New look

New design, what do you think? Think I prefer black. If I change the design I might write some more on my blog.

Teaching

I've been teaching now for a few years and this time of year is really stressful. I been trying to think why it's been so hard and I have come to the following conclusions.

1. For some teachers all their years work is wrapped up in the performance of young people at this time of year. In my case, I have very little control over what they do or how they perform I just know that next years course will be coloured by how they do.
2. Everyone is in the same position. All teachers are trying their best to get learners past qualifications.
3. Some learners do not share our urgency.
4. We have so many mundane and (what seem) worthless paper work and tasks to do.
5. Deadlines are final and cannot be crossed
6. I have come across a few people who think they know what it is to work with 16 - 18 year old young people at level 1 (foundation level, G - D GCSE) and they obviously don't.
7. Oh and we are trying to buy a new house, that does help

Bob Parr

My car went into repair yesterday and so I have a courtesy car for a week or so. I went to Enterprise Car Hire with some trepidation because I'm not a small bloke and struggle in small cars generally. I came out with a Ford Ka.

It's been a while

My blog has been on my mind for a while. I haven't contributed for a year now. There was a few reasons, facebook among them. I did tend to think about things in terms of how I would write this up as a blog entry. So I have given it a bit of a rest. But its time to post some more words and pictures. See how it goes.

Day off

I handed in my last assignment for my teaching qualification yesterday and today Matthew and I had a day out. We first went out to Ormskirk to get his hair cut. Here are some pictures from my new phone.


Matthew playing in the park


This is the view to Orsmkirk church which has a spire and a tower (weird)


It's the cup final tomorrow, but I saw Joe Royle go into a local craft shop. (He is now the manager at Oldham FC) Sadly no picture.

Technology

I think its really cool that pensioners are embracing the age of technology. Heather reviews articles that her dad writes for the church news letter. And so:

He wrote the original article in Microsoft Word on his PC at home.
He printed it out
He was unable to save the document on his PC
So he scanned the document back into the computer and saved it onto his USB drive
He gave the USB drive to Heather
Heather copied the file onto her USB drive and took it home
When Heather got the file home it was saved as a Jpeg picture
And drove to Southport to retype the document out from the picture supplied

Can anyone do better?

Dullest blog

Heather found this blog. Well worth a read.

http://www.dullestblog.com/

Bargains

It seems that Heather and I have a new pass time. We trawl the charity shops in Ormskirk for bargains. We have many charity shops to go to, at least 10. I look at the books whilst Heather does coats and dresses, I bought enough books to replenish their stocks. Heather has saved a fortune on nearly new clothes.

Of course Matthew follows us round complaining all the way.

CSI

I dont often watch CSI, but I am watching CSI New York (the one with Gary Sinise). I have noticed how everyone dies in a weird and interesting way always leaving cryptic clues. This show has Blow fish and a DJ related murder. But I suppose it would be a boring show if everyone that week died from not waking up or some sort of heart complaint.

Weekend

We have been in a friends cottage in the Lake District for the weekend. We had a very lovely time. And its only 90 minutes away.

This is Holker Hall, Matt and I went into a Motor Museum there.
Not sure what animal this is (or what it's doing)

Lake Windermere


Matt and Heather outside the cottage. (Thanks L&M)

Sometimes I am liking the pictures

Family Elliott at leisure

This is what happens in our house when we are all tired and need to relax. Al is on ebay (aspirational, although he now has a job), Heath is doing facebook (selling out/sorting her dad out), Kev is doing proper blogging.

It took a few goes to get the picture right.Sorry about the picture Heath.

Sally Army Post

At the end of last year I "stepped down" (???) as bandmaster after ten years (I think). So I have got my old cornet out and started to practice a bit (So I don't embarrass myself too much). As soon as I have started playing it has started to fall apart and so has gone for repair.

Hope it comes back OK. And less bent

Lessons in the obvious

Today Al (my son) has discovered all sorts of new things:

Knifes are sharp (he has cut himself twice today at work in a kitchen)

Ovens are hot (he has burnt himself in aforementioned kitchen)

To add to this, on the news today, kebabs are fattening. He wanted to stop on they way home and buy one, but we didn't.

Christmas 9

Happy Christmas everyone.

I have been trying to get the killer shot today, which is Grandad playing Guitar Hero on the Nintendo Wii.

Christmas 8

I promised some pictures of the band at Goodison Park on Monday so here we are.

If Carlsberg did Christmas Carolling

Last night was my second to last engagement as bandmaster. We went to Goodison Park for the Everton v Chelsea premiership game to play in the executive lounges, before the game on the pitch during the pre-match warm-up and again at half-time on the pitch.

We got insulted by Duncan McKenzie in the Alex Young Suite (made my day). He introduced us as "Take That" (whoever they are and what brass instruments do they play?).

I saw him later when we were on the pitch - he recognised me and gave me a thumbs up sign.

I'll try and get some more pictures from Pete.

Howard (my brother) said if he got a chance he would trip up John Terry with his trombone, make it onto Sky Sport and onto MOTD 2. But he didn't have to, he got sent off before half time (John Terry not Howard).

Missed the incident as we where queuing up waiting to walk onto the pitch.

We all have blue gravel and pitch mud on our shoes, we are all refusing to clean them. My dad has already spread it around his carpet at home.

Christmas 7

Radio Merseyside tonight with a few guys from the band. They told us they needed us from 5.00pm so we all rushed from work to get there on time. Only to be told we would not be on from 6:50. Doh!

Almost there now, only two more caroling engagements a Sunday, then the Everton v Chelsea game on Monday night.

Oh and Christmas eve.

Christmas 6

Its been a busy few days for Liverpool Walton Salvation Army band. ITV telly on Friday, we did BBC last year (The Liverpool Nativity) it's ITV this year. The consensus of opinion amongst bandmen is that BBC look after you better, we had to fight for sandwiches and muffins with the techy guys with ITV. The BBC sorted us out with a cooked meal with celebs. It was cold, dark and a bit miserable, we only had one chance to get thing right even though it wasn't live telly, so we don't really now what it will come out like. I suspect it will sound a bit dodgy. Too cold.
Saturday morning was carolling in Liverpool City Centre. We spent the morning looking for sports stars as Sports Personality was filmed in the Echo Arena, I didn't see one. There was loads of Spanish people around who had come to see Liverpool FC draw with Hull.
Sunday was our "Civic" carol concert. Two performances, good day.

Christmas 5

Tonight we did the ITV recording at Alder Hey childrens hospital for Christmas Eve.

We are all very tired.