Nubes Blog from 2007-8

End Of School Report ...part 2....

Posted by nubes, 14 August 2008

Well...a bit late with this...but i have had time to reflect on Naim's first year at Secondary school...last year this time...although elated by our success to get him into a school of our choosing....I was also very apprehensive as well...worried about how he would settle...had my expectations been too high...etc etc...

Well i am pleased to say that he has more than made me very proud....not only has his school work been very consistent ...he has really excelled in subjects such as French...of which he has been studying for the first time...we did have a bit of a stumbling block ...but by liasing with some of the teachers...between us ...he has pulled himself back on track and knuckled down...his finest achievement this school year...has been being a member of the Yr7 Rugby team who finished 2nd in the County...this earned him and his teammates certificates as the Town's Emerging Schools Champions...

Looking forward to his second year being just as good....Delxxxx

Rugby.....ooooooooh!

Posted by nubes, 16 February 2008

Well....after the final soul night at the Benn Hall ...which went off with a bang...i patiently waited till the second week of Feb for the start of the nighters at this brill venue....

now before i start to big up Rugby...can i just say that ...as a small intimate all nighter..it has soo much to offer......every punter who comes thru those doors are made to feel special .....it must be one of the few venues ..to encourage collectors to share their tastes with a wider audience via the Freestyle room.....

Anyway...apologies etc for being a bit late with this..but you know .....I have been feeling very excited about this nighter...for one..it is only 25 miles away from me....and getting together with all the other SSLAAS members is always a great pleasure.....This is our Home..there one will find soulies who are just out to enjoy themselves ....have a good dance and laff....just somewhere ...we can all be ourselves...the music played at Rugby is an excellant mix of Classic and underplayed..but more importantly...there is something for all the discerning patrons who go there....the smiling faces testify to that....Hats off the Sian...Dean ... Denise..and all the other organisers of Rugby who strive to make it soo special....the indications are that this all nighter will become a legend in it's own right just like Oddfellows...Leighton Buzzard..right location...right attitude....but what i love about it....is that i know sooo many people there ..and it didnt matter to me paying out £40.00 to be taken from my house straight to the venue..cos i didnt want to misss A moment of it......anyway...anyone reading me blog....if this doesn't convince ya that it is worth going to Rugby......it is your loss...to all the others who want to give it a try....I will be part of the door staff...welcoming you whilst reliveing ya of the best tenner you will ever spend...till April for the next one.....Byeeeee...Delxxxx

What A Great Night Out

Posted by nubes, 28 January 2008

Funny sometimes when one thinks...there was me thinking about whether to go to NSCS Wolverhampton...due to a combination of factors which had me dithering...i got a nudge in going from Wulfie and Annie ....pointing out that i hadnt seen any of our gang since Blackpool weekender...

put like that..i decided to dust meself off...and pick meself up .....get going over...getting the train..i was met by Wulfie ...who took me back to his house to meet up with Annie....after gratefully accepting a very large Vodka and fresh orange juice...delish....we all made our way upto the Stables for the niter.......when we arrived....we were directed to park in a Barn

...just as well i was wearing my boots...the first person i saw was Tabs and Burnley Dave( I think) from Banbury ...who was parking up alongside Wulfie...after introducing both parties to one another...and recieving a very warm welcome from Marcelle...we found ourselves some seating...whilst waiting for our friends from Bangor to arrive....It was at this point that i felt that this niter would really stand out....there was such a warm friendly vibe...a good sense of anticipation for what was coming...the atmosphere growing with each set of punters coming thru the doors...and it wasnt long before the dancefloor started to fill...the quality of music played really did stand out for me..the DJs seemed to take note of what had been played and to my knowledge there were no repititons....has been quite a while that i have notice this at a niter.....once all our gang arrived....and settled...we looked forward to the Fantastic Peps ...I was really blown away by it all...i thought they did incredibly well considering some of the sound check problems earlier....to hear That's Why I Love You ..live....had me all goosebumply ...and sent me spiraling back almost 30 years ago to the Casino...when i was first heard it...but what i really enjoyed was that the performance was a two way thing...the Peps seem to be in awe.... that we were in awe of them...but what they and all those other Artistes out there who shape this scene dont realise.. is the sheer pleasure the majority of us have gained from people like them...whether it is dancing....listening or collecting...they are part of our past youth....especially those of us who grew up during the latter 70s/early 80s where life was a little harder...it gave us an escape from that...the music set us apart from others who didnt 'get it'...they all laughed and ridiculed the Northern scene without actually understanding how it was...but we knew best.....and by seeing these Artistes now.. paying respect personally....are memories which money will never buy.....just like to say Thank You to Wulfie and Annie for their hospitality and lifts....now i got to sit down...not use to all this excitement!!!!!...Byeee Delxxx

End Of Term Report

Posted by nubes, 19 October 2007

Well...sometimes i am soo a drama Mistress...there was me worrying myself silly over Naim settling into his new Secondary...whittling over whether he will be alright...had i done the right thing.....should i perhaps had caved in and sent him to the school i didnt want him to go to...is comprimise such a bad thing??????.....well i am soo glad that i stuck to my guns because...he absolutely luvs it there....to him, not only is it a continuation of his Primary school...but he really seems to enjoy secondary school life...not to mention the yr8,9.10 girls who have adopted him as their cute fave yr7 guy ...i have warned him that not only did i wait till i was 34 to have him..but i look far too young to be a grandma ....the only fly .in the ointment..if one can call it that...is the amount of school trips that Rob and myself have forked out for already .....day trip to France/July 08.....a trip to the theatre....Dec 07.....skiing trip to Andorra...Jan 08.....Longtown....late Feb 08...which he has decided that as it clashed with Prestatyn...he didnt want to go!!!!......also he has started to play Rugby for his Yr7 team...and looking forward to playing cricket as well...his grades are what i expected..above average....the points i had tried to get so hard to get across to the Educational board Appeals....sorry if i am coming across so smug...but to me...why the hell should we let others dictate our choices....anyway...i suppose when i am very old but still very youthfull...i will look back on these times with veiled fondness....LOL....Delxx

Hope He Will Be Okay

Posted by nubes, 05 September 2007

...Well after having to fight to get Naim into a school of our choice...today is his first day there.....looking at him trying to control his anxieties...takes me back to my own schooldays....that awful feeling one gets when going upto Secondary school knowing that from now on,...life starts to get a little more serious and complicated...but whereas my own parents left me to get on with it...i just couldnt let him walk in there on his own knowing how he is feeling....but also for me...it is difficult because after all...not everybody is going to love your child in the way that you do...and dont care if they harm them...i just hope that he will be as happy as he can be there...and knows that any problems that he cannot handle...will be sorted in the way myself and his father have done so far....but the hardest for me...is knowing that one day he will spread his wings and although as a parent..i know that has to be done....there will always be a part of me....which hankers for the infant child he once was,.....Delxxx

I Beieve In Miracles.....dont Ya

Posted by nubes, 13 June 2007

I really dont know how to go about this..... yesterday,,,,both Rob and myself was on our knees emotionally.....over the schools appeal situation....we felt that we were in a no win situation but against the odds,,,,we have been successfull...what?????!!!! yeah we have been bloody !!!!!!successful......How????.....don't know and dont bloody care.....the last 3 months have been hell....not just with this but also work....hopefully there is now some respite......enjoy these good times till one faces bad times again...but hey....that's life.....thanks to all of ya who took the time and trouble to read my blog......muco appreciato....Delxxxxx

The Final Push Before All Out War

Posted by nubes, 11 June 2007 ·

Wednesday will be our final appeal for the 3rd choice Secondary School...to be honest...i know that only a miracle will get him into this school...as A) it is not in our cacthment area....but nevertheless...i will still keep trying....what is laughable though..is how i am now being gently persuaded by our Lib/Dem County Councillour to go around and look at the school...when i said that i was not going to comprimise my son....the bullshite back was unbelieveable...i was told that 10 years ago...the refused school was one of the best in Town....my reply was that 10 years ago....Naim couldnt even talk..so that argument is null and void.....must do better i told her....that didnt go down too well .....well the next step was to tell me that wouldnt it be better for my son to go to a school where he would shine rather then go to a school which although is a high achieving one,....he would just blend in ...i replied quite annoyed so are you asking me to play Russian Roulette with his education then????...all i want is for my son to get the education that he has worked so hard for...just looked over his school report for yr3,....the section on behaviour,attitude and school life really grabs me...may not mean much to anybody reading this,,,but please let me share this...just so it might make sense of this mess.....

"Naim pays attention during lessions and listens well...proved by his ability to answer questions about what i talk about.....he completes tasks set to the best of his ability and tries very hard,,,when he concentrates he produces some fantastic work.....when he is not sure about how to complete an activity...he will always ask which shows he is keen to learn...He has a positive attitude to learning which is lovely to see,,,he is a lovely boy to teach"

what i am seeing now in year 6 is a child who having slogged his guts out working as hard as he can and beyond...being let down at this stage.....he has lost a lot of enthusiam for his schoolwork...i see it in his eyes,...attitude.....and i feel helpless when he asks me what did he do wrong....what can i say to him ....what the hell can i do.....i am so frustrated....especially when i hear of others..who kicking up a fuss after the appeals have managed to slip into some of these schools...just heard today that one of his school pals has got into one of his school choices....just by his mother ringing on the off chance....they also stated that by law...schools always keep some school places for kids who move into the area.....the only solution i can see in this is too go all out public.....what a Can of worms that will open...but by doing that...will i be putting my boy under pressure??? do i really want to make him a target for the teachers and Education Authorties who will be striving to prove that they were right all the time.....or his fellow pupils...who would be jealous not only of all the percieved media attention but having parents who are prepared to fight for him in a way that theirs are not......I was told today by the Headmaster...that Naim's last primary school report is excellent and he hopes that whatever happens Naim will be succesful despite everything....but i was not to blame myself in any way....but to keep doing what i feel is right for him....all this was off the record...but it doesnt make this situation any easier to bear....i will stop now because i am getting a bit emotional...god knows how far this is going to go on......i know that it has really been a very draining experience....very draining......Delxxx

What A Waste Of Time

Posted by nubes, 14 May 2007

Got as letter back from the second appeal....once again...unsuccessful...now i am absolutely livid....by rights my son should've walked into any of those schools i chose purely because of his own school credentials..all of his school council members got their 1st choices so why couldnt he....ffs...what more do young bright black boys have to do???,well now to go on the attack....he will get the education he deserves,...believe me...Parents choice...my arse...Delxxx

It's Not Over Yet

Posted by nubes, 07 May 2007

Just got the reply back from the second appeal.....open the letter with shaking hands....only to be met with a statement claiming that the Appeals panel cant quite come to a firm decision....dont know whether to laugh of cry...it seems that there is an issue over how close not just my son but all the children involved in this appeal to the school ...now considering this is the nearest secondary school and it took Rob and Naim just 20 minutes to walk the 2.8 miles surely must count for something...the sticking point is that the Panel didnt take into account of footpath when determining the shortest walking distance...this all sounds shite to me...i am getting increasingly angry that my son has had to go through this....he has always been an high achieving student...he is the Head boy for his school and head of his school council....he has watched the 3 other senior members get into their first choices...and what on paper should have been a straightforward move has how been made complicated because it seems that academic abilities nowadays count for nothing...for all that he has achieved so far..the attempt to shunt him into a school with kids whose parents didnt express a preference in other words...kids whose parents dont care...bloody galls me...i wouldnt wish this situation on any other parent...and believe me it is going to get worse....looking at the school criterias...sibling link is the main way into these schools...looking at last year's intake for the schools i picked for Naim...the sibling links made up a tiny proportion of the school's overall intakes....this year however....they took up almost half.....so only children really are at adisadvantage....i have been at loggerheads with the LEA since all this has been going on....i think that it is disgusting that when a parent has helped their child to achieve only for that to put that child at a total disadvantage...my reasons are not for vanity purposes...the fact that Afro Carribean boys are failing within the education system when there is no need to...was really behind me making sure that my son wouldnt be amongst that statistic....so that is why i cannot afford to lose this war...too much is at stake.....it is alright for the Government and such like to pay lip service as to why there is so much Black on Black killings....and pretend to look into the reasons but when some of us decide that we will do everything in our power to steer our children away from that path as best as we can through education and giving them a solid confident family base...they are being shown that no matter how hard they try and play by society rules....they are still being told that it is not enough....Delxx

Just What I Thought

Posted by nubes, 03 May 2007 ·

Right remember my awful week with the school's appeal and etc etc......remember just how bad i did on the 2nd one. remember when i told the Deputy Head that i knew that i had failed to do enough to convince the board...i was despressingly right...he doesn't deserve this....he really doesnt...but ne mind....i have always been a fighter...and i am still prepared to do anything i have to do to get him the education that he deserves..even if it means going to prison......he will not be going to a sink comprehensive...Delxx

The Week That Was

Posted by nubes, 28 April 2007

What a gruelling week this has been...what with the school appeals...the threat of reduudancy also loomed....my stress levels have never been so high...i have never known a week where everything seemed to happen on the same days...Monday...i had a meeting with the OPs managers...who when i told them that i would take my money and go...decided that not only was i an asset to the company but have created a new post for me..which takes me more into a troubleshooting role rather than just running a Kitchen...soo..although i would be based where i am at present..i wil out and about setting up contracts...helping to turnaround menus that are jaded et...and giving other chefs support when needed....considering that 3 of us were up for the chop..and i was the only one save mine was quite a result....Monday evening..2 school appeals..this is where i had to enlist a bit of family help..Ma babysat and helped herself to our red wine!!!!...Bro Felix who came with us to Prestatyn.....went as our rep at one..whilst we went to the other...that was very highly charged with parents such as ourselves who were dissapointed with their school choices...at one point things got very heated and the look of resignation on one mother's face really did say it all....i would never wish this situation on any parent out there..by tring to do one's best for your child..can actually put them at a grave disadvantage i have since found...

Tuesday....the first of one to one school appeals where you have to give valid reasons....the relaxed atmosphere within the church hall allowed me to be able to give a credible account as to why my son should be at that school...they were very interested about his role within the school council..and his academical achievements such as having the highest Sats marks in year 4....they seemed to be genuinely interested as did the school board who was present...when they complimented Rob and Myself on our parenting..i was nearly close to tears......

Wednesday...started to plan for the second one to one

Thursday...the seond one looms...arrive at the location..but this time we dont feel as relaxed as Tuesday...we go into an atmosphere that is cold clinical and very business like..not at all like Tuesday..i can feel myself getting very nervous...and this is reflected in my faltering voice...very uncharacteristic for me and totally new ground...i am stubbling over words....and feel that i am letting my son down by not being able to get my points over in a confident manner.....it is the most awful feeling in the world...my son has done all the hard work...all i had to do was speak for about 1/2 hour on his behalf...telling the appeal and school board just why he would be an asset to that school..but got it gravely wrong..however i was able to get my main points out..but sounded more like a nervous schoolgirl then a mother who is trying to get the best education for an high achieving pupil..

when we came out of there...i apologised to the Deputy Headmaster who said that he wished us luck...i turned round to him and said" thank you..but we both know that i didnt do enough to get my son into your school...but thanks for your politeness" I have never felt so empty as this..

Friday....looked back over this week..can't believe what an unbelelvable stressed one it was..but one sometimes has times which are testing and i can honestly say that it can only make one stronger....fingers crossed that we have been succesful with one of these appeals....or my stress and blood pressure will be at boiling point yet again...ne mind i have a job..for the time being..Delxxxx

Another Saturday Night

Posted by nubes, 17 February 2007

Right now that my hubbie Rob has decided how much he enjoys coming to Northern dos...especially after the excellent Rugby all niter.....he raised my hopes by saying "why dont we go to Peterborough tonight"well after years of being with non northern soul partners...that..one can imagine was music to me ears.....however..seiing as his little nose is redder than Rudolph...i felt he was being a tad optimistic....constant reassurances that "all i need is to stay in bed and sweat it out" was met with a raised eyebrow from moi...so i went about my weekend jobs hoping against hope that i would be going to the niter...but also knowing him...if he felt a teensy bit better...he would go for a crafty pint or two....i arrived home... very quiet i thought..oh must be out for a restoritive pint thinks I..alas no..my beloved other half is still in the same position as i left him..."how are you feeling" i ask..."worse than before" he lamely replies "so does this means that we cant bl##dy go then" i ask all full of sympathy "sorry luv" he coughs and splutters back...." ne mind" i say giving him a nice firm hug round the neck!" there is always next weekend"

Delxxx