I have another interview. This one at a distance of 44 miles away from Cambridge ... *sighs* I'm signed up to this teaching recruitment company and to say they mess me around is an understatement.

Job 1 - Still miles away BUT looked good and relatively get-to-able ... they put me forward for the post without my confirmation and then send me the interview pack. "Interviews for History and PSHE Candidates" ... yes and the conversation goes as follows:

Me: "I am NOT a history teacher, my PGCE, hopefully, is in English with Drama"
Her: "Well you have a degree in English and History I fail to see much of a difference."
Me: "I'm going to be an NQT who has trained in English ... I have nowhere near enough experience to teach my own subject brilliantly yet, let alone another."
Her: "Okay so I'll tell them you refuse."
Me: "No, you tell them I am unable because you put forward a wrong candidate."
Her: "Yes yes yes."

Job 2 - Random phonecall at 8:55 in Kings Lynn. Note to self it's probably closer to York than to me. She gabbles the details, I miss most of them and then confirms and hangs up. I rang back and shes "away from her desk" yet again. I hear nothing else ...

Job 3 - Until the afternon when she rings back with a job in Thurston ... 40-odd miles away but fairly do-able ish
Her: "The interview is with Year 9 on poetry."
Me: "Where is this place and is it get to-able by public transport."
Her: "You will need to take the train from Gloucester and go to Cambridge and change from there"
Me: *incredulous* "Yes I am aware of that, I mean where is it in relation TO Cambridge and how far is the school from bus stops/train stations?
Her: We'll sort something out.
She hangs up and I hear nothing else. So I MAYBE going to Cambridge on Monday. Maybe. I have a lesson planned just in case.



I have also spent the weekend in Bristol with Mum as on Friday I won tickets to see Russell Watson in concertin Bristol along with a bottle of Champagne. We ended up making a weekend of it and it was quite nice. Some of the things we saw and dealt with
- A man asleep on a bench outside Bristol Temple Meads station with his bum hanging out, quite literally there was a foot of buttcrack there. Mum confirms he is not dead by the pinkness of the cheeks.
- We are on 17th floor of the travelinn, so nosebleeds and a magnificent view obscured by the mesh of net curtains.
- Marks and Spencer practically ran out of food, so our picnic was supplemented by many bits and bobs
- The bus driver who drove up to where the concert was drove like a maniac. He was swearing, clipping a car, clipping a coach and rounding corners with then intention to be up on two wheels.
- A group of people were camping out on a traffic island/subway and could only be seen from the hotel floor.
- I found many new manga releases in Forbidden Planet.
- We took oddest - and only - train route back which involved dipping in and out of Wales and there were several hardcore "That's my seat and I want it or else" people including an irritating old guy behind me who clipped me with his umbrella and whinged a bucketful. What is it with old people and constant whinging?

Oh yes and was in Travelling Man and a yummy mummy came in with her boys aged about 8 and 10, I was chatting to the guys behind the counter who still remember me as the bouncy York girl, which is nice. Anyway, the two boys shoved past me, went straight around the counter and started rummaging through the yu-gi-oh cards. Mummy does nothing and looks at her nails, muttering something about hurrying up. The two Travelling Man guys look stunned at the sheer rudeness and I get quite cross.

Me: "Excuse me."
Y.M.: "What?" (looks at boys) "Hurry up you two."
Me: "Your kids are being incredibly rude."
Y.M.: "Ah they're just mad for those card things. I just let them, it's the best thing."
Me: (quite irritated by the elbowing brats cawing like vultures around the cards boxes) "They are acting obnoxious and you don't seem to give a damn."
Y.M.: "This is only a comic shop."
Travelling Man Girl: "Excuse me, but with that attitude I can have you thrown out."
Travelling Man Guy: (to the boys) "And you two can come out from behind the counter."
Boys: Protest, squawk and scabble
Me: (to boys) "Maybe if you ask to see the cards they would be willing to let you have a look."
Y.M.: (tapping foot and getting cross, compeltely unaffected by the fact we have just insulted her offspring) "Look just get any of the damn cards and let's go."
Travelling Man Guy: (glares and hands over two the most expensive packs, Y.M. glares back, money is exchanged)
Y.M.: "And two separate bags, they fight otherwise."
Travelling Man Girl: Glares with a look that says "you can go hang"
Boys: Currently enjoying putting their grubby mitts over one of the windows of the shop.
Me: "So one day they will learn manners, then."
Y.M. Glares and strides out, both boys following.



It was comical

So now I have to go and half-pack a case and hope for an ice pack and fuss from K-chan