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Post by rwthless on Mar 26, 2024 14:48:48 GMT
I'm curious about your name Hild 1066. Does this mean you are a Valerie Anand aficionado? The Anglo Saxon period interests me a lot generally. I've studied the language too.
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Post by hild1066 on Mar 26, 2024 19:56:08 GMT
Hi Rwthless I have read some of her books years ago. I think, well I know I like pre-conquest history best.
Inspired no doubt by the wonderful Mrs Harrington our full on hippie history teacher. We were out of the class as often as we were in as she had a minibus and in those days teachers could just take you out. We were up at Hadrian's Wall clambering about and she'd let us dig too! Probably be arrested if you tried that now. Durham Cathedral was a regular but so were rivers and bridges. We would dredge streams in the dales. Lindisfarne was an official trip because we'd be late back. Her husband was an archaeologist at Durham Uni I think, so we were probably going to places he suggested or maybe she didn't tell him. Anyway great fun. The most I found were roman nails and a Henry VIII coin. We weren't allowed to keep anything, we documented it on maps that she kept.
I haven't gone so far as to learn the language, you are very impressive. I remember when we did Chaucer at school. We had this Prof from Cambridge who'd decided to end his teaching years in the North East. He warned us the language was hard but it wasn't. He was very surprised how our accents lilted along quite nicely and how old English grammatical forms were still used. I think he wrote a paper on the use of thee, thou and thine still in every day speech. Come to think of it that could be why he was there. Anyway we all enjoyed it and he had us walking round the class reading it out.
I had a pretty awful school, lit up by the few eccentric teachers who were like rays of light if you let them be who they were. The rest were shockingly bad and most had got a teaching certificate after the war and couldn't handle O Levels. I think we got a lot of them by sticking to the text books and ignoring the teachers or at least avoiding being hit by them. They were super cane and belt happy.
I snapped Mr Luke's cane one day, evil bloke. Yes, I was the rebellious type- you'd never guess, ha ha!
By the way I think most of the books you mention are still in print or at least available. Have you ever read The Sheild Ring by Rosemary Sutcliffe- little treasure of a book.
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Post by rondetto on Mar 27, 2024 4:35:40 GMT
Morning all: Rained all night long, I bet there will be more floods around today.
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Post by hild1066 on Mar 27, 2024 8:22:54 GMT
Tipping down here to, puddles over the pavements. I don't think we've had a week since July when it wasn't raining at some point.
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Post by marispiper on Mar 27, 2024 9:37:05 GMT
It's funny isn't it? Looking back, you can tell we were ill-served when it came to education. For myself, being convent educated, I was, for the most part, taught by nuns (not qualified) and the rest were duff old teachers with the minimum post-war certificate. The odd one or two who stood out actually had degrees (!) and their two subjects were the ones I did best in (French and the Sciences) Now there's a surprise....
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Post by rikiiboy on Mar 27, 2024 10:07:40 GMT
It's funny isn't it? Looking back, you can tell we were ill-served when it came to education. For myself, being convent educated, I was, for the most part, taught by nuns (not qualified) and the rest were duff old teachers with the minimum post-war certificate. The odd one or two who stood out actually had degrees (!) and their two subjects were the ones I did best in (French and the Sciences) Now there's a surprise.... French and the Sciences? I'd be struggling with French and Saunders. đ§
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Post by althea on Mar 27, 2024 10:39:02 GMT
It's funny isn't it? Looking back, you can tell we were ill-served when it came to education. For myself, being convent educated, I was, for the most part, taught by nuns (not qualified) and the rest were duff old teachers with the minimum post-war certificate. The odd one or two who stood out actually had degrees (!) and their two subjects were the ones I did best in (French and the Sciences) Now there's a surprise.... I am afraid I don't fit in to that mould, maris. I had a wonderful education (State) all the way through. My primary school was a new building with many extras- art room , simple lab and extensive gym. I went to Wirral Grammar school for girls, which was an extremely prestigious , well established school. We had wonderful ,devoted teachers, who though very formal (always wore their gowns) lit a real fire in us for learning. It is still a Grammar school today, though the girls' and boys' schools have merged. Extremely strict, it was a culture shock at the beginning, but once you assimilated, it was very supportive. I loved school and remember my time there fondly.
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Post by rwthless on Mar 27, 2024 12:15:04 GMT
I didn't always enjoy school. The grind of learning basics was always very frustrating. Primary and Grammar/High were in a rural county and once I learned to read I never wanted to do anything else. I was persuaded to learn enough arithmetic to get to Ludlow High School. Nothing wrong with the teachers, but I probably had an attitude problem. (My sister said I should have been educated by an enthusiastic vicar.)I did pick up enough to get an O level or two but never stopped learning. Eventually in the 1990s when I couldn't get a job I scraped enough A levels to read Ancient History and Archaeology at Birmingham. I did study Old English and Middle English and several other Englishes in a pre University certificate of higher Learning but it would only have got me into an English degree not History, my first love. I have enjoyed Forensic Archaeology and in this century have discovered the beauties of Astronomy. A friend kindly hoicked my maths up to GCSE level, though I have done more advanced stuff along the way.
I don't remember if I have read the Shield Ring, but I'll try and get hold of it. I loved Valerie Anand's family saga crossing the Conquest period but starting with Gildenford. David Field did much the same, but describing Walsingham in Norfolk, and how it became a place of pilgrimage.
I should have gone to rehearsal today but my cough has been a horrible nuisance and after yesterday's activities I was tired. I'm having my last session for IAM and building up to the assessment. A bit of memorisation of cockpit drills and stopping speeds and I'll be there. Then nobody will be able to say that at (nearly) 80, I'm not fit to drive.
I remember a well known comedian saying "I was educated by wolves, I mean nuns". I think I'd have preferred wolves.
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Post by marispiper on Mar 27, 2024 18:15:29 GMT
I did catch up with one of my 'nun' teachers in later life - there was a reunion when the convent building was sold (and converted to luxury flats!) I recognised Mother James straight away - even though the nuns no longer wear the black habit. I reminded her of what she wrote in my report..."No work - a complete nuisance in the class". She was mortified but I told her she only wrote that because it was true đđ¤Ŗ We had a good ol' heart to heart and she went on to tell me those were the unhappiest years of her life...she was wholly unsuited to teaching but it was simply one of a number of roles all sisters had to perform. She said one day there was merry hell in her classroom and the Head obviously heard it and arrived at the class. She got all the girls to stand on their chairs while she went round and rapped each one on the legs with the little cane she kept up the sleeve of her habit. Mother James said "That night I wept and wept - it wasn't the girls fault - it was mine" I kept in touch with her after that until her death. She lived in one of their houses in Liverpool - she played the organ in two parishes and kept the parish accounts. She also taught violin, piano and organ. Such a lovely lady - just useless at teaching. RIP Sister Kathleen. (The sisters now use their own names )
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Post by toots on Mar 27, 2024 19:30:24 GMT
Tipping down here too, puddles over the pavements. I don't think we've had a week since July when it wasn't raining at some point. Us too, at the opposite end of the country âšī¸
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Post by hild1066 on Mar 27, 2024 19:35:45 GMT
Waa it a Sisters of Mercy School. My daughter went to one, where all the nuns had to teach and as you say some had no calling for that at all.
They did like the nun who taught chemistry. She had been a police forensics lead before becoming a nun, so she told them many a tale. She was transferred to a private school in New York to become Head of science.
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Post by rondetto on Mar 28, 2024 4:35:15 GMT
Morning all, well it just hasn't stopped raining all night, heavy too. It's been lashing against the windows. Come on spring where are you?
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Post by marispiper on Mar 28, 2024 9:20:22 GMT
Waa it a Sisters of Mercy School. My daughter went to one, where all the nuns had to teach and as you say some had no calling for that at all. They did like the nun who taught chemistry. She had been a police forensics lead before becoming a nun, so she told them many a tale. She was transferred to a private school in New York to become Head of science. Morning Hildie. Interesting that you point out it was the Sister with the skill who was any good. My husband was taught by Ursulines - he says they are the worst đđ Ours were the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Mary..but all orders worked with the same principle in their communities - ie everyone takes a turn at doing whatever is required - be it teaching, cleaning, cooking - you name it. As you can imagine, some just weren't any good! As the Convent was in our parish, I remained good friends with many of the nuns and I can remember one saying "Oh good - Sister Patrice is in the kitchen - there'll be a decent meal tonight" đ
I think the enclosed Contemplative orders are they only ones who attract vocations these days. The others are all dying off..in this country anyway and those that remain live in parishes rather than convents, which have mostly closed. I have a good (nun) friend and she and another Sister do great work in a women's refuge. Our convent was a fabulous building, previously the home of Wills (of WD &HO Wills, tobacco) with stained glass windows by Burne-Jones and beautiful tiled floors, sweeping staircases.... As I said, it's now luxury flats (all over ÂŖ1m)
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Post by althea on Mar 28, 2024 16:08:22 GMT
I understand from some male friends that the Jesuits were the worst teachers. All of them sadists ,according to the men who were pupils at the Jesuit school. I am pleased that schools today are more humane for children, although I think sometimes they over mollycoddle the coming generation. It was bright today, but last night the rain was lashing against the windows all night and there were puddles everywhere this morning.
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Post by rwthless on Mar 28, 2024 17:39:45 GMT
After our rehearsal for the coming days, our churchwarden was looking harassed. Our friend who does the Sacristan tasks, is away for the weekend apparently. I went up the hill for the Stripping of the Altar, which happened after Communion. There were 4 of us, including the Rector. We veiled our crucifixes and took the coverings away for a good wash. It will be lovely and fresh on Sunday but we have a long service tomorrow for the Stations of the Cross, a vigil on Saturday and another Communion on Sunday. Once a week is enough for me, so I'll just ready myself for playing while the others partake.
The road has quite a lot of water on it so that will need care to be taken. The Monk's Path from the ruined Abbey seems to be my best way home as I usually park at the top gate to walk down the path to the Church, so I have to negotiate traffic most of the way. I shall enjoy my chilling on Monday, I can tell you.
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