After three days away at Stoke Rochford Hall in Lincolnshire, I've got back home. The course of handling Grievance and Disciplinary procedures was excellent but intensive and ultimately very tiring. When the NUt bought Stoke Rochford around 30 years ago I, for one, had my doubts, but I must admit it is an excellent facility, and Grantham being just over a hour from Kings Cross is an additional bonus. The countryside around the Hall looked fabulous and we are now planning to take a three day break there over the summer.
It's a difficult time to be involved with teaching unions, the Con Dem government are planning more academies, the introduction of "free schools" while at the same time we all suspect that there will be a campaign launched against public sector pay and particularly pensions in the next few days.
On Thursday, the Surrey Lions won at Middlesex so it was good to drop in at the Oval on the way home. Wanting to get home to watch England's next World Cup game, I stayed for just the Surrey innings. After losing quick wickets a partnership from Stuart Walters and Andrew Symonds changed the game. Symonds hit seven 6s in a innings of 62. Some were blow of awesome power, one onto the balcony of the OCS stand being particularly memorable. The Kent reply was soon in tatters before rain came, and Surrey were awarded the points on the Duckworth-Lewis method, which in truth is not designed for T20 cricket. All of a sudden back to back victories have propelled Surrey up the table and it is set up nicely for the visit of Sussex on Sunday.
And so to the World Cup. England were dire. It was a limp, disjointed performance, by players many of whom perform heroics for their clubs in the Premiership. In terms of the competition the 0-0 draw isn't disasterous, however the impact that it will have on morale both of players and fans is more worrying. The fans not surprisingly booed the team off at the end. A World Cup in South Africa would stretch the financial resources of many, and to witness a performance where the Algerian keeper was never unduly troubled, was simply not bareable. The England flags up the street look decidedly more droopy this mornin
Key Quotes
"Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."
(Kenneth Boulding)
"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. "
(Raymond Chandler)
"Live simply so that others can simply live." (unknown)
"I cannot live without books" (Thomas Jefferson)
"Sport is war without the shooting" (George Orwell)
"New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it" (William Rossa Cole)
The secret of a happy ending is knowing when to roll the credits (Patterson Hood)
(Kenneth Boulding)
"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. "
(Raymond Chandler)
"Live simply so that others can simply live." (unknown)
"I cannot live without books" (Thomas Jefferson)
"Sport is war without the shooting" (George Orwell)
"New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it" (William Rossa Cole)
The secret of a happy ending is knowing when to roll the credits (Patterson Hood)
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