Mods re-added to the board will be mentioned here.

[kerrensimmonds]

Dear Julian
Thank you for bringing this thread back to topic!
Having done French at Higher Education level, and having become 'bilingue' (at the time, not now!), I was beginning to cringe.
As a complete novice on anything technical I would like to thank you for all you are doing to keep this Forum up and running and current etc. etc.
Keep up the good work!
I particularly like the 'taylormade' website!
Kerren

[jtaylor]

Thanks for the kind comment, and glad you like the http://www.taylormadewebsites.co.uk site - thought it was about time I decided on a company name, and put together a summary site for anyone interested in what I've been doing.

The http://www.oxfordguncompany.co.uk website is the one I'm proudest of - multiple databases and lots of random content to keep it vaguely interesting! I can recommend them to anyone who's always wanted to try clay-shooting or game-shooting as a great outdoor sport....

J

[robertiles]

What name is given to the school song ?
What is kiff ?
Who is the school's founder ?
What does L.E. stand for ?
What is a toyce ?

- Unum Contentum Tollite ... our one joy is to work
- Tea .. in a kiff bowl .. I still prefer drinking from a bowl
- Notionally Edward VI and he died shortly after
- Lower Erasmus ... obviously
- A desk in the house common room

Then there was taff, flab, squit, lav-end and no end of others still in use in the 60s/70s ...

[sejintenej]

Why, oh why has robertiles brought up this thread again? Looking back I see a post which can now be rewritten

I wrote:

How good is the GCSE French exam? GCE O level was supposed to bring you to a standard where you could write and talk passable everyday French.
My schoolmaster friend tells me that nowadays you can get through knowing just about nothing more than that France is over the water from Dover......................................
French was his teaching speciality and I witnesed his early days there! Yes, he knew more than me (so does the dustman) but not much more. It was just confidence.

My mother's employer, brought up in France, ex SOE etc etc. and fluent in French (plus other languages) interviewed my French teacher a year before I did O level; his report on the teacher did not leave him or me brimming with confidence!!!

Following the exam he looked at the O level paper and reckoned that he would have great difficulty doing it which suggests that the standard in 1958 was high. (I did pass, somehow)

Interestingly, for those who have Sky, I have great problems with channel 799 (TV5 from France) but find 801(Brazilian Portuguese) almost as easy as English; I haven't spoken Portuguese since 1998 but live part time in France!

[Angela Woodford]

- Unum Contentum Tollite ... our one joy is to work

Isn't it "Unum concentum tollite"

which I thought was "we work together as one"

and I can't believe that Euterpe13 wouldn't know the name of Our Founder King?

[Mid A 15]

- Unum Contentum Tollite ... our one joy is to work

Isn't it "Unum concentum tollite"

which I thought was "we work together as one"

and I can't believe that Euterpe13 wouldn't know the name of Our Founder King?

I think she was just quoting some of the "beat the bot" questions Angela which require human input.

Welcome to the forum Robert Iles. I remember you from CH and in fact last met you in the same row of a West End theatre a few years after we both left. I doubt if you will remember though- there are few people as sad (modern vernacular) as me about!

My real name is shown on my profile.

[Mid A 15]

What name is given to the school song ?
What is kiff ?
Who is the school's founder ?
What does L.E. stand for ?
What is a toyce ?

- Unum Contentum Tollite ... our one joy is to work
- Tea .. in a kiff bowl .. I still prefer drinking from a bowl
- Notionally Edward VI and he died shortly after
- Lower Erasmus ... obviously
- A desk in the house common room

Then there was taff, flab, squit, lav-end and no end of others still in use in the 60s/70s ...

Wasn't it Little Erasmus?