Yep, my working class seventies schooling was utterly dire jimslass, especially in maths and grammar. In fact all I recall were a bunch of bored spiteful premenstrual mums (aka: teachers) and I've never gone back to the nuts and bolts in order to rectify it.

Be thankfull that you were (presumably) in a generation or area, in which you could gain a decent education, before 'progressive' thinkers took a hatchet to our schooling and started worrying more about 'targets' than children receiving a good basic education! I wish I'd have recieved the education of my grandfather, or even my mother for that matter.

I'm saying all of this while wearing a smile by the way, no offence taken, though if someone said that to my face, I suspect I might just blow a raspberry at 'em...

Now as you appear to be the man in the know of such things, please advise, how exactly should I spell 'tthhhhrrruppp' ;-)