Lets all Chat

Happy birthday dawn! How did you manage to get such a small class? We've only got 2 year3 teachers this year because the year group is smaller, so instead of having 3 classes with 20 or so kids,they've opted for 2 classes of 30plus

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAWN Looking forward to seeing you, it seems ages since we last got together for an investigation. Will see you Saturday, if it's OK with Maz and Steve for Tracey and me to come along.

we only have 2 classes per year! did start with 25 but some left over the summer. we have a very high turn over of children at our school.

thanks everyone for birthday wishes and yes im feeling alot better.

not been able to get internet access since last friday - so well chuffed got on today and i cant wait to see you all = seems like an age since i last saw you.

Hey lovely dawn!

Happy birthday!

yes it was last year well logically to you that is

How scientific is that.

dont remind me that i am now a year older.

Im off now to watch a film i will let you know tomorrow how it was.

Im off to guildhall ghost watch tomorrow so i will also let you know how that goes on Saturday.

have fun tomorrow lee.

Way hay, hi Dawn, you having a smashing day

im having a really ggod day thanks!!!!and now all the family including simon are in bed so i have the tv all to myself.

ooooohhhhhhhhh perfect end to the day

i know and i suppose i could start the choccies ive been bought.

ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that sounds like a very good idea, especially as you wont have to share

Morning all how are we today?



Im squeaky.

Morning lovely people!

Hope you all have a good day

Its FFFRIDAY!

It is friday and another weekend of ghostly goings on.

hello all iam feeling fiiiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeeee!!!!!!

liam will be fine tots - sounds like to me Mr G is going in tough! trying to put some firm control in the class as there are a couple of characters in that class. usually most of the children respond to comments like that as they dont want to miss their fave subjects and the good kids are very good at moaning and keeping the not so good kids on track.

Who is this your talking about Dawn not me i hope although im firm i am fair.

here is a bit about the ritual of Bartholomews.

Sir



The piece on Child Abuse – Satanic Panic, is a very interesting and valuable contribution to debate surrounding the problem of “so-called child witches”.



It is the first article which I know of in the UK, that separates the very real imported problem of “so-called child witches” or “enfants dits sorcières” as they are known in DR Congo (where the problem is most prevalent in Africa), from unsubstantiated claims of satanic abuse and “traditional” or Juju/voodoo rituals.



As your reporter correctly points out these three distinct issues were conflated by Angus Stickler’s reports for the BBC and by the Evening Standard last year. This of course risks “demonising” all Africans as “that’s what they do isn’t it” and detracts from the real problem of physical abuse of children, which is aided and abetted by (mostly) self-ordained preachers in the new evangelical African churches that have come to the UK with their refugee parishioners from countries like DR Congo and Angola.



My colleague Jonny Donovan and I have worked at first hand in DR Congo and Angola with organisations which are trying to combat the problem in those countries – Kinshasa for instance has upwards of 30,000 street children aged from three to 12, most of whom have been ejected from their families accused of witchcraft.



SIMON LAWSON

Nomad Productions Ltd.



The magazine also has a letter from Angus Stickler, in which he defends his reporting of the issues and states that the BBC provided “an accurate summary” of the Metropolitan Police on the subject. Apparently it did not occur to Stickler to question whether the police report itself might not be accurate, despite the fact that the police were taking advice from such dubious characters as Kobus Jonker.



Lawson is quite right to commend the Eye for separating the three conflated issues – but while we can discount the “Satanic abuse” element, the “Juju/voodoo” issue is not quite as “unsubstantiated” as he and the Eye suggest. As I blogged at the time, the Eye’s report failed to mention the evidence of Richard Hoskins in the case of “Adam” (the dismembered child found by the Thames five years ago), and as I wrote just a couple of days ago, child-killing for magical purposes does appear to be an increasing problem in Uganda.



The danger of “demonising” Africans over the problem is also worth bearing in mind. It should be remembered that this is not “African culture”, but rather elements that have mutated in strange and harmful ways. The teratogens are decades of social breakdown, war, tyranny, disease and extreme poverty, in the context of a chaotic and globalising world

Evening everyone, has everyone had a good day?? Mine was very good

Hi Fran hope your ok im tired i think my bodys given up on me lol.

Oh dear, bless ya. You off ghost hunting this weekend or is it a quite weekend???

any chance you catch up on some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'sss

another good day, only 17 in class again... went out for lunch although the chickpea curry is not making good friends with my tum - making some very loud and strange gurgling noises! better still its the weekend.

Evening all. I'm shattered. Not used to used to being up past 10pm 3 times in one week. And being at work hasn't helped. I can't even crash out now, as the cats are hounding me to go out and buy them food.

I think I may have to sleep all day sunday

i think we should vote for a two day working week but with five days pay