It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
The monarchy will ... outlive
We'll see.
I think they're in big trouble. When she does eventually go an awful lot of shit is going to come out.
William seems like a decent bloke though, grounded with a nice wife. The rest can all bugger off.
I think the world is moving on, with this and so many other things. The OK, Boomer generation's constant complaining about 'woke' this and 'woke' that, which surfaces on here quite a lot (especially when Leon is on the sauce) is like Custer's last stand. Or Canute's as a better analogy.
We've seen what you did to the world and we're moving on.
TBF Cnut was on the woke or at least realistic side - making the point to the PBTories of his time that the tide was moving in.
Also is @Heathener in fact moving on? My impression from their postings is of a grumpy mid 60s woman with a walking pole.
And I do think Billy and Katie are overrated. Balding billionaire and social climber doesn't really do it for me.
They seem to be popular attributes in the country at large.
Although the appeal of Johnson and Mrs Johnson is less than it was...
Charles will probably turn out to be a slightly more popular king than it appears now. An even more outspokenly multicultural view on religion and environmentalism than his mother, for the left, and an old-Britain traditionalism on issues like architecture, and somewhat general rural-tweediness, for the right. Quite a reasonable balance and mix, in fact.
Yes, I think Charles will be a decent enough king though probably not so popular. Not that popularity matters, we have had plenty of unpopular monarchs over the years. Republicanism is nothing new.
I also don't think Charles would have prorogued Parliament as the Queen did (not least as he is probably a closet Remainer while the Queen was more pro Brexit).
Charles would have no choice . He couldn’t refuse and put himself in the middle of a political storm .
Proroguing Parliament is not the same as refusing to sign an Act passed by Parliament. Even the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional.
Remember Charles is a Cambridge graduate while the Queen never went to university, he will be more aware when he can use his powers and not
Cambridge graduate? I wonder how he achieved admission to Fen poly? I got 4A’s at A level, with a distinction in the chemistry special paper and still didn’t get in. Reckon he exceeded my grades?
I believe HMQ got some pretty solid grounding in constitutional law from some distinguished private tutors. Charlie is patently thick as fuck, Cambridge or not.
I have heard similar, via a friend who knew one of his tutors.
To be fair, you were probably applying for a course where solid academics were a necessity.
I got in to study Philosophy with far more modest grades.
Dare I ask what the criteria was for studying Philosophy? Raw cognitive ability? Creativity?
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If its that bad then go for it. If you're that unhappy in the job then better for both parties to go do something else.
I'd disagree. As you say, Sunday night is classic crisis time. I wouldn't counsel against change, but first of all make sure you've decided what you want to change to. It doesn't have to be the perfect answer, and you don't have to commit to your decision - but it does have to be something.
If you plan to stay in the same field, and you are reasonably confident about getting something new, fine - but if that's the case, surely you can work out your notice - and you'll be in a better negotiating position for starting your new job.
If you're looking for something new, great - but what? You don't have to know for sure, but you do need a plan for how you approach this. Do you need to retrain? If so, how do you go about doing so?
(I've changed career twice in my life - once was a conscious decision, once was taking an opportunity as it arose. So I definitely wouldn't say don't do it. But have a plan.)
A freak wave broke my arm in Cape Verde ! Lucky it knocked me over to hit my arm first rather than my head and then deposited me on the beach (trunks down !)
A freak wave broke my arm in Cape Verde ! Lucky it knocked me over to hit my arm first rather than my head and then deposited me on the beach (trunks down !)
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
In what context did you give them a piece of your mind? In hospital? Then fair enough. Almost anywhere else you are bang out of order. And rude to be honest.
There are far more not wearing masks and I simply do not see anyone brave or foolish enough to challenge them
Anyone comes near me in a shop without a mask they get a broadside. And my titanium tipped pole.
But fortunately most everyone wears them around here and virtually all the shop assistants. Whenever anyone approaches on the pavement we all cross the road: it has become a thing.
If you did that to me you'd get a punch in the face tbh. A very, very hard punch in the face.
Gloating about violence. How pathetic.
No gloating, just reality. Anyone who attacks me physically for not wearing a mask would get a retaliation.
That just makes you sound like a thug. Someone hits you (presumably lightly) with a pole, and you punch them hard in the face.
If you're like that in irl, then you're a nutter. If you're not like that, then you're just a prick on the Internet pretending to be a hard man.
Sorry but in the hypothetical scenario surely the person assaulting MaxPB with a stick is the one in the wrong and the provocateur ?
If someone did that to me I wouldn’t immediately hit them but if I was concerned for my safety I might. I’d sooner remove myself from the risk. They’re carrying a sharp stick after all and using it as a weapon.
It depends on the circumstances and the strength of the 'hit'. But Max's reply about a 'very, very hard punch in the face' is stupid.
Lives have been ruined and taken by that sort of attitude.
I mean, imagine if it was an accident, and Max saw the person was wearing a mask, and therefore punched her 'very, very hard in the face'.
As ever, if you can, deescalate a violent situation. Run away if necessary. Only attack back if you cannot.
Max evidently goes for escalation.
If someone wants to start something they need to be prepared for the situation to be ended. Someone hitting me with a titanium stick would be starting something. They need to be prepared to be hit in the face very hard. If they aren't they shouldn't be going around hitting people with sticks.
And if they shrug off the hit to the face, and decide to end it by doing worse to you? Or if you've utterly misinterpreted the situation and it wasn't an attack, and you've just hit an old lady hard in the face after she slipped and her pole went flying?
Always try to de-escalate. If your first instinct is to hit people very hard in the face, get anger management help - as should Heathener by the sounds of it.
If you have an unstoppable disposition towards violence, wing chun is ok. The idea is 'simultaneous attack and defence'. If someone attacks, you deflect the initial attack with one hand and with the other immobilise your attacker so you can finish the fight and get away. You drill it to the point where it becomes an instinctive reaction to any violent attack. If you have learned this, then it would stand as a defence in an assault case. There is obviously a risk of miscalculation though.
A freak wave broke my arm in Cape Verde ! Lucky it knocked me over to hit my arm first rather than my head and then deposited me on the beach (trunks down !)
One thing I noticed last night on the way home, street lamps in the suburbs seem to have been switched off. It seems as though the electricity capacity situation is worse than the government is letting on.
Been going on for years. Local authorities saving money
... protecting the environment, avoiding light-pollution... Seems fine to me.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
One thing I noticed last night on the way home, street lamps in the suburbs seem to have been switched off. It seems as though the electricity capacity situation is worse than the government is letting on.
Been going on for years. Local authorities saving money
... protecting the environment, avoiding light-pollution... Seems fine to me.
We are right at edge of countryside, wish they would switch off ours late on, big wasyte of money
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Very nice. Pulling on a rope or a more commanding role?
Mere rope pulling. Of which there is a lot, 3 x masts = 3x gaff sails, plus lots of jobs and the square sails. But really interesting, first time on a sailing ship Vs oversized yacht. This is only 7m shorter than Scott's terra Nova.
One thing I noticed last night on the way home, street lamps in the suburbs seem to have been switched off. It seems as though the electricity capacity situation is worse than the government is letting on.
Been going on for years. Local authorities saving money
... protecting the environment, avoiding light-pollution... Seems fine to me.
We are right at edge of countryside, wish they would switch off ours late on, big wasyte of money
I remember being holiday somewhere (Sweden?) and the streetlights were at chest height in the residential areas. Was a lovely effect.
One thing I noticed last night on the way home, street lamps in the suburbs seem to have been switched off. It seems as though the electricity capacity situation is worse than the government is letting on.
Been going on for years. Local authorities saving money
... protecting the environment, avoiding light-pollution... Seems fine to me.
We are right at edge of countryside, wish they would switch off ours late on, big wasyte of money
I remember being holiday somewhere (Sweden?) and the streetlights were at chest height in the residential areas. Was a lovely effect.
I had a rather stereotypical thought about why it was at chest height for the Swedes...
A freak wave broke my arm in Cape Verde ! Lucky it knocked me over to hit my arm first rather than my head and then deposited me on the beach (trunks down !)
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Very nice. Pulling on a rope or a more commanding role?
Mere rope pulling. Of which there is a lot, 3 x masts = 3x gaff sails, plus lots of jobs and the square sails. But really interesting, first time on a sailing ship Vs oversized yacht. This is only 7m shorter than Scott's terra Nova.
A decade ago I sailed to Dublin from Southampton on the Jeannie Johnston. A fantastic experience, but a storm soon told me that I am no sailor. Sea sickness is so utterly debilitating.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
Not wishing to pry, but it might help focus the mind to think what exactly is the problem with the current job?
A long time ago, just before the new LOTR franchise is set, I had a job where the people were fantastic, the environment was great, the commute was a 1m cycle ride, the wage was not depressing, the prospects seemed good. Many around me had had a job for life.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
A freak wave broke my arm in Cape Verde ! Lucky it knocked me over to hit my arm first rather than my head and then deposited me on the beach (trunks down !)
It all happened in a flash...
yes in that weird state you get in with sudden trauma all I could think about was to try and pull up my trunks but my arm was all flappy and it did not make sense! The pain cam later when the very basic x ray machine at the local hospital meant you had to adjust your arm to it not the other way around and then after having it strapped up for three days awaiting a flight home (wife and daughter pleased I cut their holiday short!) the moment I had to lower the arm to get it put in a caste uk side -owww
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
I suppose that depends on if you want to live the rest of your life in fear of covid.
Not that it will do those people any good as everyone will still come into contact with it.
It clearly upsets you you that people still wear masks, not sure why, it's personal preference.
You assume people who do are living "in fear" of covid. They are not. There are still plenty of cases so I pop my mask on in a crowded shop or public transport. Why take a risk? If it doesn't have any effect then so be it, but there is no downside to putting it on for a couple of minutes as far as I can see.
I'm in my early 70's and whenever it has been allowed we have been eating out 3 or 4 times a week , travelling around , staying in hotels, going abroad, going to concerts, meeting friends etc but acting cautiously and wearing a mask when we feel it's wise to do so. We haven't yet caught Covid and could easily carry on as we are for years if necessary. it's not impacting on what we do in the least.
I’m not upset that people wear masks. I’m very upset that I am still required to at work and expected to at my preferred supermarket. I think it’s reasonable that I shouldn’t have to, but my employer and John Lewis don’t seem to agree.
I can't comment on your employer but you are under no obligation to do so in a shop and nobody is going to say anything if you don't.
If a shop requested I did something whilst on their premises I would probably do so out of common courtesy if nothing else even if I didn't think it was necessary. It just wouldn't be a big deal. There's more to worry about in this life than something as inconsequential as whether to pop a mask on in a shop for a couple of minutes.
Yes I can perfectly happily shop in Waitrose without the mask, and yes it’s not a big deal to wear one either. Except in my head it is. I think this stems from my personal circumstances. Effectively freedom day has meant little to me because I still was under the Covid cosh at work and my preferred shop would like me to wear the mask too. So really since Feb last year nothing really changed for me, even when it did nationally. Now I can unilaterally stop tomorrow. I won’t get fired and I Waitrose will still take my money. But that’s not the point. I want the situation shifted to where those that want to wear masks do, but no one else is made to feel guilty for not doing so.
Genuine question, how does this idea that people are trying to make you feel guilty about not wearing a mask manifest itself?
In my experience at least half the people in any given shop aren't wearing a mask now and I haven't witnessed anything that could be described as making them feel guilty about it.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
Does this comment have something to do with Covid-19? Can't see what difference it makes myself. If you don't like a job, don't do it, both now and before the pandemic.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
Does this comment have something to do with Covid-19? Can't see what difference it makes myself. If you don't like a job, don't do it, both now and before the pandemic.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
Charles will probably turn out to be a slightly more popular king than it appears now. An even more outspokenly multicultural view on religion and environmentalism than his mother, for the left, and an old-Britain traditionalism on issues like architecture, and somewhat general rural-tweediness, for the right. Quite a reasonable balance and mix, in fact.
Yes, I think Charles will be a decent enough king though probably not so popular. Not that popularity matters, we have had plenty of unpopular monarchs over the years. Republicanism is nothing new.
I also don't think Charles would have prorogued Parliament as the Queen did (not least as he is probably a closet Remainer while the Queen was more pro Brexit).
Charles would have no choice . He couldn’t refuse and put himself in the middle of a political storm .
Proroguing Parliament is not the same as refusing to sign an Act passed by Parliament. Even the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional.
Remember Charles is a Cambridge graduate while the Queen never went to university, he will be more aware when he can use his powers and not
Cambridge graduate? I wonder how he achieved admission to Fen poly? I got 4A’s at A level, with a distinction in the chemistry special paper and still didn’t get in. Reckon he exceeded my grades?
Prince Charles got a B and C A levels which were perfectly respectable when he took them in the 1960s pre grade inflation. Indeed even most Oxbridge undergraduates did not have straight As then
You are not seriously suggesting that if he wasn't Prince Charles he would have got in with those grades are you? Mine were substantially better, not that much later and in the Sciences yet it was considered absolutely pointless to apply to Oxbridge from my background. I didn't want to be close to home so didn't apply to Imperial so my next best option was Manchester for Maths which I got into. But even there there was discrimination on background. A group of us took a Maths A level early and all got grade As. All the others were asked for the minimum requirement to get in to Manchester (one additional E), presumably as they had proved themselves having taken the A level after 1 year and getting an A in Maths. I was asked for 2 Bs and an E on top of my A. No interviews were involved and my O Levels were at least as good. The only difference was I was originally a Secondary school boy and they were Grammar school all the time at school.
Who you are sadly counted then and of course still does to a lesser extent.
So you did not apply to Oxbridge then? Had you applied with your grades you may well have got in.
Nowadays at some Oxbridge colleges if anything there is reverse discrimination, at many colleges if 2 pupils, 1 private and 1 state, get equal grades and did equally well at interview they will always take the state candidate.
William went to St Andrews of course, arguably now posher than Oxbridge
We were talking about Charles then, not now. I even stated that there was a lot less discrimination now.
Of course I would not have got in. My teachers weren't idiots. If there was any chance I would have given it ago. After all I have just demonstrated there was discrimination based on class even for Manchester. Oxbridge was no hope when I went to Uni. Not that it mattered as I wouldn't have been happy with a lot of toffs. I got enough of that with my first job.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
What about a private school?
I used to work in one. Never again. The DfE are useless scum but the private sector is far worse. There's no effective regulation at all. When I found the ISI considered the school Met all standards despite being told the head had torn up all staff contracts, physically assaulted two staff and a parent, and arbitrarily fired all his middle managers to promote two of his drinking cronies to run superfaculties instead, it was time to move on.
And that was even before the Bursar quit because he'd been asked to cover up a child pornography incident...
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
I like teaching, as an intellectual and emotional exercise. Plus I am very good at it. Judged by my results I am one of the top 200 teachers of A-level history in the country.
It's the education sector and all the BS that comes with it that's pissing me off.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
@FrankBooth If you quit without serving your notice it is likely to come up in the future and people are going to want to know why. It has the potential to cause you a lot of unnecessary problems as even if you are starting your own business the question of employment history and references will come up. If you really cannot face going back to work it would be better to phone in sick with depression or some similar mental health problem and then hand in your notice on health grounds.
I had a 'crisis' in the past and tried to quit my job, I ended up taking a month off and came back to finish everything I was working on, and left the organisation on good terms. Looking back it was definetly the right thing to do.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
I took a conscious decision to retire early at 57, a) because I could afford to, b) because I was feeling drained by work after 37 years, and c) because I had lots of projects to pursue.
I don't regret it at all but make sure you have enough to keep you busy is my advice - particularly through those long winter months.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
I like teaching, as an intellectual and emotional exercise. Plus I am very good at it. Judged by my results I am one of the top 200 teachers of A-level history in the country.
It's the education sector and all the BS that comes with it that's pissing me off.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
I don't think it's selfish not to wear a mask from now on. In fact you could argue it's selfish to wear them because it's very unhelpful to those who rely on lip-reading to understand people for instance.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Those I know who quit are both very glad they did, and miss it greatly.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Those I know who quit are both very glad they did, and miss it greatly.
One reason I haven't just walked away is that I think after a few years I might go back.
I don't believe the current situation is sustainable, and there is always a chance, however remote, that the replacement might be better.
And my father is a big cause of worry to me at the moment as well, but that's because he's approaching the end of his life and needs more and more monitoring. Equally, that will not go on for ever.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
I suppose that depends on if you want to live the rest of your life in fear of covid.
Not that it will do those people any good as everyone will still come into contact with it.
It clearly upsets you you that people still wear masks, not sure why, it's personal preference.
You assume people who do are living "in fear" of covid. They are not. There are still plenty of cases so I pop my mask on in a crowded shop or public transport. Why take a risk? If it doesn't have any effect then so be it, but there is no downside to putting it on for a couple of minutes as far as I can see.
I'm in my early 70's and whenever it has been allowed we have been eating out 3 or 4 times a week , travelling around , staying in hotels, going abroad, going to concerts, meeting friends etc but acting cautiously and wearing a mask when we feel it's wise to do so. We haven't yet caught Covid and could easily carry on as we are for years if necessary. it's not impacting on what we do in the least.
I’m not upset that people wear masks. I’m very upset that I am still required to at work and expected to at my preferred supermarket. I think it’s reasonable that I shouldn’t have to, but my employer and John Lewis don’t seem to agree.
I can't comment on your employer but you are under no obligation to do so in a shop and nobody is going to say anything if you don't.
If a shop requested I did something whilst on their premises I would probably do so out of common courtesy if nothing else even if I didn't think it was necessary. It just wouldn't be a big deal. There's more to worry about in this life than something as inconsequential as whether to pop a mask on in a shop for a couple of minutes.
I wrote this in July; I think it has held up well:
'Someone downthread said that no-one had tried to justify why masks should be dropped. So I'll have a go in three hits. I admit not many have justified removal of mask mandates - and I think that is because, like banning peanuts from certain environments like schools where one child is allergic, it is seen as 'low cost' or 'not a huge deal'.
1) Philosophical. In my view that is not a sensible or desirable policy for a whole society to adapt permanently to for a transient event, nor is it justified to protect a tiny minority of immuno-supressed individuals who live with the chance of catching the flu every-day, anyway. Since the chance of medical collapse has gone, the analogy of masks to protect the vulnerable would be banning peanuts across the country because some are allergic. imposing restrictions on the many in the small chance that it might prevent the odd infection for a tiny minority of unvaccinated individuals is unwieldy.
2) Scientific and epidemiological. For a start, the cloth I wear over my face does little to nothing to stop any spread. It isn't properly fitted, I don't replace it frequently enough. I have seen much worse than my own. So they largely don't work in the real world. Secondly, we have a vaccine wall which will protect us far more. A pandemic exit wave will burn out in population whether vaccinated or not; we've done wonders, we need to have confidence in science
3) Socio-political. Masks to me are a symbol of fear, concern, or general alertness - and I am sure that I am not alone. The crisis is over. I don't want people covering to the whims of authority forever and a day. Fear makes society far too easy to mould by those who govern a fearful society is not a free society. It is suboptimal.
To conclude; I think the problem is that people have come to see any covid as terrible, and therefore support any measures to supress it, no matter how onerous. This is foolish. We will not be rid of it. Living with it is the only way through.'
I think you just need to accept that people think differently about it. I fully agree with you that mandatory mask wearing has been ended now the threat is diminishing but you seem to be veering towards the other extreme and would like to see mask wearing banned.
One pleasant bonus for me as a regular winter cold and flu sufferer is that I have gone 2 years without a sniffle and I expect the is because my FFP3 mask on public transport has protected me from other people coughing and sneezing all over me. I'm beginning to see why masks are so prevalent in many countries isuch as Japan.
The Venn diagram of those furiously opposed to voluntary mask wearing, and those in favour of a compulsory week of mourning would be interesting.
I'm confused what would be compulsory about it. I don't remember being forced to mourn for Phillip. No, there being news coverage and official events does not count as being forced, people are being over dramatic about 'resisting' something that isn't compulsory to begin with, like it would be some grand achievement.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
Does this comment have something to do with Covid-19? Can't see what difference it makes myself. If you don't like a job, don't do it, both now and before the pandemic.
One thing I will say though is for me, and I suspect a few others, Covid-19 did give us space to pause and consider 'is this really the way we want things to be for ever?'
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
I like teaching, as an intellectual and emotional exercise. Plus I am very good at it. Judged by my results I am one of the top 200 teachers of A-level history in the country.
It's the education sector and all the BS that comes with it that's pissing me off.
Teaching is a wonderful, noble and rewarding pursuit. The tsunami of utter cobblers that accompanies it these days is the opposite.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
Know what they are doing as a manager, or know what they are doing about the job in general? Two different things.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
I took a conscious decision to retire early at 57, a) because I could afford to, b) because I was feeling drained by work after 37 years, and c) because I had lots of projects to pursue.
I don't regret it at all but make sure you have enough to keep you busy is my advice - particularly through those long winter months.
I am planning to reappear after the 28 day break required by the pension, but part time or as a locum. Mostly I like my job, despite the hassles. It helps that I have good colleagues, fairly supportive management and actually like my clients. Not everyone has that advantage.
My dad took voluntary redundancy aged 53 once he stopped enjoying his job, and set up as an independent trader. My younger brother did too at a similar age, now working independently too.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
I don't think it's selfish not to wear a mask from now on.
I was listening to Leitch on the radio trying to justify choirs still having to wear masks.
The most annoying one for me is the 20 seconds between the door and the bikes in the gym. Pointless.
I just checked my work whatsapp messages. A lot of my colleagues live in the countryside (Kent and Sussex) and are without power and in some cases water. Lots of schools closed tomorrow due to no power. Still very windy today.
I just checked my work whatsapp messages. A lot of my colleagues live in the countryside (Kent and Sussex) and are without power and in some cases water. Lots of schools closed tomorrow due to no power. Still very windy today.
Serious flooding in my area, and it's still raining.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
This was one of the most impactful things when reading that book about bullshit jobs - many of the examples people felt almost as if they should be confused or guilty about being so unfulfilled and even depressed getting paid what might be decent money to do nothing (or nothing useful), but it can be hard to get through.
I'm a box ticker, but I don't generally mind ticking boxes so it is ok.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
Know what they are doing as a manager, or know what they are doing about the job in general? Two different things.
Both.
Sure, she does things that annoy me sometimes, but any manager would do that unless it was me. Heck, come to think of it even I've made decisions that have annoyed me.
My last principal as you may have gathered from my earlier comment, was anything but.
And he was an awful teacher too, actually. He made even the goriest of Shakespeare's plays incredibly boring.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Yes, indeed
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunter gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
I like teaching, as an intellectual and emotional exercise. Plus I am very good at it. Judged by my results I am one of the top 200 teachers of A-level history in the country.
I am suitably impressed, but I should probably know how many teachers of A Level history there are before I know how impressed I should be
I just checked my work whatsapp messages. A lot of my colleagues live in the countryside (Kent and Sussex) and are without power and in some cases water. Lots of schools closed tomorrow due to no power. Still very windy today.
My school is closed tomorrow...but then, it is half term.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Yes, indeed
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunger gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
Of course, many quite like office desk careers (and not only those who have never had the chance to do otherwise). It's telling it can be portrayed like hell in TV and films, often by people for whom it would be hell, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone.
Charles will probably turn out to be a slightly more popular king than it appears now. An even more outspokenly multicultural view on religion and environmentalism than his mother, for the left, and an old-Britain traditionalism on issues like architecture, and somewhat general rural-tweediness, for the right. Quite a reasonable balance and mix, in fact.
Yes, I think Charles will be a decent enough king though probably not so popular. Not that popularity matters, we have had plenty of unpopular monarchs over the years. Republicanism is nothing new.
I also don't think Charles would have prorogued Parliament as the Queen did (not least as he is probably a closet Remainer while the Queen was more pro Brexit).
Charles would have no choice . He couldn’t refuse and put himself in the middle of a political storm .
Proroguing Parliament is not the same as refusing to sign an Act passed by Parliament. Even the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional.
Remember Charles is a Cambridge graduate while the Queen never went to university, he will be more aware when he can use his powers and not
Cambridge graduate? I wonder how he achieved admission to Fen poly? I got 4A’s at A level, with a distinction in the chemistry special paper and still didn’t get in. Reckon he exceeded my grades?
I believe HMQ got some pretty solid grounding in constitutional law from some distinguished private tutors. Charlie is patently thick as fuck, Cambridge or not.
I have heard similar, via a friend who knew one of his tutors.
Odd then, that when he has often spoken out on 'unfashionable' topics, such as the environment (built and natural), he has generally been proven to be on the 'right' side.
Actually I partly agree with this. I think the reason is his youth in the 1960's - he seemed to have a formative, slightly more radical patch, and then a more traditionalist period. As a result, however intelligent he is or not, I think his overall perspective on a lot of things looks quite well-balanced.
If he could vote Charles would probably be a LD I would imagine, occasionally voting Green or Tory
Do you think he’d happily vote for this Tory admin ?
No, as I said he would probably also be a Remainer and LD voter. I suspect Charles would get on better with a PM Starmer than PM Boris. Charles will also be more of a reformer as monarch than his mother.
The Queen was probably a Brexiteer, Charles probably not
Top marks in the PB Ridiculous and Pointless Speculation competition
That's less of a competition than a PB mission statement.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
I like teaching, as an intellectual and emotional exercise. Plus I am very good at it. Judged by my results I am one of the top 200 teachers of A-level history in the country.
I am suitably impressed, but I should probably know how many teachers of A Level history there are before I know how impressed I should be
Good question, to which the answer is I have no idea because there is no precise data.
However, there were 17,132 history teachers for the 2020-21 period, the last for which data is available.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
This problem is not unique to teaching though. It's everywhere. A fact of life perhaps. I would say that being able to adapt to being poorly managed is an essential survival skill. That and not taking work too seriously.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Do you have to stay in teaching? I wanted to get as far away as possible from my old job. Running a retail business with my wife certainly was.
I like teaching, as an intellectual and emotional exercise. Plus I am very good at it. Judged by my results I am one of the top 200 teachers of A-level history in the country.
I am suitably impressed, but I should probably know how many teachers of A Level history there are before I know how impressed I should be
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
Those I know who quit are both very glad they did, and miss it greatly.
One reason I haven't just walked away is that I think after a few years I might go back.
I don't believe the current situation is sustainable, and there is always a chance, however remote, that the replacement might be better.
And my father is a big cause of worry to me at the moment as well, but that's because he's approaching the end of his life and needs more and more monitoring. Equally, that will not go on for ever.
I wish you all the best, whatever you decide. I wish I’d had a history teacher of your ability.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
This problem is not unique to teaching though. It's everywhere. A fact of life perhaps. I would say that being able to adapt to being poorly managed is an essential survival skill. That and not taking work too seriously.
The problem with this argument is you cannot do teaching without taking it seriously. It really is a job that dominates your life, or it is a job that you do badly. There is no middle course.
And that's why so many people leave it. They either get fed up with being rubbish, or they get fed up with being exhausted and having no life.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Yes, indeed
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunger gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
Of course, many quite like office desk careers (and not only those who have never had the chance to do otherwise). It's telling it can be portrayed like hell in TV and films, often by people for whom it would be hell, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone.
I think you'd last about 4 hours trying it
Oh, don't get me wrong. I have friends who LOVE the office life and the endless meetings and the internecine politics and they thrive on it (these are people who have generally hated WFH). They like the face to face human contact and banter and bonhomie, and people like this are crucial to making society work (which is why universal WFH is a TERRIBLE idea)
We are social animals. I am unusual. The price I pay for my freelance independence is often loneliness and - practically - lack of pension, sick pay, holiday pay, even Xmas parties - I miss the camaraderie of a team, quite deeply. But no life is perfect, of course
OTOH I have seen the entire fucking world and had a fabulous time. I will die with regrets, we all will, but my career won't be one of them. It has been a hoot and a half
The Venn diagram of those furiously opposed to voluntary mask wearing, and those in favour of a compulsory week of mourning would be interesting.
I'm confused what would be compulsory about it. I don't remember being forced to mourn for Phillip. No, there being news coverage and official events does not count as being forced, people are being over dramatic about 'resisting' something that isn't compulsory to begin with, like it would be some grand achievement.
I think not being able to do things because they might be seen as 'disrespectful' would count as compulsory mourning. I can well remember quite a few events being cancelled when Diana died.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Yes, indeed
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunger gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
Of course, many quite like office desk careers (and not only those who have never had the chance to do otherwise). It's telling it can be portrayed like hell in TV and films, often by people for whom it would be hell, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone.
I think you'd last about 4 hours trying it
Oh, don't get me wrong. I have friends who LOVE the office life and the endless meetings and the internecine politics and they thrive on it (these are people who have generally hated WFH). They like the face to face human contact and banter and bonhomie, and people like this are crucial to making society work (which is why universal WFH is a TERRIBLE idea)
We are social animals. I am unusual. The price I pay for my freelance independence is often loneliness and - practically - lack of pension, sick pay, holiday pay, even Xmas parties - I miss the camaraderie of a team, quite deeply. But no life is perfect, of course
OTOH I have seen the entire fucking world and had a fabulous time. I will die with regrets, we all will, but my career won't be one of them. It has been a hoot and a half
I'm amazed to learn knapping flint dildoes involves so much travelling.
But if it was to meet customers, no wonder you have seen all the fucking in the world.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Yes, indeed
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunger gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
Of course, many quite like office desk careers (and not only those who have never had the chance to do otherwise). It's telling it can be portrayed like hell in TV and films, often by people for whom it would be hell, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
This problem is not unique to teaching though. It's everywhere. A fact of life perhaps. I would say that being able to adapt to being poorly managed is an essential survival skill. That and not taking work too seriously.
The problem with this argument is you cannot do teaching without taking it seriously. It really is a job that dominates your life, or it is a job that you do badly. There is no middle course.
And that's why so many people leave it. They either get fed up with being rubbish, or they get fed up with being exhausted and having no life.
The stories of innocent postmasters and postmistresses, ruined, humiliated and, in many cases, led off to prison when they had done nothing wrong, makes me want to hit something every time I hear it.
I am filled with admiration for those who worked for years to expose this dreadful scandal, and relieved for our society that the victims are at least being vindicated. But the pain and unjust shame endured by those caught in this horror is too appalling to think about. I do not know what punishment, or penance would be right for the executives responsible. I know that they have not experienced it.
But I think it is one of many horrible things that probably could not have happened so easily in an older Britain. I think we have become too gullible, too ready to accept the official version of everything. And a key reason for that is that nobody reads the Sherlock Holmes stories any more. I ask around friends and colleagues, and they just haven’t and don’t."
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
This problem is not unique to teaching though. It's everywhere. A fact of life perhaps. I would say that being able to adapt to being poorly managed is an essential survival skill. That and not taking work too seriously.
The problem with this argument is you cannot do teaching without taking it seriously. It really is a job that dominates your life, or it is a job that you do badly. There is no middle course.
And that's why so many people leave it. They either get fed up with being rubbish, or they get fed up with being exhausted and having no life.
God that's intense!
One thing that really hasn't been considered about the extended school hours the drunken imbeciles DfE are said to be considering is who would staff them.
If it's ordinary teachers, they would need to get our working week from five days to four or even three if we were to do all the work that comes with it.
At the moment I have 23 contact hours a week. That's not the most I've ever had - one year in a private school it was 31 - but it's as much as I can manage and possibly rather more while marking sets of books and planning lessons for exam classes of 31 and 32.
The stories of innocent postmasters and postmistresses, ruined, humiliated and, in many cases, led off to prison when they had done nothing wrong, makes me want to hit something every time I hear it.
I am filled with admiration for those who worked for years to expose this dreadful scandal, and relieved for our society that the victims are at least being vindicated. But the pain and unjust shame endured by those caught in this horror is too appalling to think about. I do not know what punishment, or penance would be right for the executives responsible. I know that they have not experienced it.
But I think it is one of many horrible things that probably could not have happened so easily in an older Britain. I think we have become too gullible, too ready to accept the official version of everything. And a key reason for that is that nobody reads the Sherlock Holmes stories any more. I ask around friends and colleagues, and they just haven’t and don’t."
Is it that elementary? I think not.
Anyway, I am off to bed. Good night and enjoy your evenings.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
If your job is making you miserable, then quit. Life is WAY too short
Best thing I ever did was quit my last full time job and go freelance "for six months". That was twenty years ago...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Yes, indeed
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunger gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
Of course, many quite like office desk careers (and not only those who have never had the chance to do otherwise). It's telling it can be portrayed like hell in TV and films, often by people for whom it would be hell, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone.
I think you'd last about 4 hours trying it
And it would be 4 hours of hell. Possibly for Leon too.
Excuse me for being self-indulgent but pb is nothing if not eclectic. I know Sunday evenings is a classic crisis moment but I'm honestly tempted to phone in the office tomorrow and quit my job with immediate effect. Frankly, I've had it. Bit risky but I have savings to tide me over for quite a bit and I honestly think if I simply carry on with the same cycle of drudgery nothing will ever change. Stare in to the abyss long enough and the abyss with stare back in to you.
I know the feeling, and believe me I have been very fucking tempted myself over the last few months. In fact, one of the things I want to do this week is work out what my minimum required income from self employment would need to be if I go down that route.
However:
I would strongly advise you to serve out any notice period. Don't burn your bridges too far yet. You may need a reference from them later.
Go for it. I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
At the moment I'm looking at private tutoring. I already do some and quite enjoy it. I can offer it to A-level in four, possibly five subjects, and it would leave me more time during the day itself to do other things. I could also top that up with some more music, particularly weddings and funerals, which can be quite lucrative if you get enough of them.
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
27 months to go for me, not that I am counting.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
Sounds like @ydoethur doesn't hate teaching. He hates the 'blob' superstructure around teaching these days.
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
I don't mind being managed, as long as the managers know what they're doing. I'll take instructions from my current Head, for example, as she's been in this job for 35 years and knows her stuff.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
This problem is not unique to teaching though. It's everywhere. A fact of life perhaps. I would say that being able to adapt to being poorly managed is an essential survival skill. That and not taking work too seriously.
The problem with this argument is you cannot do teaching without taking it seriously. It really is a job that dominates your life, or it is a job that you do badly. There is no middle course.
And that's why so many people leave it. They either get fed up with being rubbish, or they get fed up with being exhausted and having no life.
God that's intense!
One thing that really hasn't been considered about the extended school hours the drunken imbeciles DfE are said to be considering is who would staff them.
If it's ordinary teachers, they would need to get our working week from five days to four or even three if we were to do all the work that comes with it.
At the moment I have 23 contact hours a week. That's not the most I've ever had - one year in a private school it was 31 - but it's as much as I can manage and possibly rather more while marking sets of books and planning lessons for exam classes of 31 and 32.
Yes, a similar issue at my gaff. The need to get waiting lists down being achieved by flogging the existing staff rather harder, until they all go to work in the ISTCs.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
I suppose that depends on if you want to live the rest of your life in fear of covid.
Not that it will do those people any good as everyone will still come into contact with it.
It clearly upsets you you that people still wear masks, not sure why, it's personal preference.
You assume people who do are living "in fear" of covid. They are not. There are still plenty of cases so I pop my mask on in a crowded shop or public transport. Why take a risk? If it doesn't have any effect then so be it, but there is no downside to putting it on for a couple of minutes as far as I can see.
I'm in my early 70's and whenever it has been allowed we have been eating out 3 or 4 times a week , travelling around , staying in hotels, going abroad, going to concerts, meeting friends etc but acting cautiously and wearing a mask when we feel it's wise to do so. We haven't yet caught Covid and could easily carry on as we are for years if necessary. it's not impacting on what we do in the least.
I’m not upset that people wear masks. I’m very upset that I am still required to at work and expected to at my preferred supermarket. I think it’s reasonable that I shouldn’t have to, but my employer and John Lewis don’t seem to agree.
I can't comment on your employer but you are under no obligation to do so in a shop and nobody is going to say anything if you don't.
If a shop requested I did something whilst on their premises I would probably do so out of common courtesy if nothing else even if I didn't think it was necessary. It just wouldn't be a big deal. There's more to worry about in this life than something as inconsequential as whether to pop a mask on in a shop for a couple of minutes.
Yes I can perfectly happily shop in Waitrose without the mask, and yes it’s not a big deal to wear one either. Except in my head it is. I think this stems from my personal circumstances. Effectively freedom day has meant little to me because I still was under the Covid cosh at work and my preferred shop would like me to wear the mask too. So really since Feb last year nothing really changed for me, even when it did nationally. Now I can unilaterally stop tomorrow. I won’t get fired and I Waitrose will still take my money. But that’s not the point. I want the situation shifted to where those that want to wear masks do, but no one else is made to feel guilty for not doing so.
Genuine question, how does this idea that people are trying to make you feel guilty about not wearing a mask manifest itself?
In my experience at least half the people in any given shop aren't wearing a mask now and I haven't witnessed anything that could be described as making them feel guilty about it.
I feel I’m doing the right thing by my fellow customers that might be a lot more scared of Covid than me, and as requested by the shop itself. No one is glaring at people, or tutting away. There is nothing to stop me not wearing a mask other than my respect for others. I have not met anyone like @Heathener, not for a while at any rate. The people jumping into the road to get 2m away genuinely did happen though. I guess this is all about how we behave in society. My behaviour in Waitrose is to follow what the company has asked and I think it’s mainly for the benefit of the wary.
I've just been asked to get involved in planning our village celebrations for HMQ's Platinum Jubilee.
I feel we may need to think of a contingency plan, in case of... you know.
Just make sure everything can be repurposed to a coronation party. I find it really weird that people would even think about turning up to something like this, but I hope you have fun with it.
Inflation is a problem but Sunak's rebate for gas and electricity consumers in the autumn should help. Most of the swing voters who might go to Labour over the economy and NI rise have likely already gone, the 34% still voting Tory will generally do so regardless as they are conservative in the culture wars, ie almost all Leavers and anti Covid restrictions and sceptical of Wokeism.
As for MPs pay, other public sector workers have had a rise so no reason they should be exempt
I'm not wholly convinced - the elderly are also influenced by what their children and grandchildren tell them. If they start hearing real economic hardship within their families, it may yet count against Sunak and the Conservatives.
Up to now, the cash savings accumulated by many middle class households during the virus has cushioned the blow of inflation but those reserves will be consumed by overpriced holidays and a return to full-blooded consumption which in turn which help fuel more inflation.
My local Tesco's now at 143.9p for petrol - 4p off its all time high just before the 2008 financial crash when oil prices were much higher (but of course sterling hadn't had the post-Referendum devaluation).
The other problem is a 2% inflation and 5% wage rises keeps everyone happy - it doesn't work so well the other way and savings rates remain miserably low. Try seeing what an ISA or Premium Bonds will get you these days.
Well, the hardship of the young hasn't melted the hearts of the old yet, so we shall see.
The key factor for the Tory core vote is continual house price inflation: the middle class elderly accumulate asset wealth, which they (and the heirs) expect to be passed down the generations as close to intact as possible. If the Tories want to make sure that all the olds turn out to bolster their support at the next election, they should go into it with a headline promise to scrap inheritance tax, backed up by more bribes for pensioners.
The Tories need to expand home ownership as far as they can. Their future depends on it.
Would be a huge vote winner with an entire disenfranchised generation.
Trouble is, it means massive building and that means in places where NIMBY tories don't want them. I don't see a solution without going onto brownfield AND greenfield sites.
Too many people chasing too few goods is basic A level economics but it holds good for an island which is small and over-populated.
The other solution is to turn Britain into such a shitshow that people won't want to live here anymore. Oh wait ...
One of the big vote winners for the Lib Dems in Chesham was opposing housing development. There are plenty of homes available for reasonable prices but they are not where the people want to make a,life.
There aren't that many homes available at reasonable prices. The population of the UK has increased by nearly 20% in recent years but the housing supply hasn't. The idea of plenty of spare houses being available is a very bad joke.
There are in the North East, North West, Wales, Scotland and other parts of the country. There just aren’t that many affordable ones where people want to buy.
Is this a bad joke?
I live in the North West, please advise where in the North West there are plenty of spare houses available at reasonable prices? There simply aren't.
House prices may be lower in the NW but so too are incomes. The house price to earnings ratio up here is well above what it was nationwide at the turn of the century.
You are delusional if you think there's an abundance of affordable homes anywhere. We need much, much more construction to make up the deficit of population growth not being matched by housing growth in recent decades.
I've just been asked to get involved in planning our village celebrations for HMQ's Platinum Jubilee.
I feel we may need to think of a contingency plan, in case of... you know.
Just make sure everything can be repurposed to a coronation party. I find it really weird that people would even think about turning up to something like this, but I hope you have fun with it.
My patch had fun for the diamond jubillee. Mrs Foxy won the baking contest with her cupcakes, and I came second in the dog and owner lookalike contest. My neighbour won with his sons pug, but I have to concede rightly so.
The stories of innocent postmasters and postmistresses, ruined, humiliated and, in many cases, led off to prison when they had done nothing wrong, makes me want to hit something every time I hear it.
I am filled with admiration for those who worked for years to expose this dreadful scandal, and relieved for our society that the victims are at least being vindicated. But the pain and unjust shame endured by those caught in this horror is too appalling to think about. I do not know what punishment, or penance would be right for the executives responsible. I know that they have not experienced it.
But I think it is one of many horrible things that probably could not have happened so easily in an older Britain. I think we have become too gullible, too ready to accept the official version of everything. And a key reason for that is that nobody reads the Sherlock Holmes stories any more. I ask around friends and colleagues, and they just haven’t and don’t."
Is it that elementary? I think not.
Anyway, I am off to bed. Good night and enjoy your evenings.
Its a disaster. People often (sometimes on here) say our legal system is the best in the worldor at least very good but this disaster shows it up for what it is. One ,two even maybe five postmasters could be crooks and therefore cases brought, when you get to hundreds surely there has to be a bit of common sense or humility amongst the legal chain of progression to see something is wrong and its not that every postmaster is bent. A fkin disgrace and Hitchens is bang on and Hitchens is good at this (ie a sense check when all the groupthink is the other way)
Comments
Although the appeal of Johnson and Mrs Johnson is less than it was...
https://youtu.be/QLodkaDHn4g
Life is hard out here, there's a fridge for the tonic but no ice maker. But I do not repine.
I wouldn't counsel against change, but first of all make sure you've decided what you want to change to. It doesn't have to be the perfect answer, and you don't have to commit to your decision - but it does have to be something.
If you plan to stay in the same field, and you are reasonably confident about getting something new, fine - but if that's the case, surely you can work out your notice - and you'll be in a better negotiating position for starting your new job.
If you're looking for something new, great - but what? You don't have to know for sure, but you do need a plan for how you approach this. Do you need to retrain? If so, how do you go about doing so?
(I've changed career twice in my life - once was a conscious decision, once was taking an opportunity as it arose. So I definitely wouldn't say don't do it. But have a plan.)
My reply was, 'no, I'll just take it outside for five seconds.'
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oosterschelde_(ship)
I quit a cushy civil service job after 20 years to run my own business. Had its ups and downs, but never regretted for a moment.
Scotland has not achieved independence yet and is not likely to for many years
It isn't particularly secure as an income. However, it would be a much pleasanter life than the hell hole teaching has become due to the endless stream of fuckups perpetrated by the DfE, Ofqual and OFSTED, which included this week a decision to publicly ban the teaching of academic history. (It wasn't deliberate, it's just they're very dim and don't realise what they said.)
But I need to do the sums first.
Even if I do decide to stay on in teaching however, I will definitely be looking to go part time, as this just isn't worth it.
https://jeaniejohnston.ie/
A long time ago, just before the new LOTR franchise is set, I had a job where the people were fantastic, the environment was great, the commute was a 1m cycle ride, the wage was not depressing, the prospects seemed good. Many around me had had a job for life.
And yet, I was bored...
Much more difficult to do with a mortgage and/or kids though.
Having the finances to be able to walk away is a great tonic. Not everyone has that option, but life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate.
In my experience at least half the people in any given shop aren't wearing a mask now and I haven't witnessed anything that could be described as making them feel guilty about it.
Of course I would not have got in. My teachers weren't idiots. If there was any chance I would have given it ago. After all I have just demonstrated there was discrimination based on class even for Manchester. Oxbridge was no hope when I went to Uni. Not that it mattered as I wouldn't have been happy with a lot of toffs. I got enough of that with my first job.
And that was even before the Bursar quit because he'd been asked to cover up a child pornography incident...
We seem to live in an age where professionals are not trusted. they must be controlled at all times by management tick box.
It's the education sector and all the BS that comes with it that's pissing me off.
If you quit without serving your notice it is likely to come up in the future and people are going to want to know why. It has the potential to cause you a lot of unnecessary problems as even if you are starting your own business the question of employment history and references will come up. If you really cannot face going back to work it would be better to phone in sick with depression or some similar mental health problem and then hand in your notice on health grounds.
I had a 'crisis' in the past and tried to quit my job, I ended up taking a month off and came back to finish everything I was working on, and left the organisation on good terms. Looking back it was definetly the right thing to do.
I don't regret it at all but make sure you have enough to keep you busy is my advice - particularly through those long winter months.
The problem is that a great many other people giving me orders don't.
I don't believe the current situation is sustainable, and there is always a chance, however remote, that the replacement might be better.
And my father is a big cause of worry to me at the moment as well, but that's because he's approaching the end of his life and needs more and more monitoring. Equally, that will not go on for ever.
One pleasant bonus for me as a regular winter cold and flu sufferer is that I have gone 2 years without a sniffle and I expect the is because my FFP3 mask on public transport has protected me from other people coughing and sneezing all over me. I'm beginning to see why masks are so prevalent in many countries isuch as Japan.
The tsunami of utter cobblers that accompanies it these days is the opposite.
My dad took voluntary redundancy aged 53 once he stopped enjoying his job, and set up as an independent trader. My younger brother did too at a similar age, now working independently too.
The most annoying one for me is the 20 seconds between the door and the bikes in the gym. Pointless.
I'm a box ticker, but I don't generally mind ticking boxes so it is ok.
Sure, she does things that annoy me sometimes, but any manager would do that unless it was me. Heck, come to think of it even I've made decisions that have annoyed me.
My last principal as you may have gathered from my earlier comment, was anything but.
And he was an awful teacher too, actually. He made even the goriest of Shakespeare's plays incredibly boring.
I am speaking from a place of privilege. I have literally NEVER had a "normal" job. Never "gone into" work
Never had an office desk. Never commuted. Never clock-watched. Never had "4 weeks holiday" or whatever. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER.
I am a hunter gatherer. I catch an antelope, I eat well, and share it with grateful young womenkind, if I don't catch one, I starve and go celibate. I have experienced both
But I have observed many many friends go through more normal careers and in my experience yes, after a period of reflection (as wisely advised by other PB-ers on here), you *should* leave a job if you describe it as "drudgery". That is not a life
Work is half of life if not more. Drudgery is a terrible word
I think you'd last about 4 hours trying it
However, there were 17,132 history teachers for the 2020-21 period, the last for which data is available.
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/school-workforce-in-england
Vicky Wright: How nurse who worked on COVID frontline became Olympic curling champion http://news.sky.com/story/vicky-wright-how-nurse-who-worked-on-covid-frontline-became-olympic-curling-champion-12547019
but, does that make Vicky Wright the last of the 'amateur' Gold Medal winners?
I wish I’d had a history teacher of your ability.
And that's why so many people leave it. They either get fed up with being rubbish, or they get fed up with being exhausted and having no life.
We are social animals. I am unusual. The price I pay for my freelance independence is often loneliness and - practically - lack of pension, sick pay, holiday pay, even Xmas parties - I miss the camaraderie of a team, quite deeply. But no life is perfect, of course
OTOH I have seen the entire fucking world and had a fabulous time. I will die with regrets, we all will, but my career won't be one of them. It has been a hoot and a half
But if it was to meet customers, no wonder you have seen all the fucking in the world.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10530885/PETER-HITCHENS-Granny-gets-gun-bunch-shameless-neo-Nazis.html
"Elementary lesson from the Post Office scandal
The stories of innocent postmasters and postmistresses, ruined, humiliated and, in many cases, led off to prison when they had done nothing wrong, makes me want to hit something every time I hear it.
I am filled with admiration for those who worked for years to expose this dreadful scandal, and relieved for our society that the victims are at least being vindicated. But the pain and unjust shame endured by those caught in this horror is too appalling to think about. I do not know what punishment, or penance would be right for the executives responsible. I know that they have not experienced it.
But I think it is one of many horrible things that probably could not have happened so easily in an older Britain. I think we have become too gullible, too ready to accept the official version of everything. And a key reason for that is that nobody reads the Sherlock Holmes stories any more. I ask around friends and colleagues, and they just haven’t and don’t."
drunken imbecilesDfE are said to be considering is who would staff them.If it's ordinary teachers, they would need to get our working week from five days to four or even three if we were to do all the work that comes with it.
At the moment I have 23 contact hours a week. That's not the most I've ever had - one year in a private school it was 31 - but it's as much as I can manage and possibly rather more while marking sets of books and planning lessons for exam classes of 31 and 32.
So war starts at midnight?
Anyway, I am off to bed. Good night and enjoy your evenings.
Possibly for Leon too.
I feel we may need to think of a contingency plan, in case of... you know.
I have not met anyone like @Heathener, not for a while at any rate. The people jumping into the road to get 2m away genuinely did happen though.
I guess this is all about how we behave in society. My behaviour in Waitrose is to follow what the company has asked and I think it’s mainly for the benefit of the wary.
I find it really weird that people would even think about turning up to something like this, but I hope you have fun with it.
I live in the North West, please advise where in the North West there are plenty of spare houses available at reasonable prices? There simply aren't.
House prices may be lower in the NW but so too are incomes. The house price to earnings ratio up here is well above what it was nationwide at the turn of the century.
You are delusional if you think there's an abundance of affordable homes anywhere. We need much, much more construction to make up the deficit of population growth not being matched by housing growth in recent decades.