Drop the Pressure

Are GCSEs relevant? I’m not so sure. And even if they are, they’re certainly not appropriate for every child. Plus, GCSEs might suit some subjects more than others. And that’s before I even get to my own confusion about the new grading system. The A,...

Down Payment Blues

There are plenty of places online to help teach young people about money, whether it’s using MoneySavingExpert.com to save a few quid on their car insurance when they’re older, or going to citizensadvice.org to understand the meaning of PAYE, the...

Come Fly With Me

The radio, as well as the internet, is a thread that runs through family life in our house. I’m always listening to:   6Music (during the day) Kiss (tends to be weekday mornings, on the school run) Radio 4 (day) Sport on 5Live (evenings and weekends) Plus:...

Catch My Breath

It’s been a busy old time recently: Mrs P’s been in hospital, her mum’s been in rehab after two operations within a few weeks and I’ve even had to put air in the tyres. Work’s been busy too – meetings, messages, emails – the...

The Trooper

We didn’t have a Morrisons in our little corner of Hertfordshire for a long time – bear with me, it gets better – so Iron Maiden’s beer, Trooper, was pretty much unavailable to me despite me being a fan of both Iron Maiden and beer. I knew of...