twobears

It is scarily expensive I have done numerous 4x4 days (always corporate freebies) and I love them but don't want to pay for one! I am scared to go on the skid pan although that is probably a very good reason to actually go on it I would like the AMG 1 hour driving but if it is not all that good then I don't want to waste my money. Maybe the SLS would be the better option? I think I am missing Mr Zedders again today I loved being able to drive my own car on a track. It's like horses I think, I love riding my own but am not always so keen on riding anyone else's.

Not the new shape one then? I think they look like someone has ironed them!

Well no, I agree, but some people seem to like driving 'sporty' cars that you know are really weedy performance wise so it's definitely a case of style over substance for them obviously

Stan is a Fiesta Craig but he's still roomy enough for my needs and he is fun to drive. I think I pay around £251 a month but I can't remember what deposit I put down as I am a self-confessed dunce when it comes to money matters

...or a wolf in sheep's clothing i.e. a modest looking car that goes like the clappers? Assuming I couldn't afford a flashy looking car that also went like the clappers then I would always choose the second option. Most of my friends think I have succumbed to driving an old lady's car now that I have Stanley and they are horrified when I put my foot down. Makes me laugh every time but I think it must be my inner sadist coming out

Can I put in a word for Stanley? I think he looks pretty and he is very nippy but maybe you would prefer a bigger car?

I've just been to Brooklands which was fun. Went on Concorde and imagined I was really flying and saw some amazing old racing cars too. The Railton-Napier was an absolute beast! Anyway, to get to the point, I drove past the Mercedes Benz World place next door and wondered if it would be fun to have a go on one of their driving experiences. There are quite a few to choose from and all of them are very expensive so I wondered if anyone here had been and what you thought of it?

You acted like a decent human being and shame on all those who saw fit to berate you for it. Well done for acting as you did and for ignoring the ignorant "my shopping is more important than a human life" ar$eholes

Bye bye Zed but hello, er, Zed I'm jealous actually because I'm really starting to miss my Mr Zedders

Ha ha, you certainly stood out amongst the mass of boring cars!!

I don't know whose it was because I don't know any of you but it wasn't going to escape my attention easily

Stanley and I drove past just as TarmacSportz Zed was leaving

Yes Will, you did and it was very useful in my lesson, thank you The economic crisis hit Spain much harder than the UK it seems and, for young Spaniards, a degree really is essential if they are to find decent paying jobs. The situation here is slightly more cloudy even though the stats you linked to seem to prove that having a degree is better than not having one. I am not worried about my daughter's choice to do a more practical course, albeit one that contains large chunks of science as I feel that she stands more chance of getting work that she will enjoy by going down this route. Here is a picture of her enjoying a typical day at college

Hmm, after a quick glance at the key points it seems that attending a 'top' university probably will net you higher wages. Seems a shame that more male graduates succeed financially than female ones though.

Thanks Will Off to read and digest ready to spout out in Spanish in an hour's time

Yeah, I see what you're saying but I think judging a qualification by its origin not its content is one of the great barriers to social mobility. To me a set of three A stars from non selective school is worth the same as those same grades from a selective school. There are only a finite nunber of places available at "red brick" establishments, if these all go to the "best" people, that assumes there is only the exact same number of "best" people as there are spaces. Which is a daft assumption I agree with both assertions but many wouldn't. Half the battle I guess is that it is human nature to want to prove oneself (or one's offspring) 'better' than others. I think we all do it to a certain extent in at least some areas of our lives. Football wouldn't be half as much fun if the score always had to end up even!!!

Thanks Fodder If it's just lack of confidence that is holding you back from accepting a managerial role then I think you should get some training and give it a whirl but if it's really not for you then stand your ground My brother is the same. He got railroaded into management, hated it and asked for his old job back

I understand what you are saying SuperStu but I think that forcing all further educational provision under the 'university' umbrella devalues the lot, vocational and academic, because now no-one actually knows how rigorous the standards are. As you have seen on this thread alone, some people still set great store by the credentials of the educational establishment itself so trying to democratise education will always fail in my opinion. Of course we need to produce people with both academic and vocational qualifications but one has always been judged to be more worthy even though we know that plumbers, mechanics etc actually keep the world running and that calling for a moral philosopher would be no-one's first choice in an emergency

That is also a very good point Bradders. Although it's always been thus. Are you saying that you got your job because of who you know, by the way?

Fodder, some elements of your life story sound very like those of my husband. He is one of the cleverest people I know but he hated the formal confines of school and has worked his way up to being on the board of a big company via the IT route and the talent that he has for it. Trouble is, people like you and him would probably be excluded from even applying for a job in IT these days. Definitely not right 370ad, many thanks for that link. Going to keep it open during my lesson so I can refer to it

Good post hensh65 Hopefully your wife will start to earn a good wage once she's been working a bit longer though?

Interesting post Coldel and you make many points that I can't possibly disagree with but I have to take exception to this one "If you hate degree fees, you only have the generation before you to blame..." , because I promise you I have never, and would never, vote(d) for any political party whose policies included charging for education. What they say and what they do, however ... I also see what you are saying about a degree being an essential stepping stone for gaining an interview and I will be reflecting this in my lesson this afternoon but I don't agree with the principle at all. The professions NEED a degree to secure entry and that's a fact but many other jobs really should not. My husband isn't a one man band by the way. He works for a global automotive data provider that everyone on here will have heard of so he's not just risking his own money, ha ha. I wish he did own the company mind you

SuperStu, I agree with every single thing you say except the point that universities should provide vocational training. I think that universities should exist solely to educate the brightest and the best in academic subjects. Controversial?

Funny how we all seem broadly to agree that degrees are not the be all and end all for everyone, for some, yes, they are essential, but not across the board. Politics has a lot to answer for. If that is the situation in Ireland delz0r, it seems pretty rubbish

Rob, my husband feels exactly the same as you and says he never takes any notice of degree qualifications on CVs. The worth of modern day degrees has been diluted to the point of risibility. I wonder if you can study for a degree in using internet car forums these days?!!! I imagine that an Oxford degree would get you a foot in the door of many firms though. My daughter was chosen to attend the Oxbridge admission sessions but she refused to do that as well and I have to confess I was a bit disappointed in her choice that time. Still, you can't live their lives for them.