A rare photograph of all four CSC Teesside tutors, together for tonight’s end of year meeting.
Left to right: Sean Cassidy, Dave Edmunds, me and Richard Harris.
Tuesday, 16 July 2019
The Four Tutors
A rare photograph of all four CSC Teesside tutors, together for tonight’s end of year meeting.
Left to right: Sean Cassidy, Dave Edmunds, me and Richard Harris.
Friday, 12 July 2019
Ahead of the Gigafinal
Our Teesside children will be battling it out in Manchester over the weekend against some of the UK's finest junior players, in the Delancey UK Schools' Chess Challenge Northern Gigafinal.
To reach the Gigafinal stage is a very fine achievement indeed and although some of our players will be dreaming of going through to the final stage of the competition it is important to manage expectations carefully.
Our players have worked extremely hard throughout the year and this willbe their toughest tournament yet. There are definitely no easy games at Gigafinals.
Regardless of what score they end up with, ALL of our players will do themselves, their families, their schools and the whole of Teesside proud.
I am sure all of our parents and guardians understand our ethos by now; we keep the pressure off the players and allow them to be children
All I want them to do now is to enjoy the experience, learn as much as they possibly can and use the Gigafinal as an inspiration towards future achievements (and not just in chess).
To reach the Gigafinal stage is a very fine achievement indeed and although some of our players will be dreaming of going through to the final stage of the competition it is important to manage expectations carefully.
Our players have worked extremely hard throughout the year and this willbe their toughest tournament yet. There are definitely no easy games at Gigafinals.
Regardless of what score they end up with, ALL of our players will do themselves, their families, their schools and the whole of Teesside proud.
I am sure all of our parents and guardians understand our ethos by now; we keep the pressure off the players and allow them to be children
All I want them to do now is to enjoy the experience, learn as much as they possibly can and use the Gigafinal as an inspiration towards future achievements (and not just in chess).
Thursday, 11 July 2019
Giraffe
My life often resembles an unused script from The Goon Show.
A Y6 child said to me earlier this week: 'Someone told me that when we die we get to choose what we will be in the next life.'
'What would you like to be?' I asked.
'A giraffe,' she replied.
'What if you couldn't be a giraffe? Then what would you like to be?'
She paused for a short time, before saying: 'Another giraffe.'
This is the sort of surreal humour everyone is born with, but which gets hammered out of most people...but, thankfully, not all people.
'What time is it, Eccles?'
A Y6 child said to me earlier this week: 'Someone told me that when we die we get to choose what we will be in the next life.'
'What would you like to be?' I asked.
'A giraffe,' she replied.
'What if you couldn't be a giraffe? Then what would you like to be?'
She paused for a short time, before saying: 'Another giraffe.'
This is the sort of surreal humour everyone is born with, but which gets hammered out of most people...but, thankfully, not all people.
'What time is it, Eccles?'
Monday, 8 July 2019
New School for 2019-20
Everybody gave us a fabulous welcome and the children worked very hard all day.
The class sang Happy Birthday to my friend and colleague, Mr Cassidy. In fact they sang it twice, as they followed up a standard rendition with a ‘Viewley Hill special.’
We enjoyed our school lunch and I was even able to trade puns for some time with the chap who was in school to teach the children circus tricks (I ate a clown for lunch; it tasted a bit funny...etc...)
Full curriculum sessions will start in September and we are looking forward to seeing how much we can achieve together.
Welcome aboard, Viewley Hill - and thank you for an excellent first day!
Friday, 5 July 2019
HQ Visit
Another surprise visit to CSC HQ to retrospectively reward the Champion of the Teesside International Women’s Invitational Tournament.
Cup of tea, Agnieszka? Biscuit? Flowers...? Game of chess...!?!
Thursday, 4 July 2019
Staff Battle It Out
Our chess tournaments always have a competitive element, of course - but nothing compares to the snarling, posturing and evil plans shown during the annual Park End Staff KO Championship.
The winner will not be known until next week so we expect the players will be studying hard all weekend for the big games ahead.
The winner will not be known until next week so we expect the players will be studying hard all weekend for the big games ahead.
Monday, 1 July 2019
Project Scotland: Hidden Gardens
The fabulous work carried out by Colin Paterson and Julien Papillon as part of Project Scotland continues to impress.
Their latest leap came on Father's Day, with another of their excellent community initiatives, at The Hidden Gardens (part of Tramway.) This is a Glasgow Life (Council) Space.
I will let the photographs (© Colin and Julien) speak for themselves!
Their latest leap came on Father's Day, with another of their excellent community initiatives, at The Hidden Gardens (part of Tramway.) This is a Glasgow Life (Council) Space.
I will let the photographs (© Colin and Julien) speak for themselves!
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