It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

JOANNESAPHINE

So basically then lauren 1 if you don't fit her criteria you wont get a chance but if you do you can have one asap, she shouldn't be allowed to do that. On a totally different subject can anyone set me on the right path to simple recipes for cooking from scratch for beginners. I can basically add sauces to meats and cook veggies to go with it but need to cut my costs and particularly would love veggie soup recipe as used to have a weakness for posh soups.

lauren_1

JOANNESAPHINE wrote: »

So basically then lauren 1 if you don't fit her criteria you wont get a chance but if you do you can have one asap, she shouldn't be allowed to do that. On a totally different subject can anyone set me on the right path to simple recipes for cooking from scratch for beginners. I can basically add sauces to meats and cook veggies to go with it but need to cut my costs and particularly would love veggie soup recipe as used to have a weakness for posh soups.

Yes basically that is it, I made the mistake of hand delivering the application to her, it appears that she made the assumption just on my appearance.

I look about 15 at the best of times or could be my very foreign sounding surname, quick update from mumsy she applied 4 years ago with her previous married name and then again with her new married name 'jones' took her a few weeks

greengoblin

Well done to people for their A level results. I'm so glad I did an National Diploma though as you know your grades as soon as you finish college. I was a total bag of nerves for my GCSE's. I will be being a total bag of nerves for my chainsaw assessment on monday! (I don't deal with examinations very well!)

jackieglasgow

Lauren I am incandescent on your behalf, what a horrible small minded woman, is she the only one with power to make the decision. And lucky you, the last time I looked 15 I was about 11! :rotfl:

katholicos

Just popping in to share our good news, DD has passed her A levels and got into Uni, so we are well pleased...unfortunately the financial side of things is a bit of a mine field with regard to Student Finance....i've sent birth certificates, tax credit papers, and every other bit of evidence they can think of to ask me for and it still isn't sorted...and it's not as though we don't meet their criteria because we do. Anyway, i've just put another letter together with yet more paperwork and will send it off to them tomorrow..as for today DD is celebrating with her mates at Pizza Hut...eating pudding as i write this...i know because she just phoned to tell me LOL!!!

All her mates will be spread around Uni's all over the country from London to Durham and places in between. Alas, one of her mates was unsuccesful in attaining a place so may resit the year. Bless her, she must feel so awful when the rest of them have got in to Uni. Anyway, things are tough financially, but at least i know my DD is on the right track to really making something of herself so that she won't end up in the same situation as me. Not trying to be self-depracating, just realistic.

jackieglasgow

Well done to DD katholicos.

mardatha

well done to all the exammy people !

Lindy_-_Loo

katholicos wrote: »

Just popping in to share our good news, DD has passed her A levels and got into Uni, so we are well pleased...unfortunately the financial side of things is a bit of a mine field with regard to Student Finance....i've sent birth certificates, tax credit papers, and every other bit of evidence they can think of to ask me for and it still isn't sorted...and it's not as though we don't meet their criteria because we do. Anyway, i've just put another letter together with yet more paperwork and will send it off to them tomorrow..as for today DD is celebrating with her mates at Pizza Hut...eating pudding as i write this...i know because she just phoned to tell me LOL!!!

All her mates will be spread around Uni's all over the country from London to Durham and places in between. Alas, one of her mates was unsuccesful in attaining a place so may resit the year. Bless her, she must feel so awful when the rest of them have got in to Uni. Anyway, things are tough financially, but at least i know my DD is on the right track to really making something of herself so that she won't end up in the same situation as me. Not trying to be self-depracating, just realistic.

Well done to your daughter, shes done really well you must all be so proud. I stayed at home when I did my degree, couldnt afford to live away from yet I still ended up in debt! xx

seasalt_2

Can I add my well done as well to Katholicos' and Charlie's Aunt's DDs. And anyone else I've missed. ANd ()s to anyone who maybe didn't do as well as they'd hoped.

Lauren, that seems very unfair, completely and utterly wrong in fact, to allocate allotments on the grounds of prejudice alone. Is there any kind of national allotments organisation or even a local committee you could complain to? Hope they're a friendlier bunch when you do eventually get one!

Joanne, I always have a pot of vegetable soup on the go but I am afraid I am the sort of cook who doesn't really weigh or measure except for cakes (and not always then!) so will have to have a think about recipes. These are my staples: leek and tattie, spicy butternut squash (I grow them), a different squash/pumpkin one with rosemary and apple and maybe a bit of smoky bacon (optional), lentil broth, lentil and tomato (kids' favourite), carrot and coriander, cauliflower and cumin, a rather delicate courgette one plus all sorts of whatever's-left-in-the fridge vegetable soups. Do any of those appeal? IIf they do, I'll try to post recipes for you. I do tend more towards the thick-and-filling rather than the sophisticated restaurant kind - although also love asian type broths, with home made chicken stock, ginger, chilli, garlic and lime (or lemon), then pour this over finely shredded vegetables eg broccoli, spring onions etc and maybe shreds of left-over meat or fish too. - still quite economical because you use so little meat.

I bet there are loads of soup recipes on OS somewhere too and if there's a particular kind you fancy, could try googling a recipe as well - I have only just discovered online recipes and have had some good ideas.

Crickett, I'm glad your Dad was a bit better today and hope he has turned a corner now.

Kids went back to school here today although DS took the day off to help his father round up sheep and tag lambs etc before tomorrow's sale - they are still at it now and he'll be off tomorrow to help as well, He's not alone - quite a few other crofters' kids not in school today - the boys anyway! Written my usual letter to the school pleading valuable educational work experience and, to be fair, there is never usually any comeback although I know it gets marked down as unauthorised absence. Worked much harder than he would have done at school though!

I had planned to spend the day catching up on washing (did do two loads) and housework - place is a mess after the school holidays - but unravelled rather and did very little apart from the laundry - oh and a family birthday. Lots of catch-up to do in the garden as well. Picked peas, tomatoes and climbing beans this morning.

jojotoo

Lauren, our council has an Allotments Officer who oversees all the allotment committees. Might be worth a call to see if your council has one too, someone to enforce the waiting list properley - no wonder you are livid, I would be too.