When The World Cup Came To Manchester

Patrick Dennehy 55.

Rarely, if ever have sixteen symbols from the English Language meant as much to me, as the above sixteen did.

Because, after 6 long hard years, those symbols signified a pass in the law exam – NCTJ style! Bearing in mind, I failed both law papers twice whilst at uni, this is significant!

This particular statement on its tiny scrap of paper, meant even more because I left the exam thinking I’d failed.  And not in a “Oh god, I’ve failed, but I’ve really got 78% kind of way” more in a kind of “Oh god, I’ve failed, why didn’t I analyse that checklist more / not drink 4 pints of Guinness last night kind of way”

I actually opened the exam paper, looked at the first question and closed it again.

There were two questions I could barely answer and 1 which even the great DT described as something of a “curve ball”!! Guess that’s why you didn’t really teach Blackmail then eh Dave? Next time, imagine the NCTJ are Shane Warne. Ok?

So as you might have guessed last week was the real thing – week 14 and already into the real life of exams.

I feel like both PA and Reporting went well, but as Law turned out to be the opposite of what I felt, I’m hoping the same doesn’t apply to those other two!!  Surprised there wasn’t smoke coming off my keyboard in the PA exam when I saw two questions on council finance and one on elections! 

Of course I was too busy typing, to look up from my computer, look at the window, or look anywhere else, or at anything else for that matter............

Nervously waiting for the other results now, but the nervous energy is being channelled with feverish energy towards portfolio.   It’s like an episode of Blue Peter in 111 Piccadilly at the minute with the pritt stick being seized upon at every opportunity and people bemoaning their lack of straight-line scissor skills (me included).  Where’s the guillotine when you need one?

And not only can News Associates not afford fans (see earlier posts!) but they can’t afford a colour printer either.  Or even just one, single, colour cartridge maybe?

In amongst portfolio and feature deadlines we have the World Cup – a much more exciting event than some small football tournament which took place in South Africa over the summer.  This is THE World Cup – The Shorthand World Cup indeed.

However any excitement I may have had for this competition was swiftly extinguished by the dynamic skills of one Miss Connie Primmer who dealt me a comprehensive first round knockout defeat.  The only excitement left to me is watching the mighty, unstoppable (hopefully) John Dickens sweep all before him as I hand over more and more money to Dave Mayor turf accountant with each round that passes!

Come on John – do it for Blackpool, Leeds and Simon Grayson!!