Moan, moan, moan----get it off your chest or have a chat

[Eric Locke]

Not trying to top yours Michael, but back in 1915 when my mother started school at the age of 7, she had to walk 5 miles by herself, then row a boat across a sometimes very swift river, then walk another two miles and catch a school bus. After school, the whole process in reverse. Her Dad took her in a pony cart on the very wet days, as far as the boat ramp. The year she left primary school to go to a girls' boarding school in Dunedin, the local council built a bridge which cut out all but the bus ride.

 
None would walk a mile now would they.

Eric

[Anthony Darby]

Back in 1962/63 we were staying in Huddersfield while our house in Stirling was being built. I usually walked from South Parade up the hill to Spring Grove primary, but sometimes I stayed in Long Lane, Dalton on the other side of town and I caught the trolley bus to school. The conductor charged me a penny, then expected me to get off at the nearest school. He finally got exasperated and asked me which primary school I did go to. When I told him his retort was: "that's a tuppeny fair!" My son James goes to the same school my wife teaches in. It's a good half hour walk and there is a bus, however, he usually walks with his pals. He's never taken the bus, which is £1.20 return, but does sometimes get a lift with his mum!

[Michael J Campbell]

There is a playschool about 100yds from our house, and one morning my son was passing when he saw a woman four houses down (about 60yds) put a child in a 4 x 4 and drive it to the playschool. He was shocked, I was not surprised at all.

[David Shaw]

We have a neighbour who lives, maybe, half a mile out of the village and has three young children of different ages. Everyday she walks them all down to the primary school for the eldest then, an hour later, she is back with the middle one for pre-school. This is reversed in the afternoon. She does this walk along a single track road with no pavement at a busy time (school run) regardless of the weather.

[Paddy Tobin]

From the "Irish Independent" yesterday:


Girl arrested for doodling on desk

Saturday April 03 2010
A 12-year-old girl who was hauled out of her New York school in handcuffs for doodling on her desk has started legal action against the city over her arrest.

A lawyer for Alexa Gonzalez filed legal papers seeking 1 million dollars (£658,000) in damages, saying the girl, from Queens, was subjected to overly harsh treatment.

Alexa was arrested at her junior high school in February after scribbling "I love my friends Abby and Faith" on her desk with an erasable marker pen.

Her family's lawyer says school officials over-reacted by calling the police.

The Department of Education acknowledges the arrest was a mistake. The city's legal department has declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Press Association

[David Shaw]

Saw that Paddy, thought it was just a tad excessive!

[Anthony Darby]

I have it on good authority that it takes James 45 minutes to walk to school.

[mark smyth]

Could someone send us some rain!? 19.5c yesterday making bulbs unhappy. Daffs withering after a few days open. Tulips short lived also. This is what happened last year and then May to September rain, rain and more rain.

[Anthony Darby]

Spitting here just now with 10^oC. Yesterday we had a very cold wind so temperature never got higher than 15^oC.

[Lesley Cox]

Could someone send us some rain!? 19.5c yesterday making bulbs unhappy. Daffs withering after a few days open. Tulips short lived also. This is what happened last year and then May to September rain, rain and more rain.

Wait your turn. You've just had a winter for Heaven's sake. It's bone dry here after a drought summer and apparently a drought autumn and winter are expected too. I'm buying water!!!

[TheOnionMan]

Moan, moan, moan - the Callery Pears are in bloom here.  

About 20 years ago I planted 3 Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer' trees near the roadway edge of my property, this cultivar more narrow growing than the overplanted Bradford Pear (P. calleryana 'Bradford').  Visit 20 web site regarding Pyrus calleryana, 20 nursery listings, or dip into any of the better known books on trees; all sing the many virtues of this tree, here's an example:

'Chanticleer' pear was found during the 1950s on streets in Cleveland, Ohio (USA) and noted for it's desirable characteristics. The pear was commercially introduced in 1965 by famous Scanlon Nursery and calling it the 'Chanticleer' Pear. It has since become one of the most wanted trees by municipal arborists. The tree shows a white flowering magnificence in the spring and its plum fall color tinged with claret makes it a popular fall plant.

Yet one little inconvenient fact rarely gets a mention, the flower exude a powerful unbearable stench, like that of carrion on a hot day mixed in with burning rubber   The first year the trees flowered, after detecting a mysterious stench near the road, I assumed it to be a dead animal, so I went and got a shovel to dispose of a yet-to-be-found carcass, but one was not to be found; moving closer to the trees I realized the beautiful snow white trees were to blame!  If I wanted such a offensive stench I would've planted a hedge of Amophophallus   As it is now, I cannot work in the front yard when the trees are in bloom, so overbearing is the reek.

[KentGardener]

I thought it was time to moan.

In one hour from now I should be meeting 'SRGC member Michael' on day two of a holiday in Madeira.  Guess what?......   I am still in the UK because of the 'ash cloud'.  And even worse - I will probably have to go to work this week instead!   

[David Shaw]

John, think how much worse it could be. You could already be in Madeira and stranded there enduring the sunshine for another week!!

[Julia]

Today I woke to fine snow on the moors just above Pitlochry and its raining/sleet down in the town!

[David Shaw]

We got home just ahead of the rain and the clag coming down on the Dava Moor, Julia. I am glad that we did not delay as the rain splashing on the dust on the car was smearing quite badly.