Up Yours Miss Bingham

Back in 1980 I remember being told that I wouldn't be able to move up to sixth form at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School for Girls due to poor O level results and a lack of commitment to studying (she meant I spent too many hours looking out the window at the sports field I think) . To be honest I didn't really want to stay at school but asked the question anyway because it was what you did at this kind of school. So I resigned myself to being one of the 'failures' and went off into the big wide world and had a great time regardless.

Stupid I know, but the fact that I wasn't seen to be academic has stayed with me all my life. I now know that I'm one of these practical people who don't respond well to listening to lectures or reading a mountain of text. In fact my attention span in these situations is about five minutes at a push. I'm a 'do-er' not a thinker.

However, maybe I have sold myself short all these years. Over the last decade I have accumulated several qualifications in training and education in the course of my work, including a Certificate in Education and Level 4 Maths and English - but am probably now back at L2 with the maths due to the 'not relevant, not retained' rule of learning.

Yesterday when I walked on to the stage at The Stadium of Light to be given my BA in Education and Training, I so wanted to shout "Up yours Miss Bingham" and all the other teachers who thought I wasn't up to much.

I do wish hubby had noticed that my hood had slipped down before he took this photo. The bloody thing just wouldn't stay put and was the bane of my life all afternoon.

Maybe the official photograph will be better.