h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Traveller in Time seaching for egg boxes
"I was talking about the patatoes.

But one about the cooking process would begreat too "

Oh, TiT I thought you were talking about Jamie Oliver and his healthy school dinners campaign!

Hi, Everyone,

Well, the Jamie Oliver's School Dinners programmes have finished and he has cracked it. With the help of wonderful dinner ladies and school staff he has proved:

1) that good food can be cooked and served within budget.

2) that the children will eat it all given the right information, incentives and encouragement

3) that children on a proper diet are better behaved, concentrate better and need less asthma medication

4) that parents can be re-trained to feed their children differently.

Two problems, the dinner ladies are not being paid for the extra hours they are putting in and the Government is weak willed about banning the junk food.

One child, when shown what was in the chicket nuggets and other junk food, called it FAKE FOOD!! That says it all.

We have an Election coming up soon, and we need to make it an election issue, along with cleaner hospitals and a string of other things. Those two should be top of the list for the nation's health.

Jamie has shown the way and he worked hard. The dinner ladies are working hard. They deserve our support. I think parents and grandparents should be campaigning for proper food for their children.

Incidentally I was horrfied to find that the budget for prisoners' food was far bigger than for school children. There is something wrong somewhere.

- How is your school getting on with the new menus and how is little coping

Websailor

As far as I can see, little is enthusiastic about the new food. The cook at his school was already a good one, it just means that junk food isn't an alternative and as the programme showed, when given a junk alternative, kids will almost always go for it.

The reaction of the kids when they were shown what went into the food was really interesting. They all refused the nuggets and went for the chicken legs, which they'd turned their noses up at! I think the clear messages here were that children need to be involved in their food - learning how to prepare it, having food weeks, etc and that government really does need to ban junk food from school kitchens. Pay and training for staff (and having the right equipment - remember Nora being in tears?) is also an issue.

I must have missed the bit about prisoners' food having a bigger budget. How much bigger?

It was wonderful to see Charles Clarke's face when given the cr*p that children have to eat and his delight at the real food. Oh yes, the soldiers the dinner ladies cooked for loved their food too - said it was better than what they normally got. Not sure what's going to happen now that Charles Clarke has been promoted and someone from the Treasury has been put into his Education role.

I think that Jamie has been a real star. He's passionate and committed. Sad to see him reduced to tears when his restaurant was attacked, though.

Seeing him stuck in traffic and saying that this was why he uses his scooter gives me an idea ...

He mentioned prison food in the second programme I think, 'cus I missed the first!

I am so glad little is happy with the food. Having a head dinner lady who already knows how to cook means you are half way there. I do hope the progress continues, but I think it will be down to parents to push.

He is so down to earth, in spite of buying his wife a flash car. Still, I reckon he earns his money, and probably felt he owed her, for putting up with his long hours and bad temper.

I loved the bit about the scooter too. Seemed sensible to me if you don't have a load of stuff to cart around.

How's the car by the way

Websailor

Seeing him in tears was upsetting. He didn't deserve the treatment he has been getting. I think it was sheer frustration and exhaustion, and unlike some he didn't take it out on his staff.

We tend to forget just how young he is to have achieved so much.

Websailor

Websailor

Yes, little 's dinner lady is already a star in her own right. I asked him if he missed the chips and he said yes. I think it's good that they don't have an unhealthy option any longer. Watching the faces of those youngsters seeing what went into the chicken nuggets was interesting, wasn't it.

How's the car? Still sitting on my driveway, waiting for its test on the 30th. I'm sure it will be brilliant once I get it on the road.

I thought it was a bit upsetting to see him in tears too. He did look absolutely exhausted and I notice that one of his staff went in to console him, which I thought was nice.

He *is* young, isn't he? He seems to have such drive.

You must bevery impatient for your car. I didn't expect it to take this long, did you?

Little can always have some chips at home for a treat. That sounds like a is going to eat chips We always regarded them as a treat when my boys were small.

I am thinking of dropping JO a note when I get a minute. I really think he needs to know that his efforts were appreciated.

Websailor

Yes, I'm getting impatient, Websailor - 30 March seems a long way away, and it's sitting on the front garden looking at me, waiting ...

Overall, little likes the food a lot. Yes, from time to time, he can get chips at home, although we don't have it every week.

I dropped a line to say well done to JO on the site. I think he's done a brilliant job.

I see the government's putting lots more money into school meals over the next three years. Well done, Jamie! A big achievement.

Hi,

It was good news about the extra money for school dinners. I just hope the Election doesn't screw things up. They or their successors must be made to keep the promise. It is suggested Jamie gets a knighthood for his efforts. He should certainly get something.

If he does nothing else in his life he can be proud of his achievements if this works.

Glad you liked my poem on the other thread BTW. You probably read it before on my birthday post.

Dare I ask Are you in the car or on the anyway, whatever.

I do miss Frenchbean don't you? One post a week doesn't really allow for a proper conversation, though it is very interesting. I am also getting regular reports from Argentina too. It's great being an armchair traveller

Websailor

Yes, I hope the election doesn't mean that there won't be new money for school meals.

Am I in the car or on the ? Well, today, I took the car in for its vehicle identity test and it passed. Then I went to the DVLC office to sort out the log book and tax disc - given the date, I chose to have the disc start on 1st April, so for tomorrow, I'm on the but on Friday, I'm mobile!

Yes, I miss Frenchbean being able to post regularly. Regular reports from Argentina? Do say more!

<fish

I do hope the car goes well for you, but what a day to pick to start anyway.

It seems that the money promised for school dinners is to come out of the Education Reserve Fund set aside for emergencies, and it looks like there might not be enough in that to meet the figures quoted So what will happen if they have an emergency Nothing new there then

I despair of the Govt. and the lies and spin. I have no idea how you vote but I got an email from the Labour Party the other day which disgusted me. If I had been thinking of voting for them that would have turned me against them. It would be bad enough from any political party, but from the party of Govt. it was appalling. It is on the Labour Party website too for all to see:

http://reply-new.labour.org.uk/go.asp?/bLAB001/mVAP3F1/uD2J95/xQ6877

I think they need to grow up. These are playground, bully boy tactics tactics

My friend has rented a house in Buenos Aires in preparation for buying one out there. She has recently re-discovered family there, and I think she plans to spend a big chunk of each year there. It is much cheaper to live than here. I suspect she will spend months at a time there as the flights etc. are costly. She is inviting friends to come out and stay too.

It is a country with high inflation, poor wages etc. but also well to do people, so life is very mixed. Like so many countries there is much evidence of past glories and It is fascinating learning about it, especially as we were once at war with them There appears to be no animosity to the English from the locals.

I shall be thinking of you tomorrow.

Websailor

The Education Reserve Fund? I know they quoted £280m - a fair sum. Looking at the conservative party pledges, they don't appear to support Jamie Oliver's work: http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=120838.

Just had a look at that link, Websailor and it looks downright childish and to me! Doesn't seem bully-boy, though - or has the link changed?

I'm looking forward to being mobile tomorrow. I need to sort out one of my tyres - I had a nearly new set fitted a couple of weeks ago and one went flat, so I've had to change it with my spare tyre.

I had a Brazilian friend who invited me over for a holiday with her once, and I said I couldn't afford it - I now think now that that was a mistake and I should have scraped up the money to go - perhaps too much of a poverty consciousness sometimes. I gather that there's a huge divide between rich and poor, which is never a very healthy thing for a country, I tend to think.

,

No, the link hasn't changed, but I expect it depends whether you were bullied at school, as to whether you would see it as bully boy tactics Sometimes the worst bullying is that which seems innocuous.

I am not sure we can trust the promises of any party coming up to a General Election, so I suppose the "proof of the pudding will be in the eating" so to speak

You guessed right that I won't be taking her up on her offer, though I might have done had I been younger, without an unwell husband. When I was young, foreign travel was only for those well off, so it wouldn't have arisen then either, I expect.

or as you wil be driving tomorrow

Websailor

Hi Websailor - well, I was bullied at school and some of the time there was pretty miserable - mostly taunting and being excluded. This stuff doesn't push any buttons with me though.

Can we trust promises made at general elections? Difficult to say. One of the things I think is true, though, is that parties may not act in the best interests of the country as a whole because they want to be popular. This can lead to short-termism.

Travel was only for the well-off when I was young too. My first trips abroad were school trips and student exchanges and I was lucky enough to get a scholarship which took me to Africa. However the first trip abroad I ever took with my parents was in 2000, for their Golden Wedding!

Yes, is a good idea for tomorrow!

Thought I'd let you all know that Jamie's programme starts here in Oz this week, so I'll understand what you've all been talking about

Nancy Banks-Smith in the Guardian Weekly thinks JO should be knighted btw. I think he's too good for that.

Jamie Oliver for PM

Although I am only 15 and shouldn't worry, I am getting confused. All the parties have their good and bad points. I mean my Mum is a *cough* Conservative *cough* but they use the class system. Labour say lots but I just don't like Tony. The Lib Dems, well I don't know much of them. I think if anyone else is in the same position, they should vote for the monster raving loony party. *haha*

Now Jamie has done the primary schools, maybe he should start on secondary schools. The meals at mine are horribly unhealthy, although there are nice choices which can be ordered, but the kids just buy what is in front of them and take no notice of anything else. I have packed lunch myself.

I watched some of the programme and couldn't believe the kids did not know what asparagus, rhubarb or leeks were! I did at their age. I also don't like the way when a child puts something in their mouth and spit it out with a gagging noise. They don't even taste it.

Ah well, this country is always in some pickle, but what can us (large in numbers) the public do but vote. They didn't listen leading to Gulf War 2, but it is time they did.

Gaz

Do let me know what you think about the programmes, Fb!

Gaz - the first school to take on Jamie's ideas was Kidbrooke Secondary. I found it difficult to believe that children thought that rhubarb and asparagus were onions too!

As far as political parties are concerned, this might be a good link for you: http://www2.ntu.ac.uk/llr/ukpolitics.htm - I suppose that all parties are a bit of a curate's egg - good in parts.