Who's off work due to the snow?

A6 fine from Lancaster Northwards, haven't heard any bad reports the other side either.

I was at work (at the university) today, and the cinema at Didsbury was open as usual! Cinema at bolton was closed yesterday but now seems to be back open...

I feel mildly cheated that our extra week of school holiday has consisted of everyone else being off with snow too! Suspect we'll be open Monday, especially as there are exams.

Rob: this http://www.trafficengland.com/motorwayflow.aspx might help, at least for the motorways.

So, did you get three weeks for christmas then? How does this balance out over the rest of the year or does it not?

It doesn't - he just gets even more!

I'm in on Monday but the kids aren't! Taking a shovel with me...

We teach about four weeks fewer than state schools in total (as do many public day schools).

What's the rationale behind that mate? Or is it just how it's always been?

Rationale: more holidays!

Back in the days of assisted places, there was a minimum number of days you had to do to qualify for the scheme. That is the number of days we all still teach .

Most of the extra holiday is in the second half of the summer term, which is traditionally dead time in schools anyway (certainly was when I was at school!).

edit: and parents like it as they can take the kids on cheap off-peak holidays in mid-July .

= more profit?

We don't make a profit, we're a charity. Any spare money is used for bursaries. (Again, this is true of almost all public schools.)

solid!

Well the drive to my meeting in Lancaster went smoothly.. until I made the foolish decision of turning down the 'drive' which was a farm track up a hill to the offices. Needless to say the automatic rear wheel drive BMW could not make it up said hill... and then could not reverse back out of the drive up another incline... finally got out thanks to a shovel and two chaps pushing!