bats

Why? It makes sense to me.

A kid in Canada graduates and the grades are used to determine college, university, choice of course etc. they compete against others who have gone through the same system. 4years later they have a degree, get a job, whatever
A kid in the UK finishes school and their exam results are used, etc, etc.

It's only a few immigrants who have to deal with comparisons and equivalencies otherwise it's meaningless as to whether or not one system is better than another.

Gozit

^Exactly

MillieF

Quite...you can't really measure apples...or indeed a well educated Brit, with a thick Canuk...or vice versa.

Novocastrian

Read it again mate. Total rubbish.

There are bits of any inane, ill-informed rant that jive in an incidental way with someone else's perceptions. Nonetheless rubbish, prejudiced crap.

As to your last remark, if you insist on mentioning the Falklands, were there no other maps available to the mighty British Fleet than ordinance survey maps? If not it's astonishing that they actually found the Falklands in the first place.

One wonders indeed how they have ever managed to operate abroad. Ordinance Survey Maps are rare even in France.

A map, I think we might agree, is a two dimensional representation of at least part of the surface of the globe, something often referred to as the geography of the planet. There are no doubt some features highlighted on some geographical maps which concern geology. But those would rather unhelpful in planning a journey, a military campaign or a Sunday drive to see the sheep.

VainQuill

Oh so it's now considered 'prejudiced' to debunk the myth of Canadians being less knowledgeable than Europeans?(You know, the one real prejudice expressed in this thread?) Aren't you a funny one...

BTW, keeping on insisting that something is crap while stubbornly refusing to elaborate on supposed crappiness does not do anything to validate your statement.

Souvy

The map in question was probably the work of the British Geological Survey. That stuff was going on when I was doing my A-levels. The use of the geological map made the local news because it had been prepared by my geography teacher.

That worried me. She was a lousy geography teacher. I had visions of the fleet missing the islands by miles.

I became even less convinced regarding her judgement when she tried to cop off with me (and she wasn't very subtle about it).

Does Normandy still have Bocage, by the way? I'm reading a very good book about D-Day. Montgomery does not get a great amount of praise, to put it mildly!

Almost Canadian

I always thought the navy used charts not maps

Novocastrian

Yes, it does, but more on the Atlantic side of the Cherbourg peninsula than further east.

Which is the book you're reading?

Souvy

Yes, you're right. On reflection, I think it was ground troops using her map.

Souvy

D-Day, The Battle for Normandy, by Antony Beevor.

He specialises in books like this. My neighbour, a military history nut, rates him very highly.

The book is very detailed, cuts out the romantic bollocks and myths and paints a far more disturbing picture than even the goriest war film.

The references and bibliography appendix is 50 pages long!

Dashie

Yes, Beevor is highly rated. No sugar coating there.

Souvy

That could be the understatement of the year!

I'm not sure I even dare read his book on Stalingrad.

Novocastrian

Cheers. I've just been reading some reviews and that book is headed for the OH's Christmas stocking. I think you know that her family lives and lived in and around Caen and that they have/had a vacation on house right at Omaha Beach.

She's extremely interested (as am I) in the history and in fact has just completed her own detailed historical account of the proceedings, restricting her narrative to the exact location of the house at Vierville-sur-mer.

rivingtonpike

That sounds really interesting Novo. Will it be available for Joe Public to read (well, say me)? I have quite an interest in the subject too. My grandparents lived on Guernsey and I used to spend a lot of time in/on and around the remaining coastal defences.

Novocastrian

Hmm. I can't really say about that. She might or might not want to distribute it publicly. When she's in a good mood I'll raise the subject .

Should be able to get back to you within a few months.