Jump to content

Recommended Posts

hee hee!

It's all so different these days. As one of the last beneficiaries of the grant system (loans were just being phased-in.. I think in my first year the loan was about ?500) I was allowed the luxury of going to university mainly because I had no idea what I wanted to do in life, to have a bit of a laugh and live away from home.

But now, the debt incurred means you have to think much more seriously about it. Would I go again now if I knew I'd be ?20k in debt at the end of it? Probably not to do a terribly useless degree like History, that's for sure!

Wish I'd worked harder and appreciated the luxury of having so much time on my hands but I did enjoy college, the study and the drinking and the study of drinking. Very glad I did an applied degree (in design and media) though, many friends who took traditional courses left college feeling like they'd wasted time. I graduated in 1994.


A year later I had to forgo a place on a good MA course because of fees. Were that now I might have not even done the first degree. Boo! Nasty Government! etc

Ooh, i graduated in 94 too. more spooky.

I had a great time don't have too many friends left from there, about 5 of whom I'm still very close to today, but most old friends are still from where I grew up.


I've actually been giving alot of thought to doing a second history degree at some point, as I too feel I had no appreciation of the opportunity that all that time gives you. I don't really regret spending 90% of it in the pub and at least 1% tripping in sainsbury's.


my loan went on Sainsbury's sterling lager 2.6% proof and 9p a can!!!

Good God, you mean you never did the Norseman / Jaguar test?


The winner circa 1991 (most neat alcohol by volume per ?1) was won by 3 litre bottles of Davenports Best from Tesco.


Couldn't stand it though.


I wonder what happens if you play the same game today: Somerfield / Sainsbury / Tesco Metro / G&B / Thresher / Nicolas / Cheers

I worked in a call centre to support myself during the degree, then ended up with a degree....working in the same call centre. Brilliant! could have skipped the degree entirely.


But then I wouldnt have met all the good folks that i'm still close to. Or drunk so much. And then I'd be even more bitter! so it's just as well i've got the degree.

I think the attainment of a Desmond demonstrates a good university work/life balance and it to be congratulated. (NB this only applies to degrees with any reasonable level of difficulty eg sciences, engineering etc. With arts degress the candidate should always go 'one up' in order to maintain a basic level of respectability)


A Douglas, however.. not good..

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...