Is university education necessary for everyone that aspires to more than bog cleaning?
In my time as a manager, I have sifted through perhaps a thousand CVs for around 40 posts. I have never, and would never, show priority for those with a university education. What is/was important for me as an employer is whether the candidate had the desire and ability to do the job. Far too many times I was presented with candidates that had irrelevant degrees and no interest in the position.
I believe we need a move to more on the job training/apprenticeships with employers willing to invest time and money into their staff. The difficulty I see is the short term views by shareholders resulting in lack of investment and the amount, and frequency of change, of red tape and ‘schemes’ by government.

Public libraries in the UK also have access to Ancestry.co.uk. Not sure whether its the full international access but you should be able to access the WW1 files along with the census returns

Don’t forget you’ve still got the Vince to dispose of. There is a plan (more an idea) to take her back to Barrow. http://www.bringinvinciblehome.co.uk/invincible_campaign_home.asp

Let’s be clear that its not the aircraft that is duff, though late, so another type is not needed to replace it. It’s that we can’t afford to operate many aircraft so we can do without any maritime patrol aircraft…… until the need arises!

Personally I would prefer the European governments to finance development and sales of our manufactured products even if it means our traditional flag carriers are hard done by. Manufacturing will always have more importance than service industry to me and I work in the aerospace service industry.

I’ve only read one book on more than one occasion… (apart from the Very Hungry Caterpillar to my daughter and the Thomas books to my son) and that was Running Blind.
My favourites more recently have been Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol, Labyrinth from Kate Mosse and this week Sacred Treason from James Forrester which I would recommend highly.

The A330 converted freighters that are being discussed (or were, I do not know of the development at the moment), will need a special lift for the nose wheel for loading and unloading do to the slope of the maindeck. Such an arrangement will severely undermine the types versatility as a freighter. It will mean that ad hoc flights will hardly be viable because the required ground equipment may not be there.

The alternative may be to park the aircraft on the ramp and not the apron?!?

i am completely sold to Florence.

So was Zebedee, until Dougal rusted his spring!