# Well here we go again



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We are miles away

Young Albert starts college

It seems he likes it from his posts

But already a problem , he is skipping lectures to meet up with friends in town 

And a meeting called

Doesn't like the course, changed to a new one

I'm not hopeful that he will stick to this one

Completely new territory to me so haven't a clue what to advise his mum from here in provonce 

His grandad is too far away 

Sandra


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Sounds like he needs to find his true passion in life.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

patp said:


> Sounds like he needs to find his true passion in life.


Yep, that's what I had to do at that age. However guitars, booze and women never made me any money but I was very happy.  once


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The trouble is there are financial repercussions if he gets thrown out of college

His mum is a single mum, if Albert does not attend college it seems it will be considered that there are two working people living at that address and she will lose the single allowance on the property rates

He can claim nothing and would need to work but at what I haven't a clue and I doubt he has, I'm confused I thought it was mandatory to attend college until 18

Sandra


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

aldra said:


> The trouble is there are financial repercussions if he gets thrown out of college
> 
> His mum is a single mum, if Albert does not attend college it seems it will be considered that there are two working people living at that address and she will lose the single allowance on the property rates
> 
> ...


You are partly right Sandra!........."You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you'll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.

You must then do one of the following until you're 18:

stay in full-time education, for example at a college
start an apprenticeship or traineeship
spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training"

That's from GOV.UK website.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

He is not 'hungry' enough. Todays kid has everything to fall back on and no need to worry about tomorrow.

Ray.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

caulkhead said:


> You are partly right Sandra!........."You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you'll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.
> 
> You must then do one of the following until you're 18:
> 
> ...


Is that right? You can't just clear off and do your own thing at 16? Blimey! 

I was joking earlier but only partly. Maybe he's not ready for more education. I know I wasn't. I couldn't wait to leave and spent three years doing my own thing at the university of life. Best years of my life. I had my own business though. Mobile disco and made really good money. My parents (head teacher / writer and language specialist teacher) despaired a bit I guesssed  and eventually I realised that you just couldn't pretend to be the Rolling Stones for ever so went back to college when j was ready at 19 and studied IT. The rest is history.

Of course the fun didn't stop as I was older and wiser (I know hard to believe) than the other students which of course had its advantages.

He'll come round and work it out. He's from a good family with lots of love and support and he's clearly a clever lad from what you have said. He will work it out.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

He doesn't really have a lot to fall back on Ray

He does work with Albert around the house and garden to earn some money, it's not given to him

His mum is a nurse but has no spare cash to indulge him with as she is a single parent, it's hard to discover what his dreams of the future are, I guess he doesn't really know himself at 16

He hated school and I had hoped he would have enjoyed college but it seems he doesn't 

Once at 16, like it was for the majority of 16 yr olds and was for us he could have walked into a job and if it didn't suit find another as quick, but life is not like that now

We are both from academic backgrounds, our kids went to uni and had time to discover what they wanted to do, our grandkids,so far with the exception of Albert enjoy school and college

We always though of uni as a " rites of passage " between childhood and adulthood 

And I guess I was hoping college would offer that to Albert but it seems it won't

He always wanted to go into the army but that seems to have changed, at 16 he is still a child in many ways 

Sandra


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

aldra said:


> ................................................. I guess he doesn't really know himself at 16..........................................................
> 
> Sandra


Just as most at that age and is why I oppose giving the vote to 16 year old children.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Gillian 

Giving him a vote is the last of my worries 

Giving him a life he can live and love is the important thing 

If I could do that, priceless 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Lost the last post

Again

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

He has never known his dad

He disappeared before he was born

His loss, he never knew a now6'4" gentle giant

Beloved by his cousins , and his family 

Albert is his male role model, but we are a bit old to understand now

And don't know how to guide him forward 

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

He won't go far wrong with Albert as his role model Sandra. Nuff said!


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I know that Barry 

But we are from a different era, twice removed from him 

Different expectations and norms 

And we can't even understand text speech :grin2:

Sandra


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Maybe I'll have to come over then and talk to the lad. Put that Leffe on ice I'll take him out on the town. I'm down with the kids innit? 

I turned out alright (ish) didn't I?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

barryd said:


> Maybe I'll have to come over then and talk to the lad. Put that Leffe on ice I'll take him out on the town. I'm down with the kids innit?
> I turned out alright (ish) didn't I?


Don't mention the music.

Ray.


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

barryd said:


> Maybe I'll have to come over then and talk to the lad. Put that Leffe on ice I'll take him out on the town. I'm down with the kids innit?
> 
> *I turned out alright (ish) didn't I?*


Try saying that again with a straight face.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well we are at allemagne -en - Provence 

In the shade of the chateau des Castelleane , quite imposing 

In the village square, free toilets although I can't vouch for them

A lot of bins nearby so could be noisy in the morning

But it's free and we've paid to listen to bin men emptying bins on this trip 

An interesting day, the engine has been overheating on every hill , stop, easier said than done on narrow roads, the fan comes on the engine cools within minutes and we move on for a while when it repeats itself on the next hill 

Phoned our mechanic , told us to run with the heating on full as we may have an airlock in the heating ,which we did it took a while to come on hot , and then check water levels 

But in the back we have a heater to heat the back seats, we've never used it befor, and it didn't blow hot air 

Could that be the problem? 

Tomorrow we'll check the water with a cool engine 

Sandra

And I guess we may need a garage


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

First check the coolant level.

Only recently we started using coolant every day. Could not see any signs in the engine bay.

Found that the 2 pipes uner the van running to that rear heater were squidgy........split one open and it was full of coolant.

Took the top off the heater in the back and those connections were loose..............it was bubbling over and running back into the pipe sleeve

The pipes travel all the way from the front and their weight had gradually worked them loose.

No problem after tightening them....................very pleased with what I thought would be a major/expensive job.


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