Helga

what a hilarious thread. How funny that the men focus on the dog or the accent as if that were the key fact. I think it would have been the handsomeness (is that a word?) that was the key attraction. Good luck to her...how romantic.

Sue Pawsey at Fulwood. Always worked for me. £38 for an initial assessment. She takes Westfield if you are on that. She's always managed to sort me out in 1-3 sessions max. 45 Slayleigh Ln, Sheffield S10 3RG 0114 230 3201 good luck

I went past yesterday and they were all parked outside the rude shipyard about half four. There was a police dog van too as well as another bigger police transit, all with flashing lights. As I drove down queens road there was another police car with flashing lights parked opposite the casino. Seems no-one knows what was going off. I thought someone on here would know

Absolutely but then non of us would have known that inside his head was a conversation going "it's not fair, it's not fair...somebodies got something I haven't got, it's not fair" that causes him to jump to a whole range of conclusions where he is the victim, the badly done to etc..and it is always someone else's fault. It is always best to know who these people are don't you think?

It is a real shame that funding to adult education has been cut and I would hope that at some point in the future things might improve. The real cost of education is high although it is invaluable in its ability to help people progress in their lives and has a lasting impact on the children of those adult learners too. Anyone with an understanding of how people learn will understand that by necessity some people will need to learn later. The pre-frontal cortex and executive function in the brain is not fully developed until early to mid 20s and before that time some people simply won't have the capacity to make themselves attend to things that they are not interested in. Others will have the capacity to attend sufficiently well, brains develop at different rates. Motivation is often far greater in later life too when an individual has had more life experience and can clearly see the purpose of learning rather than just being told it is important. I would like to see student loans extended to further education so that people can budget and pay back their investment in themselves. Unfortunately people have lost sight of the cost and the value of education and when it has been free people have dropped out of courses wasting money in much the same way as when people fail to turn up to their medical appointments. In some countries you pay when you make an appointment at the doctor and get it back when you attend. I'd love to see that here! But I digress, if you extended the principal to education you would pay at the beginning and perhaps get some of the money back when you have submitted all the work and passed the exam. If funding ever returns maybe that would be the way to go. Maybe the OP might consider one of the OU's new shorter courses. No previous study/qualifications are necessary and you can obtain a student loan if it is classed as a part-time degree. I hope you don't feel put off by some of the unhelpful commentators on here, I for one think it is great that you want to improve yourself.

I wonder why people prefer to moan on here rather than dial 101? The 101 service is great and whenever I've used it they have investigated and sorted the noise problem within half an hour.

Ok then trousers tucked in my wellies any better:) I think I'm getting the picture! Do I know you? Did you grow up in the Derbyshire countryside?!!

I've not noticed that in any articles and I read quite a lot. I imagine it is just in informal communication where a more phonetic spelling is common. I think it is great that people can feel free to write what they feel without the constraints of worrying whether or not they are conforming to standard English or not. I really enjoy it when you can get a flavour of how the individual speaks; the intonations and dialect. You can't get that when reading opinion pieces in journals or newspapers. It feels very down to earth and democratic to me.

Helga I've got a trapper hat will that do for winter macho:D EEk...If I knew how to do a grimace face on here that's what I'd be doing now!! Each to his or her own I guess

Beside what wrong with wrestling brawn in winter time, when your freezing cold, needing logs chopping and protection from polar bears ( a big problem around Sheffield) you'll not be wanting a well suited and well intentioned amateur with a special watch to turn up, wether or not he's got some new winter tyres!:) You make a good point, Bulldog, If I didn't know that you had other irons in the fire I'd have taken you up on your offer of protection from the polar bears, for sure Shogun, your chat need work...all this talk of caravans on the motorway (shudder) and an all terrain work horse isn't quite so appealing.

I quite agree. When I started working in Huddersfield and drove over flouch I felt it was a rather hairy journey over Hade edge when it was icey. People who'd been doing it a while recommended a fiat uno 4x4 (apparently very popular in the area because it handles inclement conditions better than the bigger 4x4s) or winter tyres. I paid about £160 for winter tyres (Pug 307)which were a fab investment. Sadly when work provided me with a car (audi a3) it didn't come with winter tyres so now I'm back to skating around at times. I heartily recommend winter tyres - so much easier and far less ridiculous than the look of socks or the expense of a 4x4 ---------- Post added 19-01-2013 at 17:07 ---------- I can't agree. Winter tyres can go on beautiful cars (not that mine was). Many women (surely not just me) prefer a more sophisticated form of masculinity than the wrestling brawn that you describe. Each to their own I guess. I'm more of a fan of the dairy milk man/James Bond type of hero in a dinner jacket rather than the bear grylls type. Apologies....seriously off topic!!

I agree. I've been driving around 60-70 miles each day this week and have had absolutely no problems the roads have been beautifully clear. My own road is like an ice-rink because it is just a side road but it shows what a good job the gritters have been doing to keep the thoroughfares clear. If we handled snow this well every time there would be no more need for the over dramatic news coverage.

I'd love to find a traditional window cleaner (S2) as would most of my neighbours who live in victorian houses with wooden windows. The powerjet variety who don't go up ladders seem to now dominate.

Hi I just had a large (1 metre diameter) outside light fitted. The job involved fixing a large bracket, wiring the sodium light into the existing wiring, providing and fixing a timer and providing a sodium bulb. The job took about 3 hours and I was charged £75 labour charge (plus £5 for cable, £15 for timer and £8 for bulb), so £25 an hour. This guy http://dsaelectricalinstallations.co.uk/ probably wasn't the cheapest but he came and reviewed the job on the day I called, he provided me with a detailed quote within hours and was able to complete the job the following day which is why I chose him, that together with the good reviews online. Hope this helps you to gauge what you could reasonably charge in Sheffield

My mother was born in Jessops in 1938. Her mother was attempting a home birth in Chesterfield and was sent by ambulance (after my grandfather stumped up the money for it - Pre-NHS) to Jessops. He was asked whether he wanted them to save the mother or the baby. He said mother because his first wife had died in Childbirth 5 years earlier (in Sheffield). There must have been many deaths of both mothers and babies in Jessops back then. Luckily, or down to the skill of the obstetrician, they both survived. My grandmother wrote to my grandfather saying the doctor said she was ready to go home and please could he send the money for the ambulance. He replied saying that she could be picked up the following week by his company's wood van as they were going to Sheffield. The doctor said that this was unsuitable and so she stayed a further 3 weeks until the cost could be shared between the husband's of three women from Chesterfield. How times have changed!

The care and share shop on Abbeydale road (next to Bragazzis) are always grateful for the donation of books. My daughter works there and she says there is a fast turnover of books.

I have seen today (whilst down south) the most beautiful tan leather briefcase with an amazing pattern on the top flap. She said she had it made in Sheffield about 20+ years ago and it was so well made that it was still going strong. I have had a google but can't find anyone doing that so I'd thought I'd ask the combined wisdom of 'the forum' to see if anyone knows where or who might have been making those and whether there is anyone still hand-making leather briefcase/satchel type bags locally?

I wonder how the kids in Merlin house feel, being the only ones whose theatre has closed down. Merlin sounds better I suppose than Lantern I suppose which would be the other choice.

When did these traditions die out? I't hard to understand how such a big annual event can dwindle away to nothing in a generation.

But that suggests that people take degrees to improve their income in the short term. That would not generally be such a good strategy unless it was highly vocational. e.g. law, medicine, accountancy. Many people do it for the pleasure of learning or to improve their prospects and opportunities over the long term. Lots of degrees are only the starting point and a good grade would be required in your first degree to enable you to progress to either vocational or academic post-graduate qualifications. Why are people putting the word fact in capital letters at the end of sentences that are clearly not factual or statistical but mere opinion?

just an aside really. But I was told the other day that there are no zoology degrees any more, or rather that they have been re-branded as animal science. Botany is now plant science apparently. Is this true? and if so I think it is a shame.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-14888661

Thank you for letting me know that. I will endeavour to call it by it's proper name although I don't hold out much hope as I still slipped back to calling it Granville college when it was Castle college! Has anyone heard whether they have released the autopsy report on this poor young woman? There seemed to be plenty of police activity going on there today.

I should add that I don't suggest anyone thinks that obesity and/or smoking is a good idea. Far better to live a long and healthy life and be around for when improved therapies come on the market. Developed through research and helped along by people such as the OP.