think my wife is dead." The operator says how do you know? He says "The sex is the same but the ironing is building up!"

I was in bed with a blind girl last night and she said that I had the biggest p*nis she had ever laid her hands on. I said, "You're pulling my leg".

What's the difference between Iron Man and Iron Woman? One's a superhero and the other is an instruction.

Well, a sense of humour is a personal thing.

It's a mad (cotton wool encased) world

2011-05-01T22:59:00.001+01:00

I have downloaded a scheme of work for a Year 7 class in music - just for interest as I have my own scheme.

The writer has included a section in each plan on Health and Safety. No doubt this will impress 'men in suits' but I could not believe what I read! Judge for yourself.

Ensure correct posture for echo-clapping. (Is clapping dangeous - will the school be sued?)

It is important that pupils do not force their voices as to damage the vocal chords (note incorrect spelling 'cords') or to shout rather than sing. (So should we monitor pupils as they shout on the football pitch?)

The school uses Kodaly handsigns. Pupils need to be aware of using hand signs in a safe way using them vertically as pitch rises and not horizontally where there may be a risk of hitting another pupil.

Advice on the safe use of classroom instruments (yes xylophones can be deadly).
Correct use of beaters and techniques for instruments to ensure correct usage, which prevents accidents. (Deadly xylophones again)

Careful use of the bagpipe in terms of waist strap and to discourage over blowing of the instrument.

If a trumpet is used as part of the lesson, then pupils need to be careful not to over blow to avoid fainting. Careful instruction must be given to hold the trumpet correctly so not to trap any fingers in between the tubes.

Pupils can be asked to move to music whilst on their seats so any invitation to sway to the music must have limits stated to prevent silly behaviour causing accidents. (such as falling off your chair)

Pupils are also advised when making home made instruments to use any sharp implements in supervised company and to limit materials that do not cause damage to human tissue. (Why is making instruments even on a music syllabus - when I trained it was frowned on?)

Pupils need to enter and exit the room quietly and safely by slow movement and consideration for others when it comes to storing bags. Movement of pupils must be in small groups to eliminate any silliness or pushing that may occur.

What are we doing to society when we require this level of risk assessment?

500

2011-04-23T16:49:00.003+01:00

500 yay!

CLICK HERE for a celebration of 500!

499, Good Friday and Pea Soup

2011-04-22T18:22:00.003+01:00

I'm not sure what post 500 will be about (my recent holiday perhaps) but I'm going to begin with an invitation. I have Skype but have only used it to converse with one person. If you feel like a chat send me an email [see About Me] and we'll go from there. If you feel like meeting up in the flesh let me know too. (Steve?!)

I had to go shopping today. I didn't want to, luckily I'd done a little yesterday. You'll find the reason later.

Warning - Religious bit.

Given that it is Good Friday - the day when our Saviour died on the cross - I have to say I was disgusted with 21st century consumer society. Tesco was crowded (as it is for the other ~~sales opportunity~~ religious festival of the year: Christmas. Now, who am I to judge as I was there myself? I did feel the more sullied because of it. No, I haven't been to church this Holy Week and I didn't give anything up for Lent. I shall go to church on Sunday - probably. I'm not setting myself up over the rest of the population of Northamptonshire, but some folk had so much grub that their trolleys [not 'trollies' apparently] were actually overflowing.

Religion is not right for everyone but we all have a spiritual side and this offended mine, that's the point. It wouldn't have happened when I was a kid. Proof that I live in the past, the Good Old Days, whatever.

End of Religious bit.

Mrs TS (who is away with her mother) left me a list of what to buy and I meant to do it on Thursday. When I went to the freezer in our garage to double check items we needed - I found the door open. Nearly everything had to be thrown away. I kept some sausages which were still stiff, but the chips were soft and the ice-cream had melted [serves it right as this is what had prevented the door from closing properly - that and negligence on the part of Mrs TS]

I also kept a whole bag of peas, not to freeze again but to make pea soup. Here's my own recipe.

A large bag of frozen peas
6 leftover sticks of celery, cut up
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3/4 pint of water, hot if you have it.
1 teaspoon Marjoram
A few left over boiled potatoes (optional)
A small glass of sherry (well it was in the kitchen)
One (and one only) teaspoon of mint sauce - added at the end.
seasoning

Place all ingredients into a pressure cooker and bring to pressure for 10mins (while you wash up the tea things)

Reduce pressure, add the mint sauce and blitz (failing to find the liquidizer I used the hand blender.) Check seasoning.

Cool and freeze half, place other half in fridge for lunch over the next two days.

Pausing

2011-04-19T14:28:00.001+01:00

I am not feeling myself today. I've had a two bad nights. A bad dream (quite a stupid and bizarre example) about work made me wake up breathing very rapidly last night and, the previous night/morning I simply woke up at 4.30am to go to the bathroom and then I felt wide awake. [I had a cuppa and did go back to bed]

I was planning a trip for tomorrow to research family history in Lincolnshire and was going to take a friend along for the ride, but he would have to be back just after midday; in view of the day I'm having I shall need to work tomorrow - we teachers do plan lessons during the holidays, you know.

Today I am taking daughter #1 back to Cambridge [for long-standing readers of this blog, she is in her 4th year doing an MSci] and then I am popping to a pupil's house on the way back to check that a piece he needs to perform early into next term is ready, and fits with my accompaniment.

So it's one of those days when not much seems to be getting done and my head is saying 'SLEEP'!

I have done a repair - SEE HERE and I still plan to blog a little about my holiday in Dorset. When I have settled down a bit I will do so; I am all on edge.

In the meantime

2011-04-17T20:38:00.002+01:00

I've been on holiday so I will post something later. This will have to do for now - a short video I made.

Random Linkage

2011-04-05T09:32:00.001+01:00

Rock, Paper Scissors - I bet you can't have just one go.

Still working this one out.

Got a screw loose? Go HERE and find out.

Utterpants

Oatmeal

Watch the date

2011-04-01T09:29:00.002+01:00

I think I have just been caught out.

One of my other blogs

2011-03-26T20:42:00.002Z

The weather is getting a bit warmer. Here's what I did on Thursday.

Rubber

2011-03-19T17:54:00.002Z

Consider this photo:

The evidence

I ask you to forgive the fact that we have not cut our front lawn this year. The area of 'soil' you can see is the gap between the lawn and the house (sometimes we even have flowers there!).

Note, dear reader the red rubber bands discarded by our postman. I have mentioned this to the postman himself before now; indeed I should not be surprised to find I have blogged about it before. [Edit - I can't find that I have done]

I still think it is a poor show! I am minded to collect them up and post them to the Postmaster General.

Bad

2011-03-17T21:09:00.002Z

Apparently this song is viral.

Apart from the dreadul lyrics the 'tune' (for want of a better word) consists almost entirely of one note. If my failing perfect pitch is anything to go by, it's middle C and the hapless wench occasionally drops down to violin G for a bit of variety.

Why do young girls try to sing so low???? I blame Britney Spears.

Strung Out Sisters

2011-03-10T22:39:00.001Z

I took myself off to Market Harborough tonight to see the Strung Out Sisters. You can get a fair idea about their act from their website.

Unfortunately the theatre is right next to the church and there was a team of visiting bellringers holding a practice night from 7.30 to 9.00pm (the usual night is Monday). Still, it added a touch of humour to the evening.

I enjoy watching musicians with a good technique perform and the thought the cellist was particularly good possibly because she was the best lookng of the three...

Boo

2011-03-05T15:20:00.001Z

I have just (re)discovered [having forgotten] that I am on duty all day tomorrow at school.

Given that our pupils are able to entertain themselves perfectly well in their free time at boarding school this is going to be mind-numbingly boring.

What a difference a day makes

2011-03-01T21:24:00.002Z

OK so Half Term was a bit of a bore - but I did get a rest and felt ready to go back to work yesterday. I had a good day in the main. I didn't even get cross with Form 1 when they thought "turtle-doving" was a euphemism [in "That'll be the Day"] for 'Rumpy Pumpy' as they called it. I digress.

When I got home at 8.30pm (after taking carpentry which is an evening activity for the pupils) I was done in and not a little depressed. Why? I thought I was over this. Was I confusing exhaustion with depression? (Aside: I've just found THIS)

Well one trigger could be that fact that two colleagues and I wish to take one course of action but a more senior colleague - whilst pretending that the decision is in our hands - is steering us towards another path. I cannot cope mentally with this. Why have I bothered to explore a variety of alternative paths (in order to find one which 3 of us agree upon) only to find that the actual one we will take (most likely) was decided back in 2005 (when I thought it was just wishful thinking).

Poo!

Retail Therapy

2011-02-23T16:42:00.001Z

This half-term has been very boring; I seem to have been stuck in the house (except for taking cars to garages) because of the rain. I have done family history, slept, put some music on LULU to sell (as well as on my main website), cleaned the fridge out, played the clarinet, sorted my accounts and changed standing orders to various savings account - but I still feel as if I am working.

I felt I had to get out today so I visited Market Harborough, a place I quite like. I bought a bulb for the fridge, so we can see the food, but I really wanted to visit the music shop, the existence of which I have only just discovered after 5 years in a nearby school.

The town is also a haven for anyone who buys clothes from charity shops as there are about 4 - British Heart Foundation, Oxfam, Age Concern and Age Concern. I took in an old jacket and bought 3 neck ties.

Unfortunately for me, the real magnet of the town is Greenwoods especially when they are having a sale. I bought five shirts all of - let's say - loud colours; at £9 a throw [with my loyalty card] you can't go wrong and I recommend their shirts if you into wearing a shirt and collar as I do at work. Their website doesn't seem to show the colours I bought but the lady was putting out 'new' stock (at sale price) as I went in. Green, yellow (custard/mustard shade), red, dark purple, light purple shirts will be making their debut at school next week. I also bought a new V-neck pullover and 6 pocket handkerchiefs.

I do cut a dash you know.

Getting Old

2011-02-22T22:49:00.001Z

52 - old?

I went to the doctor today about my stiff fingers which I mentioned on my other blog back in October; when I wake up I cannot move the fingers of my right hand. They are no better after all these months.

I have also had difficulty getting up and down stairs for the last two weeks; as for climbing on desks to put up wall displays in my classroom - agony!

According to the nice lady doctor it is just to be expected at my time of life given that my father suffered from it for years and years. I am to go back if it starts to affect my life. Luckily, after 10 minutes and a quick plunge in hot water, I can move my fingers again, but I clearly ain't as young as I once was.

I have spent the day doing 2 things:

[1] Going to the garage to sort out types and the MOT (it failed yesterday on a tyre but the MOT is free if you take it back within 24 hours, all fixed). Then I had to arrange for my wife's starter motor to be looked at.

[2] I have been labelling and cataloguing scanned photos of my ancestors as part of my Family History Research. Sadly, the more one does on family history the more there is to do afterwards. It the reverse of a job which diminishes when you spend time on it; the more family members who appear the more there is to do.

My parents' first car

Have spent the evening looking at images of the quake in NZ and tutting to myself that "it's terrible" which,of course it is. All I can do is pray.

Cans

2011-02-21T08:10:00.000Z

Pop over to The Cathederal Choir and see an amazing video.

From my bedroom window

2011-02-20T13:22:00.001Z

This view is likely to change within the next few months as planning permission is almost certainly to be granted for some new houses in the field behind us.

What's going on?

2011-02-17T20:25:00.001Z

In Firefox, Google Reader looks like this:

Instead of like this:

It must be something to do with the various scans, clean ups etc. I have done today. I even had to upload a banner to my own website before Firefox would download it, although it was there all the time.

Weird.

Blood 5

2011-02-17T19:51:00.003Z

The man I spoke to last week phoned again today to say that he had spoken to 'Q' (I have been through my previous posts and removed all names) who was upset that I had been upset - as well she might be.

I feel I can draw a veil over this incident now and I will see what happens the next time.

2327

2011-02-16T23:31:00.000Z

Just off to bed; it is now 2327 and I've sent the last 71 minutes writing a letter of support to a colleague. At least, having been depressed, I can offer some insight into the situation this person described. This was such a cheery person that you would never have guessed anything was wrong. I suppose the clown always has to smile.

Big day tomorrow - I should get a phone call from the blood people at 3pm.

Blood 4

2011-02-11T18:14:00.002Z

As I said in my previous post I shall be hearing from the medical side of the NBS later. I received this reply from the customer services department today (from Person #1). I think this is rather good.

Thank you for speaking with my colleague Person #2.

I am writing to apologise again for our poor response to the concerns you have raised. We need to respond effectively when things don't go well, failing to reply within the promised timescale only makes things worse and I am sorry that this is what we have done in this case.

In reviewing the case I have identified several opportunities for improvement.

I'm afraid we haven't been able to find out what happened to your original letter, which the team forwarded on to my office. Person #2 and I have identified a more robust system for handling such situations, which includes checking receipt when any such document is sent.

When you emailed us on the 18th January we emailed you asking you to resend or call us with the details of the complaint. We sent this to your old email address, which we had on our system at the time [Note: even though I had phoned to update it] , rather than the current one which you emailed from. I have now updated our records with your current email address. I have also clarified with the team that we should always check that we contact people using the email addresses they use to contact us, and update old records.

We set our standard for response to complaints as five working days for the initial contact if not final resolution, and we have been improving our performance in this area. I apologise for our failure to meet this promise.

You emailed us on the evening of Friday 4th February rightly pointing out that 5 working days had passed. We should have escalated the matter at this point, and I have added this requirement to our procedures.

In answer to your question, I must admit that the young lady in my team with whom you spoke on Tuesday morning correctly took down the phone number and required time for contact that afternoon. She passed this message to me stressing the importance. Before the required call back time I conferred with Person #2 who confirmed that he had called and arranged to speak with you on Thursday. I should have identified that he would have called on your home number rather than the school number you had given us that morning, and therefore I still should have called that afternoon as required.

I hope that you found your conversation with Person #2 to be constructive, I know that he appreciated the opportunity to discuss how we might improve the donor experience. I thank you for raising your concerns with me too, even though you certainly shouldn't have had to, as they have highlighted areas where we need to be sharper.

I am happy to discuss these or any other points either via email or on the telephone.

Blood 3

2011-02-10T22:40:00.001Z

I had a phone call from the Area Manager today who will investigate the clinical issues. He only heard about it on Monday! Hence there will be a serious customer service investigation. They will phone me again in a week. I think they are VERY embarrassed about it all. So they should be.

Blood 2

2011-02-08T21:12:00.003Z

No contact from the blood people so I phoned customer services and said that I thought their treatment of my complaint was shoddy. The girl I spoke to took my details and a school phone number so that somebody senior could ring me between 3pm and 4pm when I am not on games.

No call.

At 4pm I phoned again and was put through to Person #1 who really knew he had messed up big time. He muttered something about Person #2 having already phoned me at 12.00. I said this was not the case and that I had given the school number and a convenient time. I said I would move onto the next stage in the complaints procedure (by contacting the Ombudsman) if I was not satisfied. I had a real go at him in a calm, collected but forceful manner, not least because I was in the staff room with colleagues about. Mind you, the Head of Maths told me to remind her never to fall out with me after the roasting I gave Person #1.

I phoned Mrs TS and she said that Person #2 had indeed phoned to fix up a call for Thursday (my half day). I look forward to that call but it is amazing how incompetent these people are given that I left specific instructions and contact details.

One wonders just how great the backlog of complaints is if mine has yet to receive attention. Worrying or what?

Blood

2011-02-04T22:34:00.004Z

On 8th January I gave blood and had cause to complain at the treatment I received. I have contacted the National Blood Service 3 times now, 4 if you include the person I spoke to on the day. I have been promised replies variously within 2 weeks and 5 working days. My patience is at an end.

My letter - sent over a week ago.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Blood donation session in XYZ 8th January 2011 – 2pm

I arrived in good time and was greeted; I passed through the initial stages without incident and sat drinking water until my turn was called.

A Junior staff member set up the couch as I had said I wanted to donate from my left arm today. She was pleasant and cheerful.

Suddenly an older lady ('Q') appeared and – without so much as saying ‘Hello’ – held the card about muscle contractions above my chest in the expectation that I would take it from her and read it. I did this and the Junior left. Straight away I was taken off guard and wondered why I was being ignored.

A good two minutes or more passed during which 'Q' was sorting out pipes, organizing sticky labels and so on; she did not speak at all. Then she put the cuff round my arm and began to search for a vein.

I presume that, as it was a cold day and I had on a short sleeve shirt, the process was more difficult, which I accepted. However, she asked if I usually donated from my left arm. This was done in a tone of disbelief even when I explained that I had donated from both arms. At no point did she say that she was having trouble and would I mind her trying the other arm. I was made to feel as if I was being unhelpful from the outset.

Eventually she located a vein and inserted the needle; there was no warning about this – I think I recall usually being told there will be a slight scratch although I could be confusing this with other medical procedures such as blood tests and visits to the dentist.

Clearly the needle was not in the right position as she had to fiddle with it – this was not a painless procedure but no concern was shown. She then ask a left handed colleague to adjust it for her because a left-hander could cope with the angle a bit better.

I was left alone. At no point did anybody come to see if I was OK (as they have in the past) although I presume this was being done by observation from a distance.

Towards the end of the donation I could see 'Q' looking in my direction as she finished with another person. She then came over and started to fiddle with the equipment, and the needle in my arm. She said nothing until I asked her if there was a problem. I then felt I was being reprimanded when she told me I must not move my arm during a donation. She obviously presumed I had done so [a] far too much [b] deliberately. She wanted the flow to be a ‘9’ but it was not. Gone are the days when somebody stayed with the patient whilst the donation is in progress, but this does not give your staff the right to reprimand people.

She launched into a lecture about why I must not move my arm, as one would to a naughty school child. She seemed to assume that I had a detailed working knowledge of blood donation but that I had recklessly ignored accepted procedure, so it was her place to correct me.

After my cup of tea I asked to see the person in charge of the session and spoke to 'a bloke'. Although I explained what I was unhappy about, he too started to explain to me why I must not move my arm. I was never given the opportunity to say that, as far as I knew, I had not done so. 'The bloke' seemed to overlook the fact that I was bringing 'Q'’s bedside manner into question and again seemed to defend his colleague citing her experience as a counter to my concerns.

I had filled in a feedback form and he asked if I had out my name on it. I said that there was no space to do so (as these forms appear to be designed to be anonymous) he contradicted me, but he was actually talking about another feedback form which he suggested I should fill in. I declined, having spent time explaining the situation to him; he agreed to affix one form to the other.

My view of the events is this. 'Q' was either tired or ill, which can happen to anybody, but I felt she took this out on me and, far too rapidly, came to the conclusion that I was a difficult donor. At no time did I complain to her and at no time was I difficult – what would be the point? I also feel that her apparent experience and longevity in the job had made her forget that the man off the street is not as familiar with procedures as she is.

When asking me if it was OK to put a plaster on the donation site she mumbled and I had to ask her to repeat the question. Also, I felt her hair ‘style’ was unbecoming a person working in a medical capacity and dealing with the public.

I should like to be assured that this Carer has been informed that her conduct was, on this occasion, off-putting. I should also like to know that I can request not to be dealt with by her in the future.

Cold

2011-01-30T19:31:00.009Z

I went away on Saturday to stay with friends in Bury St. Edmunds.

However, on the way I stopped off at a number of churches to take photographs of the organs in order to submit them to the NPOR. I also wanted to visit a church in the village where some of my mother's family used to live in the 19th century. I can tell you it was very cold getting out of the car to investigate and take photos.

I found Hemmingford Grey but there was building work in the church so the organ was covered by a tarpaulin.

On to Fenstanton and I had more success. The last time I went there was in the 1970s on a bell-ringing outing when they were a rough-going 5. They had a 6th bell installed and I guess they go much better given that they rang a peal there in about 1996 (if I remember the peal plaque correctly)

Fenstanton

After a quick lunch from the local baker (incidentally the worst egg and mayo roll I have ever had - tasteless!) I made my way to Swavesey and I did discover the grave of two Trundleys, although I need to do more research to find out how they fit it to my tree. Most of my ancestors were born and married there; I did not know of any that died there, so I was quite pleased to find this one.

Next it was on to Longstanton [there is a strong RAF connection here] which is a well cared-for church, quite comfortable inside and very security conscious. The organ case was not very noteworthy but the stained glass was lovely.

On a more gruesome note this is to be found in the South of the church.

[Quoting This Site] The southern half of the chapel is filled with a most extraordinary 18th century construction. The floor level of the transept drops a couple of feet at that point, so that the southern end is half way to being a crypt – and then, from floor level, rises a big block, about five feet high and filling the width of the chapel, blocking off the remains of some rather interesting-looking medieval niches. The surface is slightly uneven, with rounded edges and a surface of plaster which is sufficiently rough that it resembles adobe. At the top of the north face is a black marble plaque which reads ‘Sepulchrum 1770’. Arranged below it are twelve shallow niches, broader than they are tall, and unadorned save for a very shallow curve on their upper edge. Most of these contain black marble plaques commemorating members of the Hatton family. [©2009 Ben Colburn & Mark Ynys-Mon]

After this I drove on to Bury but arriving before the agreed time I diverted to Risby where there is a delightful little church (at least on the outside) with a squat tower I have not seen before.

Risby tower, Suffolk.

And so, on to my hosts' house. I was back home by 4.30 on Sunday.

Pause

2011-01-28T23:23:00.001Z

I have a few days off (Friday 12.30- Monday 6.00 when we have a parents' evening).

It has been a particularly hard term so far and it is only a month since Christmas yet I feel 3 months have passed. This is due to the 12-hour days I have been working getting ready for a concert last Sunday.

I apologize if you have commented on my blog and I have only just moderated it.

Sidelines

2011-01-20T15:11:00.000Z

I cannot for the life of me understand people who stand on the sidelines at school football matches.

It is traditional to shout advice at all times at the top of your voice. Do these people actually consider whether or not they can be heard or understood by the players? Presumably the shouted advice is a response to what is seen from the sidelines - hence, it follows that the advice being shouted is actually too late.

My view is that the people who shout advice are acting out a ancient ritual which helps to establish pecking order. "Look at me. I am confident enough to be able to analyze a situation and issue urgent advice with no inhibitions" - they seem to be saying. "Mess with me if you dare".

Musicians don't do this at concerts in an effort to improve the players' performances. Imagine!

Re-tune your D string!
Add a little more rubato.
Watch out, the brass are starting to drown you!
Take your time, shape the phrase.
Up bow, up bow!!
Intonation, intonation.
Go for that Top 'A'!
Nice staccato
Come on, you need a mute!

Feel free to add your own advice to soloists or orchestral sections.

Texting (warning)

2011-01-16T14:39:00.000Z

Ping

2011-01-11T20:46:00.002Z

Internet seemed slow tonight. Apparently it is just the site I was on.

Make of this what you will

2011-01-10T16:33:00.002Z

Given that I am a Director of Music at an important Prep school this could be worrying, but I scored 99% ofnperception! Take the test here, even Steve could manage it I think!

Reaching out [New name]

2011-01-09T09:21:00.003Z

Removed - good advice Barry.

Suppose I was reaching out to anybody who would listen.

No, no, no!

2011-01-08T18:27:00.000Z

Background

I am glad not to be teaching in a secondary school.
I am not particularly keen on Pachelbel's "Canon" and this post is not to defend the piece in any way.
I do occasionally play amusing clips to classes.
I do remember what it is like to have awkward Year 9 pupils.

I could go on...

What's getting my goat?

On the TES forum there is a discussion about teaching the Baroque period to Year 9.

One suggestion is to play this Youtube clip [I shall not sully my blog by embedding the thing here]

For goodness' sake, why are teachers up and down the country expected to teach morons about music by stooping to their level. We live in a society where music is deemed to be of no value unless it has a heavy drum beat or disgusting lyrics [OK I made the last bit up]

Arggh!!

This IS funny and sums up my view of Pachelbel's Canon.

Grantham

2011-01-07T22:47:00.001Z

I drove to Grantham on Thursday. This was to meet up with Tom, an ex-pupil I had not seen for years who now runs a music shop in the town. If you need music or an instrument do consider using him as he does mail order and is quite an expert on woodwind. He stocks guitars too but has not got the space for drum kits or pianos!

Tom filled me in on his eventful life and I shared my recent history with him. It's true that one can sometimes feel a little bit ex-teacher/ex-pupil, but this did not seem the case on this occasion. This meeting was one of the most positive things to come out of Facebook and it meant a great deal to me. I have also made contact with a singer I'd not seen or heard of since 1980.

Tom Simmonds at Fox Music, Grantham

Now that all the roundabouts have been removed from the A1 it was a very easy drive to get there. However Grantham is - in my opinion, based just on what I saw of it - a bit of a dump. One local lady said to me, as I tried and failed to get into Marks & Spencer's to buy a sandwich, "That's another nail in the coffin for the town"; M&S has closed in Grantham.

I also went in the church where they were serving hot lunches for the needy; I thoroughly approve of this and more churches should do it. I thought it was a church refectory for visitors and the lady was embarrassed to have to tell me that the lunches were 'special'.

More music

2011-01-07T22:34:00.002Z

The full MP3 tracks of my evening canticles are currently store HERE for the Magnificat and HERE for the Nunc Dimittis. It's probably best to download them and listen by opening them locally.

Walking to Choral Evensong

2011-01-07T12:35:00.001Z

A friend of mine has put up a video of himself walking through Oxford in the snow which I found on my/his Facebook feed. He mentioned there was music at the end; he didn't say I had composed it.

What a real treat (for me at least). There is only an extract but enough to enjoy.

Thanks David.

A big one

2011-01-02T23:36:00.000Z

Here is a photo of the item which appeared in the garden next door, just before Christmas. They have a floodlight so the (teenage) kids could use it when it was dark. Lots of noise, but - thankfully - not at inconvenient times.

Almost over

2010-12-31T22:02:00.000Z

Well it's goodbye to 2010 in a couple of hours or so although I feel far too exhausted to stay up having driven back from my mother's today and sorted my accounts this afternoon (only to find I have £120 to last me until 20th January, although Mrs TS has grocery money in the joint account)

I have plans for 2011 although I'll post them later. One is to try to meet at least one blog follower in the flesh in 2011 - all hide now!

If you have visited any of my blogs this year, I thank you for that - especially if you have commented.

If you'd like me to visit your blog next year (assuming I haven't done so) then feel free to ask.

Amazon and Snow

2010-12-22T09:21:00.000Z

Snow can be a good excuse.

I find it a tad suspicious that my parcel from Amazon arrived the day after I complained that I had not received it. I had ordered three presents on 4th December and I had followed the progress with 'Track Parcel' on the website. For these goods to arrive on 22nd December is poor. This happened last year so I suspect Amazon cannot cope with the Christmas rush.