Enlightenment.. Friends till the end

Its very rare in life you get an opportunity in life that you just keep wanting to share and share because of so many factors that alone is another blog post!

But for me getting invited to go to the Opening Ceremony of the Parlalympics was a life changing event. I am shy by design it may not seem in but I am , as I am not a natural collector of friends for me they have to be the right fit for us to gel. A good friend is understanding, engages natural conservation and you can pick up where you just left off be, if you have been friends for years or just met them on twitter like I did with Jane Willis who blogs over at http://competitiongrapevine.blogspot.co.uk/

So when I was invited to go the the Opening ceremony of the Paralympics I jumped at the chance. ( don't tell Jane but I still haven't taken my Paralympic nail varnish off yet , I must do that before my first aid session at school tomorrow !)

The Paralympics faced an emotional homecoming. The original 1948 the Stoke Mandeville games had been the creation of Sir Ludwig Guttmann who has been a scientist during the Second World War he was an extraordinary scientist. He had a ground breaking technique to treating people with spinal cord injuries. He showed us that science and humanity can come together. In doing so he ignited the global phenomenon that has become the Paralympic Movement. And myself and Jane Willis were very proud and honured to be made part of the journey.

Brolly Good time Paralympics

Reception children psychology...

So this week I go down to being a TA in a Reception class.

I am not weeping into my cornflakes .... yet.


How do I think its going to go ?

Well I think its not a case of being stoic and all Rose from the Titantic ....


Will I be scared of the Reception children ?

Will unless they represent evil Gremlins then no ... they do go home at the end of the day right ?


How do I approach the "I miss my Mummy" Oscar film winning situation?

Well practicality rules for me as most children starting school will appreciate a straight answer. Which for myself usually goes like this..

Blubbering child "I miss my mummy"...... exhibiting signs of Greta Garbo "I vant to be alone"


Me" Who do you live with?"

The child slowly calming down (mostly)

"Mummy, Daddy .. various brother , sisters , pets, imaginary friends and Justin from Cbeebies"


Myself "So you are going to see them at the end of the day"

A small child has no real concept of time the phrase "Are we nearly there yet is tantamount to this"

So as the said small child continues to muse this situation and rather like a deer trapped in headlights.

I finish with the phrase.

"So Mummy (etc) will be proud of you for being a big boy (girl) when you get home"

They usually accept this situation and topped off with a sticker they are your friend for life.

Reverse psychology works mostly....

Reception child.

Silent Sunday 2/9/2012 Paralympics

"Spasticus Autisticus".. Shock to Rock!

Unless you have been living on the moon or something you will not have failed to realise I went to the opening Ceremony of the Paralympics. I shall blog about this in great detail along with all my photos that I took!.

All of the opening ceremony was spectacular none of it oozed sappy sentimentality but it was honest heartfelt and moving. There was an aspect of it that shocked but in a good way it was Ian Durys shocking : "Spacticious Austicisticious"" I have to admit that this was a shock that I have never ever heard of . And in a way I was ashamed of myself for not having heard this song before. I felt as if my ears have been covered over for the last thirty years.

As a youngster I knew that this was a term that shouldn't really be used though it was , it was different times and some of the Charity campaigns were very much Tiny Tim from "Great Expectations" and that you should help these people because it was a cause. There was little thought given by most to what happened to beyond dropping the coin in the Charity envelope or the charity box that adorned many a supermarket. The lyrics were hard-hitting: "So place your hard-earned peanuts in my tin".

I didn't realise that this song had once been banned by the BBC . It was an electrifying sequence of the Paralympic Opening Ceremony and I was there for this moment in history , I am part of this change this moment that will propel the laying bare of disability in it raw terms and promote debate .

The Paralympics demanded we listen to this song and we did.

Ian Durys "Spasticus Ausisticus" at the Paralympic Opening Ceremony.

Alison's Lapper stunning statue.