7.15am Despite snow falling in the past hour, which has left about an inch on the ground, we will be open today for those who can get here safely. We appear to be on the very edge of the weather system and to have avoided the worst of the snow. (Fingers crossed!)
I stress that the school is open to those who can get here safely. Do not take risks. If in doubt, stay at home.
The weather might well change between now and 8.30am, so please use your discretion. I have!
NOW HEAVY SNOW AND WOOTTENS HAVE PHONED TO SAY TWO MAIN ROADS BLOCKED.
Therefore no school bus this morning.
MORE LATER! CHECK THIS BLOG!
7.20amOh no!!!!Thick snow now. Sorry. School closed. FINAL DECISION! No 50:50 allowed. No phone a friend.
7.40am No one can say I have not tried! At 7.15am I said we would be open and updated the website. It takes about four minutes to get it right. No sooner had I done so it started to snow, big time! Just like in the movies! Then agents out in the field rang in to say that the roads were awful, treacherous in Ashley Green and Amersham so I reversed my decision. (About the only thing reversing at the moment!) It does look beautiful, though, doesn't it?
8.10am Well, that's it then. We should cut our losses and start half-term now, given the forecast for Monday. Only joking! For once the forecasters got it right. I must admit to thinking that Bucks had dropped a bit of a clanger when they suspended school-home transport yesterday. Trust weather forecasts? Ha! Well, they were right. Chapeau! (French term for congratulations)
Wait a minute! If I carry on like this I could teach a virtual French lesson!
Formidable! Excellent! Super! (All French words but the accent has to be right!)
Email me with your answers. Please translate the following: (Sorry, no accents!)
Bonjour tout le monde! Ici il y a beaucoup de neige en ce moment. Je vous ecris du bureau a l'ecole ou je suis le seul employe qui travaile aujourd'hui. Ce n'est pas un probleme. Le chauffage marche et j'ai du tres bon cafe. Je viens d'acheter un excellent cafetiere automatique qui produit du vrai cafe espresso. Il moud les grains au meme temps. Pas mal, huh?
If you like we could start a basic Hungarian lesson? Jo reggelt kivanok. Sok ho most eppen, nem? Szia!
9.00am Well who would have thought it! Did you buy shares in salt! No, nor did I. I have just had an enquiry from a guy in the City who short sells. He has made a fortune short-selling salt! He wants to send his three children to CPS and wants to pay a lump sum. Should that be a pillar of money? Anyway, I think that makes him a salt cellar! Ha ha!
10am A blogger's life is never simple, at least not mine. Just as I was going out to snap some more pics for the website, the school's delivery lorry turned up and being that sort of Headmaster, I unlocked and helped him unload all manner of foodstuffs. Then parents turn up to collect games bags; staff turn up to do something on the IT front; the phone rings with a question as to whether we are open or not.....Where have you been? Have I been blogging for no reason? This is THE blog to watch! Maybe not.....So, off to try again with the camera. I hope the batteries last.
10.15am Answers are flooding in re the French translation. Not much joy with the Hungarian though.......
Mr Keith Pollard wrote in with his translation (artistic licence included!) Thanks Keith
Hello, everybody. There is a bucket of snow which is momentous. I am crying in the school office, where I am the only who is working today. It's a problem. I am going to the market and to a very nice cafe. I’m going to buy an excellent automatic machine which makes coffee very quickly. It even works in bad weather.
Not bad, huh?
You should blog regularly!
Excellent translation.....if a little loose!
10.25am A flurry of emails now (or should that be a blizzard?) in answer to the French translation. Well.....two....."deux" to be precise. Anyway, here is an authentic attempt by the Seabrook family
I am writing to you from my office at school where I am the only person working today. It’s not a problem. The coffee machine is heating and I have some good coffee. I am going to buy an excellent cafetiere which produces a very good espresso. It grinds the grains at the same time. Not bad huh!
Not good at Hungarian.
Great effort Mrs (?) Seabrook. 9 out of 10.
11.00am Here are some piccies of the school in the snow from about an hour ago. I has since started to snow again. Hey ho!
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Ok. Time to go now. This has been fun. Let me leave you with the correct answer to the translation exercises:
Hello ereryone. There is a lot of snow at the moment. I am writing to you from the school office where I am the only employee working today. No problem. (Paul Savin our Caretaker was in earlier. Thanks Paul. Merci!) The heating is working and I have some good coffee. I have just bought an excellent automatic coffee machine which makes real espresso coffee. It grinds the beans at the same time. Not bad, eh?
The Hungarian was: Good morning! There is a lot of snow right now, isn't there? Bye!
11.20am WOW! Well done Mrs Mcnaney! Hungarian translation spot on! Nagyon jo!
11.25am Great effort Mrs Robertson. Very close. No, there was no pastis for breakfast but now you come to mention it........but then again I need sunshine for pastis, a French cafe, a warm breeze, gorgeous setting, the aroma of coffee, the gentle buzz of gallic (not garlic.....although that as well!) chatter. Where's the Armagnac? That's more fitting for today.
11.30am Ok People. Enjoy the snow. Thank you to everyone for your supportive comments, including the person who shall remain anonymous who thinks that I have missed my vocation! What does that say about my suitability for my current job!!!!??????
11.40am Wow! You clever lot. I need to get my wife to write some seriously difficult Hungarian now. Or she could do Spanish, Greek, a bit of Russian, maybe?
Well done to Heidi and the Sterlands for more excellent interpreting! The school secretary, Mrs Roberts, is accessing her emails remotely and forwarding them to me! The wonders of modern science!
11.45am OK guys. Here's one for you. A parent has "upped the ante" (anti? Not auntie, for sure. What is the "ante"? Pre-race betting maybe? Answers on a postcard, or just email me!)
Try translating this little lot. As it arrived in my email account:
Bonjour Monsieur le Directeur,
Votre blog est vraiment génial est je suis un peu jalouse que vous avez tant de neige et une cafetière si authentique. Il vous manque un petit pain au chocolat et peut être une Gauloise Blonde Légère ou un verre de Pernod! (pas un bon example pour un directeur mais vous êtes plutôt seul dans la campagne neigée, donc vous pouvez faire des petite bêtises!) Les photos sont super!
Thank you Mrs N!
11.55am Right. My tummy's rumbling. Just realized I've had no breakfast! Lots of coffee though, but no pastis, I promise. So, this is getting lonely now. You have all gone sledging or something. No one is reading this any more ........... or are you? Hello?............... Right, that was a seriously big rumble. Maybe see you later if I get really bored.
Ciao, viszlat!
12.45pm I couldn't resist! Check this out!
1pm Now a really good translation of the last French passage........
Dear Mr Marjoribanks,
Thank you for keeping me amused with your very entertaining blog. Here is my attempt to translate Mrs N’s letter:
“Greetings headmaster,
Your blog is great and I am a little jealous that you have so much snow and such an authentic coffee maker. You’re missing a little pain au chocolat (chocolate bread) and may be a slim, blond, French lass (oops..I meant a French slim and light cigarette) or a glass of Pernod! (not a good example for a headmaster but you are rather alone in the snowy countryside, so you can allow yourself some small indiscretions!) The photos are super!”
Great effort Mrs W and I love the artistic licence!