Friday 26 August 2011

Maths GCSE. It all adds up at any age...

You probably read about the six-year-old girl, who gained an 'E' grade at GCSE mathematics, when the results were published yesterday.

Good for her. It has taken me a lifetime of avoiding maths and being taken for a 'duffer' at everything else; before 'confronting one of my demons' and sitting my Maths GCSE for the first time in June.

Of course, now that I have passed; at the requisite 'C or above' grade; I can say, as many young people do, that I could have got a higher grade. Yes, I could have got a higher grade, had I done more work; and also if I'd taken the course over the recommended two years instead of the one which I'd set aside.

Still, the good thing about my grading, is that I never ever have to do Maths again if I don't want to.

However, the little girl who got an 'E' grade still has to continue with, what she admits, is not'her favourite subject'. She will need to get that magic 'C' grade in order to give up the subject completely, like me. Or to pursue her other ambitions.  With her current track record, she could be on course to get an 'A' or a starred 'A' before she is very much older; unless she goes off the subject entirely. Which I would not recommend; otherwise she could find herself in my position.

Still, never too late as they say....






Wednesday 17 August 2011

I've got my 'Silly Season' hat on!

Sitting in a waiting room this morning, I picked up an issue of 'Hello' magazine, dated 26th July, 2010.

From this, I was able to glean that Prince William and Kate Middleton were 'living as man and wife' before they were even engaged - shock! horror! They were apparently 'rumbled' when they stopped off to buy groceries in a North Wales mini-market. It is a well-known 'fact' that Royals and Celebrities never carry anything so vulgar as cash or credit cards; so Kate had to pay by credit card, thus revealing her identity. (No doubt the footman or lady-in-waiting carries the credit cards now).

Prince Beatrice was pictured jumping into the sea in the South of France, whilst on holiday with her boyfriend. Whilst in the same issue, Cheryl Cole's mum was pictured pushing a trolley round the supermarket to buy 'healthy food' for her daughter, who was pictured blubbering into her scarf. No change there then.

Karren Brady had escaped 'The Apprentice' firing line for a family holiday in Mauritius; and Gethin Jones and Katherine Jenkins were 'loved up' in some distant destination.

Victoria Beckham looked as miserable as sin, pictured with her husband and three sons. Apparently, she is 'over the moon' now that she has a little female ally to take to the footie with her.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Hurley was shown plugging her organic food label in rural Gloucestershire. I wonder if that's given HRH a bit of competition (with the food, I mean, not the publicity: obviously Liz would win 'hands down' there!)

Not to be upstaged, Carla Bruni is pictured at some state occasion with her husband demonstrating some 'Gallic charm' by kissing her hand as she sits regally amongst the invited guests. Obviously, it worked a treat as she is now very pregnant.

I seem to remember, some band was singing 'I predict a riot' quite a lot last summer. Or was it the summer before? No matter, as you can see, 'plus ca change'.

And remember, you did NOT read here it here first!