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I've already posted a few blog posts about my old secondary school, Ryeish Green School in Reading, which closed last year.
The victim of political bitchfighting in the local council created a storm of anxiety over the school's future, causing parents to send prospective students elsewhere. The Conservative-led council then used this point to successfully close the school. That was the official reason given anyway, but it's pretty well known that Wokingham Borough Council didn't like the school having a catchment area that included parts of neighbouring Reading Borough Council's less-affluent residents.
Since my last post about the school, almost a year ago, there have been some interesting developments, namely "free schools" - a piece of Conservative "Big Society" policy that allows groups to open their own school, with full state funding but without the need for the local education authority.
Read more: Kick the Conservatives with their own policy? Yeah, why not!
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Today is my last day in Aberystwyth. After just over 5½ years working for Aberystwyth University Guild of Students, I'm relocating to Pembrokeshire where I've just bought a house with my partner.
It's definitely been a period of mixed emotions for me recently. Due to my partner's job I always knew it would have to be me to make the move in our relationship that, until now, had 70 miles between us. Now the time has come I'm excited about the future, sad to leave the great people at AberGuild yet also a little uneasy being as I'm yet to find a new job!
I've had my ups and downs whilst in Aber, but on the whole this town has given me some of the best experiences of my life. If anyone's reading this and thinking about coming to Aberystwyth University, I say do it! It's a brilliant place with brilliant people and Aber will always be in my heart.
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Today is Census Day - the day where, once every ten years, the government takes an official count of its citizens. This year I've been getting annoyed with how people are whining over how many questions there are and how intrusive it is.
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Ok, by now you are all probably aware of my feelings about Wokingham Borough Council's ludicrous and extremely short-sighted decision to close Ryeish Green Secondary School, my former school, just south of Reading. Ryeish closed its doors for the last time yesterday.
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Earlier today I read an article in The Grocer that highlighted the findings of an online survey saying that 73% of supermarket customers are shunning self-service checkouts.
Really? That many people really don't like them? Why?!
Admittedly, a few years ago when the technology was relatively young, self-service checkouts were temperamental to say the least. Items not recognised by the scanners, scales not registering items in the bagging area, or interfaces that were just too difficult for customers to use.
Read more: Supermarket Self-Service - is it really that bad?
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One hundred years ago, in April 1910, the Shinfield Three Mile Cross Council School opened in the hamlet of Ryeish Green just outside Reading. Over the years this school developed, changed roles, and eventually became Ryeish Green School, a comprehensive secondary school.
I consider myself lucky enough to have gone to Ryeish and enjoyed practically every day there and come rain or shine I'd be trudging my way up the Hyde End Lane hill to school.
I gained some good friends and have many great memories of my seven years there. It was through working in the school's library that I went on to study in the field of librarianship at Aberystwyth University. It was also because of those happy memories that I was excited about going to an open day there last Sunday to celebrate the school's centenary - the first time I'd been back in almost 10 years.
However it wasn't a complete day for celebrating as the local authority, Wokingham Borough Council, has made the decision to close the school.
Hi, I'm Chris. I run the online shop for one of the UK's largest charities.
