So Eton, everything I expected and more

[JoanBias]

My DS is at a private school, so I have experience of private schooling, but my word Eton was like another world.

Not just the school, but the people there.

There was one prep school being shown around, all in tweed jackets, and to a boy the spitting image of Draco Malfoy (well there was one Chinese boy, but otherwise....).

One of the mothers doing the tour was not quite right in some respect, I'm not sure how but something wasn't wired up correctly or something. She was immacuately dressed, 6-inch heels (pretty daft considering the confirmation letter warns about having a long walk), but she was just bizarre. The admissions tutor said 'we have a waiting list of 80 boys and typically 35% of these will make it through', and she asked afterwards 'so 80% of the boys from the waiting list make it through?', and it was then explained again, but you could kind of hear the cogs going round and she clearly didn't get it. She had asked several other similar questions; e.g., it was explained that some Houses are catering and others go to a central cafeteria, so she then asked 'so they all eat in the cafeteria'? She pointed at the Fives Court and asked me 'what do they play here?' I said 'Fives' 'Is it squash?', she said. 'No, Eton Fives.' 'So is it squash?' It seemed as if this woman had had the benefit of the 'Finishing School for the Terminally Dim', because she was otherwise every inch the presentable upper middle-class wife.

Another family had a son who looked the prototypical pre-Etonian, and sure enough Daddy spent the tour braying on about his House when he had been there.

The facilities were extremely impressive, although they didn't bother to show us any of the academic parts, and basically the impression was 'if your son is incredibly pushy and self-motivated, send him here and we will teach him to be entitled'. They said 'every year we reject about a third of the highest performers on the test', essentially because they aren't pushy enough. (The House Mistresses seemed quite nice though.)

Fantastic training for future managing directors and whatever, but not for us.....

Well worth it to sign up for a tour, very illuminating. They take about 100 a day from what I can see, so obligation at all....

Ditto xenia, ditto scottish, ditto me...

Really? Seeker that's dreadful.

I'm a bit rubbish with connecting people/posts/content etc. Except I remember a few bits about Pag, Bups, Shiney, Daftpunk and many a feminist. I also remember some POVs on abortion, but mainly I just post on a thread about the thread and use the posts on it to discuss. My memory is dreadful.

Well *xenia@ s posting hhistory will have been vetted...because some outrageous fuckers here keep outing her.

Some idiot actually posted links to a newspaper article about her. Named her. And named her daughter...I mean how fucked up do you have to be to do that?

I agree, comments about SAHMs being thickos are just ludicrous. Plenty of exceptionally stupid women go out to work.

I agree, wordfactory, but without the swear words.

"But there are others who want to silence anyone who doesn't agree with them. People make rude and personal comments towards seeker all the time. They try to silence her by mocking how she posts. They also stalk her off board, trying to out her and harrassing her..."

Thank you very much, word factory- but apart from the rude and personal comments, ( which there have been plenty of!), I don't think they do. Or if they do I'm so thick I haven't noticed!

seeker don't worry I know you're real I was only joking! As others say I may not agree with you but I too respect your opinions and there's not much wrong with your grammar etc.

seeker I do very much hope that you have not been stalked harrassed and outed off board!

Can I just say thank you for mentioning the Superchild thread, a kind act that enabled me to search for it, read it, and wheeze with laughter for five happy minutes. Good grief.

I dont think I said Xenia's history had been suddenly deleted. Dont know how long it has been gone. A few weeks at a guess. Shame.
And congratulations on your DDs engagement. do feel the need to ask if he meets with your approval!

Seeker, I think you are very real indeed, fwiw!

I dont have a problem with anyone's grammar
Xenia has often said she posts in a hurry, so it is bound to be often wrong.
I expect she knows the correct ways really

happygardening, havent particularly noticed those names you posted, will look out for them!

Mulledwine it's fab isn't it I laughed so much at some of the truely glorious responses I cried. Sadly part 2 is conspicuous by its abscence but maybe like many sequels might have been a disappointment.
If you want cheering up or just a bit of light amusement I really recommend the Superchild thread.

What is this superchild thread of which you speak?

If I read it can I turn my DC into superchildrten?

^ever hopeful^

You can turn your children into neurotics with nosebleeds and magic cream.

yes we want a link to the superchild thread!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/education/1601809-Super-child-Part-1-related-to-11-plus

It's on education about 9 threads down you can't miss it the title Super child - part 1 (related to the 11+) it really is good!

I wish this thread would return to Eton!

vernon I'm sure it we're just being side tracked by the glorious thread by the Superchild thread.

I have been outed just about everywhere I have ever posted. Some people have nothing better to do. However I am sure writing about me is not really what we want on the Eton thread. Some people ask sites to remove identification of me threads. I am afraid I can hardly remember what I posted yesterday and never read my old posts but obviously some choose to study for a PhD in my various posts on various sites as I am such an interesting person. Perhaps we should form the Xenia fanclub website.

What is quite an interesting issue is many of the social networks and business networks want people to sign in as - facebook linked in or other names. I am the opposite. I would like one chain of my life relating to say stamp collection totally separate from Xenia the huntswoman or pro or anti abortionist or fundamentalist Muslim or whatever. I want people to have the ability to have discrete areas of their lives (and I mean discrete not discreet - it is one of my acid tests for good English whether people know the difference between discrete and discreet).

But obviously doesn't extend to sought and sort - unless I made a mistake :)

I am decidedly un-super, because immediately I have clicked away from the superchild thread I find I can't for the life of me explain what any of it actually means.

(and I mean discrete not discreet - it is one of my acid tests for good English whether people know the difference between discrete and discreet)."

I know the difference. I also know the difference between disinterested and uninterested (my acid test).

And I am a SAHM. Presumably this anomaly will make xenia's head explode so the problem will resolve itself.

So now Xenia is a giant pustule to be squeezed by the excellent English skills of a SAHM - and then have acid poured all over her to check her empty crater for residual ability.

TOSN I'm not sure anyone understood it but surely you cant deny the humour in the many many responses.

I'm a SAHM with a doctorate. But I'm not interested in attacking anyone else (or being attacked by them). One reason I had an 18 month break from MN was that so many threads end up running into the sand with attacks/in-jokes/personal comments/references to other threads. This is the first thread I've read since coming back, and nothing seems to have changed. But it has been very interesting to read about Eton/boarding here (and on the old threads about Eton, too, which weren't relevant to me last time I was on MN).