The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

[Deleted User]

SingleSue wrote: »

For odd socks we all look in my bedroom, Jaz (our cat), brings socks to me as treats. He has on occasion, brought me boxer shorts, knickers and once, even a t shirt! Each 'gift' I have to treat with respect otherwise his feelings are hurt and he looks at me with a "But it's a present mummy, don't you like your present" look on his face :rotfl:

Our cat likes to bring prey home (alive and kicking). I'm sure he does it just to see my wife scream and jump on the sofa. I let him know what a brave thing he is, and what's more I am convinced that he understands me!

SingleSue

silvercar wrote: »

I never had musical instrument lessons. I think my parents must have decided that because I can't sing it would be a waste of time.

Hereditary condition - because DS1 never showed an interest, I never persuaded him to leard. At DS2's secondary school, everyone had to learn an instrument in their first year (yr 7). He screeched his way through the violin for the year and we were all relieved when it ended.
We have second cousins who all won scholarships for music and professionally play, so its in the genes somewhere!

Lydia, I feel for you. We have never decorated more than one room at a time, other than this house where every downstairs wall is the same colour (porcelain white - that was chosen by the decorator). We know we are pretty hopeless at choosing, so leave it to the expert! DS2 has an eye for colour, the rest of us are hopeless.
Can't help you with carpets either, we have wooden floors downstairs, off cream colours in the bedrooms, grey landing and stripes up the stairs.

Sue, I feel for you. I remember one trip where we took DS2's stuff up to uni. Emptied the car out and then filled up with DS1's stuff to come home. I did notice that some places now offer temporary storage units on campus that seems to be a new venture.

I love mushrooms!

All caught up now!

I had music lessons but not in the instrument I wanted to play....I wanted to learn the violin or piano but there were no spaces left, so opted for the brass section instead where spaces were available, I became quite proficient on the horn, trumpet and cornet but my heart wasn't really in it. I finally got to have a go on a violin when James (who is not musical but was desperately trying to find something he could play and so be able to compete with Josh and Joe who are musically able), purchased one. I picked it up and could play it, Josh picked it up and could play it, Joe picked it up and could play it, James picked it up and it sounded like a strangled cat :rotfl:

Re uni stuff, we got into the habit of putting most of James' stuff into storage over summer but with Josh it is slightly more difficult as it is his drum kit, guitars, ukelele etc that gives me the headache and he needs those over the summer holidays. He could actually travel pretty light if it wasn't for his instruments. For Joe, it will be Felix that will be the issue...for those who don't know, Felix is his desktop computer.

PasturesNew

Re music/exams/inclusion ... it's a silent way of "keeping out the riff raff". The first barrier that can look innocent enough.

Most people who did any music, who had a piano, who then did any grades and managed to do them all would've most likely come from "a family of a particular standing, mostly financial, but of course middle class" and that's what they want. No riff raff. Nobody who turns music into an impromptu rap

Mrs Bucket's companion list for her candlelight suppers.

SingleSue

When Josh was at high school, we could tell those who had done grades to those who didn't as the grade takers were almost mechanical in their actions whereas the non grade takers appeared more fluid, more natural.

Josh didn't like grades, doesn't agree with them, doesn't like the restrictions and prefers to 'feel' the music. He does have grades though (in cello) as he had to do it for the first year of uni so everyone had grades but he hated every minute and felt it had an impact on his fluidity when playing.

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

I think one house feature that should never have been dropped was the "picture rail" - a wooden border 1' down from the ceiling - that you could easily hang pictures from .... instead of chancing your luck with all manner of hammers/fittings and random nails and yet never quite getting it right

I totally agree! I have picture rails in three rooms and the hall/landing, and they are soooooo useful.

PasturesNew wrote: »

Re music/exams/inclusion ... it's a silent way of "keeping out the riff raff". The first barrier that can look innocent enough.

Most people who did any music, who had a piano, who then did any grades and managed to do them all would've most likely come from "a family of a particular standing, mostly financial, but of course middle class" and that's what they want. No riff raff. Nobody who turns music into an impromptu rap
.

It might be true that there may be a lot more children from now on unable to have lessons as more and more music opportunities are cut back in schools, and so only those able to afford lessons and instruments will learn music. It's scandalous, given the proven physical and mental health benefits of anything to do with music.

SingleSue

I couldn't afford lessons for Josh at school (or privately) as school wanted £260 per term plus exam fees. He just went online or on his drum kit/guitar/piano etc and taught himself instead, didn't seem to do him any harm as he aced all his university entrance auditions getting offers from every single one.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

Re music/exams/inclusion ... it's a silent way of "keeping out the riff raff". The first barrier that can look innocent enough.

Most people who did any music, who had a piano, who then did any grades and managed to do them all would've most likely come from "a family of a particular standing, mostly financial, but of course middle class" and that's what they want. No riff raff. Nobody who turns music into an impromptu rap

So true. I wanted to play the piano. My mum and her family played it well. My grandparents had a piano at their house that I used to learn on. I was refused lessons at school on the grounds that I did not have a piano at home.

Seriously, I lived on a council estate and went to school there. How many pianos do they think there were locally? I even tried to say that my grandparents had one and that I visited daily, but they still refused:(.

Tahlullah

Schools did use music lessons to deselect the riffraff, which I and my siblings fell into. I wanted to lean how to play the saxophone, which I tried as an adult, but eventually gave up.

The school also deselected in other subjects. I wanted to learn German, but was refused. I wanted to take English literature, but was only allowed to study English Language.

It had nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with social standing. In my careers lesson, I was told that I should try to get a job at the local Grandways supermarket on the tills!

I would hope they have stopped this appalling grading / judgmentalism thing now.

ivyleaf

chris_m wrote: »

I didn't mind the lessons, just the relentless working towards the next grade.



Hehe, my music taste is extremely wide - varying from, say, Beethoven Sonatas and Symphonies via anything by Johnny Cash right the way through to Motorhead's Ace of Spades, the latter played nice and loud of course

:T Ooh Chris, your musical tastes are right up my street

Oh and GDB, in case it make you feel a little bit better, today my OH is sporting a slightly-too-snug tee-shirt bearing the legend "I'm up and dressed. What more do you want?"

Lydia If you are planning to get new curtains as well, I came across some good advice which said that it's better to choose the new curtains first, because it's much easier to then find carpeting to go with the curtains, rather than buying the carpet first and then trying to find just the right curtaining.

Our hall/stairs/landing carpet is a Brinton's one, can't remember the name if it! It's somethingorother Twist, probably Bell Twist, an 80% wool, 20% nylon one, After twenty years it's just beginning to look a bit worn on the edges of the stair treads.

Sue Poor James and the violin! he must have been very fed-up. Our DGS had trumpet lessons in Year 4 and now his sister is having viola lessons in year 4, both under the auspices of a local college. DGS didn't want to continue lessons after the year, but i think DGD might carry on if her parents can afford it, as she seems to be quite musical.

I started learning the piano when I was 14 and loved it, spent hours practising, but after I left home I no longer had access to a piano, and because I learned relatively late and was no longer able to practise regularly, I lost the ability. I can still play the recorder though, having taught myself that when I was ten

ivyleaf

Horse-riding's another one - I would so love to be able to pay for riding lessons for DGD, she would love it, but it's just not doable.