Author: Tim Dracup
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. Nonsuch Place, Ewell Road, Sutton SM3 8AL . Nonsuch Pantry is slightly outside our normal area. We visited on the occasion of the rescheduled Marsden March, which was routed alongside Nonsuch Park. The Pantry is located towards the east of the Park, tucked behind Nonsuch Mansion. It has its own basic website and a…
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. The King’s Field, Church Grove, Hampton Wick, KT1 4ET . Tucked away at the corner of Bushy Park, just over on the far side of Kingston Bridge, Pistachio in the Park is slightly off the beaten track, yet still within easy reach of Kingston’s town centre. It is one of a small chain, presently…
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. 51 Kingston Hill, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7PS . Situated on Kingston Hill, opposite Kingston Hospital, Lizzie’s is clearly a popular eatery for staff and visitors alike. Although out of reach of the town centre, it is handily placed for those returning from Richmond Park through the Kingston Gate. Opening hours are given as…
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. This post investigates the Government’s latest efforts to establish a national network of university-sponsored specialist mathematics free schools for 16-19 year-olds. It: Recapitulates the difficult history of this policy since it was first announced in 2011 Reviews in more detail developments in the nine months since my last post on this topic Analyses the…
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. When my wife Kate was still alive I published three posts dedicated to exploring whether I might qualify as borderline Aspergers. Kate had become convinced that this explained the difference between her personality and mine – and the difficulty I experienced in understanding and responding to her emotional needs. She read several books on…
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. When Kate died in July 2017 I discussed with some of her closest friends and relatives the idea of meeting annually on her birthday to remember her. I thought this would be a fitting tribute to someone whose commitment to friendship and family was extraordinary – whose greatest gift was her immense capacity for…
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There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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. This is a revised and updated version of How should England close its excellence gaps? (January 2018) . . This is a significant turning point in the evolution of national education policy. Former Secretary of State Greening published her social mobility plan Unlocking Talent: Fulfilling Potential (December 2017), immediately following the wholesale resignation of…
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. First edition: January 2018 . This is an important turning point in the evolution of national education policy. Departing Secretary of State Greening has only just published her social mobility plan Unlocking Talent: Fulfilling Potential (December 2017) It was preceded by the wholesale resignation of the Social Mobility Commission’s Board, protesting at lack of political…
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. I’ve this unquenchable thirst to slake Must slough off the shrouds of solitude While cautiously inching awake, . My erstwhile love I’ll not forsake, Stranded in desolate quietude, I’ve this unquenchable thirst to slake. . Stay blank fear, do not mistake This tremulous interlude While cautiously inching awake . Resolve the conundrum; so much…
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. In November 2017 I travelled for the first time to Madeira for a week’s holiday. This was an experiment on several counts: a first solitary ‘winter getaway’, a first all-inclusive experience and a first encounter with Saga. I wanted to reconnoitre, to see as much as possible of the Island, so getting a sense…
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. This post is dedicated to John Dracup (1787-1858), a radical shopkeeper who emerged from obscurity some 200 years ago, during the political turmoil associated with the Peterloo Massacre. In later life he became a local politician, helping to run and regulate the rapidly expanding town of Salford. Ultimately he became a member of the…
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. The first in a series of occasional short extracts describing my experiences walking the 630 mile South West Coast Path, in systematic fashion, hopefully from start to finish. This was originally envisaged as a joint retirement project, linked to our future relocation to the West Country. But now I intend to pursue it from…
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. We had booked a fortnight’s holiday in Slovenia for July 2016, but my partner Kate was diagnosed with primary breast cancer only weeks before departure, so we cancelled. She died barely a year later and, shortly after the funeral, I decided to undertake our planned holiday alone. It felt like unfinished business – and…
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. This short post reviews performance at the higher standard in the 2017 KS2 national curriculum assessments, comparing this year’s provisional outcomes with those from 2016. It uses underlying data from SFR43/2017: ‘National curriculum assessments: KS2 (provisional)’, first published on 31 August 2017 and the equivalent SFR39/2016 published last year. Reference is also made to…
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