Today I'm happy about......

[thebish]

But do tell us all about your private school background, Bish. ... & don't be shy.

what do you want to know, bobo?

[bobo the clown]

But do tell us all about your private school background, Bish. ... & don't be shy.

what do you want to know, bobo?

... oh, I don't know. Your privileged background, your access to private education, your reactionary stance from that, your socialist credentials, the similarities between you and the bulk of the senior Labour politicians ... y'know, that sort of stuff.

[thebish]

But do tell us all about your private school background, Bish. ... & don't be shy.

what do you want to know, bobo?

... oh, I don't know. Your privileged background, your access to private education, your reactionary stance from that, your socialist credentials, the similarities between you and the bulk of the senior Labour politicians ... y'know, that sort of stuff.

hmm.. ok

I went to manly park primary school in Whalley Range, manchester - back then my dad was minister of Hulme Congregational church, a notoriously rich and privileged area..

we moved to Bolton and I went to Church Road junior school

then - aged 11, my parents (knowing that we would be moving around quite a bit as the congregational church/United Reformed Church in the North West went through a pretty radical period of change and reorganisation) decided that it was very likely that me and my brother's education would be interrupted at key points by having to move house/school - so they decided to send us to a boarding school near wakefield.

the school (Silcoates) was originally a school for the kids of congregational church missionaries abroad - many years before - and it retained that historical link - so the kids of congregational ministers got to go free of charge. when i was growing up, my parents earned barely enough to put food on the table - my mother was so malnourished at one point that the doctor invited her to take vegetables from his allotment whenever she needed to...

i enjoyed my time there - i have no memory/awareness of any particular privilege amongst the kids i knew - they all seemed fairly ordinary to me - you may know different..

we learned stuff - i did 13 O levels and 4 A levels - i played rugby (union and league)

when i left i went to uni - then worked as a care assistant - then worked in a homeless hostel in London whilst living in a squat - then in an aluminium foundry in Burnley... then with a youth project for a year - then went off to train for the ministry - and four years later moved to wealth hot-spot - Hartlepool where I started my own family.


I hope all of that is as amusing as you hoped.
if that's a privileged background - then, guilty as charged - i hope that makes you feel good about yourself
i don't know what your reference is to my "socialist credentials" - you'll have to be more specific
can you be a bit more specific about which of my "reactionary stances" you are talking about?
i doubt my background makes me similar to many labour politicians - or why that would bother you if it did

i would never trash my parents honest and well-meant decision to send me to silcoates - they did what they thought was the best for me with what they had at their disposal

i didn't make the same choice for my kids - merely because i could never have hacked not having them around as they grew up - but, the local comprehensive school they went to in Upminster had way more rich and privileged kids in it that the school i went to ever did...

i currently earn £22,000 per year

does that help? amuse?

[Worthy4England]

Why is it when people advocate a political standpoint that promotes equal access to (for example) good teaching, someone has to point out that actually, you can't support that standpoint unless you, yourself happen to be the lowest common denominator? Clearly a silly position, it's a bit like suggesting a Doctor who smokes or drinks shouldn't promote not smoking or drinking too much. Bizarre.

[Prufrock]

Rubbish. Anyone who was privileged themself knows its only natural to want to keep any benefit you got to as small a group as possible. Anyone who disagrees is probably a communist.

[thebish]

after a little bit of overtime this week, my eldest and the games development team have achieved their first proper deadline in that the game is now at a demo-stage sufficiently advanced to send off to today's international new-games fair (or summat like that...) I was allowed into his games development studio* yesterday to see what he was doing - and he was testing the sound/music cues for every eventuality - and - what they have made looks to me like a real, proper, actual computer game!

proper proud!


* bedroom

[bobo the clown]

Well, I apologise. Clearly a touchy subject which has affected you deeply. Never again will I mention it ... coz that would be wrong. Especially as no-one here ever makes capital of their superior moral position.

Consider the matter closed from me at least.

[bwfcdan94]

But do tell us all about your private school background, Bish. ... & don't be shy.

what do you want to know, bobo?

... oh, I don't know. Your privileged background, your access to private education, your reactionary stance from that, your socialist credentials, the similarities between you and the bulk of the senior Labour politicians ... y'know, that sort of stuff.

hmm.. ok

I went to manly park primary school in Whalley Range, manchester - back then my dad was minister of Hulme Congregational church, a notoriously rich and privileged area..

we moved to Bolton and I went to Church Road junior school

then - aged 11, my parents (knowing that we would be moving around quite a bit as the congregational church/United Reformed Church in the North West went through a pretty radical period of change and reorganisation) decided that it was very likely that me and my brother's education would be interrupted at key points by having to move house/school - so they decided to send us to a boarding school near wakefield.

the school (Silcoates) was originally a school for the kids of congregational church missionaries abroad - many years before - and it retained that historical link - so the kids of congregational ministers got to go free of charge. when i was growing up, my parents earned barely enough to put food on the table - my mother was so malnourished at one point that the doctor invited her to take vegetables from his allotment whenever she needed to...

i enjoyed my time there - i have no memory/awareness of any particular privilege amongst the kids i knew - they all seemed fairly ordinary to me - you may know different..

we learned stuff - i did 13 O levels and 4 A levels - i played rugby (union and league)

when i left i went to uni - then worked as a care assistant - then worked in a homeless hostel in London whilst living in a squat - then in an aluminium foundry in Burnley... then with a youth project for a year - then went off to train for the ministry - and four years later moved to wealth hot-spot - Hartlepool where I started my own family.


I hope all of that is as amusing as you hoped.
if that's a privileged background - then, guilty as charged - i hope that makes you feel good about yourself
i don't know what your reference is to my "socialist credentials" - you'll have to be more specific
can you be a bit more specific about which of my "reactionary stances" you are talking about?
i doubt my background makes me similar to many labour politicians - or why that would bother you if it did

i would never trash my parents honest and well-meant decision to send me to silcoates - they did what they thought was the best for me with what they had at their disposal

i didn't make the same choice for my kids - merely because i could never have hacked not having them around as they grew up - but, the local comprehensive school they went to in Upminster had way more rich and privileged kids in it that the school i went to ever did...

i currently earn £22,000 per year

does that help? amuse?

I take it all back Bish your not a toff. In fact if your previous means of employment are anything to go by I would say your a top top bloke its one thing to do a bit of charity work for a weekend but its completely different thing to work as a care assistant, then in a homeless shelter and then become involved in a youth project, people only need to see that to get a good gauge of your character. I take my hat of to you I really do. Good to see your lad has created a video game, hopefully does well at the exhibition.

[Gooner Girl]

Dan, you are correct. Bish is a top bloke, not a toff (not that there's anything wrong with being a toff) and one of my most favourite people.

[bwfcdan94]

Just heard a female American T.V presenter say "that's what she said" following somebody making the comment of it "tough on top" .

[thebish]

[clapton is god]

^ is that on your Christmas shopping list, thebish, or are you thinking of getting one?

[Gooner Girl]

TMI but today I am happy about poo's on the big girls toilet. (My daughters, not mine...)

[TANGODANCER]

Lift the handlebars or swap em, and that's a proper motorbike.

[thebish]

^ is that on your Christmas shopping list, thebish, or are you thinking of getting one?

I wish.... a thing of beauty though....

[Dujon]

Aye, a very attractive looking beast. It's hard to tell from the photo but I'm assuming it's a V twin. That wiring dangling beneath spoils it a bit - untidy. The seat might get a bit hot if there's a tail wind when in traffic.

[thebish]

Aye, a very attractive looking beast. It's hard to tell from the photo but I'm assuming it's a V twin. That wiring dangling beneath spoils it a bit - untidy. The seat might get a bit hot if there's a tail wind when in traffic.

I don't think that's wiring... the bulk of it is the kick-stand - not sure what the other bit is... that thing by the seat isn't the exhaust - it's the rear wheel mudflap...

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Aye, a very attractive looking beast. It's hard to tell from the photo but I'm assuming it's a V twin. That wiring dangling beneath spoils it a bit - untidy. The seat might get a bit hot if there's a tail wind when in traffic.

I don't think that's wiring... the bulk of it is the kick-stand - not sure what the other bit is... that thing by the seat isn't the exhaust - it's the rear wheel mudflap...

It's a combined kickstand and squirrel deheader.

[Bruce Rioja]

^ is that on your Christmas shopping list, thebish, or are you thinking of getting one?

I wish.... a thing of beauty though....

How come you're happy about it then?

[Prufrock]

Coz it says God is special .