simplesimon5

Thank you for all your advice. To avoid confusion - I am intending to add a new breaker. I feel that I am confident and able to do this, but would get it all tested once done. I wasn't aware that it was illegal though. As Pitsmoor said, there is a switch to the right of the breakers that isolates the busbar. I have already removed my 20 Amp emersion breaker so that I can take it to SS electrical or somewhere similar. It seems to be the connection from the busbar to the breaker that is the problem. Once again thanks for all your advice. Any further advice would be great.

I need to add a new MCB to my old Volex consumer unit for an oven we have just bought. The original MCB's are Volex Type 1 BS3871. I can't find a new corresponding one. I know that I am looking for a Type B 20Amp, but the ones that I have seen seem to have a different fitting method to the main bar. Could I be wrong though? Can anybody help?

As some of you know, our son has been having some problems settling into sixth form. We had some great responses last time. Can any of you recommend someone good, who works with young people of sixth form age to help them with there organisational skills? Also help with his work in English Language, Maths or Art would be helpful.

Does anybody remember the raft races down the canal? I remember being part of the Laycocks raft team. The races were in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Group, and were organised by Albert T Smith.

Does anybody remember the raft races down the canal? I remember being part of the Laycocks raft team. The races were in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Group, and were organised by Albert T Smith.

Thank you all for your responses they are all great and constructive. ReginaldD – He doesn’t really know which direction he wants to go in after education. We had a chat with the careers advice lady at parents evening and thought that if he and her got together then maybe they could find some kind of an area to aim for, to give him something to focus on and take his mind off what is bothering him (nothing set in stone though). The idea of having a break from education is not something the three of us have thought about, but if things don’t get any better then it is a possibility. Helly – Your story sounds identical to our son’s. He seemed to cope quite easily, but with doing as little as possible at GCSE level though. The learning technique idea sounds good. Funkymiss – I think he does indeed find the way that things are taught at sixth for very different and I am sure that it will take much more time to come to terms with it all. Rugs – I feel that you already know me! You are quite correct, and you have not offended me. I do have one or two insecurities, but that is a separate issue. All I want is for my son to be happy, everything else will then hopefully fall into place. It is just very hard to see him so unhappy. He is taking – English Language, Further Maths and Art. He has dropped Physics. Dizzyblonde – He did go to Meadowhead, and he liked it there. As parents we also thought that it was a very good school. It is such a shame that they could not have provided for a sixth form there within there new build. The school he has gone to has only 2 ex Meadowhead pupils (and he doesn’t know the other one). Jessica23 – I do realise that it is still early, but the teachers at parents evening pointed out that exams are coming up towards the end of the calendar year. He is quite a way behind on his homework and coursework already. As with Rugs, you are not offending me, I am just glad of all your constructive responses. I am aware of the problems of parental pressure so I am conciesly trying to remove any. Thank you for you words of encouragement, but I don’t think we are any more supportive than any sensible parents, that just want the best for there child. duckweed – He has now mentioned collage and that he wished that he had gone there instead of sixth form school. However school say that it is now too late to change. I totally agree with you about exercise and fresh air. We try and get out as often as possible as a family, but a 16 year old boy would rather stay in bed than go out with a grumpy old dad and his not so grumpy mother! Once again, thank you all for your responses. You have given us some hope and plenty of ideas to work on.

Thank you for your constructive reply Rugs, I really appreciate it. Everything you say makes perfect sense. Unfortunately as a parent, sometimes sense seems to go out of the window, because you just want the best for your child, and you need to be brought back down to earth a bit. I do worry that, my-self in particular, may sometimes expect too much from him and usually have to bite my tongue. This may be due to the fact that I left school with nothing and had a long struggle to get as far as I have got, whereas he has got a chance to do so much better than me. My wife and I are so worried about his happiness at this new school, and I am concerned this may lead to a more long term problem. The school and the subject choices were all his own, as I believe that the choices should be his, with the support of us. As well as his shyness I now believe that his confidence is low too which seems to be affecting everything. I am sorry for rambling, but we are near rock bottom now.

Hello, we have just had our first parents evening at our son's sixth form. He moved to a different school because his previous one didn't have a sixth form. He is really struggling to settle in, and it is affecting his work. He is quite shy and is finding it hard to mix with the other kids. He is an able student who shouldn't have as much trouble with the subjects as he is doing. Time is already running out as the first of the exams are coming up at the end of the year. He is really sad and hates going to school, even though school is trying there best to help. Has anybody else been in a similar position? What did you do? Any advise please would be great as my wife and I have no idea of what to do next, except to give plenty of encouragement and support.

How's the training going Blondenutter? I have just entered my first triathlon in Windsor 2008. I just want to do this one, just to tick it off the list of things to do before i get too old. So i to am not keen on joining a club either. I am after as much advice as i can get though, especialy in the open water swim bit. Good luck with your training.

Does anybody remember any of these people? If you go to:- rowlinson-sheffield.org.uk/ Then "people" then "sports teams" then "1980 athletics team". Hopefully it will lead you to the photo.

Albert T Smith. Could you send me the old photos that you mentioned please? Are you the same Albert that organised the muscular dystrophy events? I ran to London on one and did the canal races, what a laugh they were. Say a big hello to Pete and Mabel from Simon.

I was at Rowlinson from 77 - 82. I do look back with a lot of fond memories of my days there. I agree with one of the earlier messages though, looking back, as I kid the school was a great place to be. The sport, the characters, the youth club etc all were great. But as an educational establishment it was poor, to say the least. Some of the teachers were fine, but I don’t think I gained anything from most them. I was in form “M” We had Mrs Kay for the first 3 or 4 years then we had Mr Wood to finish. They were both good form teachers. I am struggling to remember all the teachers. All the sports teachers frightened me at the time, probably because for the first few years I was rubbish at sport. The last couple of years I made more of an effort and suddenly I started to do well, mainly in athletics, and all of a sudden I had a few more friends! We had Mr Anderson for science I think but unfortunately he had no control over the class, which was a shame because he was OK. I vaguely remember Trogg in Geography. I remember Mr Dawson throwing the board rubber at a girl in our English class and shouting some over the top obscenity at her, for no reason. I also just about remember a loony called Mr Goodhand who used to squeeze the hands of any poor sole that he decided to embarrasse that day, I remember some of them I tears. If anyone out there was in the same year write in and share your memories and renew some of my memories.

I was at Rowlinson from 77 - 82. I do look back with a lot of fond memories of my days there. I agree with one of the earlier messages though, looking back, as I kid the school was a great place to be. The sport, the characters, the youth club etc all were great. But as an educational establishment it was poor, to say the least. Some of the teachers were fine, but I don’t think I gained anything from most them. I was in form “M” We had Mrs Kay for the first 3 or 4 years then we had Mr Wood to finish. They were both good form teachers. I am struggling to remember all the teachers. All the sports teachers frightened me at the time, probably because for the first few years I was rubbish at sport. The last couple of years I made more of an effort and suddenly I started to do well, mainly in athletics, and all of a sudden I had a few more friends! We had Mr Anderson for science I think but unfortunately he had no control over the class, which was a shame because he was OK. I vaguely remember Trogg in Geography. I remember Mr Dawson throwing the board rubber at a girl in our English class and shouting some over the top obscenity at her, for no reason. I also just about remember a loony called Mr Goodhand who used to squeeze the hands of any poor sole that he decided to embarrasse that day, I remember some of them I tears. If anyone out there was in the same year write in and share your memories and renew some of my memories.