where are the youth clubs?

Perhaps if kids like sgt.Sadman were not instantly accused of being stupid just because their typing isn't word perfect, they wouldn't rebel and cause trouble on the streets in the first place.

I think getting youth workers out onto the streets and talking to the kids in their environment would be a step closer to understanding and helping the situation.

I have a daughter at Marple Hall and getting her to pronounce the English language is tough enough let alone for her to text it on a mobile, they're just trying to find their individuality. Sadman I thank you for trying to bring some youth in to the forum and would welcome your thoughts on any ideas for the youth of Marple to engage in.

Blimey - if this is representative of the standard of English taught at Marple Hall, perhaps we should all be lobbying for some kind of extra tuition for our children rather than "yoof" clubs !  I didn't have a huge vocabulary at 13 but I could certainly write well enough to be understood by any reader.  Surely that's the whole point of the written word !

As a kid of that age, the social highlight was the disco on every other saturday night at a church hall or a weekly youth club at a local high school (but not my school) both required a lift there and back from parents - not cool, but then we were all in the same boat.  We used to hang around in small groups of 3 or 4 at each others houses.  Now it seems that kids want (or feel the need) to hang around in big gangs and that never seems healthy to me.

Rachael suggested some activities available but I can see that it must be difficult to be the first one to break away from the gang and do something different ...

[Sgt.SADMAN]

Bloomin ech, i am a pupil at marple hall. If you have a problem tell me, because Im not in the mood to listen to someone who I dont no.

[Rachael]

Sadman, there are lots of things to do localy, there really are, its not just the community bus, why dont you join the Karate at the gym, or go fishing at the roman lakes (six pound for tuition and rod hire), volunteer for something, get a paper round and spend your money on something nice, there are lots and lots of things to do.

[admin]

I think we need to give Sadman a bit more of a chance before we judge him too harshly, and put him off contributing to the forum altogether.

Having said that Sadman, you would do well to take Howard's advice and try to make sure we can understand what you're trying to say and say it without causing offence and getting people's backs up.

[tina]

Last thursday and this thursday I went up to the park, the bus came and parked up by the C.A.B.
There was a few teenagers hanging around, some there to show an interest and some not. It's a shame that a few who have nothing better to do, turn up to waste people's time.
Kids complain that there is nothing to do in marple but when they are given a chance to do something they just moan!
My son would rather sit and chat to his mate's on msn, because he says there is nowhere to go.
This I don't mind because then at least I know he's not out there causing any bother, but I know he needs to do something other than sit at a computer.
He has got himself some weights and is now keeping himself busy. He also likes to go on a run with his mate.
Kids just need to find something they enjoy and do something with themselves instead of hanging around.

People like 'sadman' get pleasure out of winding people up, maybe he is one of the 'scallies' who intimidate the good people of marple. The best thing to do is ignore a person like that because the more you respond the more pleasure he gets out of it.

[Howard]

*MUCH* better. Black is far more readable than magenta. Anyway...

"pickin on kids" - this was friendly advice. If you want people to read your posts then make them readable in the same way that you would speak. Use pauses (commas) and take a breath (full stop). If you really are 13, and I have no reason to doubt you, then it's about time we have a member of the forum able to represent the younger end of Marple's population. We're a pretty reasonable bunch here, but you need to make yourself understood and the more clearly you can communicate, the more people will take notice of your opinions.

[Rachael]

sadman, no doubt that by morning your replies will have been deleted again!!!  

Not going to go into details and back and forth arguements, but Howard has a point, I dont understand what you are on about, but you being at marple hall, you are taught english, it is not beyond you to talk in english terms.

Sadman,  people generaly know who people are on here, and I have a feeling about who you may be.

So do yourself a favour and keep stum!!!

[Sgt.SADMAN]

Oops sorry Howard may I tell you again in BLACK text this time? Is that a "ok" I hear? Aaah yes it is  '>  .... Howard dont try and be funny mate, You may use puntiation in forums but i dont, whats the point of being so formal 24/7 ? why dont you just stop pickin on kids and get a life? You think I dont realize that? Ok I will be very formal for you then shall I? Ok. Hello Howard I am so proud of your remarkable sujestions to me. I am uterly amazed by your exsplitic advice, I may now go and buy a new keyboard with, "working" buttons so I can write on forums correctly in a mature manner.  '>

[Sgt.SADMAN]

Howard dont try and be funny mate, You may use puntiation in forums but i dont, whats the point of being so formal 24/7 ? why dont you just stop pickin on kids and get a life? You think I dont realize that? Ok I will be very formal for you then shall I? Ok. Hello Howard I am so proud of your remarkable sujestions to me. I am uterly amazed by your exsplitic advice, I may now go and buy a new keyboard with, "working" buttons so I can write on forums correctly in a mature manner.  '>

[Howard]

Sadman, if you want people to read what you have written, please try and make it more readable. For example, try posting in a colour that doesn't make it hard to read. Also, I think your full stop and shift keys are broken as I spotted very little punctuation and very few capital letters in your post. I have a keyboard full of them so I'll lend you a few to paste into your future posts:

. (full stop - usually comes at the end of a sentence)
' (apostrophe - indicates possession and missing letters in contractions)
? (question mark - ends interrogative sentence)
(I'll not bother with exclaimation marks - I suspect you'll get the hang of those quite quickly)
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (capital letters - found at the beginning of sentences and at the start of proper nouns)

Please let me kow if you need any more tips.

[Sgt.SADMAN]

Hi Im a kid and I do have the accasionall mess arounds with mates, but I think the real problem is not because its not cool, more to the fact you wont beable to do what you want at these clubs and the katepark is a good place to have fun for my sort of youth tribe ( skaters and moshers) but there all chavs and scallies so there to cool to go to youth clubs and the cumunity bus, i mainly spend my life on the computer 9 thats why Im a saddo ) cause all I do is sit at a comp all day lol, but i do go out on the weekends to mess about ..... a oteher problem is that no one will go with them that they are mates with to these youth clubs, there is not many youth clubs in marple any way, well theres scouts that I go to but thats just about it, thats very strict though and you have to play childish games instead of just messin about and chillin' ............ I no you wont to no what the kids wanna do, but they want to do what they are doing now, it may not be very plesent or sensible but thats what chavs do and us skaters/moshers have to live with it.

[Rachael]

I know there is the community bus that comes into the memorial park for the youngsters on a thursday and friday night...........I did not know this untill it was announced at the carnival on saturday.

Maybe more advertising for this...........or is there and i have missed this?

Maybe parents should encourage kids to get more involved with these events, maybe the parents should get involved themselves?

I noticed that the community bus is run by the churches? have I got this correct? they mentioned coming to help out at the park.........I am not religeous at all, so would that include people who are not active in the church?

[Deniseamb]

The lack of 'cool' youth clubs is a big problem in Marple.  Only yesterday evening I saw kids scaling the fence surrounding the building work for the new childrens play area and fooling around on the unfinished equipment.  I'll give it two nights once it is fully opened before it is covered in grafitti.

Has anyone ever asked these kids what kind of place they would like to go to and what kind of things they would like to do there?