Fintan Ramblings

I have blogged about Steve and you know he has been very busy..  below is from the Bolton News
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/

DRIVING instructor Steve Swinton was furious when he heard a young deaf man had been refused lessons.
He set about learning the basics of British Sign Language but found the only course available was in a weekly mother and toddler’s group.
He said: “It caused a bit of a stir at first but I soon mixed and later I went on to attend an advanced course.”

Now the 54 year-old combines running his own Castle Hill School of Motoring with training would-be driving instructors and has been teaching hearing impaired learner drivers for 15 years.

The father of three reckons he is one of only 50 instructors out of 43,000 in Britain who use signing to teach deaf people to drive and says the skill has gained him extra business as news of his signing ability spread.

Now he wants to set up a course teaching BSL to other instructors and says learning sign language has helped his business over the years.
“Around 10 to 15 per cent of my learners are deaf or hearing impaired.
“I sit further forward turned towards the learner and use my hands instead of talking to tell the drivers what I want them to do and it works very well.
“They can see me signing in their peripheral vision and in some ways it works better than talking does.

“I would eventually like to set up a course for those instructors who want to learn BSL as it a very useful skill which can help their business.”
A former Breightmet High School pupil, Mr Swinton worked as a mechanical engineer but after being made redundant he decided to set up his own driving school.
“I wanted to work for myself and that way nobody could make me redundant and for me it has been a very good move.
“I knew there would more business avenues to explore than just teaching people the basic L-test and now I teach instructors and hearing impaired and deaf people.”

He is a top Grade 6 driving instructor, an advanced driving instructor and supervising examiner and is on the Official Register of Driving Instructor Trainers (Ordit).

A See Hear programme featuring Mr Swinton will be broadcast on BBC 2 on Wednesday January 28 at 1pm.

Stephen P. Swinton A.D.I. Dip D.I. Cert F.Ed.
Diamond Advanced Instructor/Supervising Examiner.
www.aditraining123.co.uk
Driving and Deafness Forum Moderator.
www.Deaf247.co.uk

My son Euan is a bit of a joker..

He used to have this Dalek Easter egg and when you press the button of the box it says exterminate exterminate
of course the egg was eaten and he threw away the box but kept the plastic device.
so one night I was going to bed making sure I don’t make any noise so I don’t wake the wife or the baby up.
Soon as my head hit the pillow I was suddenly made to sit up right,with wife lifting my head up and her hand flinging about find her way round the pillow.
Thought she was off her head so I switched the light on.
“Are you off your head or what?”
Daleks Daleks came her reply

What Daleks?

The bloody thing that keeps on saying exterminate exterminate.
I put my hand in found the object that my son jokingly put in my pillow and turned it off.

This has been in my draft file,so i have finally got round to finishing this post.

Clicking on picture gives you a bigger picture with more detail.

This is the desktop I see when I first switch the computer on

On top left is a facebook feeds

words next to Jack Nicholson is quote of the day which changes daily.

I don’t need to tell you what a calendar and a clock does do I ?

As you see here I am reading my gmail using Mutt which is the best mail client in

my opinion. N stand for new mail and D is to delete which I always delete anything from

RNID

Top left is my facebook feeds which Mathew is taking the piss. I upgraded Ubuntu to Hardy Heron and for some reason colours got set to 256  instead of 16.million which of course I had fixed.

In this picture I am viewing my RSS feeds using Newsbeuter

After i highlighted and pressed enter to read post using newsbeuter in this case

I am reading the GOD blog.

Reading See Hear forum this way  as I find  the forum in ghastly colour

I will post more later on , as Newsbeuter and Mutt deserve a post of its own

Its started of with a drink in a nice pub in York

Then a nice meal at Chinese restaurant..more beers to wash it down

Watch a band play drinking more beer

Who’s round is it again?

then end up in a nightclub making a tit of your selves dancing on stage with afro hair

Last post on this subject before anyone thinks this is turning into some rubber gloves fetish site!

Years ago my mum and sister and step father lived near Waterford, Ireland and they had rented a house from some farmer, it was a strange set up of a house.
There are two stairs on each end of living room that lead you to upstairs to separate bedroom.

Quite funny when my sister needed to get hair dryer from mum’s bedroom even though it’s next door she had to climb down the stairs walk across the living room and up the stairs!
Another thing I remembered that mum insist on locking the front door (there’s is no back door at all) and the only way to lock it is to step outside lock the door and climb through the window.
In morning to unlock it is to climb through bathroom window and unlock front door.
Bathroom window is the only window we can fit through and all others were too narrow!
Told her why bother locking the doors as she lived in the middle of nowhere!
They asked if I could fix the TV seen that the reception on TV was so bad I climbed on roof to see if I could fix the Ariel .. Quite funny seeing mum run out of the house when she heard noises coming down the chimney
Anyway best to watch TV in local pub and one time some of us came back drunk and mum had few drinks out for us at the kitchen plus sandwiches.
For some reason we came to conversation about the smoke alarm and the rubber glove at my place when my sister picked mums gloves up put it on her head and said chicken.
Well its only funny when you had a few drinks and I got hold of it and decided to blow it up mum took the picture of a huge hand like glove getting bigger  and bigger till it burst. Wish I still had the picture I would have posted it on here.

When I came back to Chester I posted the picture on to a website (know that free website that only let you put up 2mb of space up Anglefire it was called )
And for fun I put things you can do with rubber gloves as a title and u could see pictures of me blowing a rubber glove and the other picture covering a smoke alarm
Sad I know but at the time I was learning how to build websites and HTML and I just put it up for fun

Well a few weeks later I had to take the website down as I was getting strange pictures of people in state of undress via email with the subject line things you *really* can do with rubber gloves!!

I leave the rest to your imagination!

The place I used to live was a very big house I have the whole ground floor so its basically a flat I am the only one that doesn’t have to share.
The next floor occupied by a retired man who lost his wife few years back and ran into financial difficulties (awful habit of wandering and once found him in my living room so I have the doors locked since then)
And at the top is occupied by two lesbians one of them is really nice to talk to and known her for years but I can’t stand her partner well more like she can’t stand me.
Very impatience woman and I can never understand people who have a tongue pierced and are talking like as they have a   lisps.

My auntie husband from Germany called Ralf used to stay there every now and again when he has to work near Chester.
I very often let him have the use of the flat when I am away on holiday.. one time he was staying I was coming back after a night club and I crept slowly past the living room to get a drink of water ( best way to prevent hangovers) taking care not to wake him I switched light  on in kitchen  and there was a hand from a ceiling .. Of course I jumped out of my skin and dropped the glass!
To which he woke up when I said “what’s the fucks that!”

So that’s the reason why rubber glove was left there to cover smoke alarm.
And to be honest I couldn’t care less if it was ringing like mad. but to the other residents they are happy to have it left up there as they got sick of hearing that I am cooking dinner again.

This was written on a forum I used to frequent years ago and I thought id put it on here as reading Kyle’s blog about trains remind me the time I had trouble in 1999… so read on
——
What a mither
went to train station and bought a train ticket my son Josh travel for free the person selling ticket told me “platform 4a at 2:42 PM “
I waited on platform 4a and dead on time (which is very un unusual for trains in UK) train pulled up at 2:42 on window it says Llandudno to Manchester (Piccadilly) it has list of train stations it was stoppingand one of them was Earlestown where my sister lives to we were going to visit so anyway got on the train and off it goes
While travelling I was thinking hmm not seen any platforms anyway after half
hour train pulled came to a stop and ticket inspector on train said
“ You have to get off now end of line”
I said “end of line?? Where are we”
he said “Crewe”
CREWE????

I said, “Isn’t this train going to Earlestown,”
he said “EARLESTOWN??? This train isn’t going to Earlestown what makes you
think this train takes you to Earlestown “
”well its said there on the frickin window Earlestown”
he looks at it and said “oh shit” and ripped the paper off the window and went into other carriages and did the same
he came back and said “I am awfully sorry you better get to information desk and try and sort it out if they get funny with you tell them that id back you up”
Went to information desk and the girl burst out laughing
I said its no laughing matter
she said “how did you managed to get on the wrong train” I explained it to her
and she said “strange that at Chester station (where I live) directed you on to a
wrong train “
anyway she said “the only way to get into Earlestown and the nearest station
from here that takes you to Earlestown is Chester “
I said “WHAT you mean I have to go all the way back to Chester then get another train that takes me to Earlestown”
she said “I am sorry”
”WELL THEY WILL BE FRIGGIN SORRY WHEN I GET BACK INTO CHESTER “
anyway back on train back to bleedin Chester

Boy did I go bananas when I got into Chester station the fella who sent me
on wrong train was not there he finished his shift so I went to where I got the tickets and they said “if you run you might catch the train to Earlestown on platform….”
”YOU MUST BE FRIGGIN JOKIN”
he looks at me puzzled
I said “there is no way I am going to believe you lot that this train will take
me to Earlestown and besides I am not going to run and see my sons little
legs trying to keep up with me”
The station manager came to see what the commotion about and try to sort out the problem
And guess what
they got me a taxi and they were paying for it so they pay for their mistake
but that was not the end of the matter ….

I went into the black cab and taxi driver said “where’s the hell is Earlestown”
yes the taxi driver keeps getting lost we ended up in Runcorn believe it or
not and for those black cabs they don’t drive very fast 30 mph is the bloody top speed
he had to stop 8 times to ask the way he only knows his way round Chester
the way he was on about as if he never left Chester in his life
Well eventually we got to Earlestown and it cost them £38
pulled up outside sisters house and she said “You lazy bastard”
She actually thought I got off station and I couldn’t be bothered to walk 10minute to her house so I got taxi instead
And then she said “your late where have you been “ to which my reply was
“To hell and back”
What it was suppose to be a 25-minute journey took just over 3 and ½ hours
Ill never use trains again
or black cabs
think ill stay at home in future

As you may have read in here and here about Shane Meadows films not being subtitled on DVD
This helpful forum Shane Meadows Forum pointed me to the right place on company that has the license and rights to put his films onto DVD.

Optimum Releasing
The website boast of film releases and also to buy online but no information on if any films carry subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

First email I sent was 1st of May asking if there is any likelihood of subtitling the film called This is England I also set the emails to return receipt so I know they have read it
Also I sent another on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 and it was read 15 minutes later but no acknowledgment or an answer so what is the matter with these people?

I get emails sent to me who read my blog asking if I have any answer if the films will carry subtitles.

So now I have put names address of the company for all of you to see so bombard them with calls fax or email and please let me know if you get any answer from them

Address

Optimum Releasing
22 Newman Street
London
W1T 1PH

T: 020 7637 5403
F: 020 7637 5408
email: info@optimumreleasing.com

Alison Meese
alison@optimumreleasing.com

All images taken from official website This Is England

I frequent Shane Meadows forums and I found that a film called A Room For Romeo Brass was being shown on BBC2 Friday 8th June. ( or sat morning 12:45 am which ever way you look at it)
I was delighted it was shown on a BBC channel as you all know no advert breaks spoiling the film and 9 out of 10 the programs on the BBC will be subtitled.
Was not too happy about the time 12:45 but luckily it’s shown on a Friday night so I can have a lie in and to be honest if it’s in the week I still would watch it.

So here I am watching TV (very excited I may add) the film starts subtitles going and was hooked into the film.
Half way through the film the subtitles stopped for no reason..

“NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

For foooks sake why is this happening to me!!!!!
::dog running into his basket family waking up::: ok you get the picture

I texted my friend to which I raved about Shane Meadows film Dead Mans Shoes in the past and knowing that he is up watching it he had a look and found that subtitles is not working .
He is hearing and after the film he texted to say how brilliant the film is and going to buy some DVD’s, Grrr

I just sat there admiring how beautifully directed film and brilliant acting then 15 minutes later the subtitles came back.

Extremely frustrating and if I can’t watch the film like everybody else then I can’t join the forum and take part. Well I can and talk about dead mans shoes and bits of Romeo Brass but not other films made.
There are 9 million Deaf and hard of hearing people in this country according to the RNID website they are potential customers so meanwhile let’s stick to Hollywood films eh?

Please note that I have emailed the DVD distributor about adding subtitles to the film but they have yet to respond.
I believe that This is England is out on DVD can anyone check for me that it carries subtitles I get a lot of email enquiries regarding this.

On a hot summer day years ago I was with a good group of friends about 13 of us and we had planned to go out drinking all day visit as many pubs as we can.
We had made sure we were well dressed as you know after 7pm wearing trainers football shirts in city centre you wont be able to get in pubs and nightclubs.

Well a friend of a friend joined us but I had assumed he was only out for the evening because he was wearing a football top, shorts and trainers
I said aren’t we moving on as the day wore on but got a reply of “with lets stay here because he won’t be able to get in such and such a pub”.

I was annoyed as we all planned this also he was drunk falling all over the place and offending other people and yet some of his friend decided we all should stay in this one pub.
We said we will get you a taxi but of course he wanted to stay and get even more drunk.
So anyway as the evening wore on he sat on chair and fell asleep one of my mate said we could leave him there and we move on but of course we didn’t.

I bought a flake from the newsagent next door came back
And shoved it down the back of his shorts while he was still sleeping
Well you know hot summer warm arse the chocolate melts waited for a bit and then woke him up telling him get the beers in.
Looking at his face and the realisation of a wet bottom he was thinking I better not move other wise we could see he shat his pants.

He never moved from the chair and when its his round he got his mate to get the beers in.
As the evening wore on he needed the toilet but afraid to move so he said, “ you move on enjoy your selves lads I will stay here “
I refused to move and told him we didn’t want to leave him there on his own.

Seeing him struggling and trying to take his mind off needing the toilet he was refusing drinks and here was I pouring drinks out of a bottle into a glass very slowly.
That was agony and he made a run for the toilet .
Seeing brown through the back of his shorts we all burst out laughing.
We told him in the end it was chocolate and the only way to hide the evidence was to take his shirt off and tie it around the waist.

He decided their and then to go home as he knew he wouldn’t be allowed to wear no top on in a pub and unfortunately it took him 1 half hour to walk home as taxi driver refused to take him home saying “I don’t want no dirty bastard shitting in my taxi”