Would it be worth asking them if they would except the judgement on the corossion by an idependant engineer. As in if you can get it on paper that the corossion was obvious, then british gas should pay any fees to get the boiler replaced elsewhere etc.....See what they think, I mean they shouldnt worry that the advice would differ from their own staff should they? As long as engineer is gas safe and from reputable company they shouldnt argue.

Set up a silly gallery in disused warehouse on april fools, nowt in it, just call is dirty space and see them come. If the news follow it stupid peeps would come.

I feel there should be something a parent can do if a course is painted as equivalent to four gcses, unless given forwarning that if student wants to go A level route in FE then they wont have a hope. At least it is an option for kids not performing well, but at the rate my sons academy doled it out, more than half the school year is in same position. Reminds me of the programme cant remember name, kids school where the english teacher has to find out that for two years he has taught them the wrong text for the exam.. It feels the management at the school has sold my son the wrong text for his future studies, very dejected son:| He just told me whats the point in telling us we are doing so well and have attained four gcses, then saying not good enough. I might email the local paper over this one unless my son finds something tommorow he would be happy with in college The head of the school said she feels the school gcses results will increase in the next two years and its not there fault basically, my interpretation of what she said, that btecs now are not counted. Of course they will I bet the kids starting next september will be now forefed gcses because they count in the scale that matters. School is bottom of table for the county. I mean they cant even keep the toilets cleaned regulary at the moment, kids are peeing themselves on the way home rather than use them. oops they've got my goat now The kids dont matter now it seems to the management. I would love to be proved wrong. Sad as I am ashamed to say untill this week I have been a niave supporter of this school on local forums rubbishing them.

Tate modern exhibit coated in lead paint and now a no go to walk through as was purpose. Painted in CHINA suprise suprise. When will they learn how silly some of their exhibits are. Lets think pile a factory up bottom to top high in asda value loo rolls and call myself an artist, I have a calling:jaw:

Frustrating isnt it, thanks for your input. Im actually agrophobic so starting to get anxious about going tommorow, but know I need to for son. Hopefully it wont be too busy:roll: I understand its not the teachers fault, but the choices within the admin of the school. Other local schools have used btec less and have more vocational students I suppose. Just suspect that someone up high rather than allocate enough funds to cope with more needy kids, just thought up an easier course that the only way to fail would be not to turn up. This academy has more of a say so of what it does so I suppose thats why I am so angry at them. To blame the previous school when they were invovled some months prior to change over is a bit low....reminds me of a squirming politician. Funny thing is when I was at school moons ago, my career choice was a teacher, but it fell through and honestly dont think I could have managed it now anyhow, seems very stressful.

Sorry had to post a giggle reading bazookas post

ps. It wasnt even halifax who harassed me but others relating to debts from twenty years ago when married, when friend died my money advice file(they closed down) was in his bungalow along with halifax receipts carefully inside. I do miss him. I dont know maybe he realised I wasnt paying them and stepped in, but he didnt tell me. Have to add I am an extremely anxious person most of the time, I appreciate it must have been hard for him and others to deal with. I keep seeing things and he would reassure me they wernt there sort of thing, I must have exhausted the poor man really

I mean either way the cca will be sent off asap. They say I signed it in 1990. Thing is even say if this alleged debt was legit still, the most they will get is the 1.00 halifax seemed to be getting from my friend. Also I know this company after reading this is hot on statutory demands and bankrupcy, if I ask nicely do you think they could make me bankrupt it would do me a favor as have no property or valuable possessions to lose. Also if this can elimit any further destress due to me being variable day to day then I need to remember to not fear such threats if they send them. Do they send stat demands to cases like me, no house of my own, and alleged account stands at couple of thousand, probably all charges I cant remember. Any way destressing about it for now.

Some of the payments were made ten miles away from where I live in town where friend used to live. I mean I wasnt even leaving the house and a trip to doctors was the most I did. I accept he was obvioulsy trying to help, he was a caring frend. Thing is a halifax till receipt is pretty just a confirmation of account to be credited and ammount. Just as his local branch seems to be where he made some payments you would think would at least prove I am not telling porkies. It also explains how or why they stopped, he died. Today was first communication received re this account in TEN YEARS.(no exageration) I somewhere have the last letter it was the only time they responded saying they did not accept 1.00 a month. If they didnt then surely they could have responded within this time, or at least not take four years since death of friend to come back to me.

Thanks everyone

Thanks thats just it they have let the kids and us all along believe the grades are the same as gcse. Maybe I am wrong but I suspect these courses were easier to teach? or had a higher pass rate as in merited in ofsted tables. I dont mean to berate any of the teachers, just the descision to shufty the kids onto these courses was not one they let the parent in on. Do you feel it warants a complaint? My son is looking into engineering at college and even found that can study with the ou at 16 as an alternative and just found out by accident the college has the open day tommorow so deffo going, thanks.

Thanks kitten I told them today I have mental illness and neurology issues so they are to treat me with respect and care and she kept telling me that I was talking over her!!!!! So realise not to communicate by phone.

I got two of those emails today and I dont have an hsbc account, so there you go !!!

Thanks will get it in the post monday

Thanks I was typing my last post as you posted so overlapped with you answers thanks for the advice.

Told me not allowed to record calls unless let them know. Told me sent many letters to me re this despite letter only asking am I such and such and if so to contact, so how the heck can they have sent six letters to me re this account. I just dont trust them some how. Again whats the liklihood of them having a signed credit agreement on halifax credit card from early 90's? Thanks and yep I know not to ring them again. Said to them about how I didnt make any of the last couple of years payments at least and told as far as they are concened it makes it a valid debt.

Card was opened in early 1990's and due to family break up and my going on income support they accepted via cab a payment of 1.00 a month back in eary noughties....I became ill and left things further and unbeknownst to me a friend started paying the pound to make sure I had not more hastles...He basically got one of their letters one day(not 1st cred at time)and took it upon himself to pay the monies 1.00 a month and signed my initials I now find out. Anyhow he dies some years ago, four and I havnt heard anything about it since and they had obviously not been getting the 1.00 as he died. They contact me today and I ask why no communication as they apparanlty bought account in 2008 and am told letter was sent to old address which I left in 2000 and that they are under no obligation to prove I was informed of them buying it other than their word. Thing is I know cab were onto the card company years and years ago and they knew my new address or had chance to make note of it anyhow. I have requested proof they have a right to contact me and told will not get any and that the debt is active and hand over the monie, a few thousand with all the interest. For at lest two or three years of the 1.00 payments that my friend was making I have no recollection or didnt know he was doing it, it all came to light when he died and there were notes in his bungalow stating a date and account number that he would go into his bank which was also same bank and pay the monies off his own back. Anotherwords no paying in book has ever existed just over the counter payments. If my friend had not been so lovely as he knew how they were harassing me, and paid the 1.00 it would be statute barred by now, but I am sure he had good intentions to stop the harassment. What should I do re 1st credit chasing me, thanks. They obviously bought the debt of another dca or the card company I dont know as never had any dealings with them since 1999 when they were telling money advice at the time that they would not accept 1.00, and the woman told me to ignore them and just pay the 1.00, which I did for years untill about some seven, eight years ago I became agrophobic and forgot about this one, confused about the threatening calls and my friend obvioulsy took it apon himself to stop it for me. Lovely man and deeply missed helped a lot of people and used to even watch my young kids when recovering, remember one day he turned up in his car as friends concerned I hadnt been out in over a year and he tricked me into his car saying up to doctors, anyhow he sort of kidnapped me:lol:and next thing we were in brighton:lol::lol:walking in open places for at least that day. Very understanding, on another occassion I had panic attack at brighton and the poor man drove all the way back after us only being there for half an hour, a saint:-) Anyhow tips to deal with 1st credit the right way appreciated. Would 1st credit have a true copy of a signed credit agreement from 1990?

Ive got all the as/a2 level maths books sat here:madgrin: Just need help to structure it. distance learning as an adult, eve college, wonder if son could go in eve as well?

Right now my helpful buddies, how does a mum go about home training a as level course for instance in maths whilst he may do more another hands on course in college if necessary(NVQ?). Another words how do you sudy as level at home and sit exams :)Gues what I would sit as maths with him:madgrin:for support:lol:I meant to do it myself some time ago.

School changed to academy on commencement of the school year just under two years ago now and prior to the end of term the school was academy liasing re the change over.. Anyhow son put in choice of as levels to do and has been told BTEC does not count. He has projected B an already has CCCC and told not allowed to do AS levels in the school sixth form. Told that there is a get out clause as in the old school chose his subjects (actually he and others didnt have much of a say in it, year 8-9 just put in class, no letters home re this at all !!) and therefore the academy keeps saying oh should have been warned not counted as full gcse when as levels courses to be chosen. Careers Advisor words no gcses cant do AS, ofcourse we were told they were equivalent and like the old cse gce as in cse counted as gce, thats the way it was sold to us. This school has a large majority of kids doing btecs, they were encouraged to do them as the new thing rather than gcse is some subjects. Son came home today dejected. Had wanted to do Btec forensics along with AS in maths, biology and chemistry and left the school with them wanting him to do BTEC business studies(told can do the forensics bit as well but has to choose business studies or wont be full time as required). A subject he made clear to me on is options that he didnt want to do. I am disgusted:mad2: This school has a low gcse ofsted rating as so many of the kids were guided towards the btec courses. There answer to this as the system had changed where ofsted didnt count btec, you know the new change was applied that it will improve the next year. Another words they will obviously start guiding kids off btec to gcse because they count, probably for the better, but what about the kids they chose to guide the btec route. Mcdonalds anybody:mad2: Why didnt they give the kids and parents the option of gcse straight subjects. Sons expected results are BTEC BBBBl(already obtained the required CCCC pass), Maths gcse C,English D,HumanitiesD,ASDAN youth award predicted silver. Told his btec is not counted as required gcse for sixth form therefore not allowed to do any as levels. Son is looking into college as an alternative as well but really wanted to do as levels.

Found it interesting and my family on grandfathers side were gypsies untill after the war decided to move into a house. He used to still when i was a kid have the shire horses and scrap cart and showed me I remember as a child a museum where his last family carriages went, or so he said anyhow I also remember being bought a horse as a kid and the next week remember my dad had flogged it for profit to another family, wow I did boo hoo. Horses were more a commodity than kids pet I learnt. Anyhow I am sympathetic to them but the law is the law and well the shuffle up the aisle was not exactly graceful. I also admire their morals on behaviour between young couples, but do think they should aim such morals towards our laws which ofcourse are theres too as in dont flowt planning. Where would we be if we all ignored planning. We had an infamous large traveller family given two council houses near us one over the road and one next but one, they trashed and literally destroyed the houses, internal walls kicked in etc...... So I do think some families just cant deal with living in a house where as a lot of others like my grandparents filtrate quite happily with house dwellers. But then you have trouble families traveller or not. Its just they do seem to make the news headlines more than most.

Got my gas bill, the first one with the new energy saving boiler, hhmmmmmmm, bills doubled aarrgghhhhhHHHHHHH and I dont even heat the water as have power shower that does that. We either are cooking in the house or when turn it down slightly freeze. Must admit these are radiators that are controlled where as old system was all one temp, but the old boiler was well economical and it was taken out of my hands by it being council house. Will call them out to check its usage if next quaters is as high. Moan over

Would be seen as fraud from what Ive read. There are many cases where there are good reasons for arranging to run a family in such and such a way for the sake of the children and I am in no doubt you are caring for your kids as best you can to see them regulary, but and the big but is from what you have stated you can easily be considered as living together. The fact you know her situation and the house used is yours could indicate you are complicit in the fraud. It would be better to get the situation to one where there is no risk of the children seeing their mother go to court for fraud or you even. Have you considered getting back together but for all intense and purposes you appear to be a couple living together. If not a good move better to make it legal and keep seperate lives apart from the kids. There should be no need if you have no relationship for your ex to sleep over more than occassionally. There was a misconception with many that there is a three night rule as in if you or she at yours sleeps over no more than three nights, then that was okay, but this is not so. Have you been reported by anyone for living together as a couple or under investigation? If not you need to sort this now, either become legal family or lay down the law about what you find acceptable as in you ex. If you live so near to each other she should drop them off or pick them up etc....or you when work allows, but to live as you do it is seen as fraud. The house your ex is hardly using could be well used by another family needing low cost housing and she could indeed lose it if your home is the main one used. You would then be in a sticky situation as to do you really want her with you if you as you state arnt happy with it but for the kids. Dont think any action on your part would disrupt your relationship with your kids, you have rights too and can have them set by court. Protect yourself and do the right thing before it is too late and sort things out before investigated where they will come after you too. Best wishes.