text:
Teaching EFL Listening via FUN WITH ENGLISH Books/7B/Lesson 5

Introduction
Opening class talking about the student's school trip last Saturday, and closing it discussing my trip last week to Hawaii. In between doing textbook activities, hoping to get a discussion going about city/country life. After that, have them practice their hearing with difficult questions about the textbook material.

Lesson Objectives

 * Students will enjoy themselves, creating a positive association with the English language.
 * Create an atmosphere that's comfortable enough for students to feel take chances speaking English to me and their peers.
 * Ask the right questions to get a lively discussion going about either their trip or city/country life.
 * Engage all of them by asking unexpected textbook questions, forcing them to listen closely to really understand whats going on.
 * Find a way to make practicing English more appealing to them than speaking to their friends in Chinese.

Lesson Plan
Before Class Starts
 * Ask everyone to get into their seats.
 * Walk around the room small talking with different students.
 * Get the computer turned on if it works.
 * Open a blank word document.

'''Greeting: Yo! What's up?'''
 * Practice the "What's up?" routine.
 * If they don't remember, review.

Opening Discussion: Talk about their trip
 * Did you do something special last Saturday?
 * Write all the answers on the word document.
 * Where did you go?
 * How did you get there?
 * What did you do on the bus?
 * What did you take pictures of?
 * Did you have fun?
 * Why did you go on the trip?

Textbook: Page 14 Let's get ready A
 * Where would you rather live in the city or the country? and why?
 * What kind of job do you need to live in a city? the country?

Textbook: Page 15 Let's listen 1 A Tapescript Page 78
 * b4 starting - what is a penfriend?
 * Read it correctly the first time, then change around the words to see if they're listening. (Mr. Brown)
 * Instead of "I live in England." Read "I live in France" and so on.

Textbook: Page 16 Let's listen 2 A Tapescript Page 78
 * After reading, when you ask the questions say "What is across from the school?" or "What is diagonal from the ______?" (Mr. Brown)

Textbook: Page 16 Let's listen 2 B (Maybe)
 * (Mr. Brown)

Discuss: Talk about my trip
 * Chose one of the following depending on my and the class's mood.
 * Traveling from shanghai -> tokyo -> hawaii
 * surfing
 * Hawaiian Culture: flower over a girl's ear, right ear = single, left ear = not single
 * Hawaiian Culture: hang loose hand gesture is the same as 6 hand gesture in China
 * Hawaiian Language: aloha = hello
 * Hawaiian Language: mahalo = thank you
 * Show the pics of my family, including the one of us with the pair of locals and quiz the kids about the hand gestures and flowers.

'''Extra Time: Number of Letters? Game''' (Mr. Brown)
 * Make two teams.
 * Tell them to make a word that begins with one letter, e.g. D, and has 6 letters.
 * Go back and forth between the teams making the words.

31 Mar 2010 Grade 7 Class 11

 * Kids were in a good mood, and we got a solid discussion going about their trip.
 * Took Mr. Brown's suggestion of reading the textbook wrong, and it got a bunch of giggles from the students.
 * I just kept on reading. Perhaps next time I should stop when I make a mistake and ask them what they think?
 * They were not too interested in me talking about my Hawaii trip, but they did like the candy.

Next Week

 * Review the Hawaiian culture?

31 Mar 2010 Grade 7 Class 11

 * Short discussion about the trip, but a long discussion about the city vs. the country and what jobs they would like to do.
 * In Let's get ready A on page 14, I have a difficult time expressing the activitiy. Many students put "See a film" in the "Only City" list which is fair, but at the same time, it isn't what the activity calls for.

Next Week

 * Near the end of class 3 boys came to the front to do a hula dance, but we ran out of time. Ask them if they'd try again?

Acknowledgments

 * Ideas I got from Stuart Brown, I acknowledged with (Mr. Brown).
 * I would like to thank all the 7th and 8th grade classes at Anqing Foreign Language School who had this lesson for their participation and feedback. I would also like to thank the Anqing Foreign Language School for allowing me to teach there.

Changelog
Version 0.3 30 Mar 2010
 * Included suggestions from Mr. Brown for the textbook activities.
 * Typed up what I've evolved to be doing in class over the first 5 lessons of the week.


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license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Talk:Sport research

Largely fixed. Still work to do. Librarians assist?--Ben Rattray 09:04, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Leigh: So what I want to do is have the training and activities part as seperate pages. so all the stuff below will be on sub-pages of this page. Haven't the time just now though. But just worried because its pretty messy just now.--Ben Rattray 07:10, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Hi Ben, I think it goes without saying that this project is for UCNISS students, but I think it benefits your design thinking to write it up as though it was for everyone. You'll have to explain things more clearly, and it will make your course more inviting to people not yet engaged with UC or UCNISS. It also assists the Wikiversity community to consider reuse or collaboration. The contextualisation you would be better on the web page you set up to deliver this course - if you're thinking like I do, that the wiki is the source to the course, and the web page becomes the front end. A web page like Moodle or Blogger or Wordpress for example. Leighblackall 04:19, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

title: Talk:Sport research


text: File:Doublepgramwithcolors.JPG

title: File:Doublepgramwithcolors.JPG


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User:Moloza

Name: Mohammed Al Ajmi Birth: 1977 Country: Oman

Job: IT curriculum developer

Why I'm here?
I'm doing my Master at USQ Australia online. I'm studying Advanced Data Management course. In this course I have to do a research about a topic related to data management as well as to develop a data management system project. I have a weakness in technical writing in English. I want to develop my skills in order to write a well-professional research which can be accessed and read by others who are interested in this field.

title: User:Moloza


text:
British Empire/Tudor Origins/Science

This is a self-assessment quiz. Please answer the questions and then click on submit. You will then be told how well you did.

{When was Gresham College founded? - 1497 + 1597 - 1558 - 1571
 * type=""}

{When did John Dee translate Euclid? - 1591 - 1564 - 1532 + 1570
 * type=""}

{When did Francis Drake complete his circumnavigation of the Earth? - 1577 - 1564 - 1592 + 1580
 * type=""}

{In which year did Johannes Gutenberg invent a printing press with movable type? - 1486 - 1560 + 1540 - 1602
 * type=""}

{When did John Cabot discover Newfoundland - 1549 - 1588 + 1497 - 1502
 * type=""}

{When did Sir John Harington publish an account of his flush toilet + 1596 - 1504 - 1532 - 1568
 * type=""}

{In which year did William Bourne publish A Regiment for the Sea? - 1583 - 1543 - 1532 + 1574
 * type=""}

title: British Empire/Tudor Origins/Science


text:
British Empire/Tudor Origins/Colonialism

This is a self-assessment quiz. Please answer the questions and then click on submit. You will then be told how well you did. Please leave any feedback on the discussion page.

{ + - - -
 * type=""}

{ + - - -
 * type=""}

{ - - + -
 * type=""}

{ + - - -
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{ - - + -
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{ + - - -
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text:
Planets/Histories

The history of planets begins with the origin of the idea of a wanderer in the sky.

The word "planet" comes from the Greek planetes, a wanderer.

Wanderers
A wanderer may move in a leisurely, casual, or aimless way.

Theoretical planets
Def. one who wanders, who travels aimlessly is called a wanderer.

Def. one who moves slowly away from a fixed point or place is called a wanderer.

Def. one who moves or travels slowly through or over a place or area is called a wanderer.

Meteorites
"Since the distribution of radioactive materials is uncertain, size estimates for bodies with a radius exceeding 100 km can only be narrowed to a range of values bounded by the uniform and the fractionated case. This range of body sizes is still compatible with an origin of iron and stony-iron meteorites in asteroidal bodies."

"The present calculations are not consistent with the development of iron meteorites by surface heating of parent bodies."

The "variable cooling rates for iron meteorite groups IIIa and IVa are explained by a model where small iron bodies are distributed throughout a large region of the parent body from the deep interior out to a fractional radius of 0.90 to 0.96. It is proposed that such a distribution of iron meteorites could be produced by a zone melting process."

Craters
The most intense cometary "showers" may have serious implications [...] for the impact history of planets and satellite systems."

Terrestrial planets
Hypotheses:
 * 1) "the terrestrial planets were formed by agglomeration of solid particles in the gas-dust solar nebula."
 * 2) "The radioactivity of the terrestrial planets is usually [...] equal to that of chondritic meteorites."
 * 3) "The potassium content for chondrites is essentially constant, viz. 8 x 10-4 g/g, whereas the uranium content varies from 1 x 10-8 g/g to 3 x 10-8 g/g for different groups of chondrites."
 * 4) "Carbonaceous chondrites, which [...] represent the primary type of meteorites, contain about 2 x 10-8 g/g of uranium."

"The thermal history of planets can be studied only theoretically, namely by calculations based on the heat conductivity equation."

"The thermal history of planets is determined by (a) heating by impact of accreting matter; (b) generation of radioactive heat during the formation period; (c) adiabatic compression of the interior by growing exterior layers."

"The initial temperature is determined by (a) heating by impact of accreting matter; (b) generation of radioactive heat during the formation period; (c) adiabatic compression of the interior by growing exterior layers."

Mercury
Hypotheses:
 * 1) "A homogeneous [composition is] a mixture of 58 per cent metallic iron and 42 per cent of silicate".
 * 2) "A constant temperature Tc = 1000 °K [...] for the central regions, with the temperature decreasing to 700 °K on the surface."

"According to recent data, the rotation period of Mercury does not coincide with its orbital period. Neglecting the decrease of surface temperature towards the poles, it is possible to get an idea of its thermal history by solving the heat conductivity equation for a body with spherical symmetry."

"As the metallic phase is extremely poor in radioactive elements, their mean content in Mercury [is] 2.5 times smaller than in chondrites."

Because "of the large content of metallic iron, Mercury [possesses] a high heat conductivity."

The "central temperature of Mercury never exceeded 2 300 °K, even with maximum content of radioactive elements".

"Mercury's interior did not undergo melting. As Mercury's temperature is less than the melting temperature of both silicates and metallic iron, Mercury [has] neither a crust nor an iron core. The maximum heating of Mercury took place 2.0-3.0 aeons ago; at the present time the interior of Mercury is cooling."

Venus
Hypotheses:
 * 1) Venus has "a core of metallized silicates".
 * 2) Venus has "an iron core".
 * 3) "A chondritic composition of the whole planet" with hypothesis 1.
 * 4) "a chondritic mantle" composition with hypothesis 2.
 * 5) "a uniform distribution of radioactivity" is a stage of the thermal history of Venus.
 * 6) "radioactive elements from the upper 1 000 km were gradually carried out into the crust." is a stage of the thermal history of Venus.
 * 7) "This transport [of radioactive elements begins] at the start of the melting of the mantle".
 * 8) "The mantle of Venus, as that of the Earth [is] a mixture of different minerals and [melts] in some interval of temperatures [...] of the order of 200°."
 * 9) "In the core the melting [occurs] at constant temperature for each given depth."
 * 10) "The core [has] a metallic conductivity independent of the temperature."

"Preliminary estimates by Safronov (1965, 1969) of the initial temperature of the Earth were used to choose initial temperatures of Venus and Mercury."

The "molecular conductivity of amorphous matter does not decrease with temperature (as it does in crystalline bodies)."

The "molecular conductivity ceases to depend on temperature with the onset of melting."

For hypothesis 1, the "core of metallized silicates is liquid at the present moment."

For hypothesis 2, "the core is liquid with temperature 12 400 °K."

Earth
"In calculations of the thermal history of the Earth, the observed value of surface heat flow and seismological evidence for the absence of extensive completely molten regions in the mantle were used as criteria of a correct model (Majeva 1967)."

Mars
"As there are no similar criteria for other planets, calculations of thermal histories were made for models analogous to the best models for the Earth."

Binary stars
The "most massive short-period planets are all found in multiple star systems. We show here that the planets orbiting in multiple star systems also tend to have a very low eccentricity when their period is shorter than about 40 days."

"These observations seem to indicate that some kind of migration has been at work in the history of these systems."

"There is thus no obvious correlation between the properties of these [exoplanets] planets and the known orbital characteristics of the binaries or the star masses."

Classical history
The classical history period dates from around 2,000 to 1,000 b2k.

Usually the wanderers are the seven classical planets, Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Mars, and Venus. Additional wanderers may also have existed in ancient times, such as the Earth's pole stars.

Ancient history
The ancient history period dates from around 8,000 to 3,000 b2k.

Def. "any of the seven heavenly bodies sun, moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Saturn that in ancient belief have motions of their own among the fixed stars" is called a planet.

Temperatures
"Constraints are reported on the thermal history of the constituents of the Abee enstatite chondrite. From thermal experiments on laboratory-prepared alloys, and on actual samples of the meteorite, it is concluded that the metal phase of Abee cooled from above 700°C to room temperature in less than ten hours."

"The early thermal history of planets [is evidenced] from meteorites."

The "early thermal history of chondritic asteroids [can be] derived by 244Pu fission track thermometry."

Hypotheses

 * 1) A planet may not, or no longer, have an orbit but it should have a history.

title: Planets/Histories


text:
Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter V

Preparing for work
Paddington Station - GWR - Fashions – Moscow Road – Sunday best – The parlour – Queensway – Voluntary Schools –  Good works – St Matthew’s Church – Churching for Women – Lancaster Walk – Regents Park – Bayswater - Marylebone Station.

On January 10th 1863, Paddington railway station was opened to the public; it serviced, The Great Western Railway Line, and the Metropolitan Railway. The railways construction had resulted in many families being evicted from their homes - so that they could be demolished. The broad staircase in the station foyer lead down thirty feet to platform level but long before reaching the bottom the smell of smoke and steam pervaded the air. You could feel the draught caused by the compressed warm air rushing past. The gas burners light the way, as the passengers jostle to clear the way – for there are a steady stream making their way along the smoke filled tunnel. At last, the train is reached; it was just over a mile away from home in Salem Gardens.

That same year, riding in ‘The Row’, in London’s Hyde Park, the latest carriage style included the Victoria Phaeton, the Mail Phaeton, the Four Wheel Dog Cart, the Light Waggonette, the Brougham, Parisian Phaeton, and the Stanhope Phaeton. The bicycle was slowly becoming popular for the sporty city toffs now with improved tyres, gears, and brakes. By 1900, the cost of an average car was £385, which was about ten times that of a farm workers yearly income. Paddington was now a borough with tree lined roads and squares. There was an enormous disparity between the various districts. This was apparent the nearer one got to Hyde Park, and those houses alongside the canal. The areas around the railway terminus, the shops, and entertainment centres in Westbourne Grove, Queens Road, and Edgware Road, gave variety and colour.

In 1900, horse-transport was the usual mode of travel for both individuals and groups. Most of the carriages were privately owned although there was a public horse drawn system called the omnibus. Some people had a pony and trap or small governess cart, drawn by very small ponies. Occasionally goats pulled the country carts. Every shop had its errand boy who delivered goods by hand; the older boys, doing a bigger round, used a pony drawn cart. Very few people carried their own shopping relying upon the shop’s delivery van. Men drove Brewer’s drays drawn by four huge horses, with their jingling horse brasses and bells, with bowler hats sitting high up at the front covered with a tarpaulin wrap fastened over their knees. Carrier Vans collected and delivered heavier goods on either two or four wheeled carts. Two paraffin oil or acetylene lamps lit his way. These vans travelled around a particular route known by the inhabitants. If their services were required, a note had to be pinned to your door or gate. Deliveries were also made from the railway stations guaranteeing a door-to-door service. It was alongside Kensington Gardens that the stagecoach route ran from Central London. During school holidays, my father would sit in the public gardens and watch the coaches bowling along the road to Windsor or Hurlingham with the guard whipping up the horses and blowing his coaching horn.

When grandfather was asked to leave Salem Gardens, they rented a house in Bayswater. It was here that my father started kindergarten in 1892 at the age of three. His starter class, attached to the infant school, was well attended; taught by senior girls, at the age of fourteen - considered fit by their studies to consider teaching as a profession. Parents had to pay perhaps 4d per-week for the first child then, on a sliding scale, less for additional children; the rate was flexible according to the parent’s income. These fees were only just beginning to be scrapped after an extra government grant for elementary education came into being. The minimum leaving age was twelve by the time Albert started school… at the same time attendance for all children was compulsory.

Saint Matthew’s Infant School, Poplar Place, Moscow Road, was a small Church school for very young children and was to last for two years. There were no desks or individual seats but galleries amounting to eight rows of broad steps. He had to sing his multiplication tables and alphabet every morning. These were not the only form of learning by rote there were others: alphabet, spectrum colours, kings and queens, months of the year, times tables and many other useful facts, were all learned using a simple tune. Common words learnt by ‘heart’ and religiously checked every day by his teacher. Proper pronunciation of words, the correct use of grammar, national tunes, mental arithmetic, countries of The Empire were all given a place in the curriculum. By the end of the two-year period a great deal was learnt and committed to memory.

Girl teachers, who were very patient and kind knowing as they did how important it was that their charges could cope with the curriculum at the Junior School. His junior teachers were fourteen - the age when pupils left school; they were the brightest girls from the top class – who were now in teacher training. There were no grants. There were few jobs for girls. To be a nurse the training was the same. The parents paid the fees. Some worked in local hospitals but were not able to qualify without going to College to receive their certificate. This was no different for craft apprenticeships – the parents had to pay. My father was very happy at St Matthew’s school and did well coming out top of the class. At this age, he began piano lessons, which he persevered with; years later achieved professional standard and much sought after.

title: Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter V


text:
User talk:Justin carlo masangya

 Hello Justin carlo masangya, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity. --JWSchmidt 13:59, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Justin carlo masangya


text: File:Brainfmriarrow.png

title: File:Brainfmriarrow.png


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User:AC214ais

Homework

 * /Student Wikiversity Links/
 * /Due Sept. 9, 2011/ and redue Sept. 21, 2011
 * /u-commerce, due Sept. 27/

Course Description:
AC 214 This course explores the concepts of management information systems, the structure and components of business subsystems; i.e., accounting information systems, marketing information systems, financial information systems, human resource information systems, product and operation information systems. This course also focuses on the application of information technology in management decision making process, the principles of business information systems development, and computer technology such as hardware, software, database, data communications and networking systems.

Course Objectives:

 * Learn to effectively manage information technology within an organization
 * Develop an understanding of the current trends in information technology and be able to integrate this technology into an organization’s overall strategic direction

Methods of Grading and Evaluation:
=In-class:=
 * Quizzes, Assignments 10%
 * Presentation 10%

=Assessment=
 * Midterm Exam: 30 %
 * Final Exam: 30 %
 * Project: 10%

Attendance:
Students that miss more than 20 percent of the total class should withdraw or will they receive an F. Three late is equal to 1 absence.

Required Text:
Gelinas & Ulric, Accounting Information Systems, 7th Edition, Thomson Southwestern, 2009.

=Schedule=

title: User:AC214ais


text:
User talk:MrHimanshu37

 Hello MrHimanshu37, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity. --mikeu talk 00:57, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

Your editing experiment
Thank you for experimenting with Wikiversity. Your test was recorded, and it has been reverted or removed. Please use the sandbox for further testing. You may wish to learn more about what Wikiversity is to help you contribute. --mikeu talk 01:00, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:MrHimanshu37


text:
User talk:AC214ais

 Hello AC214ais, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity. --Ottava Rima (talk) 02:17, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

Usage of this account and student user pages
I see that this account is named for a class, apparently meeting directly, and used by the teacher, and that you are having students user their user page for assignments. I think there would be a better way, because user pages are for students to use to describe themselves and their interests; what you are doing is not building educational resource here. So I'd like to discuss this with you. I'd been noticing many new users creating user pages with roughly the same information.... we get similar behavior from spammers, so, until I did the research and found what you were doing, I was tempted to delete the pages! I won't, don't worry, but we can handle this better. I want to make contact with you before going ahead with changes! --Abd 14:02, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

 * I think what I'd like to do is create a resource, Accounting information systems, and link to a class page under that. This page would be basically controlled by you, but I'll help you to set it up. The assignments would be given there or on a subpage, and students would respond as well, using subpages of their user page. Students might cooperate on a collective response to the assignment afterwards, that would be in mainspace, as a subpage of the class page. Or others could put that together later, but I thought it might be fun -- and educational, because in doing this, students would be reviewing their collective work, and discussing it on an attached talk page. For Wikiversity, it would create an educational resource, and the work is essentially the same as what you are already doing, it would just be done in a somewhat different way. What do you think? --Abd 14:10, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

title: User talk:AC214ais


text:
User talk:Laradesoleil

 Hello Laradesoleil, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity. --Ottava Rima (talk) 02:17, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Laradesoleil


text:
User talk:Yair rand

 Hello Yair rand, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! If you're a twitter user, please follow http://twitter.com/Wikiversity. --Ottava Rima (talk) 02:19, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

title: User talk:Yair rand


text:
User:ReuvenYisrael

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ReuvenYisrael

title: User:ReuvenYisrael


text:
User:Viveksrinivas

My profile NAME : S.VIVEK COUNTRY: INDIA FAVOURITE(s): 1. SUBJECT:EEE(ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING) 2. specific SUBJECT: ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS ANALYSIS

I am doing U.G in SASTRA UNIVERSITY.I desire to know about the working of several machines (electrically as well as mechanically).

My E-MAIL ID is naveen_viv@hotmail.com S.Vivek

title: User:Viveksrinivas


text:
User talk:Viveksrinivas

Hello this is me --S.Vivek 08:08, 21 August 2010 (UTC)S.vivek

title: User talk:Viveksrinivas


text:
Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter IV

Victorian home life
The Family - Bayswater – Salem Gardens – Queen Victoria – Poor families – The parlour – Education Act – Church Schools – The church – Perambulations around  Kensington Gardens – Board Schools – Piano lessons  -  The Music Hall  – Steam engines - Abduction.

My father, christened Albert Edward - Albert after the Prince Regent, and Edward - the future monarch; he was the fifth child, born on the 21st March 1889, at 6 Salem Gardens, Bayswater. After my father’s birth, three sisters and three more brothers were added to the previous four children… making eleven in all. He recognized – and appreciated later, that all his brothers and sisters were most fortunate having parents who were so considerate and caring.

In the late Victorian age many children from poorer families were thought of as ‘an investment’ and put out to work as errand boys, carriers of beer, street cleaners and railway station porters. Others held horses, carried trunks, and delivered parcels, they stood at doorways ready to call a cab, and helped cabbies who were drunk, – the number occupied thus was estimated as between ten to twenty thousand. Many became match boys and street sellers, carried food and fruit. They did even the smallest thing to make what they could to help at home. As soon a dawn broke, they were to be seen outside every market place ready to take up a barrow. Others traded by the queues of shops and theatres to entertain and amuse, by ‘their antics’. Workmen of the period sported heavy moustaches; wore heavy boots with hob-nails, thick twill trousers, course worsted jackets, a waistcoat supporting a watch or key chain, and a cap or billycock hat – a short top-hat, but all very well-worn - probably cast-offs! Some may wear smocks, overalls, or wear a uniform that would distinguish them from others – it was a matter of survival, to stand out from the crowd.

In 1865, a middle-class man, was distinguished by a face richly adorned by hair in the shaped of muttonchops, full beard, with moustache. He wore a universally prescribed silk-plush, top hat on a stiff blocked base made of canvas. A black or dark blue frock coat, with a fashioned waist and skirt, with straight edges, to about knee height, open at the front by curving or wrapping the skirt-front round to the back. A pocketed, silk lined, velvet waistcoat with a man’s watch usually on a silver chain. Trousers were fashioned tight in white, grey, fawn or striped, held up by braces. A pinned satin cravat beneath a studded collar-band topped a mid-thigh length shirt with separate, point up, starched collar and linked secured, folded cuffs. For special occasions, a starched, frilly shirt front and tied silk bow. Beneath all would be one-piece long johns and silk socks held in place by garters thrust into ankle-boots.

For women, the fashion was very wide skirts supported by crinolines which took over from tight-laced corsets… The all-in-one dresses, superseded by tunic dresses and waisted blouses, with a bustle at the back… both, soon to be replaced. A waterproof cloak with hood, heightened boots, the essential hat and parasol, completed the picture. City life was one of organised chaos. There were few women particularly in public areas – there was a changing shift of people mainly men to and from work. Clerks were in abundance being the main form of employment for the non-servant classes; they would not only populate their offices but be rushing delivering letters, plans and manuscripts. My father lived with his parents, Martha and Alfred Kearey, at 6, Salem Gardens, Moscow Road, Bayswater... Salem Gardens, which was later demolished, is now called Salem Road, which is to be found just off Queensway, and Bayswater tube station, together form a square. On the other side, backing onto the gardens is Moscow Place and Moscow Road, which forms another square – together with Queen’s Mansions… Both these squares are but a stones throw from his paternal grandparents. Number six was a small rented house with just four rooms, two up and two down, a kitchen and an outhouse. It had a back garden, which stopped at the Queens Mews stable wall, belonging to a house in the next road.

Within the homes of Albert’s friends elaborate rules of etiquette were observed. In middle class homes, one had to dress for dinner in full evening dress. Lace curtains were de rigueur and on Sundays best clothes were worn. No games were played; no shops were open, no theatres played, and only the bible was read. No running in the road and parks, for decorum was observed at all times… and no shouting, ever! The parlour was used as a ‘special room’ for Sundays, ‘high days’, Christmas, and for entertaining guests and visitors. Albert attended Sunday school when four, in 1893 - at the school in Queens Road [now Queensway]. The girls and boys were formed up in ranks of two… then, holding hands, marched off to Saint Matthews Church, Saint Petersburg Place, Bayswater… led by a Master and Mistress… It was here that Albert spent his first two years at Infant School.

It was thought important, by the government, that, as more people were taking up the option to vote they should be educationally equipped to make proper decisions. At the same time, it became apparent that Britain industrial base was lagging behind some European countries. Both these factors suggested that elementary education should be expanded. The 1870 Elementary Education Act ensured this would happen and school boards were set up. In 1895, the voluntary schools still provided half a million more places than the board schools. Poor families complained that sending their children to school instead of to work prevented the rest of the family from eating.

The Kearey family was relatively well off - having a father skilled in his own painting and staining business with a full order book. The school fees were 1d. or 2d per week. There was, however, a considerable variation of fees - depending on the numbers of children from one family going to the same school, or, whether there was sickness,r lack of footwear, or real need. By 1891, sufficient money was made available by the government to provide free places. When Albert went to school in 1893, he did not have to attend school with this fee in his pocket. The minimum age for children leaving school was eleven… It would take another six years to ease this up to twelve.

That was time education in London led the way in curriculum innovation, promoting music, drill and object lessons – some instruction about the world around them… about science, history and geography. Lessons other than the three Rs were considered ‘class lessons’. For the older children two other specific subjects were included. The question about the provision of a piano was much debated finally it was left to the head teacher knowing what funding from grants was available. At around the age of twelve children who went to church schools were confirmed… afterwards allowed to attend communion services. For several weeks before confirmation, there would be classes of instruction to learn The Creed, Ten Commandments, The Catechism, The Lord’s Prayer and other religious works. On the day of communion the girls would wear white long sleeved dresses, white shoes and veils and the boys their best suits and well shone shoes, starched collars to their white shirts a buttoned up waist coats. In the late Victorian era, Sunday’s were a special day, no work was to take place, and no games played. People who did not attend church were considered wicked, or lacking in respect, and often snubbed.

Most children went to Sunday school, and attended one proper service – morning or evening. At Christmas, they went to both. The Sunday school lessons consisted of bible reading, instruction and righteous stories with a moral theme and learning the collect [single prayer of the day]. Picture stamps of bible scenes were collected and mounted into an album. Hymns for young children were sung to the accompaniment of a piano. All the people were dressed in their Sunday best. Children in particular were clothed in shirts stiff with starch. The congregation knew were to sit, usually always in the same pew. The congregation knelt down and said a prayer - ask for forgiveness for wrong doings, before the service began.

The High Altar, a covered table, was reached by several steps around which were displayed several oil paintings depicting biblical scenes. The chancel was imposingly large - separated from the body of the church by a wrought iron grill. There were always on hand many servitors - functionaries, in high-church dress. The service was intoned and sung, except the lessons. There was a special service for woman who had not long given birth. This was called ‘Churching for Women’ a service to cleanse her - release her from sin.

At St. Matthew’s Church, pews could be rented. When the Upper Classes – particularly the Nobility and Aristocracy, attended the service, a footman followed them in. He was dressed in frock coat, white skin-tight trousers and buckled shoes – his job was to carry the bible and prayer book – to be handed over to their masters at the door. Pew-openers directed the ordinary parishioners into their strictly graded, rented, and paid for seats. In the previous generation these titled folk were ushered into their pews, which had doors, and sometimes a separate internal roof. Pew-openers attended them making sure they were provided with a cushion and blankets - to spread over their legs. These attendants were women who had black poke bonnets and white aprons. Services were known by heart particularly the hymns. The sermons were often long and difficult to hear because of the echo. The rector constantly instructed his parishioners that they should worship all day Sunday. However, the evening services were those best attended. The aristocracy attended church in the mornings, the evenings mainly attended by their servants - who were too busy at their household tasks, and looking after the horses and farm animals, to find time during the day.

In the winter months, the church interiors were lit by the soft glow of oil lamps, which cast mysterious shadows over the walls and pillars - making the gloomy, cold, and damp environment eyrie – to small children, frightening. The congregation sat in the same seat every week and woe betides if you sat on somebody else’s pew. You always had to be on your best behaviour. My father knelt down with everyone else and said a prayer, asked forgiveness, before waiting for the service to begin. He was supposed to read the collect for the day or a psalm. Everyone knew the service order by rote and most of the hymns. At the collection, a halfpenny would be dropped in the plate. It was not unusual for the gentry to have their own family pews and the added luxury of a couple of heated rooms where they could meet, entertain, and retire to. The beadles kept order… and the poor out.

At the end of the service, the parishioners walked out into the blackness of the night and those who had a long way to get back home would light candles in their lamps that flickered on the footpaths and disappear into the night. However distant the journey there was little fear of being accosted by vagabonds or scoundrels for the congregation all left together. You could hear the happy 'goodnights' all around you as the cheery calls echoed through the night air... The clear night sky would enable you to recognise the constellations, and sometimes see a falling star - receive a wish.

It was a ritual on a Sunday, for the ladies and gentlemen from surrounding churches to perambulate around the squares and gardens, after Matins. This walk ended up strolling down Lancaster Walk past Speke’s monument, and further still, onto the Albert Memorial. This walk was termed ‘The Parade’. It was here that the bonneted women and attending dandies would be bobbing and nodding to their acquaintances all showing off their latest fashions. The riders had a similar parade; both men and women wore top hats, the women rode sidesaddle, and the society dandies, with their simpering belles - disporting in their barouches, whilst chattering loudly, fluttered their fans. Some of the small children would be riding their ponies besides their parents giggling and chattering like sparrows. The nannies would be pushing the enormous sided prams, the largest of which displayed wealth, kept to the railing paths.

Regents Park, planned by Nash, displayed the Zoological exhibits –a favourite place for them to go…needing one shilling for the pleasure. This display, performed by the rich, occurred in all of London’s royal parks. This droll, ostentation by the bourgeoisie had a great effect upon my father who saw it as a display of wealth – from those who might also cast a glance of disdain on the unfortunates who did not have an equal social standing. Although he always voted conservative, he was fully aware of the injustices in society and could not abide pomposity.

After church, my father would walk to the top of the road towards Kensington Gardens. At that time, Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyle, occupied The Royal Palace of Kensington. When he got to the park, he had to walk – never to run because the Park Keeper would soundly admonish him for desecrating the Sabbath Day. Regent’s Park was never just the preserves of aristocrats, about a third of occupants of Nash’s terraces were in business. Kensington Gardens was not open to the public for its first ten years after it is inauguration but kept as a great private estate for Royalty and the aristocracy.

During the week the water carts would be out laying the dust, crossing keepers dressed in their uniform, keeping their particular spots clean of mud and dung. The potboys and shop staff lifting open the hatches to the cellars, rolling back the blinds and pulling open the shutters. The street life during the day was cosmopolitan with a frantic grating, crunching, swirling of speeding horse drawn traffic, the hackney drivers vying with each other to get back to the pitch as soon as possible - were the worst, darting here and there without a by-your-leave’. During early mornings and after work the streets returned to almost village life… over and behind the shops family life progressed. There were three main commercial and business groups: the sellers, the buyers and the providers. This last group contained the service and maintenance staff, builders and repair people who lived in the so-called village.

Babies, at the turn of the century, were not often weaned until they were at least one year old. It was not only expected, not to give up breast-feeding, but cheaper and more convenient. Babies were kept in long gowns and nothing was done to disturb them or excite them. They were not expected to sit up until the age of at least six months. Their prams had large wheels, high sides and were fully sprung. Trying to help the child to walk before the age of two was frowned on because it was thought the childhood become bow-legged. In summer, many of the children went to the London parks. As most children were from large families, the eldest daughter kept an eye on the younger-ones. The prams were pushed by their owners some hired other by the child’s nanny…picnics held beneath the trees or by the lakes. Drinking water was to be had at the fountains, ducks fed on scraps of stale bread and peacocks gazed at in awe.

Albert remembered an incident when he was a toddler, no doubt reminded of the happening many times - when his brothers came out of the park to return home found they had forgotten him; he was quite innocently trotting off in another direction. A chimney sweep saw him, apparently all alone, picked him up, and placed him on his barrow - amongst all the brushes and bags of soot… and made off with him. The brothers meantime had reached home still deeply engrossed in conversation, to find him not bringing up the rear. There was panic and his mother ran up to the park, frantically searching for her son. In Victorian times the slums of Notting Hill, which is the other side of the park, had an evil reputation for kidnapping, and extortion, and it was because of this reputation that Martha made her way there. Fortunately, she found her son Bert perched on the barrow parked outside a public house. The sweep was celebrating his successful abduction inside the inn.

Sweeps, and slum factory owners, wanted cheap labour - frequently resorted to child theft. Small children were used by sweeps to descend narrow chimneys, especially the bends - used in the chimney to obtain a better draught... The child being lowered from the top scraping and sweeping whilst they were lowered, the soot being collected at the bottom. Sweeps, as a form of advertising, used very small children, declaring that, ‘they could clean smaller chimneys than any other sweep.’ There was an argument on the pavement between the police officer and the sweep - vigorously holding onto Bert. The sweep was heard shouting, ‘I know my rights, he’s my child, and I’m defending, and protecting him!’ The interested onlookers gathered around, some coming from within the public house. They heard my father calling out to his mother, whilst furiously trying to clamber into her arms. The crowd supported my grandmother calling to the police officer to do his duty. That decided it for the police officer who, when taking the infant from the cart - to returned the child to its parent, told the sweep of a possible summons, if he didn't keep quiet…!

title: Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter IV


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Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter VI

Victorian street life
Saint Matthew’s Infants – Learning by rote – The harsh winters – Charity Funds -  Junior School – Church School – Children’s complaints – Industrial society – The laundry –School Board – The Underground System - Boy’s Brigade – The Volunteers. When Albert was five years old, he transferred to St Matthew's Church Junior School, which was held in another building - in Queens Road. It was only Class 1 that had a separate room - known as ‘The Bottom Standard’. There, he was taught the Prayer Book, to recite the Ten Commandments: The Creed, The Catechism and The Lord’s Prayer - to prepare the class for ‘confirmation’. In subsequent years, the higher standards were taught in a large hall, which seated about five classes. The head teacher was Mr Dexter, who had an assistant, and three female staff. Boys were separated from Girls, who had their own hall. At this time, education was not compulsory - there was a voluntary charge made throughout the year of two pence per week for lessons. discipline was vigorously exercised to keep noise levels down - so as not to disturb the other classes... lessons arranged so that singing in one class was taught at the same time sewing or drawing in another - so that one would not affect the other.

These large rooms, or halls, were very cold in the winter for they had large windows and lofty ceilings. Each large room had a coal heater set in the middle of the floor with the chimney pipe running up to the high roof. The floor, uneven through use, showed raised nails - was of bare wood, which gave off clouds of dust when anyone moved. Colourless flaking lime-washed walls white peppered the surrounding floor, which added to the general dust.

My father spoke of the severe winters and dense fogs, which made going to school something to be dreaded. In the winter of 1894-5, which was particularly severe, hot meals were provided and warm clothing distributed to the needy and boots to those without. A school’s medical officer, that at least one third of all children had not had their clothes off for more than six months and that a high percentage of these had their underclothes sew on them, reported it. These children smelt - nobody wanted to sit next to them; others continually itched and could not sit still. Schoolroom was fumigated and teachers wore bags of sulphur sewn into their hems- to ward off vermin. A great many children worked before and after school as messengers, street sellers, and errand boys. It was a case of having to, to provide for a single or sickly parent. For twelve-year-old girls leaving school domestic service was the most popular job available. Many of the children were fed by charitable funds provided by rich neighbours and philanthropic action by societies. It was only at the start of the First World War that the Board of Education compelled all authorities to provide meals. The health of schoolchildren was a matter of concern and provision made for the medical inspection of all schoolchildren. By 1914, just over three-quarters of London’s Boroughs made health, eyesight, and dental checks. The improved provision of continuous tap water helped children’s health. Skin complaints began to disappear and infections from various bugs reduced to the degree that fumigation tailed off.

These were dreary winter days… when the teacher lit the gas mantle held in the wall bracket… to produce a depressing yellow glow. This light could hardly penetrate the gloom, not only because of the lateness of the hour but the denseness of the London fog outside which seeped into the room. It is difficult now to imagine… although understandable when we consider their Mondays’ in particular, when all the boilers lit for washing. It was difficult to breathe the sulphurous air: the fumes from candles, oil lamps and various heaters made even the inside of homes smoky. To go out was a trial… continually tripping over milk churns and dustbins, negotiating horse dung and rotting waste, into a world of a pale golden colour with humps and hillocks… ghostly bodies set lurching into each other… all groping to find their way.

The high-hung school bell, set on the roof, rang at nine and one o'clock. The children had to form up outside until let in… to form queues that were led snaking into the classrooms. There was no talking and no running every movement was regimented and orderly. Slates were used to write on which made a squeaky noise when the slate pencils were used. No provision was made for cleaning the slates so children spat on them and rubbed them with their sleeves. Slates, hung from pegs around the wall, were used for minor lessons and practice - to save paper. When writing perfected using slates ‘writing books’ and ‘pen and ink sets’ passed out by the monitor.

By the turn of the century, a system of elementary education had been worked out and some two million children attended board school. This was the direct result of the 1870 Education Act coming into fruition. All of England was divided up into school districts where school boards were set up with powers to levy rates and build schools. This was done and the results can be seen today – those schools are still in being although perhaps not as schools any more. The Education Act of 1902 was the basis for all branches of education – from elementary to university, included in this were church schools. County, district, and borough councils who formed local education committees [LEAs] replaced School Boards. By the end of 1902, fifty-three secondary schools set up. It took a further ten years to add three hundred more.

The working population of large British cities, particularly London at the turn of the nineteenth century, was described graphically in Dickens’s novels. They were people intent upon holding their jobs, maintaining their position in the social order, and putting on a brave face - to cover up any differences of order or hardship. Amongst these citizens were the Kearey family - one of many who succeeded. They eventually considered themselves Londoners and were proud of it! In addition, what was different about them, from many such families, was that their paternal great-grandfather Thomas Kearey had been born in Ireland – of ancient Gaelic roots…

My father was very aware that he was fortunate… his father had a skilled job that enabled him to be self-employed. This was at a time when a number of events, in both Britain and the rest of the world, came one after another to create ‘the industrial society’. Steam engines were invented to pump out water from the mines - allowing more coal to be extracted. This power source was adapted to drive mills and traction engines. Canals were built to move heavy materials across country. Railways took over the transportation of goods and passengers. This movement of people stripped young people away from the countryside. Houses, factories, railway cutting, tunnels, and docks had to be provided. To clothe, equip, furnish and supply the factories and their workers ancillary businesses blossomed. Once this train of event happened, there was no stopping the development of a new ‘industrial’ society that had far-reaching social effects. Into the birth of this new world, Thomas galloped to start a new life and eventually generations of Londoners. His son Thomas, took over the reigns to pass them to my grandfather, who benefited by the building boom, allowing him to start up his own business.

If you were to see a film of London’s population at the turn of the nineteenth century, you would be able to pick out those people who had a lot of money, from those who had little. Their dress would give them away. The rich women wore long dresses made out of silks and satins, wore flamboyant hats and fur stoles, and carried a parasol. They did no work but run their house through the effort of servants and cooks planning the weeks programme and menu. Their husbands, many were absentee property owners, living off the rents of property, stocks, and shares, wore: frock coats, bowler hats, and astrakhan collared over-coats... Income tax was very low allowing surplus money to be spent on clothes, houses, horses, and carriages. It was a very unequal society. The poor children wore rags, went barefooted, and were frequently undernourished. They lived in tenements and back-to-back houses with no sanitary arrangements except a community lavatory and tap. Many children lived away from home - under bridges and populating derelict houses.

All the different strata of society wore clothes appropriate to that level – not attempting to copy their so-called betters, but maintaining their station in life. The rich looked upon the poor as ‘unfortunates’ some socially minded did so with embarrassment, others felt guilty - that there wasn’t greater equality. The mass of the population were struggling with the day-to-day survival. Three-quarters of all adults earned less than £160 per year. The gap between paying income tax or not widened during the Edwardian period. Almost sixty per cent of the population were living more than two to a room.

Many of these unfortunates were housed in the workhouse on a diet of half a pint of milk and five ounces of dry bread for breakfast. Dinner, the main meal of the day, consisted of an ounce and a half of fatty roast beef, four ounces of potatoes or other vegetable, and six ounces of some sort of pudding – usually a concoction of suet and flour. In addition, for supper, a half pint of, water and milk mix, of cocoa and a quarter pound of seed cake. This diet exceeded that of a workers family whose wage might be twenty-shillings a week… thirty shillings was considered a good wage. Alfred, a self-employed painter, earned about forty-shillings a week. Fortunately, these were times of feverish activity industrially and economically. Employment was high for Britain was preparing its defences and the work demanded by the railways and house building kept the labour market busy.

The working week was sometimes more than fifty hours and even though employment was high there was always a fear of be laid off – of being out of work. Trade unions were weak and the law gave very little protection for unfair dismissal. There was no unemployment insurance or social security. The property owner for any trifling excuse could throw a family out of their house.

As there was already, a piano in the house it was not difficult to accord him that desire. It did not take long for him to reach the first grade and his teacher declared that he had a natural bent learning not only the practical side but the theory too. Soon he was able to play the hymns sung at the school assembly – he was often required to accompany singers at Christmas time and within a few years diligent practice proficient enough to play for the local film show, keeping pace with the black and white films. He continued to play for the rest of his life reaching a high enough standard to play for Masonic meetings.

To have a piano in the house at the turn of the nineteenth century was the popular means of home entertainment. It is estimated that there were between two and four million pianos in Britain - one instrument to ten to twenty people. It was a skill considered to be, ‘one of social inclusion’, especially for girls. To be able to play well - able to accompany singers entertaining company, a mark of distinction… it was also a guarantee of inclusion, for a skilled player was always wanted for every social gathering. The piano in the parlour was not just a butt for jokes but a matter of fact. Between 1877 and 1902 ‘The Lost Cord’ sold fifty thousand copies of sheet music per year making Parry a very rich man. The family singsong around the piano, singing the songs of the day from popular music hall acts, operettas, national tunes, and hymns looked forward to as a means of social discourse – bringing family and friends together. Even during the Second World War, every weekend, it was my task to gather the music together sort out the tunes to be sung and prepare the piano - making sure the action had been aired - free from damp before the fire. I had to sing my party piece before visiting aunts and uncles: Cherry Ripe, The Tree, The Miner’s Dream of Home and The Teddy Bears Picnic; my father with, The Village Pump and Captain Ginger, and a selection from Gilbert and Sullivan.

My father stayed at school until he was seven years old when the family moved to Kensal Green. His next school, Princess Frederika Higher Grade School, had the sexes still separated. He tells us that it was a miserable place staffed by elderly teachers who were always unsmiling, stern and dressed as if in morning. He was glad when he moved yet again to the London School Board at Amberley Road, Paddington. {This school is still there and backs onto the Paddington Branch of the Grand Union Canal. One end of the road is Harrow Road in Westbourne Green]. Whilst my father attended this school Queen Victoria died and Edward VII was crowned King. All children were given the day off to celebrate and street parties were arranged. Later that year my father joined the 6th. London Boys Brigade Company, which was attached to the school’s church. The captain who ran the company was J.A.Robson a remarkable man enrolling more than a hundred boys. Most years winning the area cup and shield for band and drill competitions.

The Boy Scouts were based upon trekking and scouting. The Boy’s Brigade linked to a military style of light infantry training. The Boy’s Brigade, founded by Sir William Smith in Glasgow at the end of the 19th.century. The object of the Brigade was to produce good citizens. In 1904 throughout the country there was said to be 54,000 boys between the ages of 12-14 in the organization. Baden-Powell became honorary Vice-president and Inspector General that same year. It was thought by many, both in the Army and Government, that here was an organization that could be a source of recruitment for future officers and men of the British Army. ‘A strong force behind the Volunteers and the Army – a third line in defending our shores’.

Now at last my father was happy. The Headmaster at the London school Board was Mr Williamson who although strict was kind and fortunately ably assisted by capable teachers in six separate classrooms. He could master the three ‘Rs’ and was taught elementary algebra, composition, drawing, geometry, French and woodwork. He had great affection for this school and never forgot the headmaster - what he owed him for his many kindnesses. Discipline was looked on as something essentials and necessary and so too punishment for wrongdoing and slackness. There was a punishment book called ‘The Board School, cane and Punishment Book’. The children with great awe regarded this and so the threat of entry into this book was sufficient to deter misdoing. At the start of every day, prayers were said and hymns sung in the main hall. At the end of each day, the same thing happened. Pupils were expected to pay respect to older people – hats should be raised and taken off to masters and mistresses, to say ‘Sir’ and ‘Miss’ when spoken to. When leaving school caps were to be worn at all times. Father played the piano for the school assembly and in the evenings for the local picture palace where silent films with sub-titles were shown. This required dexterity and a knowledge of many tunes to follow each part of the story line.

English lessons, which were taught every day, had as their main content the spelling of words and note taking. Writing with a hand in copperplate script was the standard necessary and much practiced. Mental arithmetic was greatly encouraged by giving every class every day a problem to be solved. Teachers taught all subjects and knew their charges intimately, their faults and failings, their successes and strengths.

In 1900, the underground railway system was electrified. For the price of a tuppeny ticket, the passenger could travel as far as he wished. This became so successful that the underground railway was extended which in turn paid its way. The first transatlantic wireless message was sent the following year. The industrialization continued apace each year that passed more inventions and discoveries were made.

My father started work at the age of fifteen in 1904 [the same time the Russo-Japanese War started]. He joined the Great Central Railway Company whose head office was at Paddington Station as a junior clerk. Because there was no vacancy at that post, to start with, he had to serve out his probationary period learning to pack parcels and load wagons in the Goods Yard. A few months later a vacancy for junior clerk occurred on the staff of Thompson McKay and Company, who were Carting Agents for the G.C.R…, which he took. Office work included dealing with street accidents, claims for damage to goods in carriage, stoppages, overtime and bonus payments, accounts, detention charges, correspondence and ordering feed for the horses. In retrospect; if my father had waited for a vacancy with the railway company and not gone to a private cartage company, he would have benefitted enormously both in eventual retirement benefit and rising in the far larger concern.

The Cartage Department then came under the jurisdiction of the District manager who had six hundred horses, a Miles Daimler 5-ton, iron tyred, motor with rack and pinion drive and a 10 ton Yorkshire Steam Wagon. All the horses were young and some had to be trained. Some ‘car-men’, the term used for drivers, were detailed off as ‘young-horse car-men’ for breaking in these animals. As ‘Agents’ Thompson McKay & Co. carried out town cartage work as well as more general work… particularly orders for Lots Road, Electric Generating Station, which was speciality work… some being very heavy. In cases where the cartage of 40-ton boilers was, necessary twenty horses were used at a time pulling a special heavy-duty wagon. Steam engines were invented to drive pumps and move heavy goods for the mining industry at the turn of the 18th. Century. By 1903, Ford had built his first petrol driven motorcar and the first steam tractors for farm and roadwork designed.

My father enjoyed his work and was interested to learn more outside his normal duties. By this time, his various tasks included visiting local markets and the docks and leaning how to service extra heavy loads. This started his never-ending love for London, its street and all the business, which went on within its boundaries. He did anything, which would help his career and increase his knowledge of the cartage industry. Gradually more and more motors were obtained to deal with the increased workload. Drivers had to service their own motors and for this, parts and lubricants had to be ordered in. Throughout this period, he kept abreast of all the latest methods adopted to transport goods, for a personal interest drove every vehicle, and got to known its working.

It was now just three years after the end of the Boar War. Previously Britain had invested the Empire with a rosy glow, after the war the glow was not quite so warm. Although the period was one of growth – the necessity of putting back what the war had drained away, the change in society, not quite as large as that experienced after The Second World War, was large – the people did have more and there was a definite improvement in the nation’s health. Nevertheless, there was a feeling that the ‘golden age’ of Victorian Britain was over.

Most of the middle and upper classes were quite prepared to tolerate extremes of poverty so that they could indulge themselves in luxury. The working class saw the need for communal action to improve society. Britain’s economy and growth had been greater and faster than at any other time. As time has gone by it becomes even clearer how substantial these changes had been. When an individual, group, or even country produces such wealth it becomes envied – produces a jealous reaction…, the Second World War, in this case, was the result …

The Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, held an election just after Christmas – in January 1906. It was a wise move for the result was a landslide victory for the previous Liberal Party gaining eighty-four seat majority over all other parties. The election had been fought on issues of Education, Chinese slavery and tariff reform - which the Liberals presented as a likely increase in the cost of food. It was an exciting time for those who left the Boys Brigade witnessing the massive public excitement. They all went to Trafalgar Square to see the huge screens erected there displaying the projected election results. It was agreed by Parliament, 31st March 1907, ‘That a sum of £2,353,000, be granted to His Majesty, to defray the Charge of Barrack Construction; for Works, Buildings, and repairs, at Home and abroad [including purchase of land]. This was a bill acknowledging that something had to be done about modernising the Army - improving the living arrangements. On the eve of war, there were 132,000 private cars on the roads.

During the last few years, before the outbreak of the First World War, Britain had developed department stores, chain stores and Cooperative stores. It was unusual to buy items direct from the manufacturer or farmer. Costly items such as suiting and shoes might be ordered ‘made to measure’ but most goods were made in standard sizes and weights. The middle classes graced Harrods and Selfridges; Liptons, Co-op, and Grand Universal Stores had been built-up on the needs of the working class, catering for volume sales with small margins.

British society had become more tolerant. It was possible to change ones class. There was greater understanding for the poor, the homeless and handicapped. The Factory Acts did protect workers. Reforms allowing trades unions to be formed, and the introduction of the Welfare State, which continues to this day. Britain was becoming more civilized... These improvement, in living standards, came from invention, new technologies, and entrepreneurship.

title: Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter VI


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Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter VII

Joining the colours
Boys Brigade – Enlisting – The Colours – Volunteer Force – The Kensingtons – Princess Louise – Infantry Training - Elgin Avenue - Thompson McKay & Co – City of London Volunteers – Territorials - The Kensington Battalion – Colour Sergeant – London Rife Brigade – Mobilization.

In 1906, at the age of seventeen, my father left the Boy’s Brigade with the rank of Sergeant. He, and other lads - from the Brigade, enrolled in the 4th Middlesex Rife Volunteer Corps at the Drill Hall in Adam and Eve Mews, Iverna Gardens - which is just off High Street, Kensington. Previously, the Corps was know as the West London Rifles, but renamed in 1905, to become The Kensington Rifles. It was then that the Borough adopted the regiment. Three years later, when the Territorial Force was raised, there was an amalgamation to form the 13th Battalion. It was this force that became known as the Kensingtons having their Colours presented by King Edward VII at Windsor, on the 19th June 1909 - which my father attended. Four years after the colours were consecrated, Princess Louise gave her name to the regiment - to now become the 13th Princess Louise Kensington Battalion, The London Regiment.

When my father joined The Kensingtons, in 1906, his knowledge of drill, gained in The Boy’s Brigade, stood him in good stead, for he quickly became a Lance Corporal, in charge of a squad of men. This was the start to a permanent connection with the regiment – he stayed close to its organization for the rest of his life. That promotion, to Lance Corporal, began a series of promotions over the next eight years. By the start of The First World War he was a senior Sergeant in the regiment. The Kensingtons could be described as a ‘pals’ regiment, although not strictly so, being a Territorial unit. The term was not used until much later when National recruiting began to be difficult. The Regiment was made up of men drawn from the local area, mostly from boys clubs, Scouts, Boy’s Brigade and Church Lads, as well as a sprinkling of unattached youths. They knew each other, where they lived, who their friends were, their brothers, cousins and schoolmates. Albert was twenty-five when war was declared. He lived for the regiment - his company, and its men. He did not intend to be made an officer for when asked opted to stay with his men - those he grew up with. By the time the Battalion was put on standby – to take part in the British Expeditionary Force, he had been in the regiment for nearly ten years.

The family again moved house northwards - towards Maida vale, northeastern Paddington – not far from the Regents Canal. The house was 80 Elgin Avenue, Paddington. Before 1886, the road was called Elgin Road. The district was mainly residential, although there were a few new shops - built as outlets, others converted house fronts. One of the main contractors was William Henry Pearce. He built a hundred houses in the neighbourhood, in the 1890s. Some of the flats built were in the direct control of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners who acquired long leases from the lessees. The southern part begins at Little Venice – white stuccoed dwellings spaciously laid out – like most of Maida Vale – in the neo-Georgian manner. Sidney was the last natural child Martha had; he was born in 1900, dying seventeen years later in France – unburied on the battlefield. It was not long before the Kearey family moved yet again, to 7 Errington Road, Paddington.

The second week of July was reserved for the Battalion’s summer camp. The billets were almost empty, no carpets or curtains, just the regulation iron bedsteads. The majority of men were in bell tents set in a square. Physical training started every day, followed by: musketry training - firing in the butts, lectures on trench building, and the importance of patrols. Route marches and map reading, patrolling and elementary first aid, followed by square bashing - all essentials for the fortnights camp.All these Infantry Training exercises were practiced until all the orders became second nature. Bayonet training had to be done with the maximum vigour, to achieve a lifelike effect, how to parry and lunge, plus all the skills of hand to hand fighting. Each Company Sergeant taking their Company off to practice on their own - to give the Sergeants responsibility and leadership skills. All the commands, whether arms drill or marching, were done by numbers, and most forced and route marches included full pack: rolled greatcoat, full water bottle, bayonet, box respirators, and entrenching tool - fitted behind the pack.

It was in rifle practice that Albert excelled. He was already a champion shot – a marksman - shooting for the regimental rifle team at Bisley. He was an expert with a marksman crossed rifles badge on his sleeve. Most weekends saw him on the rifle range of Bisley or Purbright, with his fellow team members. Now it was up to him to teach the new recruits. From the 27th July, Britain began to respond to the gathering crisis in Germany. Two days later, all regular soldiers were recalled from leave. By chance, the Territorial Force had just been assembling for summer camps they were ideally prepared - able to mobilize quickly. It was now time for them to show their skills.

title: Horses, Tractors, and Vans/Chapter VII