Oodles of Noodles and Pottyness

Here's Noodle's pot noodle. As you can see there are oodles of seedles, sorry seedlings! I'll get her to help me thin them out when we get back from Dorset. If there are any left it should be a good show! I don't think we know what kind of flowers they are but it doesn't matter really does it.

Here's the rest of our small garden. Thought you might enjoy the spring show with us.


This azalia is going to be absolutely gorgeous - next week while we're in Dorset!! If it's still flowering and hasn't been spoiled by the rain when we get back I'll show you the full effect.

Son and his new wife got back safely from their trip yesterday. He rang to say they had had a wonderful time. He was very pleased to hear that we had been able to watch the wedding on line and that we had cracked open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate with them. I've yet to hear about all the adventures and see the photo's but I'm pleased he's so happy. They promise to visit over the weekend. It will be lovely to see them.


Bezzy mate has asked me to recount an experience I had whilst invigilating this week. I think I got away with it. Here's what happened.

Whilst putting out exam papers in the school hall prior to the exam I was asked to accompany the exams officer with about 25 students to a patch of grass at the front of the school where these students had to be kept "in isolation". They had just finished an exam and had to go back into the hall with other students to sit the next part of the exam. As they had already seen part of the paper they were not allowed to mix with the other students prior to entering the hall.


We reach the patch of grass.

Exams officer, "just stay with these students, I'll be back in a moment".

Me, "OK".


She didn't come back.


A student with a steel array where her teeth should be came up to me, "miss, can I just pop over the wall for a fag? I'm really stressed and I'm dying for a fag".
I'm astonished that a 15 yr old, on school premises would even dare to ask! But I hide my shock in case my inexperience should show and put my (already weak) authority in jeopardy.

"Just sit down on the grass and try to relax. You're not allowed off the school premises whilst you're in isolation". I said, hoping to convince her that I knew what I was talking about.


It worked, she sloped off, round shouldered and pigeon toed and joined a group of three girls who were doing yoga exercises. One was holding a book open while the others try to copy the pose displayed on the pages. Balancing on one leg with the other leg held up behind them with one hand, the other hand stretched out in front, they teetered and tottered about, much to the amusement of their classmates.


I wondered what the time was. There could only be about 10 minutes to go before the students would have to be back in the hall for the exam at quarter past but I didn't have a watch, I hadn't known I would need one, so I asked one of the girls sitting on the grass what the time was. "Five past". She said. Now what should I do? Wait another five minutes before I took them in or go now? I decided it wouldn't take five minutes to reach the hall so I let them carry on doing their yoga. Others were trying to revise from books. One was making a daisy chain.


I checked with the watch wearer again and announced, "It's time to go back to the hall now, can you gather your things please and start making your way back".

See, this is where my inexperience kicked in. Never having had to supervise a group of 15 year olds in isolation before things started to go wrong. I stare at blank faces, or worse, total ignortion! I had forgotten about the lethargy of teenagers, it being 20 years since mine were that age and disposition.


"Come along, we need to get back. Pick up your things and get moving". I said with more volume. It worked. Slowly they gathered up books and bags and sauntered ever-so-slowly across the grass and back into the school building. I was feeling quite pleased with myself. I counted heads. Yes, I had everybody. They were strung out in a higgledy piggledy line that stretched and elongated as the ones at the front, moving faster than the others, reached the front doors. The students at the back were making no effort to catch up their class mates, it was like herding cats, but at least everybody was moving in the right direction.


As I followed them into the building I realised, to my horror, that the rest of the 162 students who were taking the exam were all in the corridor outside the hall. My students had melted into the throng and I had no idea where they were!! Oh my goodness! No more "isolation" for them then! Suddenly they all turned and started moving back down the corridor. I asked some girls that I did recognise as being part of my group where they were going. "We have to go down to G3 to line up". Of course! "good luck then!" I said with relief.


They can only have been mixed with the other students for a few seconds before being supervised into their lines for entering the hall so I'm sure it was OK. I went into the hall to help finish setting up and determined to find out what the proper procedure is for students in isolation. You never know, they may ask me to do that again!!!! (not)