(30 Jan 2015, 7:42 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Then did a car with blue and yellow checkers turn up outside your house?

You have lost me mate 😕

(30 Jan 2015, 7:49 pm)MrFozz wrote You have lost me mate ?

Feds. 

(30 Jan 2015, 9:31 pm)aureolin wrote Feds. 

Ah...The Five-0...no

@Dan - I've just been looking at the start of this thread - and you mention your private education...

I'd just like to let you know how lucky you are. lol

I'm being serious, sometimes mainstream school is HELL. I'd rather be stuck with a bunch of stuck-up posh twats in Year 9, than a bunch of smoking cunts...I'd do anything. ANYTHING.

Just throwing it out there...

Yesterday in Music, which I have Period 5, I had been virtually by myself in Art (Period 4) because the rest of my mates are the Skiing Trip to France (my best friend isn't in my tutor, and Art is with your tutor sadly) - but I had no other people in my sad pathetic tutor who I could get along with. The rest are all loud angry bitches and absolute freaks...

Since I'd been stuck alone in Art with nobody to talk to, I was in a mood so went into Music with the wrong mindset. I threw my bag and coat onto the chair next to me, forgetting its occupied by a total slut who sleeps under a bridge...well, the 4 biggest bitches walking (one is a boy - the queerest I've ever met), and when she noticed I was in her chair - she quietly asked me to remove my stuff. She was so quiet, I didn't hear.

Next thing - I was told to kill myself...you wouldn't get that in a private school, would you?

(30 Jan 2015, 9:52 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote @Dan - I've just been looking at the start of this thread - and you mention your private education...

I'd just like to let you know how lucky you are. lol

I'm being serious, sometimes mainstream school is HELL. I'd rather be stuck with a bunch of stuck-up posh twats in Year 9, than a bunch of smoking cunts...I'd do anything. ANYTHING.

Just throwing it out there...

Yesterday in Music, which I have Period 5, I had been virtually by myself in Art (Period 4) because the rest of my mates are the Skiing Trip to France (my best friend isn't in my tutor, and Art is with your tutor sadly) - but I had no other people in my sad pathetic tutor who I could get along with. The rest are all loud angry bitches and absolute freaks...

Since I'd been stuck alone in Art with nobody to talk to, I was in a mood so went into Music with the wrong mindset. I threw my bag and coat onto the chair next to me, forgetting its occupied by a total slut who sleeps under a bridge...well, the 4 biggest bitches walking (one is a boy - the queerest I've ever met), and when she noticed I was in her chair - she quietly asked me to remove my stuff. She was so quiet, I didn't hear.

Next thing - I was told to kill myself...you wouldn't get that in a private school, would you?

Private Education is not all it is cut up to be...Yes, the standard of education is good and at a very high standard...

I wish I stayed in mainstream education...I genuinely believe the pressure put on me at 9 yrs old fucked my head up...At 13 I was expected to keep going in Private Education, but failed an Entrance Test for the Sunderland High...

I am still reminded to this day what was expected of me growing up...

Some of those 'posh twats' as you refer to them were cruel at times...

I also think my nan putting me through private school was 'reverse snobbery' on her part, trying to be someone she wasn't and I was being used for those ends!!!

I know people who have been through private education and to be honest, you would never know they had in some cases.

A person can be a 'tw*t', whether they have gone through mainstream or private education.

Both wipe their arses in the same way, doesn't make them anyone any better or any worse.

(30 Jan 2015, 10:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote I know people who have been through private education and to be honest, you would never know they had in some cases.

A person can be a 'tw*t', whether they have gone through mainstream or private education.

Both wipe their arses in the same way, doesn't make them anyone any better or any worse.

I crossed paths with some right pricks at Durham Choristers, most of them lived in houses where you would not get much change from 500k, going round in Jags, Aston Martins, top of the range jeeps/range rovers...I lived in a council house and went round in a rusty banana(ancient Vauxhall Astra)...Nearly got expelled for good when I was 11 for breaking someones hand who took the piss Mainstream was even worse, I was bullied everyday till the day I chased someone with half a brick in my hand, I would have murdered him if I caught him lol

Can't even remember bringing it up before...
There are advantages and disadvantages of private school education, Marcus. The main disadvantage depends on your social status, and for me, it was the pressure of coming from a different background, and trying to fit in.

Like most primary state school students, I thought I would also be venturing off to a secondary state school for further education after Year 6. My teacher in Year 6 had other plans for me, based on the dedication and level of enthusiasm I showed for education throughout primary school. I was always a bit of a geek in primary school, and many considered me to be "teacher's pet." The teacher had always wanted to give her two children the benefit of private education, but her children had learning difficulties and she feared they would fail an entrance test, so she didn't want to put them through that. With hindsight, I do think she had a maternal attitude with me during primary school, and this is seemingly why she pushed so much to get me into private education. I passed the entrance exam with flying colours, was eligible for a scholarship, and also a bursary. Without the help from my Year 6 teacher, I don't think I could have done that.

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible as I wouldn't wish to turn this into a sob story - Year 7 was quite difficult for me. I didn't immediately make friends; as most of my classmates came directly from the Junior School, I found it hard to get involved in friendship circles which were already formed. Those who did not come from the Junior School were already friends with some of those who were in the Junior School or came with friends from their own primary school, so integrated with greater ease. I, like many of my peers at primary school, came from an average background. I am by no means particularly wealthy, and I was judged because of this in Year 7. As Fozz has already said, some students at private schools can be cruel. After weeks of feeling segregated from the group, I did eventually make a small friend group, and I found that we didn't judge each other.

My year group was still rather divided into Year 8: there was multiple small friend groups, and the friend groups only talked to one another if they had to.

It wasn't until Year 9 that my year group was forced to integrate. At my school, the form groups stay the same in Year 7 and 8, and you have all of your classes with these students. In Year 9, the form groups are changed slightly. The Head of Year 9 works with the Head of Year 7 and 8 to discuss existing friendship groups, and they discuss which friendship groups could be matched up to provide a more-or-less even number of students in each of the two forms. This is when my small friend group expanded; indeed, my entire class formed one big friend group. It was clear that there was quite a big divide between the two form groups, though. I was in the well-behaved form - the one that had students who typically received better grades in exams.

I started to enjoy school a lot more from Year 9. As you will know, Marcus, it's quite a big year, as you have to decide the subjects which you're going to take at GCSE. The choice of subjects at my school is quite limited (compared to a state school) and you have to choose approximately ten subjects, but there are some compulsory 'choices.' I knew from the start of the year what I was good at (and conversely what I wasn't good at), so I knew exactly what I was going to take at GCSE. Subjects such as Art ended up becoming a lesson where I had more fun, as I'd mess around, knowing that I had absolutely no intentions of taking it at GCSE. I was invited to parties, and school life did get a lot better.

We retained the same form groups in Years 10/11, but more often than not, we were forced to integrate with the other form, if they had chosen the same subjects as us for GCSE. It was from Year 10 onwards that we integrated more as a year group. We'd all matured, and I certainly felt that I was judged a lot less. By the end of Year 11, we were all one close family. Like most families, we argued a fair bit, but we made up in the majority of cases. I was certainly quite saddened to wave goodbye to some of them at the end of Year 11 - but I was also glad to see the back of some of them too.

I really love our little year group in Sixth Form (Year 12). We integrate with Upper Sixth quite a bit, and we're all really good friends. If anyone has a house party, we all tend to be invited. My life in school is completely different now to what it was in Year 7. Some students are still a little arrogant and narrow-minded towards those who aren't of the same "social status" as them, but I've learned to ignore it, with most of the comments being made in jest anyway. If I didn't ignore the comments, I would perhaps take offence. Not just because some of the comments could be offensive to me - but also the friends I have in state schools. Until this year, there was still members of my year group who hadn't ever used a bus before, as they're used to daddy pulling up in the Lambo to pick them up from school and suchlike. With age, the more arrogant members of my year group have piped down a bit and got off their high horses.


As Fozz has already said, the standard of education you receive is very good. Even from GCSE, you can find you have class sizes of just one student! I take four A-Levels and all of my class sizes are very small (English Lang/Lit - 2, Media - 2, Business - 5, ICT - 5). The resources in a private school aren't amazing, and this is what lets us down. I believe that state schools can (and do) receive money from Government to assist with improving resources and buying new facilities to improve the education offered to students. This doesn't apply to private schools, though. You pay for the teaching which can be done on a one-to-one basis, and this is the huge upside of private education. I have a weekly 'tutorial' period in Media Studies in which I discuss the progress I've made in the course - the feedback I receive from the teacher completely differs from the other student in my class because we do different levels of work. Sadly, this also has its downsides. Teachers do put a lot of pressure on you to do well, and constantly remind you about University. One girl in my year group recently received three Us and a C in her mock exams - she had to take some time off last week because she ended up getting herself so down about it. Not only did she feel she'd let herself and her family down, but also her teachers. She didn't want to face the teachers.


It's quite ironic that you've brought this up tonight, Marcus. Prospective Year 7 students for the new academic year in September undertook their entrance exams at my school today. During my free period today, I was asked (with three others in my year group) to gather the students and talk to them. We were told to talk to the students about how we felt six years ago, when we were in the same position. It actually brought these memories back, and reminded me of how I didn't really enjoy my time at school until a few years in. Of course, I didn't say any of this to the students...

Despite all of the downsides, though, I probably would recommend private education to anyone who can afford to go for it. With a scholarship and bursary, there's certainly no reason why even those of an average working class / middle class background cannot afford to go to a private school.
#danslifestories
#hashtagsonNEB

(30 Jan 2015, 11:01 pm)Dan wrote Can't even remember bringing it up before...
There are advantages and disadvantages of private school education, Marcus. The main disadvantage depends on your social status, and for me, it was the pressure of coming from a different background, and trying to fit in.

Like most primary state school students, I thought I would also be venturing off to a secondary state school for further education after Year 6. My teacher in Year 6 had other plans for me, based on the dedication and level of enthusiasm I showed for education throughout primary school. I was always a bit of a geek in primary school, and many considered me to be "teacher's pet." The teacher had always wanted to give her two children the benefit of private education, but her children had learning difficulties and she feared they would fail an entrance test, so she didn't want to put them through that. With hindsight, I do think she had a maternal attitude with me during primary school, and this is seemingly why she pushed so much to get me into private education. I passed the entrance exam with flying colours, was eligible for a scholarship, and also a bursary. Without the help from my Year 6 teacher, I don't think I could have done that.

I'll try and keep this as brief as possible as I wouldn't wish to turn this into a sob story - Year 7 was quite difficult for me. I didn't immediately make friends; as most of my classmates came directly from the Junior School, I found it hard to get involved in friendship circles which were already formed. Those who did not come from the Junior School were already friends with some of those who were in the Junior School or came with friends from their own primary school, so integrated with greater ease. I, like many of my peers at primary school, came from an average background. I am by no means particularly wealthy, and I was judged because of this in Year 7. As Fozz has already said, some students at private schools can be cruel. After weeks of feeling segregated from the group, I did eventually make a small friend group, and I found that we didn't judge each other.

My year group was still rather divided into Year 8: there was multiple small friend groups, and the friend groups only talked to one another if they had to.

It wasn't until Year 9 that my year group was forced to integrate. At my school, the form groups stay the same in Year 7 and 8, and you have all of your classes with these students. In Year 9, the form groups are changed slightly. The Head of Year 9 works with the Head of Year 7 and 8 to discuss existing friendship groups, and they discuss which friendship groups could be matched up to provide a more-or-less even number of students in each of the two forms. This is when my small friend group expanded; indeed, my entire class formed one big friend group. It was clear that there was quite a big divide between the two form groups, though. I was in the well-behaved form - the one that had students who typically received better grades in exams.

I started to enjoy school a lot more from Year 9. As you will know, Marcus, it's quite a big year, as you have to decide the subjects which you're going to take at GCSE. The choice of subjects at my school is quite limited (compared to a state school) and you have to choose approximately ten subjects, but there are some compulsory 'choices.' I knew from the start of the year what I was good at (and conversely what I wasn't good at), so I knew exactly what I was going to take at GCSE. Subjects such as Art ended up becoming a lesson where I had more fun, as I'd mess around, knowing that I had absolutely no intentions of taking it at GCSE. I was invited to parties, and school life did get a lot better.

We retained the same form groups in Years 10/11, but more often than not, we were forced to integrate with the other form, if they had chosen the same subjects as us for GCSE. It was from Year 10 onwards that we integrated more as a year group. We'd all matured, and I certainly felt that I was judged a lot less. By the end of Year 11, we were all one close family. Like most families, we argued a fair bit, but we made up in the majority of cases. I was certainly quite saddened to wave goodbye to some of them at the end of Year 11 - but I was also glad to see the back of some of them too.

I really love our little year group in Sixth Form (Year 12). We integrate with Upper Sixth quite a bit, and we're all really good friends. If anyone has a house party, we all tend to be invited. My life in school is completely different now to what it was in Year 7. Some students are still a little arrogant and narrow-minded towards those who aren't of the same "social status" as them, but I've learned to ignore it, with most of the comments being made in jest anyway. If I didn't ignore the comments, I would perhaps take offence. Not just because some of the comments could be offensive to me - but also the friends I have in state schools. Until this year, there was still members of my year group who hadn't ever used a bus before, as they're used to daddy pulling up in the Lambo to pick them up from school and suchlike. With age, the more arrogant members of my year group have piped down a bit and got off their high horses.


As Fozz has already said, the standard of education you receive is very good. Even from GCSE, you can find you have class sizes of just one student! I take four A-Levels and all of my class sizes are very small (English Lang/Lit - 2, Media - 2, Business - 5, ICT - 5). The resources in a private school aren't amazing, and this is what lets us down. I believe that state schools can (and do) receive money from Government to assist with improving resources and buying new facilities to improve the education offered to students. This doesn't apply to private schools, though. You pay for the teaching which can be done on a one-to-one basis, and this is the huge upside of private education. I have a weekly 'tutorial' period in Media Studies in which I discuss the progress I've made in the course - the feedback I receive from the teacher completely differs from the other student in my class because we do different levels of work. Sadly, this also has its downsides. Teachers do put a lot of pressure on you to do well, and constantly remind you about University. One girl in my year group recently received three Us and a C in her mock exams - she had to take some time off last week because she ended up getting herself so down about it. Not only did she feel she'd let herself and her family down, but also her teachers. She didn't want to face the teachers.


It's quite ironic that you've brought this up tonight, Marcus. Prospective Year 7 students for the new academic year in September undertook their entrance exams at my school today. During my free period today, I was asked (with three others in my year group) to gather the students and talk to them. We were told to talk to the students about how we felt six years ago, when we were in the same position. It actually brought these memories back, and reminded me of how I didn't really enjoy my time at school until a few years in. Of course, I didn't say any of this to the students...

Despite all of the downsides, though, I probably would recommend private education to anyone who can afford to go for it. With a scholarship and bursary, there's certainly no reason why even those of an average working class / middle class background cannot afford to go to a private school.
#danslifestories
#hashtagsonNEB

Is it Sunderland High you go to Dan???

I failed the Entrance Test there when I was 12 to go into Year 9 which is why I ended up back in the state I lost the little group I was with at 8/9 years old, so had to start again at 13 and that period of my life is directly responsible for the problems I now have, my nans snobbery and expectation of me, I went to Durham Choristers, completely for the wrong reasons.

For me, people took the piss out of my accent, a posh person mocking the mackem accent sounds funny and me telling people to fuck off in a put on posh voice sounded just as funny.

In time, I became liked at Durham, was always in trouble for something, but the teachers liked me, I was not evil, had a couple of fights and messed about a lot, but the effect on me was huge, from acing the entrance test to my ultimate failure with Sunderland High. In my family it is now accepted I should probably have stayed mainstream and I dont know if my mam would admit it publically, but if we could go round again, she may have stood up to her mam and said no.

I hate the fact I was given the chance, me and my nan never saw eye to eye, we actually sorted out our differences 2 days before she died.

Private Education can be beneficial, and it sounds like every penny put into you Dan has paid off, proud of you pal, not many kids get the chance you have and it seems like you had good support around you as a primary student...

1 question Dan, out of your primary school friends, did you drift away from them or did you keep relationships up, when I moved back to mainstream from private, I had no friends, the kids I knocked about with at Primary had there own group of senior school friends, and for all of year 9, I did not have a friend in the world, in year 10 I was moved tutor groups and from then until I left school I only had about 4 friends, all girls ...

I am probably starting to drift off a bit now, but Private Education did me some good, it made me eager to help people, through being teased and bullied, It helped me when I was in Care to become the person I am now, it gave me the skill to listen to people, my experience taught me not to prejudge someone because of there social background and it helped me to bring out my caring/sympathetic side, which some people here will probably agree with

I agree with Dan, Private Education can be a benefit, and if a Young Person shows dedication/enthusiasm then by all means.

I may moan sometimes about it, but if I given the chance to go round again, I would probably do most of it all exactly the same

(31 Jan 2015, 9:01 am)MrFozz wrote Is it Sunderland High you go to Dan???

I failed the Entrance Test there when I was 12 to go into Year 9 which is why I ended up back in the state I lost the little group I was with at 8/9 years old, so had to start again at 13 and that period of my life is directly responsible for the problems I now have, my nans snobbery and expectation of me, I went to Durham Choristers, completely for the wrong reasons.

For me, people took the piss out of my accent, a posh person mocking the mackem accent sounds funny and me telling people to fuck off in a put on posh voice sounded just as funny.

In time, I became liked at Durham, was always in trouble for something, but the teachers liked me, I was not evil, had a couple of fights and messed about a lot,  but the effect on me was huge, from acing the entrance test to my ultimate failure with Sunderland High. In my family it is now accepted I should probably have stayed mainstream and I dont know if my mam would admit it publically, but if we could go round again, she may have stood up to her mam and said no.

I hate the fact I was given the chance, me and my nan never saw eye to eye, we actually sorted out our differences 2 days before she died.

Private Education can be beneficial, and it sounds like every penny put into you Dan has paid off, proud of you pal, not many kids get the chance you have and it seems like you had good support around you as a primary student...

1 question Dan, out of your primary school friends, did you drift away from them or did you keep relationships up, when I moved back to mainstream from private, I had no friends, the kids I knocked about with at Primary had there own group of senior school friends, and for all of year 9, I did not have a friend in the world, in year 10 I was moved tutor groups and from then until I left school I only had about 4 friends, all girls ...

I am probably starting to drift off a bit now, but Private Education did me some good, it made me eager to help people, through being teased and bullied, It helped me when I was in Care to become the person I am now, it gave me the skill to listen to people, my experience taught me not to prejudge someone because of there social background and it helped me to bring out my caring/sympathetic side, which some people here will probably agree with

I agree with Dan, Private Education can be a benefit, and if a Young Person shows dedication/enthusiasm then by all means.

I may moan sometimes about it, but if I given the chance to go round again, I would probably do most of it all exactly the same

It is indeed, Fozz.

I have a fairly strong Mackem accent, and this caused a few issues for me in the lower years of the school too. Paired with my accent, I regularly used words specific to our dialect, and this was also a reason why I was on the receiving end of a few digs in the lower years. Those who did mock me for using words or not pronouncing words correctly soon realised that I formed a coherent argument and could use words that they hadn't even heard of before, which shut them up. I was always better at Maths than English at primary school, but I guess I ended up becoming a better English student as proving everyone wrong acted as motivation. What's more is that I was one of the very few people last year to get the highest grade for English Speaking & Listening. It used to form part of the English Language qualification but was separated last year to be graded on a scale of 1 - 5, with the latter being the best grade possible. I got a 5, which proved that you don't need to come from a family who owns businesses worth millions to speak well.  

Without a private education, I'm inclined to suggest that I wouldn't have achieved as well as I did at GCSE. I came out with A*s in ICT and English Literature; As in Business Studies, English Language and Physics; Bs in Media Studies, Dual Media, Biology, Chemistry and Maths; and a C in French. Whilst the pressure from teachers can go wrong (as I said in the post above), it does work as a motivational factor too. In our Business Studies lesson yesterday, we discussed that teachers are often motivated by the reward of students doing well. Even if students don't thank a teacher on Results Day, it does provide a "warm fuzzy feeling" inside, as the teacher contributed to the success of that student. Not many students come out with 11 GCSEs and a 5/5 in English Speaking & Listening, that's for sure. Some of my friends from state schools actually gained more A*s than I did, but that's because their education was more concentrated on between six and eight subjects opposed to the eleven I did.

I drifted away from the fair majority of my friends I made in primary school. As I became more accepted at SHS, I drifted away even further. I remember attending some sort of athletics competition up at Silksworth in Year 7 or 8. The P.E teachers at my school knew I hated P.E, and seemingly used that as a punishment to make me take part in the longest run possible at the event. To prove a point to them, I stuck my earphones in and walked it all. It embarrassed them more than me. A large number of state schools were present, including Sandhill View. As I used to live in Plains Farm, and attended primary school there too, Sandhill View was the school most students were carted off to at the end of primary. They were all delighted to see me, and the feeling was mutual. They weren't quite as pleased to see the rest of the students from my school, though. I'd obviously told them how I didn't really fit in compared to primary school (when I was friends with the entire year group), and they didn't like how I was being left out. Fair to say they threw a few comments - and those at my school didn't say anything back. When I lived nearby Chester Road in 2013, I was quite close to two of the lads I used to go to primary school with. I wouldn't really chat to them for long, but we'd often see each other when they were walking to school and I was waiting for the bus to go to town. Aside from them, I only stayed in touch with about three girls who I was very close to in primary. I discovered that, over time, a lot of the friendship groups from primary were destroyed in secondary, as everyone made new friends. With year groups sizes of 200 and above, that came as no surprise really. I still talk to the three I stayed in touch with, but it's very irregularly. Other than these, though, I can walk past people from my primary school in the street and they won't recognise me. Only reason I recognise them is that they post photos on Social Media websites of themselves - something which is fairly uncommon for me to do.

Ultimately, I think I'm probably in one of best positions. One of my friends from Argyle House (another private school in Sunderland) said he likes to watch programmes such as "Benefits Street" as he can't believe people are in a position like that. He studies it as if it's like a documentary about some sort of endangered species of animal. I've seen that directly - I went into the houses of really deprived kids when I was younger. Money can buy a lot of things, but it certainly can't buy love. I'll never forget the love I observed between one of my friends from primary and his mam - they were living in poverty but they got each other through it. At my school now, the love often seems limited. The child is often like a voo-doo doll, with the parents making all of the choices for the child and the child complying. Despite all of this, I've also received a very good standard of education at a private school. Not only did I (eventually) make friends with those at my school, but I also had a few friends from primary, and new friends I made from other secondary state schools. I can't pass through Park Lane without seeing someone I know, which is why I very rarely take photos of buses there. Also poses problems, mind, as I've been asked by three different friend groups to go to T in the Park now. I can obviously only go with one!

#dansdeepdiscussions
#hashtagsonNEB

One thing I would say about private education though Dan...

It is not something someone should jump straight into and only go for it for the right reasons, it worked for you, unfortunately not for me...The one big advantage we have had was small classes, I went from a school with 200 in total to 250 in the year, about 1200 in the whole school, so I guess I missed the closer support, on leaving Durham I aced History, Geography, French and Latin in my last exams there with A's and B's, but couldn't tackle the Sunderland High entrance test was alright at English and loved Sport(we had 6-7 hours a week) within 3 years I would leave school at 16 with no GCSEs, all I have now is a couple of drama qualifications and an NVQ...

When I think about my life, the Frank Sinatra Song My Way comes to mind...

Regrets, I've had a few, too few to me times, but in the end...I did it my way...

This may sound silly Dan as we dont know each other personally, I have pride in people like you, get the opportunity to make something of yourself and you go and make a bloody good job of it

Without hijacking this discussion... what got me a tad angry earlier was in Sunderland City Centre on the E1 for South Shields after half of Sunderland get on at two stops placed about 50m from each other (!) a GNE B9TL passes carrying fresh air.. now I have the lovely smell of cheesy crisps as someone right behind me has just eaten them, ugh! Benefit to this is the lovely view from Seaburn!

(31 Jan 2015, 1:02 pm)northern156 wrote Without hijacking this discussion... what got me a tad angry earlier was in Sunderland City Centre on the E1 for South Shields after half of Sunderland get on at two stops placed about 50m from each other (!) a GNE B9TL passes carrying fresh air.. now I have the lovely smell of cheesy crisps as someone right behind me has just eaten them, ugh! Benefit to this is the lovely view from Seaburn!

It's usually cheesy chips through that way! Bit of blue panda pop to go with it.

(31 Jan 2015, 2:29 pm)aureolin wrote It's usually cheesy chips through that way! Bit of blue panda pop to go with it.

Does cheesy chips look better up that way than the chippy near where I went to college where the "cheese" looked like something else, wanted to be sick everytime I got stuck behind someone getting cheesy chips because it looked like they had a tug and came in the chips. I know that sounds disgusting but that's what it looked like.

Is blue panda pop still a thing? Haven't had any of that since I was about six.

Was told something disturbing earlier, shook me to the core...

My sister was going out with a fella from Hendon at the back end of last year, he told me he had been in loads of trouble with the police when younger and had also been in jail...

My mam took a bit of a disliking to him and out of interest she googled his name and found something shocking and unnerving...

She found out he murdered someone years ago

That was a nice read, Dan. Thanks for sharing.

Sometimes I do just feel like private education would be better.

I don't know if you'll have experienced scruffy chavs, coming from a private school (which, as you say, doesn't necessarily mean wealth)...but I have.

The full brunt of 3 bitches. If you disagree with them, you get told to kill yourself. If you stick up for somebody, you get even worse. They'll find something - they know everyone's ticking point. One of my friends' dad is an absolute moron - he is a 'wanker' as he described him - and he left his mother when she found out she was pregnant. He burst into tears when they used it against him...they are literally the scum of the earth.

And they don't just terrorise people, they do much more than that. We have 60 minutes in every lesson - I'd say 10-15 of that is spent;

A) Them interrupting the teacher to slag people off.
B) Them running around the classroom and damaging stuff.
C) Them insulting people.
D) Outside.

It really is torture - I know you've mentioned you went to a normal primary school...but when your in a normal secondary school - life gets tough, and I would say it's nothing to do with maturity, making and losing friends, work getting harder - it's not getting a good education at all.

I would rather be mind-fucked by a load of posh twats but still get a fantastic education - than still be mind-fucked but by a bunch of scruffy slutty bitches, and get a poor one...

To pick a few things out Marcus

(31 Jan 2015, 4:09 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I don't know if you'll have experienced scruffy chavs, coming from a private school (which, as you say, doesn't necessarily mean wealth)...but I have.

Cause he has experienced scruffy chavs, he is from Sunderland after all ...As for his school I cant imagine many scruffs there...Infact we all have

The full brunt of 3 bitches. If you disagree with them, you get told to kill yourself. If you stick up for somebody, you get even worse. They'll find something - they know everyone's ticking point. One of my friends' dad is an absolute moron - he is a 'wanker' as he described him - and he left his mother when she found out she was pregnant. He burst into tears when they used it against him...they are literally the scum of the earth.

Similar kind of thing with me, we left my dad when I was 4, never had much to do with him and that issue still breaks my heart to this day

And they don't just terrorise people, they do much more than that. We have 60 minutes in every lesson - I'd say 10-15 of that is spent;

A) Them interrupting the teacher to slag people off.
B) Them running around the classroom and damaging stuff.
C) Them insulting people.
D) Outside.

Your teachers need to start disciplining troublemakers, sounds like they have no control over your lessons

(31 Jan 2015, 4:33 pm)MrFozz wrote To pick a few things out Marcus

Cause he has experienced scruffy chavs, he is from Sunderland after all ...As for his school I cant imagine many scruffs there...Infact we all have


Similar kind of thing with me, we left my dad when I was 4, never had much to do with him and that issue still breaks my heart to this day


Your teachers need to start disciplining troublemakers, sounds like they have no control over your lessons

Picked out thing A: () wow. He must have it rough. I thought Chester-le-Street was bad...!!

Picked out thing B: Sorry to hear that, luckily I have two parents. Most people in Y9 are a mixture of together, seperated, on talking terms, divorced or don't even know each other...

Picked out thing C: Sometimes I do genuinely feel like sticking up for some teachers, they do get it hard off them. But if I do, everyone else will be scared to do so with me. Basically - it's suicide. They'll either go for my soft spot (my grandad) or physically harm me. Which, for a respectable student (you'd be surprised!   I am actually seen as some voice of wisdom or whatever it is...tribal chief was once what a teacher referred to me as in regards to our tutor group...) is not good. And a boy getting hit by girls, even worse. A boy hitting a girl - instant death.

Just checked out the page of some kid following me on Instagram...

At school, I'm renowned for never doing 'selfies' and just uploading memes. 4 of them have been lifted from my stream and uploaded to his. Hmm...

Can remember being bullied at school, this kid tortured me for months, physically and mentally, when I was tipped over the edge, I found a brick and chased him, he was one lucky boy, as in a moment of madness I did have pre-meditated murder on my mind and would have literally beat him to death

I also knew one of the nastiest little mongs In 1996, evil 10 year old in the same childrens home as me, he used to goad my best friend about the suicide of his father...One day me and my mate threatened to dunk him in the toilet if kept pushing, the kid kept goong and said 'you would not dare dip me in the bog' next time he said something we grabbed shoved his head down the netty, I had left a gift in the pot and we nearly drowned him...

I was certain if I shaved his head, I would find 666 there...

Another idiot chav I knew burgled a pub im Spennymoor with the 10 year old I mentioned before, although they denied it and claimed mistaken identity, what made it funny was the older lad has a prosthetic leg and used it to smash a window to get in, how fucking stupid can a person be...

Some of the kids I dealt with when in care were just ignorant and idiotic

when i took a bus photo today some idiot stuck his middle finger up at me and then he took the mick out of the disabled people

(31 Jan 2015, 5:55 pm)Racer_Experience wrote when i took a bus photo today some idiot stuck his middle finger up at me and then he took the mick out of the disabled people

Taking the mick in what way mate???

(31 Jan 2015, 5:55 pm)Racer_Experience wrote when i took a bus photo today some idiot stuck his middle finger up at me and then he took the mick out of the disabled people

I get that all the time, it's sad that these people feel the need to take the piss out of everybody. Some teenagers were at Ashington bus station yesterday, they were staring at me because I was taking a photo of a Max OmniCity. Me, my mam and my brother find that travelling by bus is safer than walking because I have a few people who have problems against me. My mam is extremely vulnerable at the moment because she's bringing a little girl into the world in May. Some of these threats have made me consider whether or not to continue with the hobby.

Once I was putting timetables into the holders at Ashington bus station, the next day, I found timetables everywhere, the holders had been snapped as well. I know this was something against me, because I saw someone staring at me from a stand when I was putting the timetables in the holders. Sick mental people.

(31 Jan 2015, 6:17 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote I get that all the time, it's sad that these people feel the need to take the piss out of everybody. Some teenagers were at Ashington bus station yesterday, they were staring at me because I was taking a photo of a Max OmniCity. Me, my mam and my brother find that travelling by bus is safer than walking because I have a few people who have problems against me. My mam is extremely vulnerable at the moment because she's bringing a little girl into the world in May. Some of these threats have made me consider whether or not to continue with the hobby.

Once I was putting timetables into the holders at Ashington bus station, the next day, I found timetables everywhere, the holders had been snapped as well. I know this was something against me, because I saw someone staring at me from a stand when I was putting the timetables in the holders. Sick mental people.

Don't let a few brainless idiots put you off your hobby. I've had a few run ins over the years, but my biggest issue is when it feels like it's becoming a chore! I've been off work for a few days, and not even thought about going out for photos. 

(31 Jan 2015, 6:37 pm)aureolin wrote Don't let a few brainless idiots put you off your hobby. I've had a few run ins over the years, but my biggest issue is when it feels like it's becoming a chore! I've been off work for a few days, and not even thought about going out for photos. 

Yes, I've noticed that I've haven't taken a lot of photos over the last couple of weeks. I've probably bored myself sick of taking photos!
December: 273
January: 442

(31 Jan 2015, 6:17 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote I get that all the time, it's sad that these people feel the need to take the piss out of everybody. Some teenagers were at Ashington bus station yesterday, they were staring at me because I was taking a photo of a Max OmniCity. Me, my mam and my brother find that travelling by bus is safer than walking because I have a few people who have problems against me. My mam is extremely vulnerable at the moment because she's bringing a little girl into the world in May. Some of these threats have made me consider whether or not to continue with the hobby.

Once I was putting timetables into the holders at Ashington bus station, the next day, I found timetables everywhere, the holders had been snapped as well. I know this was something against me, because I saw someone staring at me from a stand when I was putting the timetables in the holders. Sick mental people.

(31 Jan 2015, 6:37 pm)aureolin wrote Don't let a few brainless idiots put you off your hobby. I've had a few run ins over the years, but my biggest issue is when it feels like it's becoming a chore! I've been off work for a few days, and not even thought about going out for photos. 

What Adrian said...

Dont let local idiots dictate your life...Just a suggestion, could you venture somewhere that is not Ashington, so Morpeth, Blyth, Alnwick, North Tyneside and Newcastle, areas where people don't you...Look Tommy, by packing in your hobby is mad.

I promise you, for every person who picks on you, there is a group of us here who really do care, so please think long and hard about it, everything will be ok mate

I am at a point at the moment where I just cannot be bothered, I have drifted around the scene since I was 14, did not start taking photos till I was 26 and now I am starting to lose interest, but there is always something that keeps me coming back...

Take Care Tommy my friend

I've never had any bother at school about my hobby.

I've mentioned before that everyone who knows me knows about what I do in my spare time, and I've never been given the business about it. One or two sly comments from one or two people who needed to be put in their place, mainly just calling it sad and a waste of time and money - one used to have a cyst above his eye so I asked him if he was getting it sown back on, and he shut up.

I can get along with most people, because when I'm not on NEB (I know I seem like it's my life when I reply to something within a minute lol, blame push-notifications!) or Flickr (again, push-notifications) I'm with my friends on PS Network. GTA 5 and CoD...brilliant!

So, just don't make it your life. Juggle other things around with it; for example aside from PS4 and buses I've got Instagram (I found out recently it's the most useful form of social media for teens)...and I think the reason I manage to fit in so well is because I only ever really put memes up. And people find them as funny as I do. lol

I only bothered with it in mid-September and so far I've gotten 203 followers, most of whom are actually people I speak to on a regular basis, or people I just steal memes from.

It does annoy me though when somebody follows you, takes a bunch of memes, and then uploads them as their own. Especially the ones I make myself...I feel like saying something but I think I'll leave it...

So yeah, as I say - just balance your interests, have a variety of friends and acquaintances and you'll get no bother!

But having said that, I think it's harder when people already see you as a 'weirdo' or 'freak' - people started to realise my interest in buses back in January in Y7, people were still making friends and getting to know each other, etc, and I think the fact that I was in that position helped me a lot.

People always come to me if they have a question regarding timetable and stuff, and I suppose the added assistance I offer helps.

(31 Jan 2015, 6:57 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I've never had any bother at school about my hobby.

I've mentioned before that everyone who knows me knows about what I do in my spare time, and I've never been given the business about it. One or two sly comments from one or two people who needed to be put in their place, mainly just calling it sad and a waste of time and money - one used to have a cyst above his eye so I asked him if he was getting it sown back on, and he shut up.

I can get along with most people, because when I'm not on NEB (I know I seem like it's my life when I reply to something within a minute lol, blame push-notifications!) or Flickr (again, push-notifications) I'm with my friends on PS Network. GTA 5 and CoD...brilliant!

So, just don't make it your life. Juggle other things around with it; for example aside from PS4 and buses I've got Instagram (I found out recently it's the most useful form of social media for teens)...and I think the reason I manage to fit in so well is because I only ever really put memes up. And people find them as funny as I do. lol

I only bothered with it in mid-September and so far I've gotten 203 followers, most of whom are actually people I speak to on a regular basis, or people I just steal memes from.

It does annoy me though when somebody follows you, takes a bunch of memes, and then uploads them as their own. Especially the ones I make myself...I feel like saying something but I think I'll leave it...

So yeah, as I say - just balance your interests, have a variety of friends and acquaintances and you'll get no bother!

But having said that, I think it's harder when people already see you as a 'weirdo' or 'freak' - people started to realise my interest in buses back in January in Y7, people were still making friends and getting to know each other, etc, and I think the fact that I was in that position helped me a lot.

People always come to me if they have a question regarding timetable and stuff, and I suppose the added assistance I offer helps.

Could not say it better myself Marcus...

I could do with taking some of your advice, while I am drifting slightly away, NEB is my life for reasons you point out, I have notifications switched on, so I get to reply in an instant...

The one thing I really enjoy is playing Football Manager on my phone and sometimes play for hours on end

One piece of advice I would give anyone, go all over the place, I had an explorer every weekend for years in the mid/late 90's and I would spend most Saturdays on my own, going all over the region, Berwick, Hexham, Morpeth, Alnwick, Scarborough, Whitby, Ripon, Thirsk to name a small few...

Hey Marcus, at the end where you said people ask you bus related stuff, It is the same with me, people rely on me to tell them service changes that I know of, will ask me what buses to get, and on more than one occasion some drivers have said to passengers when asked about bus stuff to 'ask him'(referring to me)

(31 Jan 2015, 6:57 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote So, just don't make it your life. Juggle other things around with it; for example aside from PS4 and buses I've got Instagram (I found out recently it's the most useful form of social media for teens)...and I think the reason I manage to fit in so well is because I only ever really put memes up. And people find them as funny as I do. lol

I really shouldn't joke, but here was me thinking that Snapchat was...

(31 Jan 2015, 7:35 pm)aureolin wrote I really shouldn't joke, but here was me thinking that Snapchat was...

Can't remember where I read about Instagram being the most important form of social media for teens, but I think Snapchat is utterly useless. You can't comment openly, etc, although I may have just got so annoyed with it the first time I didn't get around to working out that feature haha.

I'll try and hunt it down/