08.15: Walsall Wood Crucifixion:
Drove the usual route to work, road closed at Walsall Wood, could see police cars closed the road at both ends and they re-directed traffic. The approach is downhill so I looked ahead to see- was it a crash, a burst water pipe or a fire. Then I saw it, a man’s body hanging limply from a lamp-post. The lights were red and I stopped at the front to turn right. Not only was he hanging limp as dead, but there was a wooden 2×3" through his arms. He was up there, crucified. It was like a scene from Breugel. The lights changed and I drove right, concentrating on the traffic, I really didn’t want to be the rubber-neck that hits something.

One fireman was trying to cover him up with a blue towel, the other held another from his position on a ladder. The body, white and naked hanging lifeless was male, fair hair hung over his face.
I got to work, but faltered there. They let me off first lesson and covered my register. What was this? I head filled with thoughts, first of a suicide; then after talking it through- a lynching. But now, I just don’t know, was it all some drunken prank by a bunch of inebriated macho-men.
There is nothing on the news yet.
First report: Yamyam

Thought I’d lost this camera, but it had been put somewhere safe in work.
Exercise problem: why didn’t I think of this before, I’m getting a Turbo trainer this weekend.

The Why-tree

Snowday– the snowfall from yesterday  has lost its powdery softness as it turns to hard ice. That’s why they called off work tomorrow. I saw a few cars slipping around on the way home this evening.
There Will Be Photos: taken at lunch, but dammit for leaving the camera in school.

There is my place of work.

Snow: ‘snowday’ looks likely tomorrow. If so, I can catch up on that marking bag. This snow creaks and pops underfoot in that ideal snow way. No hills for skiers here though. A sledge would do me.

Fixed the fizzy legs- for now. Had a session in the school’s gym, on the rowing & bike machines.
Teeth :

Deep, bone-aching tiredness. I know, I say this every year, but you can’t get used to this. The holiday promises to be: Whiskey, snow, chocolate and fine company. Bet I don’t end up clearing the gutters though. Christmas day is in the middle of the holiday this time, so shouldn’t spoil the break too much.

Consider this: slow gradual change to lower energy light-bulbs that produce less heat, so the thermostat asks the boiler for more, thus offsetting the benefit & raising the house’s power consumption again. I suppose the reduction in overall consumption must be felt when the heating is off. Erm, hold on…

The Copenhagen summit: world leaders meet to tackle the world’s second biggest problem. Wonder when talks start for the main one, the one that causes this all. Not heard a peep for years so it must be building up to be a big one.
More news reaction: Govt. have moderated the new rules for vetting adults who will work with children. Now there will only be 9,000,000 people vetted instead of the proposed 12,000,000 in England. It’s not clear how much vetting costs compared ot a full CRB check or how the numbers are divided, The CRB check is I believe £50, and registration £65 for each entry. We must be looking at a figure close to £1,000 million for both.. Good that there hasn’t been any recession, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to afford it. We live in an extremely wealthy country as you can see.
I have been vetted via a CRB check this term, but I neglected to commit any crimes since the last check a few years ago. Oops.

In work a bit early, but a strange atmosphere- there was hardly any screaming. Most of the girls turn up about 08.20, so that’s when it reaches a real crescendo- enough to hurt your ears and leave you with mild tinnitus. Girls scream to greet each other, they scream to agree about things, and scream when discussing television programmes: at other times they scream for no apparent reason at all. Sometimes, I can’t bear to ask- the explanation could be so intensely mundane that my mind would go.

Entrance exam again.: Had a good group today, it all went well. I couldn’t help noticing a minor irony- 24 kids sitting a test to win a place in a selective grammar school, the whole time, overlooked by a statue of Lenin in the corner. Yes it was a History room, but he did look earnest.

Appetite– Constantly hungry today, all those trips to the canteen, raiding my locker (it was full of food). But still hungry. Am I pregnant? Can’t be! But Matt suggested a possible- it’s the colder weather. Has my metabolism increased to create more warmth?

Douglass Adams: in the book "Last Chance To See"… this guy has a very powerful way of writing that combines wit, human vulnerability and above all- protest.
Concerning the slaughter of a goat for the sake of filming Komodo dragons:

There is stuff like this throughout the book. He can’t resist anthropomorphising animals and situations with sensitivity but not with excessive sentimentality. I have only read his fiction stuff before, this is so fresh.

Autumn colds are an occupational hazard in our business. It’s only been two weeks since the last one and I have another cold rising today. Damned awkward when a week’s holiday is approaching.
Loonies: I am one, I have sent myself over 50 emails today is says here. The spammers are just as bonkers today too, then have send hundreds! I was only getting about 20 unwanted posts daily over the last few months, but now it’s over a hundred a day.
Just as well they automatically drop in the Deleted folder.

Only a short slot in which to write. Hope the tent dries out in this half-hour. After, I shoot out for a meal organised by QM. Still trembling with tiredness, all credit to noisy kids talking all night on the camp-site. Why girls, all the loud conversation, it’s only rain? The solution was obvious but not to hand- ear-plugs.
We did feel a certain moral superiority on the hiking trips; we staff hiked. Other schools’ staff manned checkpoints sitting in their cars having driven up onto the plateau. Our kids had expected us to do just that when they asked about this; the answer shut them up. We packed our rucksacks and hiked up the climbs too. In fact, on the second day, we’d worked out that we could give them an hour’s head-start and get to the checkpoints before them. That depended on the extreme slowness of our kids of course, and that is the way it turned out to be.

Rosie quickly became the trip’s mascot. On leaving yesterday the girls gathered by the gate as we drove out, all waving and cheering. When close enough I could hear "bye Rosie" etc. hey, what about me? It’s me that marks your coursework!
that dog impressed everyone, she changed quite a few minds about the virtue of the poodle breed. She also did a fine job of pre-washing the girls’ saucepans- Rosie likes beef stew, noodles and spaghetti hoops.