Hi,
Many thanks Silentrunning and alp for your gracious comments.
I've said many times I'm a dinosaur of an age long gone when kids were taught proper lessons by proper teachers and schools had proper headmasters unlike now.
It's true as you describe alp; yes I had a very rough time of it both with health problems and schooling; until I reached 11 years of age I couldn't even read the blackboard not even understanding what spectacles were because I would be home suffering severe asthma each time school eye tests were carried out; I bluffed it by copying from my close chum John. I failed the 11+ examination having missed so much schooling but suddenly aged 11 the asthma left me and at last I was subjected to an eye test becoming "Four eyes". I was transferred to a secondary modern school and my form master Mr Barber was a tyrant who didn't take kindly to fools like me.
At first I was miserable at my new school being constantly bullied because I was so thin and weak through illness but little by little and with Mr Barber shouting at me I started to make progress; it quickly occurred to me that in order to get Mr Barber off my back I had to learn so I did learn and learn very quickly indeed; WOW my new ear hurting school glasses opened up an whole new world and I was now starting to feel physically better upon myself. I took ten subjects in my school leaving exams passing on seven subjects with distinctions in both art and technical drawing; I never liked religion; history nor woodworking so of course these were the three fails and this has never been a burden to me.
In the four years I attended secondary modern I made up for years of lost time and now I left school with sufficient qualifications to secure an apprenticeship with the then National Coal Board as an apprentice mechanical engineer; electrical engineering was closed to me because I'm hopelessly colour blind.
I left the pit and went into industry and mills etc learning new skills all the time but strangely I would start work at a different company then shortly end up in charge of a department; believe me I'm not smart and don't regard myself as a scholar but I have bags of confidence and somehow could always make the right decision; in my last job before retirement I ended up in charge of three departments holding down this job for 24 years.I've attended many training courses and seminars over the years associated with all aspects of work.
Not owning or knowing how to use a typewriter initially I submitted reports using pen and paper hand writing in capitals only; many of these reports went to the top so I was fully exposed knowing not only the content of these reports would be studied but also a lot would rely on correct grammar and spelling if I wasn't to show myself to be an idiot so I had to quickly sharpen up. Later I bought a typewriter but then computers arrived about 19 years ago and suddenly my second best friend was the word processor. I attended courses covering how to give team briefs involving speaking in front of groups of people at all levels also one course covered avoiding ambiguity. Text alone is difficult explaining things without body language but I think I did OK and survived.
One thing I learned very quickly was swearing or abuse of any kind didn't make friends; politeness and common courtesy will win through in the end and I still stand by this. When I add threads/posts to any forum I take the time to sit back and read to examine the content in case I might have inadvertently added something which could be taken out of context and possibly cause offence however slight this may be; I'll never knowingly cause offence of any kind. Friendliness opens doors for me and has allowed me to mix at all levels in work. I do however ramble on especially when the weather is dire as it usually is. If I encounter swearing of any kind I switch off and move to something I can possibly learn from in future avoiding such authors; I'm not a prude but I join forums to better my knowledge and experience.
Back on topic though I often smile when I read or hear our American friends; reading as Lori states involves correcting American dictionary again as Lori states often with American words involving the lack of "u" as in color which here over the pond is correctly written "colour".
American descriptions also differ in many ways to ours in the UK; why is solder pronounced sodder or aluminium pronounced as aloooominum? An American "yard" is a garden; our yards are paved areas often surrounded by tall walls? I've seen in American woodworking magazines kitchen cabinets called garages; I subscribe to "Fine Woodworking" an American high end magazine and sometimes the descriptions have me scratching my solar panel?
I don't understand why the Oxford English Language is being distorted in this way?
I've rambled on enough but I do enjoy the friendship of this forum between so many nationalities all rubbing along well together helping each other whenever possible; perhaps all our politicians should join this forum to create a better and peaceful world?
I'm truly Yorkshire born and bred ee bah gum.
Kind regards, Colin.
