Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

i'm so glad i'm off to provence at the end of june ..... i'll easily escape this damned invasive and pervasive football

think i'll watch the rugby tomorrow morning though!

Yep love the rugger as you know cyners will be looking forward to that now we have the big boys back.

Football even for you must be better than that Simon Cowel crap?.

Anyway signing of all have a good weekend and lets hope England win tomorrow night and make it a double with the rugby team.

Eton and Harrow are considered "posh" boarding schools.

The "poshest" girl's schools are probably Cheltenham Ladies College, Rodean with Benenden and St. Paul's (a day school) being more in comparison with Westminster.

Eton and Harrow are absolutely quite unique because of their age, history and culture and astounding wealth.

Don't let's forget the importance for the alumni of both sexes of Oxford and Cambridge. These add the certainty of the individuals having definite high levels of intelligence.

When it comes down to 'Who is assessing things?" and "For what purpose?" then good degrees from the colleges of these two universities have it hands down, IMHO.

The main idea, is that kids/pupils at all of these places of education are learning how to be independent in life. The best way of doing that is to learn how to get on well with other people. When they can do that, they leave and take with them important friendships and connections which will serve them well in later life.

Connections? Hmmm? So what about Royalty?

Probably this is just another reason as to why Eton and Harrow can come top of the list.

Undoubtedly, there is a hell of a lot more to it. I'm a massive fan of co-educational boarding school education. If you are going to have to learn how to be independent amongst others and how to get on well with people, why limit all of this to just being with one sex?

"cynic - 13 Jun 2014 16:15 - 42482 of 42484

i'm so glad i'm off to provence at the end of june ..... i'll easily escape this damned invasive and pervasive football"

Any chance of you making it a one way trip then Alf? -):

fishfinger - 13 Jun 2014 16:13 - 42481 of 42484
Dont have to go to ETON for that Hays I got 4 A* A levels and i failed the 11 plus.

You seem to be having difficulty remembering your age again. The A* A-level grade was only introduced in 2010, whereas the 11+ was scrapped in most regions in 1976.

So, if you are indeed 42 (or is it 39?) as you claimed recently, you must have taken the 11+ when you were about 4 and your A-levels when you were 38. Blimey.

Wrong Hilary the A* level distinction was their when i was in secondary education. The distinction was RE- Introduced in 2010 as you say.

I suppose it all depends in what university regions you take your A levels from. And the 11+(grammer school entry certificate, which i failed) again was at the discretion of the university joint boards. Perhaphs my calling it of the 11 plus as thrown you but it was a replacement for the 11 plus and as damm near it as you could get.

In fact im 40 now Hilary.

Anything else dear??.

Would you like one of my pubes wrapped in a polythene bag so you can take a forensic DNA test. Dont forget Im blonde so you should wear your specs so as not to lose the evidence.

Hilary is right. The A* was first introduced for A levels in 2010. It makes no difference what region you were in.

This interesting

Hilary
It is hopeless trying to use logic when analysing gf's posts.

No it wasnt, it was re-introduced in 2010.

To get the oxbridge you had to have distinctions hays, so stop talking carp.

It was stopped sometime after I took my A levels not only that but if you had done your research proper the examination boards would only allow so many numericaly through for a b c d etc etc.

Today if you get a certain mark you get the A* or A B C etc etc.

Thats why it was much harder to pass A levels in the past.

Hey hays Id watch it bud, shes got a husband and he might be a right big bugga. be carefull mate, nudge nudge wink wink .

Chris C might be having a word with you aswel.

Sober up if i were you.

Cynic are you really sure about the Oil Price see this article.........

Iraq crisis will send oil to this level: Cramer
Drew Sandholm | @drewsandholm
2 Hours Ago

The military conflict in Iraq will take oil prices roughly 10 percent higher than current levels, with Brent crude oil "headed for $120 in a straight line," CNBC's Jim Cramer said Friday.

The group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham has now seized control of key cities, including Mosul, Ramadi, Falluja and Tikrit, raising fears it could take control of Iraq's oil wells and refineries, too.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101757438

$120 and for how long?
i doubt the assertion, though it's not impossible, but long term, i doubt it very much, not least because the Saudis know exactly how to play the balancing game - which of course is in their own interests

A lot of ifs and buts Cyners, Cramer knows his stuff, I suspect short term he'l get it right.

Long term, care to read the tea leafs lol.

he's guessing too
in a worst case scenario, al qaeda (isis) take over southern iraq, but they still need revenue, and oil is that generator
however, it is the unrest, supported by outside agencies, that is the most damaging to regional stability and that is what causes so much concern

Iran going in is my big worry.

Iran will stay out. The US will be doing airstrikes from carrier in the area. We may well help with air attacks.

Have they now said they will do it then Hays the US?......hoping so.

Obama has said it may take a few days. I imagine that they have to designate targets. It could be cruise missiles or planes.

hmmmm the sooner the better.

iran is keen to re-join the fold as it needs to export oil to fill its exchequer