Brown looking after our pensions

So Gordon Brown was warned 10 years ago of the effect of his actions on pensions. It seems that Treasury papers, which until now have been kept confidential, have shown he was warned that scrapping dividend tax in July 1997 could wipe £75bn from pension fund values but he went ahead and did it anyway. What an unbelievable, inhuman disregard for the misery that would face millions of Britains.
Oh, but here comes Ed Balls to the rescue, assuring us all that Mr Brown had 'scrapped the credits on the "best advice" of civil servants. ' Oh, so that's all right then. Good old Gordon - not his fault after all.
Just when you think our 'leaders' can sink no lower, they prove us wrong. And this is the man, whom Beckett says is 'head and shoulders above any other candidate' for prime minister and leader of the labour party. Says it all really.

Tagged

It seems like ages since I was last tagged but Gemmak has tagged me to reveal 5 things about myself that I have not previously mentioned on my blog, so here goes:
1. Like Gemmak, I am left-handed, and yes, Gemmak, all the best people are!
2. I have a button phobia. Can't bear them, they make me feel sick.
3. I did children's nursing for six months after I left school and then decided to go for teaching instead.
4. My one claim to fame is that I taught Heidi Range of Sugarbabes fame when she was six years old.
5. I am descended from a baronet, whose daughter ran away with someone considered unsuitable and so was disowned.

Let's hope none of the above is seen as grounds for blackmail by anyone!

I am now going to pass the baton on to:

Arthur, Yorkshire Pudding, Shooting Parrots, Michelle and Sue.

Thanks, Craig

Just a little thank you to Craigybaby for taking the time and trouble to text everyone on our course to remind them that the hour went forward this morning and to take due note so as not to be late this morning. Above and beyond the call of duty, I reckon. Craig, you get a gold star for that. ;)

All in the genes

I am conscious that I have been conspicuous by my absence lately. Blame it on the pressure of work - teaching, studying, counselling placement, assignments etc. However, I heard some great news today from Elder Daughter (Yes, the one who sometimes leaves somewhat acerbic comments on my blogs and thinks I have an infantile sense of humour!)
She phoned to tell me she has passed the latest in a long line of exams and can now call herself MRCP (Member of the Royal College of Physicians) and so is eligible to apply for registrar jobs. Mind you, that's when the government have sorted themselves out and stopped causing the chaos in the system which has meant thousands of qualified doctors with no jobs to go to.
Still, that does not detract from her achievement and I am very proud of her.
Keith is pretty impressed too, even though, he says, she hasn't managed to find an instant cure for his ankle.
Me? I think it's all in the genes. If she hadn't had such a brilliant mother......

A perfect night's sleep

Go to bed at one's usual time.
Gently drift off into the Land of Nod accompanied, as always, by the dulcet tones of Radio 4.
Suddenly get yanked back to the Land of Wide Awake and feel one's blood pressure shoot through the roof as a yell of pain assaults the eardrums.
"What happened? Are you OK?"
"Yes!" (hissed through gritted teeth.) "I caught my foot on the bathroom door."
Feel the pain as he hobbles into the bedroom...

Now thoroughly awake, lie there tossing and turning for the next two hours while the cause of one's wakefulness slips instantly into deep and peaceful slumber.

Assembly

My turn to take assembly this morning and it's singing. Luckily we have a pianist on hand, which makes life easier but the theme on the list for today is
'Singing - Animals'
So where am I going to find singing animals at this time of the morning?

My other car...

I'm so impressed with the local heddlu (police). They have inspected the damage on my car twice, visited me at home to take a statement, asked me to show them where I had left the car, knocked on the doors of the houses in the area and finally discovered who had reversed into it with the result that the said person has been in contact, apologised and agreed to pay for the damage. How's that for service?
Meanwhile I am having to make do with a 2.5 litre Ford Probe sports job to get to school while my faithful Peugeot 106 is off the road. Still, at least it's wheels...