latedaytraveler

FLPAB,

"Why did my reply get triangled after latedaytravler's asking us about Cameron's speech. I said nothing bad and just mentioned Tony Blair and someone else posted they like Tony until he got involved with GWB. Very strange."

Actually, it was my comment about Blair and W that got scrubbed - too controversial I guess.

flpab

ok, latedaytraveler, I didn't think it was that bad. Yikes. Fl is the abbreviation for Florida. Our dear Gov slashed the school budget. The problem with this one school is bad, they had to air lift one student this week after a fight which happens often. A lot of violence. They tried moving her to two other schools but the school system has stopped people from doing that now. Some can afford private so they do that instead but they can't afford. Some will lie about physical address to get their kids in a better school or move to do it here in Fl. There is such a difference in many of the districts.

Barbara

"Perhaps it is the tendency of the private schools to use distinctive uniforms that gave you the wrong impression"

Were you addressing this to me? I lived there for more than "several years", and I am not mistaken. Of course not all parents send their children to private schools. Many of them are just not accepted for one thing, and some parents just don't agree with the whole private school concept. There are some very good state schools in Edinburgh.

PatrickLondon, agree.

PatrickLondon

>>Some will lie about physical address to get their kids in a better school or move to do it here in Fl.

MissPrism

On your knees, avoid the fees.

dotheboyshall

but in Edinburgh it is important to send your children to the best school you can afford

Still haven't explained why it is important

PatrickLondon

>>Still haven't explained why it is important

thursdaysd

I thought it was the English who were supposed to go in for that stuff, not the Scots.

latedaytraveler

FlPAB,

"FL," of course, FLORIDA. Somehow, I thought you were from the other side of the pond and referring to some section of Edinburgh.

"The problem with this one school is bad, they had to air lift one student this week after a fight which happens often. A lot of violence." Wow, that's too bad. The schools in my area (Boston and surrounds) are not that bad. I do sympathize with these parents.

PATRICK LONDON,

" Oh, the fun and games some parents are said to get up to in the UK in order to get their child into the school of their choice - bankrupting themselves to buy a house in the right catchment areas..."

The same is done here. I live in a town with a great school system and parents will do anything to move here for that reason (I have one of the smallest, oldest, least pretentious paid for houses in town, by the way.)

Patrick, do you have children? If so, you could probably sympathize.

PatrickLondon

>>I thought it was the English who were supposed to go in for that stuff, not the Scots.>Patrick, do you have children?

Dickie_Gr

I think people maybe missing the fact that Scotland is as culturally diverse as any country, due to history probably more so.

One reason why Alex Trout bombed out was because many of us didn't see the point in replacing the power crazed, centralised machine that is Westminster with the similar machine based in Edinburgh.

To many of us, Edinburgh is a world apart from us, a world which spends most of its time in its own dark orafice.

annhig

I thought it was the English who were supposed to go in for that stuff, not the Scots.>>

obviously for these purposes England includes Edinburgh.

>

I think we get the picture, Barbara, without living there or reading Mr McCall Smith.

latedaytraveler

Hi PATRICKLONDON,

>>Patrick, do you have children?

flanneruk

>>I thought it was the English who were supposed to go in for that stuff, not the Scots.

MissPrism

Ah, Dickie, I always call him Tammy Troot. You are obviously far too young to remember Tammy and his formidable granny

MissPrism

My son and daughter live in London. Neither could afford their own homes if they bought them now.

latedaytraveler

Hi MISSPRISM,

"My son and daughter live in London. Neither could afford their own homes if they bought them now."

Wow, are they lucky. Last June I went to hear London's mayor Boris Johnson (I get a kick out of that guy!) speak in a public forum about the city's concerns. Of course, property values came up - off the roof. The audience heckled him when he talked about new "affordable housing" in London.

One thing he said was that local councils should levy outrageous taxes on absentee landlords, especially on foreign owners. Just one part of the problem but I thought interesting.