Like the many tens of thousands of parents who support their children's sporting activities, I spent about four hours this morning being frozen to the bone whilst my rugby-mad son and his chums were competing in a "festival" (hah, where did they get that word from?).
But I am a bit of a rugby nut myself so it's not really such a chore to support these events where a couple of hundred youngsters have fun and, hopefully, improve their skills and develop their love of the game. All the people involved - the administrators, the referees, the coaches, the parents, the people who serve up the bacon butties, everyone - are volunteers and give up their time willingly to create experiences like this for their kids. Experiences that they will remember for a very long time.
It's also a good opportunity for the adults to interact and strengthen their bonds in this endeavour. (We always need volunteers to help out in organising raffles and cooking the bacon butties!) In between games there is always a chance for "administrators" like me to chat with other parents to persuade them to become even more involved.
Today I was dumbstruck by a conversation with one parent. She's a 50 year-old school teacher who doesn't see a future for her children in this country because of the high levels of immigration to Great Britain. She doesn't work in an inner city area but in a primary school on the outskirts of a small provincial town in the North Midlands - so no major influx of east Europeans (yet!) - and she's not what could be described as typical "middle class". She also sees this country as being dominated by people only interested in money.
But I am a bit of a rugby nut myself so it's not really such a chore to support these events where a couple of hundred youngsters have fun and, hopefully, improve their skills and develop their love of the game. All the people involved - the administrators, the referees, the coaches, the parents, the people who serve up the bacon butties, everyone - are volunteers and give up their time willingly to create experiences like this for their kids. Experiences that they will remember for a very long time.
It's also a good opportunity for the adults to interact and strengthen their bonds in this endeavour. (We always need volunteers to help out in organising raffles and cooking the bacon butties!) In between games there is always a chance for "administrators" like me to chat with other parents to persuade them to become even more involved.
Today I was dumbstruck by a conversation with one parent. She's a 50 year-old school teacher who doesn't see a future for her children in this country because of the high levels of immigration to Great Britain. She doesn't work in an inner city area but in a primary school on the outskirts of a small provincial town in the North Midlands - so no major influx of east Europeans (yet!) - and she's not what could be described as typical "middle class". She also sees this country as being dominated by people only interested in money.
What's happening? This is the sort of thing that was said in the Thatcher era, not when Gordon Brown (may God forever bless him) is our glorious leader. So, is this the way that "ordinary" people see Brown's Britain?
Well, the Coffee House blog links here to an article by John Rentoul in the Independent on Sunday which asks "What does Brown stand for?"
I don't know about you but he gives me the "heebeegeebees"!
And if he and his ilk are re-elected I'll be joining my school teacher friend in advising my son to emigrate. I will probably go with him.
1 comments:
This is a nice blog. I like it!
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