http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndYxBQXhNjI

Any funnies you want to share...just email them in!

Well done to everyone in the Broad Street Mall Model Search on saturday...all good fun down there and it means we're closer to this year's Has Reading Got Talent?

Listen out for info on-air!

Thanks for all the stuff that you keep sending in for the show...here's something I'll be reading out tomorrow, but you heard saw it here first!

 Thomas Cook Holidays - guests' complaints  

"I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."

"It's lazy of the local shopkeepers to close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time - this should be banned."

"On my holiday to Goa in India , I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food at all."

"We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our swimming costumes and towels."

A tourist at a top African game lodge overlooking a waterhole, who spotted a visibly aroused elephant, complained that the sight of this rampant beast ruined his honeymoon by making him feel "inadequate".

A woman threatened to call police after claiming that she'd been locked in by staff. When in fact, she had mistaken the "do not disturb" sign on the back of the door as a warning to remain in the room.

"The beach was too sandy."

"We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as yellow but it was white."

A guest at a Novotel in Australia complained his soup was too thick and strong. He was inadvertently slurping the gravy at the time.

"Topless sunbathing on the beach should be banned. The holiday was ruined as my husband spent all day looking at other women."

"We bought 'Ray-Ban' sunglasses for five Euros (£3.50) from a street trader, only to find out they were fake."

"No-one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled."

"It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England it only took the Americans three hours to get home."

"I compared the size of our one-bedroom apartment to our friends' three-bedroom apartment and ours was significantly smaller."

"The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the accommodation'. We're trainee hairdressers - will we be OK staying here?"

"There are too many Spanish people. The receptionist speaks Spanish. The food is Spanish. Too many foreigners."

"We had to queue outside with no air conditioning."

"It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."

"I was bitten by a mosquito - no-one said they could bite."

"My fiancé and I booked a twin-bedded room but we were placed in a double-bedded room. We now hold you responsible for the fact that I find myself pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."

When she was chosen as support, she was unheard of but is now in danger of being bigger than the main act...so u're kind of getting 2 gigs for the price of 1.

Enjoy it :)

One Big Drop was the event, at The Blade...and it all went really well (that's a relief!), and my total will be approx £1000 to hand over!

That will be added to the sponsorship raised by everyone else who took part both in Reading and at 7 other venues around the UK at the same time. It should add up to a lot of money to help this great charity...so thanks again!

Robert

Cheers, Robert.

PS...the £25 shown in the donation section is a default setting which is set by the donation website and can't be changed by us...but it can by you!! I'm not expecting £25 donations from everyone, so feel free to type in any amount...every penny is much appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who's sponsored me on behalf of Children With Leukaemia for my abseil which is just about 3 weeks away now. Every penny helps this great charity to help children and their families at the most difficult time of their lives. To find out more, please click here Sponsor Robert's Big Drop  and don't forget, the £25 amount shown is set by the website...we don't expect you to give that much, and you can change the amount to whatever you like! If you tick the "gift aid" box when making your donation, it won't cost you any extra, but the charity will get more money! Thanks again...

This week, we're giving away tickets to the Full Monty stage show which is coming to the Hexagon soon. Plus movie tickets and your requests...every morning from 10.

See you there:)

RK

So what's been going on? Well...

I remember musing that Reading could end up with a total of 80 points and avoid the play offs. Obviously not...so tomorrow is D-Day, with the 2nd leg against Burnley who are 1-0 up. Not great, but still do-able? I think so!

Shame that the one and only Fia Tarrant has left the Reading 107 building...good luck to her. Who's gonna provide the (unscheduled) entertainment at things like Pride Of Reading this year (Fia fell off the stage last year...maybe it'll be my turn this time!).

The awards have been launched for 2009, and we're looking forward to seeing the nominations coming in, and the day itself down at Crowne Plaza.

One other date that's got a big circle round it on my calender is Sunday 14th June...I'm going to be abseiling from Reading's tallest building, The Blade, in aid of Children With Leukaemia. It's 390 feet...so it's a long way down! Thanks to those that have already agreed to sponsor me for this great cause...if you want to, please do so by clicking "One Big Drop" on my presenter page on this site. Don't feel as though you have to give £25.00...that's the default amount which is set for everyone, but I don't expect it!!

Cheers for now,

RK

Win free Reading v Barnsley tickets all this week between 12 and 2pm...I'll also have tickets to Reading v Birmingham every day in the week up to our last game of the season!

Just a quick THANKS to everyone who donated an easter egg to the charity egg run. The Thames Vale Vultures delivered the eggs to The Variety Club on Good Friday, and beat last year's total...3406 kids benefitted this year!

Some good movies around at the moment...don't forget you can play The One Second Soundtrack every morning at 10, to win Vue Cinema tickets.

Have a good week.

RK

That's the big question as the end of the season is in sight.

Are we gonna have to go through the play-offs, or can we still catch-up Birmingham in second, and so go up automatically?

The top 2 play tonight (Mon) and then we play Sheffield United (on 69 points, exactly the same as us!) this Friday.

If you want FREE tickets, don't miss the Live Lunch (12-2pm) Mon-Thurs this week, and on matchday 8-11am.

We'll also have tickets for our other remaining 2 home games this season.

Easter's gonna be electric at Madejski Stadium - let's hope it's a really Good Friday for The Royals.

We have a new competition on weekday mornings now...The One Second Soundtrack. Work out what the song is from the 1 second we play (it'll be something from the movies!), for the chance to win tickes to Vue Cinema at The Oracle. Play every day just after 10.15.

Have a good week :)

SALAD DODGER. An overweight person.

1. Get your school appeal form on time!

    

   It's important that your school appeal form is returned to the admission authority by the deadline set out in the form. If you're short on time, don't panic! It's not necessary to submit your case or supporting documents with the form itself: they can always be sent in later. But if your school appeal form itself is delayed, it could result in your appeal being delayed as well.
   
   
2. Carefully consider your grounds for appealing against the admission authority's decision

    

   There are many grounds for a school appeal. These range from medical or social reasons (e.g. your child has a medical condition and needs to be near your home or work in case of an emergency) to educational and logistical reasons (e.g. you consider your child to have special needs). Remember to set out the grounds in order of importance to you, with the strongest ground first.
   
   
3. Always provide supporting information in writing

    

   Make sure that you provide any supporting information with your school appeal. For example, if you're claiming medical issues, submit a letter from your doctor or medical consultant. The letter will need to state that the school is the only one able to meet your child's needs and it must be based on a physical examination. A letter which starts by saying, 'I am informed that X is suffering from ...' wouldn't be sufficient and will carry little weight with the school appeal panel.
   
   
4. Check that your application has been dealt with correctly

    

   The best chance of a successful appeal is where you can highlight that the admission authority's decision does not follow the admission criteria on which it must be based. The School Admissions Code has introduced mandatory rules to ensure that admission criteria are clear, fair and objective. Carefully check to see if the criteria used by the admission authority are lawful. You can do this by checking paragraphs 1.46, 1.65, 1.71 and 2.13 of the Code.
   
   
5. Don't be shy! Ask the admission authority for information

    

   If you need any information to support your school appeal and this can only be obtained from the admission authority, write and request this information. For example, if you need to know the number of admissions to the school in the last five years or the number of successful appeals, ask the admission authority for this information.
   
   
6. Verify your information thoroughly

    

   Check to make sure that any points that you're making are correct. If you make a point which proves subsequently to be incorrect, this could undermine the rest of your case.
   
   
7. Prepare a statement for the Independent Appeal Panel

    

   Prepare a statement explaining why your child should be given a place at the school. Such reasons might include:
   
   
   • It's a local school.
   • It's within walking distance.
   • You follow the ethos of the school.
   • You have difficulty getting to and from the allocated school.
   • Your child's friends attend the school.
   • The school specialises in a subject in which your child has a particular ability.
     
   
   Such statements should normally be between two and four sides of A4.
   
   
8. Challenge the admission authority's case

    

   When you're completing your appeal form, don't try and justify why the school can admit your child without the admittance causing any problems to the school. It's much easier to wait until you have received the statement from the admission authority, outlining why they have refused you a place, and then you can challenge in detail what they have said. On your appeal form simply put that your child's admission will not cause problems for the school and you will elaborate on this point after you have received the admission authority's statement.
   
   
9. Don't be intimidated

    

   You will attend a formal hearing which is structured. Be polite and respect the Independent Appeal Panel. Don't interrupt the panel members or the admission authority. Question the authority in a confident but respectful way. Do your research because knowledge breeds confidence and don't be afraid to ask for help - the Clerk present at the appeal can explain the appeal procedure to you and is there to answer any questions that you may have.
   
   
10. Do your homework and know your rights

     

    All school appeals follow the principles of natural justice. The new Code on School Admission Appeals sets out your rights as a parent in the appeal process. Make sure that you are aware of them as you may be able to use them if you didn't receive a fair hearing and your appeal subsequently fails.

John Chard is a consultant for both parents and schools for administering the school appeal process. He has over 10 years' experience of organising and clerking appeals for local government and has also worked closely with parents going through the appeals process since 2002 when he established his consultancy service School Appeals. John is in a unique position to offer invaluable advice and guidance to parents in connection with whichever appeal that they will encounter. His track record of successful appeals is about 75% (compared to the national average of about 35%). In his book, Your School Your Choice, John shares his authoritative 'insider view' on how to make a successful appeal.

Further information
Get more information on school admissions and school appeals with John's book Your School Your Choice
Find out more about how the school appeal process works
Understand the key terms that are used for school admissions and school appeals with our Jargon Buster
Find out more about the latest legal changes to school appeals.

Since the last time...Kate's won her Oscar...BRILLIANT! Well done to her, and her equally proud parents who of course still live in Reading. Her Mum is actually a winner too, having taken the title in the Pickled Onion competition which happens at The Retreat pub (I assume it's for doing the actual pickling, not just for eating them? Otherwise I could win).

Slumdog Millionaire won as well...good news, especially if you had one of the special tickets which said "keep this...if the film wins an Oscar, come back and you can get into another film for free!" (or words to that effect). On the back of that, I'm getting to see Benjamin Button this week...that's 4 films this year...possibly more than my total for the whole of 2008 (when I was being very slack).

I keep hearing about The Story Of Anvil as well, and there's a movie about Pirate Radio coming soon, so I might get up to 6 by summer. Easy now...

Later this month, we'll be covering Reading half Marathon live from around the course as usual. I'm not running this time, although I hope I will at some point to try and do better than last year's 2 hrs 7 mins. Good luck if you're doing it...listen out for some tips over the next few weeks!

Have a good week :)