The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

annieb64

I used to get roped in for school trips too. Probably because I wasn't  working and had no younger children at home. I was the one who remembered  the sick bags-DD2 was a terrible traveller  so I always carried them. There was the trip to Alton Towers when we lost a child who decided to go on one last ride and we were over two hours late back. This was also before mobile phones so there were a lot of worried parents waiting. Then there was the days hike when one lad lost his coat so the head had to go back with him to look for it while the rest of us carried on and a girl sprained her ankle!

pollyanna_26

Sorry you've had bad news Nan. Sending a virtual hug. I've enjoyed the tales of school trips. I can't even begin to imagine trying to deal with adults who want to follow their own way anywhere on a plane or especially Dubai VJ. The advantage of infant and junior school children is they're smaller than the grown ups and if you need to run after them your legs are longer.

We did do local trips which didn't involve coaches or sick bowls. Nature trails, Beachcombing and Interesting places like the local Manor House they tended to go well. The previous Lord of the Manor was a very patient man and always laid on a picnic in the grounds. We used to hope for fine weather on the day. When his son inherited the title he was very different and stopped the visits. No more seeing deer up close or learning how the gardeners managed the lovely grounds and grew the flowers and veg. It was sad .School was just a mile away so we would walk there and back. Both the children and adults would be ready for an early night when we got back.

We usually had 2 or 3 male teachers on the staff but they rarely came on trips. Always busy with this that or the other whenever it was suggested they come with us on the longer or local trips. However one did rehome a random frog we discovered with one small boy after a local wander. No idea where it was from but Mr J took it home to his pond which didn't go down well with the little boy who never forgot.

pollyx

monnagran

After stupidly getting my nose stuck into a book last night and reading until the not-so-small hours, I have only just woken up.
My tum is screaming for breakfast so I'll give you  a TFT and come back later.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

You know that amazing feeling when you get into bed and go straight to sleep, then wake up in the morning feeling fully refreshed and ready to go?
Yeah.  Me neither.

nannywindow

Thanks Pollyanna for the hug, it's much appreciated. Now we just have to get on with living a day at a time.

I do remember one trip to the seaside when the head at that time told everyone to leave all their bags on the buses (2) and then the buses departed till home time. Can you guess where the lunch bags were too ? Cue the staff and parent helpers having a whip round to get money together to buy every child a bag of chips and a drink for lunch. The children though it great fun and strangely enjoyed the chips more than their own sandwiches 😋

Monna thanks for the TFT I know that feeling all to well.

pollyanna_26

monnagran said:

After stupidly getting my nose stuck into a book last night and reading until the not-so-small hours, I have only just woken up.
My tum is screaming for breakfast so I'll give you  a TFT and come back later.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

You know that amazing feeling when you get into bed and go straight to sleep, then wake up in the morning feeling fully refreshed and ready to go?
Yeah.  Me neither.

I wonder how many of us read the thought for today amd muttered Me neither.

I manged to remember to pick up my hayfever tablets at the pharmacy on Friday after recognising the usual symptoms now the bulbs are flowering trees are blossoming and grass is being cut here, there and everywhere.They do tend to knock me out so I've managed to snatch some sleep but nowhere  near enough and not a nights sleep. The bronchitis still hasn't cleared fully so will phone the surgery when it's less busy late afternoon to see if Superdoc has any advice.

I'm really overdue the first job but the arthritis and fibro flares pretty well took me off my feet. I began to regret refusing all the strong meds dd has but it would have meant both of us not very functional a lot of the time due to the side effects.

I overdid things on Thursday trying to do eveything in one day but I'm really limiting going out.

I'm wondering how a hacking cough and slightly raised temperature would go down with those doing the vaccine. I'll just have to see what the advice is later.

I hope everyone is ok. We've gone a bit quiet.. Ming/Mar seems vey quiet so I hope all is well. Someone referred to her recently as the Mingster on another thread and I'm tempted to adopt that myself.

Take care all. You look after yourself Nan as much as you're able to.

pollyx

monnagran

Morning all.

Of course not all school outing disasters were down to the children.  I remember one outing to Hampton Court organised by our nice-but-useless headmaster.  We, the staff, had our tried and tested ways of circumventing his wilder decisions and had quietly dislocated his impractical plans for the day.  He was quite surprised on arrival when the children got themselves into groups and he was presented with a group of the more conscientious pupils, unlikely to give him much trouble.
We set off.
I had spent a long time talking to my class about the Tudors and the things that they were likely to see on our trip round the palace.  At one point, my group were gathered round something and ooohing and aaahing  because they recognised it from our previous lessons.  I looked up and was electrified to see in the distance, nice-but-useless headmaster racing along a balcony, coat billowing out behind him, looking for all the world like a cartoon of "scarecrow in a hurry" followed by a raggle taggle gang of out of breath children desperately trying to keep up with him.  They looked neither to right or left.
Reports had it that he and his group did Hampton Court palace in 15 minutes.
When my group and I emerged much later we found HM and his group on the immaculate lawn outside, playing an energetic game of rounders in front of a rather bemused party of Japanese tourists.  The stern notice ordering people to stay off the grass at all times served as first base.

I could write a book just about that school.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY 

I see people my age mountain climbing.  I feel good getting my leg through my knickers without losing my balance.

MingVase

I'm still here under my vase. Just minding my own business and being a wee quiet mouse as usual  

Living_proof

MingVase said:

I'm still here under my vase. Just minding my own business and being a wee quiet mouse as usual  

Wee timorous beastie then.....

MingVase

Yesss this is moi!

burtha

yup , still here .. 
running and contemplating getting older ....