Below are a few headlines I found after 3 minutes searching.
April 2010:
"Across England and Wales, there were 114,000 more children born in 2008 than in 2001 - with each year having seen an increase.
And the Office for National Statistics says the rise in births between 2007 and 2008 alone will mean an extra 700 classrooms when these children reach school age."
January 2012:
"More than 450,000 extra primary pupils will need places in England by 2015 as schools face a surging birth rate, government figures reveal."
March 2013:
"A quarter of a million extra school places will be needed in England by autumn 2014 to meet rising demand, the National Audit Office (NAO) is warning."
July 2013:
"Despite increases in school capacity there will be 120,000 fewer places than there are pupils, ..."
Any child/adult who has ever played a Sim City type game will tell you that you need to look at your birth rate to predict need. We have statistics coming out of our ears and yet we are still woefully unprepared for the number of children reaching school age. You can not say you were not warned.
Is this because each Government only plans for their 4 or 5 years and how they can make their mark? It is too easy to blame the previous Government - the departments are supposed to be doing the same jobs, maybe there are certain things that should transcend your petty squabbles. Is it that Ministers within that Government are trying to be sensationalists by changing things that don't need to be changed (GCSEs for example) rather than trying to do the best job possible?
Maybe Ministers forget that there is actually a job to be done - a country to be organised (not 'led' ) - lives are affected by your actions and inactions.
Knuckle down and earn some respect rather than worrying about earning money.
Yours,
Welsh Letters.
Monday 2 September 2013
Friday 2 August 2013
... Cardiff & Vale University Health Board.
Dear sirs,
What is it with the Heath hospital? I totally understand that the NHS and individual HBs need to save money, but do you really need to stoop so low that when dads attend hospital to support their partners and new born babies, they are not even allowed to be offered a cup of tea from the trolley on the ward? How much does that save the Health Board each year? How much would a dad have to pay to the lovely staff (who look mortified when they have to explain they're not allowed to offer) to get a cuppa? 20p? 50p? £1? I for one, would willingly pay for my tea rather than walk from the Maternity ward to the concourse and back. Do you know how far that is? It's blooming ridiculous that there is no other provision in such a large hospital.
What's that? There are shops and refreshments in other places? Have any of you visited recently? If so, at what time? I bet it was some time between Mon-Fri and 9-5 wasn't it? Unfortunately, (ask the midwives, they'll tell you!) babies have a habit of arriving outside of normal business hours. By 6 all the shops in the concourse have shut. The little coffee bar in the Women's unit is shut even earlier.
People wander around the hospital despondently. Tired, lost because the signage is so awful, dehydrated and hungry. People, whether they've had good news or bad, just want to experience a level of care, and that's the issue! The NHS is supposed to care for ALL of us. When the staff say, ".. only for patients." I wonder .. who is your patient? Who are you treating? My partner? My child? Or is it my family? That baby is part of me and we come as a unit.
Treating dads like second class citizens as soon as their child is born is pathetic!
Yours,
Welsh letters
What is it with the Heath hospital? I totally understand that the NHS and individual HBs need to save money, but do you really need to stoop so low that when dads attend hospital to support their partners and new born babies, they are not even allowed to be offered a cup of tea from the trolley on the ward? How much does that save the Health Board each year? How much would a dad have to pay to the lovely staff (who look mortified when they have to explain they're not allowed to offer) to get a cuppa? 20p? 50p? £1? I for one, would willingly pay for my tea rather than walk from the Maternity ward to the concourse and back. Do you know how far that is? It's blooming ridiculous that there is no other provision in such a large hospital.
What's that? There are shops and refreshments in other places? Have any of you visited recently? If so, at what time? I bet it was some time between Mon-Fri and 9-5 wasn't it? Unfortunately, (ask the midwives, they'll tell you!) babies have a habit of arriving outside of normal business hours. By 6 all the shops in the concourse have shut. The little coffee bar in the Women's unit is shut even earlier.
People wander around the hospital despondently. Tired, lost because the signage is so awful, dehydrated and hungry. People, whether they've had good news or bad, just want to experience a level of care, and that's the issue! The NHS is supposed to care for ALL of us. When the staff say, ".. only for patients." I wonder .. who is your patient? Who are you treating? My partner? My child? Or is it my family? That baby is part of me and we come as a unit.
Treating dads like second class citizens as soon as their child is born is pathetic!
Yours,
Welsh letters
Friday 17 May 2013
... the scaremongers (BSL Interpreter specific)
Many people in my line of work will have seen the article in The Guardian entitled, "Lack of British Sign Language interpreters putting deaf people at risk" which told of a Deaf lady who spent 12 days in hospital, had her appendix removed, but the hospital did not employ an interpreter at any point.(1)
Anyone put in this situation without an interpreter is at risk. No-one can doubt that, except the ignorant many who think that 'lipreading' or 'pen & paper' are suitable communication techniques.
However, the story was then pushed on 'Deaf News Today' with the title, " BSL terp shortage puts deaf at risk - A growing problem in the U.K. is the lack of qualified British Sign Language interpreters."
The 'lack' has been translated as 'shortage' and suddenly we are focussing (as Jim Edwards does in the original article) on statistics rather than on the fact that the hospital failed their patient! Deaf News Today weren't the only people to do this.
So, what statistics are they focussing on? Jim Edwards (Signature Chief Executive) says that there are 800 registered interpreters for 25,000 sign language users in the UK. Not quite Daily Mail sensationalism (see their '1 nurse for 250,000 patients' story), being as that equates to 31 sign language users per interpreter - about the number of children that many teachers have in their class.
So what number should we be aiming for? Double that number? Triple? What effect would that have on the profession?
It seems that the common complaint by health professionals and employers is that interpreters are not available 'at short notice' or for 'emergency bookings'. Well, if we triple the number of interpreters, that should solve that problem ... except of course, that the interpreters who are sitting at home waiting for the 'short notice' or 'emergency' jobs to come in, have no idea if they will get paid that day! So, maybe they need to get a job on the side so that they can pay their mortgage ... but then they wouldn't be available for the interpreting job!
Some agencies have 'specialised' in short notice work. They charge a premium and some organisations will pay that, but one of the other main complaints is that interpreters are expensive!
So, the world needs thousands of interpreters who are "registered, qualified, bilingual and bi-cultural professionals"(2) who have day jobs with bosses who will release them at the drop of a hat (akin to RNLI lifeboat crew) when they are called out?
I'd like to suggest an alternative - rather than rushing a bunch of people who 'always wanted to learn to sign' through some training to boost the figures, why not use the funding and expertise available to shore up the skills of the yellow badge holders(3) that exist?
Many Registered Sign Language Interpreters have a narrow comfort zone which means they turn down work in police stations, conferences, theatre, mental health settings, etc. Knowing one's limits is incredibly important in our line of work (as is recognising over-confidence), but why is the training and subsequent CPD and support not shifting those limits and opening interpreters to new areas of work? If this could be achieved, people needing interpreters at short notice would have a much longer list to chose from as confidence in/skills of ALL registered interpreters increases.
Just an idea!
(1) Full story here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/07/lack-interpreters-deaf-people-risk?CMP=twt_gu
(2) As defined by: http://www.asli.org.uk/files/downloads/4_delivering_in_bsl_-_advice_1.pdf
(3) Registered Interpreter http://www.nrcpd.org.uk
Anyone put in this situation without an interpreter is at risk. No-one can doubt that, except the ignorant many who think that 'lipreading' or 'pen & paper' are suitable communication techniques.
However, the story was then pushed on 'Deaf News Today' with the title, " BSL terp shortage puts deaf at risk - A growing problem in the U.K. is the lack of qualified British Sign Language interpreters."
The 'lack' has been translated as 'shortage' and suddenly we are focussing (as Jim Edwards does in the original article) on statistics rather than on the fact that the hospital failed their patient! Deaf News Today weren't the only people to do this.
So, what statistics are they focussing on? Jim Edwards (Signature Chief Executive) says that there are 800 registered interpreters for 25,000 sign language users in the UK. Not quite Daily Mail sensationalism (see their '1 nurse for 250,000 patients' story), being as that equates to 31 sign language users per interpreter - about the number of children that many teachers have in their class.
So what number should we be aiming for? Double that number? Triple? What effect would that have on the profession?
It seems that the common complaint by health professionals and employers is that interpreters are not available 'at short notice' or for 'emergency bookings'. Well, if we triple the number of interpreters, that should solve that problem ... except of course, that the interpreters who are sitting at home waiting for the 'short notice' or 'emergency' jobs to come in, have no idea if they will get paid that day! So, maybe they need to get a job on the side so that they can pay their mortgage ... but then they wouldn't be available for the interpreting job!
Some agencies have 'specialised' in short notice work. They charge a premium and some organisations will pay that, but one of the other main complaints is that interpreters are expensive!
So, the world needs thousands of interpreters who are "registered, qualified, bilingual and bi-cultural professionals"(2) who have day jobs with bosses who will release them at the drop of a hat (akin to RNLI lifeboat crew) when they are called out?
I'd like to suggest an alternative - rather than rushing a bunch of people who 'always wanted to learn to sign' through some training to boost the figures, why not use the funding and expertise available to shore up the skills of the yellow badge holders(3) that exist?
Many Registered Sign Language Interpreters have a narrow comfort zone which means they turn down work in police stations, conferences, theatre, mental health settings, etc. Knowing one's limits is incredibly important in our line of work (as is recognising over-confidence), but why is the training and subsequent CPD and support not shifting those limits and opening interpreters to new areas of work? If this could be achieved, people needing interpreters at short notice would have a much longer list to chose from as confidence in/skills of ALL registered interpreters increases.
Just an idea!
(1) Full story here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/07/lack-interpreters-deaf-people-risk?CMP=twt_gu
(2) As defined by: http://www.asli.org.uk/files/downloads/4_delivering_in_bsl_-_advice_1.pdf
(3) Registered Interpreter http://www.nrcpd.org.uk
Tuesday 2 April 2013
... Cardiff sports fans.
What a weekend of contrasts!
On Saturday, my partner, my 21 month old son and I spent nearly 5 hours in the Millennium Stadium at Judgement Day. The 4 Welsh regions in a double header, East v West. Despite being Blues locals, Scarlets would be my team (as a Pembrokeshire boy) - so loyalties were split. The fans around us were from all 4 regions, but it didn't matter a jot! Everyone cheered when the teams came on, everyone cheered as a player showed skill and everyone clapped when any points were scored.
There was banter and I would be lying if I said I didn't hear any swearing, but from the old guys downing the beers, to the little Blues supporter behind us with his Ospreys dad, there was no ill feeling.
We felt safe and our toddler felt safe. He thoroughly enjoyed his day, playing peepo with the fans and dancing to the music!
On Bank holiday Monday, my father-in-law, brother-in-law and I went to watch Cardiff City v Blackburn Rovers. (I feel as if I could stop this letter now and everyone would understand!)
Before I continue, I am fully aware that some football fans are decent people, but the ones that surrounded us (and a dad and young daughter nearby) were nothing but thugs. The applause as the teams ran on to the pitch was accompanied by the Rovers fans starting to sing. City fans responded by chanting, "Shut up you c**ts." This was the first example of many which left me feeling physically sick. The constant stream of unsporting abuse made me angry and ashamed in equal measure.
When the visiting goalie was hurt and a Cardiff City player kicked the ball out so that he could be seen to by a trainer, the song, 'Leave him there to die' rang out! Every single tackle resulting in anyone falling over was greeted by one of two responses. If it was a City player on the floor, then the ref was a w**ker and didn't know what he was doing and the Rovers player was a c**t. If it was a Rovers player on the floor, he had dived and was a c**t.
There was banter, some of it quite funny and clever. "You're just a bus stop in Bury" is not a bad chant to Blackburn fans. It's a wind up! A laugh!
On the other hand, "You're full of shit, shit, shit and more shit." is never going to compete for greatest lyrics!
The second half saw a more aggressive stance from the crowd, as chants of, "Chop his f**king legs off" and "Kick his face in" became common. Other childish traits, such as refusing to sit down became an issue! In the all seater stadium, I understand the club can be fined if the crowd stand. When stewards came to tell people to sit down, as soon as their backs were turned, a shout of, "Stand up if you hate Swansea" rang out. Everyone stood up - those who didn't want to were forced to because they couldn't see the game!
When the announcer congratulated the crowd on the fact that Cardiff city had recently been voted 'Family Club of the year', my irony needle nearly blew the top of my head off! This was shortly before I witnessed stewards nearly having to restrain someone in the Family Stand (located next to the away fans) from taunting away fans as they left 5 minutes early.
I will probably get no choice about whether my child prefers football or rugby, but I know which one I hope he follows!
On Saturday, my partner, my 21 month old son and I spent nearly 5 hours in the Millennium Stadium at Judgement Day. The 4 Welsh regions in a double header, East v West. Despite being Blues locals, Scarlets would be my team (as a Pembrokeshire boy) - so loyalties were split. The fans around us were from all 4 regions, but it didn't matter a jot! Everyone cheered when the teams came on, everyone cheered as a player showed skill and everyone clapped when any points were scored.
There was banter and I would be lying if I said I didn't hear any swearing, but from the old guys downing the beers, to the little Blues supporter behind us with his Ospreys dad, there was no ill feeling.
We felt safe and our toddler felt safe. He thoroughly enjoyed his day, playing peepo with the fans and dancing to the music!
On Bank holiday Monday, my father-in-law, brother-in-law and I went to watch Cardiff City v Blackburn Rovers. (I feel as if I could stop this letter now and everyone would understand!)
Before I continue, I am fully aware that some football fans are decent people, but the ones that surrounded us (and a dad and young daughter nearby) were nothing but thugs. The applause as the teams ran on to the pitch was accompanied by the Rovers fans starting to sing. City fans responded by chanting, "Shut up you c**ts." This was the first example of many which left me feeling physically sick. The constant stream of unsporting abuse made me angry and ashamed in equal measure.
When the visiting goalie was hurt and a Cardiff City player kicked the ball out so that he could be seen to by a trainer, the song, 'Leave him there to die' rang out! Every single tackle resulting in anyone falling over was greeted by one of two responses. If it was a City player on the floor, then the ref was a w**ker and didn't know what he was doing and the Rovers player was a c**t. If it was a Rovers player on the floor, he had dived and was a c**t.
There was banter, some of it quite funny and clever. "You're just a bus stop in Bury" is not a bad chant to Blackburn fans. It's a wind up! A laugh!
On the other hand, "You're full of shit, shit, shit and more shit." is never going to compete for greatest lyrics!
The second half saw a more aggressive stance from the crowd, as chants of, "Chop his f**king legs off" and "Kick his face in" became common. Other childish traits, such as refusing to sit down became an issue! In the all seater stadium, I understand the club can be fined if the crowd stand. When stewards came to tell people to sit down, as soon as their backs were turned, a shout of, "Stand up if you hate Swansea" rang out. Everyone stood up - those who didn't want to were forced to because they couldn't see the game!
When the announcer congratulated the crowd on the fact that Cardiff city had recently been voted 'Family Club of the year', my irony needle nearly blew the top of my head off! This was shortly before I witnessed stewards nearly having to restrain someone in the Family Stand (located next to the away fans) from taunting away fans as they left 5 minutes early.
I will probably get no choice about whether my child prefers football or rugby, but I know which one I hope he follows!
Wednesday 6 March 2013
... Forwarders
Dear people who forward things without thinking,
Please read the items you are sending! Look at them with a critical eye. Think.
Much of the content I see on Facebook or in emails is spam, designed to collect contact names for some purpose or other. The content itself is trivial and harmless e.g. Name a vegetable without the letter A in.
But recently, I got one which made me think harder!
"Please help my friend "x" find her daughter, missing for the last 3 days."
"Please help my friend "x" find her daughter, missing for the last 3 days."
The scant details gave the woman's age as 23 and there was a photo. Nothing else. It made me wonder ..... does this adult female know she is being paraded around Facebook and does she want to be found? Are the people looking for her genuinely missing her or is something else going on? It also made me wonder, at what point did I get so cynical?
Maybe it was when I realised how many websites are dedicated to exposing hoaxers. People who post about viruses, scams and even attempted child abductions .... seemingly for entertainment. It seems (according to Facebook) that it is Autism Awareness Week about 12 times a year. It has got to a point that I can not trust what I see before me. Even the camera lies these days.
If my friend's daughter was missing, wouldn't I do the same? I'm sure I would, but I hope I could be more convincing so that cynical blokes like me paid attention.
Yours,
Welsh Letters
PS The 23 yr old woman walked into a police station confused about all the fuss. Sounds like she was visiting friends! Needed 2,700 'shares' to discover that!
Monday 4 February 2013
... Baby Book Authors
Dear sir/madam,
When going on a journey for pleasure, sometimes a guide book is useful. Different authors have different views of a place/people/culture and it's useful to get a range of views. If the trip is more functional, whether you are doing business with people abroad or invading a country, a more trustworthy and factual account may be necessitated.
I would suggest that the journey a parent starts is both pleasurable ..... and at times, a bit like invading a foreign country!!! But the guide books are all so personally based! I have met people who subscribe to Book A because they "tried 'feeding on demand' and it 'worked' for Jimmy" or Book B because "Julie's teeth came through exactly when predicted". I have yet to find anyone who seems to think that any book was written about their child/journey beyond 3 months old.
It struck me a long time ago that your entire livelihood is dependant upon the insecurities of parents. Children are all different! That is a fact. Teeth come at different times. They learn to crawl/walk at different rates. The number of factors affecting their development is too numerous to fit into any book.
Your incessant ranting that, "By x months, your child should be drinking from a cup/saying 3 words/sorting toys according to colour/etc/etc" just puts pressure on parents who are already concerned that they do the best for their offspring. The parents who don't share these concerns are not likely to buy your books anyway!
I can proudly say that I have only read what I have been directed to read by my partner, an intelligent woman who wants only the best for our son. I dare say that if I searched hard enough, I could find a book to contradict (or at least cast doubt on) most of what I read.
I am the youngest of five children. All developed at different rates and made it to adulthood with children of our own. My parents have 16 grandchildren & 4 great grandchildren. They are a source of information that beats every book I've ever seen on childhood. Through the last 19 months, I have talked to my parents and older brothers and sisters about every stage of our son's life. I value their opinion, the fact that they care enough to tell me if I should worry, and care enough to not want me to worry means I trust them. I know I am lucky to have a family like this, but without them, I would turn to friends.
I am sure your experiences and your opinions are valuable to those you care for and those who know and trust you, but why do you think you should inflict them on total strangers?
Yours,
Welsh Letters.
When going on a journey for pleasure, sometimes a guide book is useful. Different authors have different views of a place/people/culture and it's useful to get a range of views. If the trip is more functional, whether you are doing business with people abroad or invading a country, a more trustworthy and factual account may be necessitated.
I would suggest that the journey a parent starts is both pleasurable ..... and at times, a bit like invading a foreign country!!! But the guide books are all so personally based! I have met people who subscribe to Book A because they "tried 'feeding on demand' and it 'worked' for Jimmy" or Book B because "Julie's teeth came through exactly when predicted". I have yet to find anyone who seems to think that any book was written about their child/journey beyond 3 months old.
It struck me a long time ago that your entire livelihood is dependant upon the insecurities of parents. Children are all different! That is a fact. Teeth come at different times. They learn to crawl/walk at different rates. The number of factors affecting their development is too numerous to fit into any book.
Your incessant ranting that, "By x months, your child should be drinking from a cup/saying 3 words/sorting toys according to colour/etc/etc" just puts pressure on parents who are already concerned that they do the best for their offspring. The parents who don't share these concerns are not likely to buy your books anyway!
I can proudly say that I have only read what I have been directed to read by my partner, an intelligent woman who wants only the best for our son. I dare say that if I searched hard enough, I could find a book to contradict (or at least cast doubt on) most of what I read.
I am the youngest of five children. All developed at different rates and made it to adulthood with children of our own. My parents have 16 grandchildren & 4 great grandchildren. They are a source of information that beats every book I've ever seen on childhood. Through the last 19 months, I have talked to my parents and older brothers and sisters about every stage of our son's life. I value their opinion, the fact that they care enough to tell me if I should worry, and care enough to not want me to worry means I trust them. I know I am lucky to have a family like this, but without them, I would turn to friends.
I am sure your experiences and your opinions are valuable to those you care for and those who know and trust you, but why do you think you should inflict them on total strangers?
Yours,
Welsh Letters.
Tuesday 22 January 2013
... Snow moaners
Dear sir/madam,
Whenever snow hits the UK, everything grinds to a halt. Trains, buses, roads, schools - all are affected.
This year, Facebook and Twitter have been bombarded with photographic comparisons of a car stuck in 2 inches of slush in the UK and vehicles driving safely flanked by 10 feet of snow in Canada/Norway.
Well, let's look at why that is a rubbish comparison. In some parts of the world, snow covers the infrastructure for up to 6 months of the year. Without the means to clear roads, these countries would be crippled. Even so, occasionally, businesses have to close for a short while and people work from home. They do this, because they do not feel compelled to run out to a muddy hill with (or without) their kids to slide down it on a sledge they bought last year and haven't had a chance to use yet. Snow is a way of life for these people and investing in the equipment needed to clear roads is money well spent.
No council in the UK is going to invest heavily to deal with something that may or may not affect them for 2 or 3 days a year. How many people do you know who own (and use) snow chains? What about putting winter tyres on your car? Let's face it, most British people don't even go out with a coat! If we're not willing to make that investment, why do we expect our local councils to?
Head teachers come in for criticism for closing schools, but if your child is injured (or worse) in a school bus accident caused because of the snow, how would you feel then?
We are not equipped to travel in snow, so why not work from home, stay off the roads and let those who NEED to be out (crucial services for the elderly, sick and in need) have a clear run. Don't get me wrong, I am self-employed and don't get paid if I don't get to work, but I would rather not be paid, than risk not coming home to my partner and little boy(s - Edit).
Get up early, do your paper work and email it to your boss - then go build a snow man with your kids. Stay safe and warm.
Yours,
Welsh Letters.
Whenever snow hits the UK, everything grinds to a halt. Trains, buses, roads, schools - all are affected.
This year, Facebook and Twitter have been bombarded with photographic comparisons of a car stuck in 2 inches of slush in the UK and vehicles driving safely flanked by 10 feet of snow in Canada/Norway.
Well, let's look at why that is a rubbish comparison. In some parts of the world, snow covers the infrastructure for up to 6 months of the year. Without the means to clear roads, these countries would be crippled. Even so, occasionally, businesses have to close for a short while and people work from home. They do this, because they do not feel compelled to run out to a muddy hill with (or without) their kids to slide down it on a sledge they bought last year and haven't had a chance to use yet. Snow is a way of life for these people and investing in the equipment needed to clear roads is money well spent.
No council in the UK is going to invest heavily to deal with something that may or may not affect them for 2 or 3 days a year. How many people do you know who own (and use) snow chains? What about putting winter tyres on your car? Let's face it, most British people don't even go out with a coat! If we're not willing to make that investment, why do we expect our local councils to?
Head teachers come in for criticism for closing schools, but if your child is injured (or worse) in a school bus accident caused because of the snow, how would you feel then?
We are not equipped to travel in snow, so why not work from home, stay off the roads and let those who NEED to be out (crucial services for the elderly, sick and in need) have a clear run. Don't get me wrong, I am self-employed and don't get paid if I don't get to work, but I would rather not be paid, than risk not coming home to my partner and little boy(s - Edit).
Get up early, do your paper work and email it to your boss - then go build a snow man with your kids. Stay safe and warm.
Yours,
Welsh Letters.
Thursday 17 January 2013
... baby wipe manufacturers.
Dear sir/madam,
Do you have babies? Have you ever been up at 3am changing a nappy in a dimly lit nursery, battling to stop your half asleep child from putting his/her hand in their produce and at the same time trying not to disturb them from their slumber? Have you ever tried to get a wipe out with one hand because you have baby vomit cupped in the other?
I would suggest you haven't, otherwise you would know that the opening to your wipes would strongly influence whether parents buy them or not.
In our household, we like the plastic flip top, though we have yet to find a system that satisfactorily produces ONE wipe with a simple pull whilst presenting the next wipe in a way that you can reach it easily when you need it. Cue a long line of wipes being pulled out before being stuffed back in and totally ruining the system.
We DO NOT like the transparent sticky covering which allows your graphic designers' masterpiece to be shown on the upper side of your wipes, but does not allow a parent to find the opening in anything but perfect conditions. It is akin to wrapping Xmas presents & trying to find the end of the sticky tape with one hand while holding the carefully folded wrapping paper with your other hand/chin. Oh yeah, and the Xmas present is Tigger - you know - likes playing with Pooh!
A little common sense please - you know who you are.
Yours,
Welsh Letters
Do you have babies? Have you ever been up at 3am changing a nappy in a dimly lit nursery, battling to stop your half asleep child from putting his/her hand in their produce and at the same time trying not to disturb them from their slumber? Have you ever tried to get a wipe out with one hand because you have baby vomit cupped in the other?
I would suggest you haven't, otherwise you would know that the opening to your wipes would strongly influence whether parents buy them or not.
In our household, we like the plastic flip top, though we have yet to find a system that satisfactorily produces ONE wipe with a simple pull whilst presenting the next wipe in a way that you can reach it easily when you need it. Cue a long line of wipes being pulled out before being stuffed back in and totally ruining the system.
We DO NOT like the transparent sticky covering which allows your graphic designers' masterpiece to be shown on the upper side of your wipes, but does not allow a parent to find the opening in anything but perfect conditions. It is akin to wrapping Xmas presents & trying to find the end of the sticky tape with one hand while holding the carefully folded wrapping paper with your other hand/chin. Oh yeah, and the Xmas present is Tigger - you know - likes playing with Pooh!
A little common sense please - you know who you are.
Yours,
Welsh Letters
Tuesday 15 January 2013
... Education Ministers (BSL related)
... Education Ministers.
Dear sir/madam,
I'm sure you will agree that language development is massively important to all children. Our teachers and support workers (even parents) are all drilled in language milestones and ways our children can achieve them.
Why is it then, even in the wake of the recognition of British Sign Language (BSL) as an official language, that our profoundly Deaf children who use BSL are still not exposed in most schools to adults who are fluent in their language? The policy in most authorities is still: staff with Level 1 (Basic) sign language support in nursery and as the child progresses through the school system, they are rewarded with more skilled staff. More often than not, students at GCSE and A level are still being supported by people with Level 3 qualifications, a level not thought to be good enough to work anywhere else except in education.
I have no doubt that qualifications and skill level are often not equivalent. Some support staff may actually be from Deaf families and use BSL as their first language. Others passed their Level 3 many years ago and have not developed their skills at all. This is not a criticism of the support staff, but rather the education policy.
The result of these policies is that 3 - 7 yr old Deaf children do not experience the same language modelling that hearing children experience. Ask your Educational Psychologists what affect it would have on hearing children, if all the adults in our primary schools used English at/around an old CSE grade 3. Ask the parents if they would be happy with that. I think you know what the answer would be. That is the equivalent of what you are doing to Deaf children.
Give Deaf children in the UK a chance to succeed.
Yours,
Welsh Letters
Monday 14 January 2013
... The First Minister of Wales
... the First Minister of Wales
Dear Carwyn,
When I sat down to eat a meal in my house in Penarth,
lovingly made by my Welsh girlfriend with ingredients bought in our local
shops, little did I expect to be eating potatoes from Norfolk, haddock from
Scotland and chives from Kenya. I mean ….
chives from Kenya???
Here we are in one of the lushest countries in the
world! One of our national emblems is a
vegetable and another a flower.
Pembrokeshire produces the best tasting potatoes in the world (in my
humble opinion), we have the sea on 3 sides of us, the produce of which is as
fine as any in the world, Welsh cheeses are prize winners and our lamb and beef
are legendary. And you can not tell me, that in a country as innovative as
ours, with the manpower, the land and the climate that we are blessed with,
that we can not produce enough chives to satisfy our requirements.
May I suggest, that instead of spending £150 million pounds
on an airport, you use our money (and maybe that huge tract of land at Rhoose)
to ensure that when people want potatoes, leeks, daffodils, blue cheese, chops,
steaks or even chives they can find them, produced locally in the local shops.
Yours,
Welsh Letters
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