Recent content by Oohmeoldbacksknackered

Good man, I see where you're coming from. I'm going to need to give this some Deep Thought. It may take a while.....

Are you comparing the desire to provide an extra tier of education which is, at best, desirable to some with the needs (yes needs) of disadvantaged children?

I understand your situation and your belief. Because I agree that those in Grammar schools will be seen to succeed in all comparisons. But to I don't think it's ever going to be that simple. Purely because there won't ever be enough funding to allow it.

As well as doubting my personal intelligence you are ignoring my argument. Any new Grammar system will cost a lot of money. That money will be spent to the detriment of existing schools. Therefore the few will benefit at the cost of many. IE elitism. If you take all the money the new system...

But at least money isn't being taken away from the poorer schools in a deliberate scheme to stop them improving. At the moment my job is putting me in touch with several of the underperforming local schools and the one thing they have in common is a desire and plan to get better. In fact, one...

Obviously we could have more Grammars. But we shouldn't. It will cost fortunes to set up each Grammar - money which cannot be spend on the majority of pupils stuck on the lower tier of education. Unfair elitist education. Forget all this "Life isn't fair" argument. There's no way I could ever...

This is what is wrong with Grammars. It's not the success of the few who get into them, it's the lessened opportunity for those who don't. I understand why parents want individual success for their kids. But the system should offer the very best opportunity for EVERY child to fulfill their...

Hmmm. No. Brighton College have recently set up a prep school in Dubai, I believe. They are set up to get top top results and introduce next generation leaders to each other. Incredibly elitist - even the other local independent schools don't try and compete with their model. But they never...

It's always good to have success stories and it's great that you and chrisd benefitted from Grammars. However let's compare it with the Olympics as you say. Many people loved the success the UK had - brilliant. But some of us queried the inequality of the funding meaning other athletes from...

If your short game is ok, then you have all the tools you need to play 17/18 or less. Plan on getting down in three from 50 yards or less - make sure you have a decent (consistent) pitch for something like 50 yards and 30 yards and get a chipping stroke that doesn't thin it across the green...

Point 1 - I don't own a golf store. So you can read this bit or not.....;) But I did use to own my own retail shop for 4 years having been in the business managing stores for others and being a partner for over a decade before I went out on my own. Did well for over 3 1/2 years. Built up a...

I hit a 300yd drive once. 1979 it was. Middle of a very dry spell. Downwind. Downhill. With a hugely heavy persimmon beast. Nowadays it's something like: 9I - 110 8I - 125 7I - 140 6I - 150 5I - 160 4H - 170 3H - 180 2H - :rofl: 4W - 200 off a tee D - 190 OOB D - 175 In the pond New driver...

Limited time to book ( either 13th or 21st September iirc) but the holidays look to be proper offers compared with most companies I'm not a travel expert so feel free to critique if I'm giving you a bum steer. But we've just booked Tobago last week November AND Portugal in March for less than...

At our place 6 out of 11 people are smokers. Any of us can take 5 mins here or there away from our desk. As long as the work is done noone keeps a record. I sometimes wander out with them and I'm always surprised how little time it takes to have a fag when they're desperate. I'm just enjoying...

I thought the bar levy was brought in at clubs where the bar/restaurant manager earns his/ her money from taking, so it gives them a guaranteed income. IE the money is kept away from subs and other fees and specifically goes to one person.