Feminist Pub 17: The Bluestocking frolics in the fells and fens of feminism

Yup, proper inglenook job, wicker basket for the logs, copper coal scuttle, toasting forks and a good solid poker.

Hi Jeanne. I can't join in payrise discussions, so I'll just pull up a chair by the fire (and nod off....)

May I pull up a chair, please?

I missed this pub, but I'd love a moment to sit by the pub fire (we have a fire, right?).

Yes - good luck Hoppy - hope your interview goes well.

I can't really complain about being poorly paid but surely everyone would like £16k more - nevertheless, inflation isn't zero. My outgoings increase, and my income doesn't.

Really annoys me that the 'wonderful' system payroll have dreamed up works against me at the moment. Seriously, who designs a system that means only the junior staff at each level get a pay rise and tries to sell it as being a 'performance culture'?

Good luck hoppy!

Lucky us - we get to decide our pay rises ourselves as a collective of sorts. We do have a budget to stick to so we can't go mad.
However, after deciding on a rate-of-inflation pay rise last October, one of the team suggested we reduce our pay rise to 0.4% because inflation has reduced!
I had to point out that, no matter that inflation was down, the housing association I rent from will no doubt put the rent up.
It's not as if we're well paid anyway.

I never really considered myself poorly paid until I started looking for new jobs, and woah. That was a rude awakening.

Interview tomorrow. Fingers crossed it's good, and they're nice and I don't jibber and sweat like I'm on trial.

We get below inflation increment every year because we are not worth it.

I have lots two rooms full of Boxes of the Patriarchy. We moved 23 months ago.

Feeling grumpy this evening. No pay rise again this year despite getting a good performance rating. Colleague who does the same job as me (but is 18 months more senior than me) will have earned £16 k more than me in 2014/15 tax year.

(I should better get promoted to his grade in the autumn, and I did get an out-of-round pay rise of 9% in October, and I know this because we are both totally open about pay 'n' stuff, but still...)

Oh - and following our upcoming refurbishment I'm going to have useless secretary sitting next to me

It will be the Year of Our Pub Goat tomorrow!

Yes, I can certainly raise any issues with editor and author, it's just what it really needs is for her to go away, read 100 books in 6 months, then re-write

i am overinfested, clearly. I will point out concerns, then remember that ultimately it's not my circus, not my monkeys.

Can you go to the author and point out these gaps? Would they be receptive to that?

And yes, I do need to open the box. Just not right now

ooh, Puffins you have to open The Box now Unless your name is Pandora, obv.

I have a quandary: I am editing something for someone (purposefully vague) which they are selling as a feministy memoir for Young Adults, but but but ...! Author doesn't seem to have much if any feminist awareness.

Like periods are shameful why? She gets that it's nonsensical, but doesn't seem aware that, eg, 2000-odd years of Christian patriarchy might have something to do with it.

Annie despite the number of moves we've done, I have a room full of the Boxes of Patriarchy still untouched since September. I also have a box that was packed for a move I did in the 90's, which has come with us on every move since and not been opened. There was a Good Reason for leaving this box in our wandering life, but I'll be damned if I can remember what that was now. That one is especially oppressive, because I am mildly worried about what it contains.

Good luck in your new place even if temporary hope all goes swimmingly.

I still have boxes of Patriarchy hidden in my wardrobe (no room for clothes), and we moved 5 years ago.

Hope everyone is enjoying the half term, sorry you've got a bug Dragonlette, hope you feel better soon.

This morning a man asked if I minded him lighting his cigarette next to me, I pointed out you aren't meant to smoke on the platform, and he said 'whatever, do you mind love?' Yes, actually, I do. Then he lit up anyway. It's too early for this kind of nonsense.

The Boxes of the Patriarchy are oppressing me too, we moved a few weeks ago. I think I can legitimately blame the patriarchy tbh, as DH (who is a SAHD and as DD is at nursery two days a week has ample time vs my 3 hour per day commute and full time stressful job) is refusing to unpack any as he says I will just move things after he unpacks them. Which is partly true but still unhelpful in addressing the enormity of the unpacking task

Annie if it makes you feel any better, we moved into this house over 6 years ago and just unpacked the last box ...

Half term here too. I've come down with the horrible cold all my colleagues had over the past couple of weeks. Typical, I keep going all term time and then can't enjoy my holiday because I'm feeling really rough

Good morning! I'm lying in bed in our new house putting off getting up because a) it's fucking freezing and we can't figure out how the heating works and b) once I'm up I will have to start dealing with the Boxes of the Patriarchy. I'm not sure how they are actually directly involved in the Patriarchy but they are most certainly oppressing me!

Half term here too. Gosh it is quiet in the pub at the moment is everyone at a party I'm not invited to?

Good morning! Half term here. Nothing to report ...

kickass, I always feel somehow responsible when relatives from the frozen north come down here and it's chilly. DH is from upstate NY, and his nieces, who are both teachers, are down here now with their children. They can't swim or do the beachy things they like, but at least they are out of the snow.

I get up at 4:30 and DH at 4:45. We live for our TiVo box.

I've just had a great holiday spoiled by having to do a skype job interview. But I do want/need a job, so...