England: the aftermath

Peter Ustinov, arriving at his private school in England, was summoned to the headmaster's study. Looking at young Ustinov over his spectacles the principal intoned " Ustinov we hear that you are a unique individual, enterprising, creative and with brilliant qualities. We want you to know that in your first year here we intend to crush all of that!"

Returning for my reunion at Nelson Grammar School after 60 years absence brought into vivid recollection my first encounter with headmaster Maurice Brown.
He was noted as a "Thrasher" and I was the first pupil to be caned during his 10 year reign of terror.  "Wilson," he shouted, as his cane resounded on my taut trousers "I shall never forget you." Nor did he.
My frequent trips to "Doc's" office inured me for the coming trials of life. Refusing to be neither repressed nor suppressed I thrived against all odds.

 Tragically, Doc's son Richard, did not. Brought up in a negative and bloodless environment, he committed suicide, unable to find his place in his unhappy world.

Parents, by all means tan your  kids if they require it, but give them infinite amounts of love and approval. They will grow up to be world beaters!
Ian

England: aftermath!

I returned from England with numerous impressions, none more poignant than the woeful state of the church. On any one Sunday no more than 5% of the people attend any form of service.

Meanwhile spiritual oddities abound.

 At Glastonbury new-agers assemble in their thousands (usually up to their knees in mud). The druids are chanting all mid summer night at Stone Henge and the witches are back in force on Pendle Hill. 

They are the "GOATS IN TREES."

In the absence of good shepherds preaching sound doctrine and living pure lives, sheep scatter and goats abound.

Since I have not yet mastered the art of being in two places at once, I cannot preach in England and in Canada.
Nevertheless, when I do return to England, I and my friends intend to haul some of those goats out of the trees and put the sheep back in the pasture where they belong.

Do I hear an "Amen brother"?

Ian

This week from England

'Can you imagine working for a company that only has a little more than 635 employees, but has the following employee statistics:

29 have been accused of spouse abuse

7 arrested for fraud

9 have been accused of writing bad cheques

17 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

3 have done time for assault

71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit

14 have been arrested on drug related charges

8 have been arrested for shoplifting

21 are currently defendants in lawsuits

84 have been arrested for drink driving

And collectively, this year alone, they have cost the British tax payer £92,993,748 in expenses.

What is this organisation?

It is the 635 members of the House of Commons.

The same group that cranks out new laws designed to keep the rest of us in line! What a bunch of hypocrites we have running our country-it say it all.

 

And just to top all that, they probably have the best 'corporate' pension scheme in the country!! '

 

Well, all of this begs the question, if this is a cross section of the governing body of England, what hope is there for the rest of the nation?

I'd better get on the next plane before I join the guy behind bars.

See you in Canada.

Ian