IT WAS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEGENDARY DUKE OF YORK SHOWDOWN ON THE 25TH NOVEMBER. HOW DID YOU COMMEMORATE THIS GLORIOUS EVENT?

This morning in Harris & Hoole in the High Street I was reminiscing with Tony of the Big Saloon about the early days of the TES Opinion Forum. Great memories...

It was a wonderful forum for teachers to let off steam, rant, empathise, and chew the fat. In those days you could get away with almost anything on the forum - and I did!

Within a week or so of my first postings I got into a spat with a group of ladies - Wordsworth, Mixu, Inky, Elaine C et al. I got so annoyed with them I posted, "You bitches! Call yourselves teachers? Ha! Ha! Ha! Don't make me laugh. I wouldn't give any of you a job as a cleaner in the lowest pissoir in Uxbridge."

In the spring of 2005 Detterling appeared. He very soon introduced the subject of his gay nephew. He was quite belligerent. The gist of his approach was: My nephew is gay. Any of you got a problem with that?  Next he informed us that his gay nephew had a partner. There was a lot of 'Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more squire.' amongst posters.

Then of course on 25th November 2006 we had the glorious Duke of York showdown...

GENE