Roll up, roll up for the BESH fun fair in the land (30s)

[Truffkin]

Oh yes, this place is filled with your finest hormonal roller coasters, dodgems (mainly enjoyed by the spermz) and the finest side shows you'll find anywhere. Come and squeeze our buzzwams to check for imaginary aches & pains, play 'guess when I'm ovulating' (made all the harder when you're as wizened and decrepit as we are) and indulge in a little light WOOFLing if you're feeling up to the challenge. There's are even droid shies for taking out your pain on the beeping little fecker when he comes along to rain on your parade.

So, if you've been TTC since the chairoplanes were the latest attraction, let's hear about it.

I think BBB has a bit of a man crush on Prof C- he went all gooey over him when he was on Something for the Weekend.

boo I'll happily punch him any day. Trouble is, looks like me and my friends will end up running playgroup, playing right into his Big Society net of evil....

I know. I'd love to know who's going to volunteer to work with all the little darlings I've been working with for 5 years...

Actually, I might get to keep my job. I've not been made redundant yet anyway. But it's still uncertain. Pfft.

Nice part-ay Boo. More gin anyone? When will you know for sure about your job? CallMeDave & SoldyoudowntheriverNick have a lot to answer for.

MS is back tomorrow. Hurrah!

I'll drink to that Sunshine Safe journey MonsieurSun.

oh, re job - dunno - next week hopefully.

Don't drink too much, sunnyD you don't want to be hungover for the reunion! Anyone in the mood for shots?
I used to make a mean Brain Haemmorrage (sp?)

Line me one up then sparklypuss, I'll have it as a nightcap. Gotta go to bed - I'm bushed after last night's antics.

My friend who works with teens (in Connexions, don't know if it's National thing?) is losing her job next month- they've cunningly rewritten the job description for her team so half of them are no longer qualified to do their job. It's all a big mess really. I just hope that all the disaffected neglected yoofs go and hang out at the end of CMD's street and intimidate him so he doesn't feel comfy going to the corner shop. And I also hope that CMD's toenails turn green and fall off, and his nasel hair grows too quickly for him to maintain it.

Connexions has been hit hard here too. Crapola.

I'm off to bed you luscious wenches. Smackeroos to any ESH, sleeping or awake.

But Surestart don't provide nursery placements Alpy. Round here they're community centres for everything pre-school - but you go with your children, you don't drop them off and leave them there. They run breastfeeding cafes, stay and play groups, host clinics - loads of stuff. I'd be happy to pay a nominal fee for attending a toddler group there - I do at some of the church ones I attend anyway.

I just don't see why any of that needs to be funded. You can breastfeed and bang a tambourine without needing government borrowed money for it.:(

Hallo Beshlies. I come bearing gin, handcuffs and an assortment of cream cakes.

Also a message for Aries. I had the most vivid dream that you won a baybee last night. It is clearly a sign that this is your last droid. Must be a premonition.

Alps I have worked alongside some of the early intervention family support workers who work from Surestart centres - they work with the more vulnerable families - before the kids get old enough to reach services like mine (Youth Offending Service), and the work they do is most helpful. I do see your point about 'tambourine banging', but it's those one-to-one services that will be lost too. Children's services have to focus on the high risk cases so the ones who need a small amount of help now to avoid big problems in the future won't have access to that support.

Our local Surestart centre is next door to the school that smallboo will attend - it's a small community and it's lovely. And it's not in a 'middle class' (natch)area and the parents that I've met there are from all walks of life.They will be the ones who I'll meet at the school gates in the future. I will be sad if that ends.

pony who is going to maintain the building? Hold the keys? Clean the loos? Fill out the endless h&s forms that places like that require and do al the other minutiae of running public services that we probably have no clue about (and wouldn't be allowed to do because of gov legislation)? If there is no gov funding then the venues for these things are under threat themselves.

Maybe the parents could arm themselves with a broom and a mop and GTFOWI! JB is always telling me I'm too independent, I realise not everyone works like that. Perhaps some of this legislation needs to be peeled away. Horses for courses of course, I'd just prefer that Bear doesn't have his future sacrificed - I plan to show him by example that we can only have what we can afford. PUT THAT FUCKING POWER-RANGER BAKC ON THE SHELF!

Alps some of the parents I work with can't read. They've had abusive and awful upbringings themselves and are struggling to break the cycle. They need help, and I want to live in a society that provides it.

I'm fine thanks Boo. Bit of a scare last night when hospital phoned and ordered us to A&E as routine tests for jaundice suggested Bob had a UTI and needed immediate IV antibiotics. Repeat tests suggest she may indeed have a UTI but as she does not seem sick in any way we have oral antibs as a precaution and have to wait until Friday for them to grow the cultures properly and decide whether she does need the IV or if it's all a false alarm. Was all quite scary last night, but today my baby seems very happy and is sleeping peacefully so I'm much more relaxed.

Yup, but thats my point. I am all for being proactive and chipping in but the gov cant have it both ways IMO. they legislate against people doing stuff for themselves and then take away the funding for it to be provided. Makes me GRRRH.

I think what irks me is that I have spent 20 years paying into the system and taking very little out (even more so my folks) Now when I could do with some of it back, it looks like it will all get taken away. But its ok for me, and Sprout. I am sensible with money and we will be ok. But there are lots of kids out there that arn't as lucky as Bear and Sprout and its them that will suffer through no fault of their own. That IMO sucks and yes the Gov DO have a responsibility to them, they wanted to be in power, they can't pick and choose which members of society they look out for (well, actually they can and DO but thats another issue)

Ah that's good MUSE fingers crossed the results come back ok.

He's done so many absolutely unforgivable things so far that I would happily beat him to a pulp with his own smugness. I don't believe anyone in that government has the slightest idea what it's like to do your absolute best to work and still be stuck between paying your electricity bill and feeding your family. People are, quite literally, going to end up on the streets because of this government. I hate them all.

Cake, anyone?

Off pondering a reply, and see a few have got there before me I'm sorry if I gave the impression that the reason I was sad about the Sure Start centre closing was because me and my ladies who lunch chums couldn't sit have have a Starbucks while our children received free child care. I've been lucky enough not to have to access the other services our centre has to offer- didn't have problems with BF, no mental health issues (non TTC related, anyway) speak and read English, understand how important actually speaking to my child is, have partner,friends and family who support my parenting choices/have given me great examples of successful parenting for me to emulate/help with child care so I can get a break. Suppose I don't really need to give a shite about those that haven't: Not My Problem.
Course I don't mind running a playgroup, (my mother in me relishes the idea) but for a start, am interested to know how much insurance we'd need to cover against injury. Just resent that I would be doing anything that whatsittomeivegotmillionsCameron would approve of.

I think having a child has made me realise that however much I may value my independence, my priority is in ensuring a safe, productive society for her to grow up in,to the best of my ability. I'd also like to set her an example that she is in a priviliged situation being white, western, educated stock, and she has a social responsibility to those who didn't have the same random birth luck.

I'm also sad for the four workers who we've built up a relationship with over the last two years who will lose their jobs. Silly really, it's only four out of thousands.

Also, FWIW I wasn't referring to the current yoofs, more the ones in 13 years, who'll be suffering the repercussions of damaged childhoods while my daughter is trying to negotiate her was through her teenage years.

Is march finished yet? I need a drink

Sorry muse crisscross- glad to hear bob's ok today, scary business,