porthesia Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Congratulations, how absolutely wonderful! I'm sure you will have had enormous help from the members and it will all be plain sailing from now on - enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarplumsmum Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 porthesia you are so right the support im getting has helped me so much today, I now have a list and in invitation of a telephone conversation in the morning, ive just ordered some labels and taken the advice and printed everything out so I have it all on hard copy in front of me so I can process it all better. ive even had something to eat for tea so not so light headed. if I can do at least one thing completely a day I shall be ok.. just the funding shortfall now to approach as the sponsor we had inline in the beginning has informed us they are now funding someone else, which I totally understand but means im back at square one x 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheila Beelam Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 (edited) I'm standing in my kitchen with a large mug of tea and toasting your DD's good news!! (Should really get on with dinner..!) Edited October 22, 2014 by Sheila Beelam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Its her Life Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Congratulations on your dd's place at Tring. What fantastic news to suddenly come out of the blue. But what a panic for you. My dd is at Tring (now in upper sixth). Tips I would give are: Make lots of lists, ie everything she needs to take & sort out. Sub divide down into - everyday clothing, dancewear, footwear, toiletries household items such as bedding (they need 2 sets), towels, things to decorate their room & so on Depending on how she will travel back & forth at Exeat weekends & holidays, a student 16-25 railcard is worth getting as gives discount. Various size suitcases are useful - small one can then be used for exeats, bigger one for half term. Don't pack too much into one heavy case/container as there are 4 flights of stairs to carry everything up to the girls lower sixth boarding! More lighter weight luggage is easier. The girls love decorating their rooms to make themselves at home, so take plenty of photos/pictures (+blu tack of course) & other pretty nic nacs. Many have those pretty decorated storage boxes for keeping stuff in on shelves. My dd found a multi socket extension cable very useful I assume your dd has her own bank account, so make sure she has a,bank card etc for using at weekends. A Costa points card very useful too ! An 'unlimited texts' phone contract!! What a busy and exciting half term you are going to have. And within 2 days of starting, she'll have Tring's Bonfire and fireworks party to join in with too. The school light a huge bonfire in the grounds & there are hotdogs followed by a massive professional fireworks display on the back lawn. PM me if you have any other questions. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooZoo Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 What a happy story and such a good lesson in life to never give up! I wish your DD every success at Tring where I am sure she will have a wonderful time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarplumsmum Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 thank you zoo zoo I'm on a steep learning curve but doing my tick list and working out cost effective everything's. its her life I shall look into the rail card now as hopefully maybe able to get a discount with my Tesco vouchers I'm hoping someone will be on her rail line from tring to Cardiff or even Bristol and that way she will be able to come home and travel back with someone which would mean I could hopefully get to see her most weekends that's what's holding me together at the moment x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
along for the ride mum Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 If you have a Tesco card you can swap you Tesco points for Red Handkercheif ( I think that's right but it might be red handky) vouchers and then order your train tickets through them. It is a very economical way of doing it as you get double the value on your Tesco points Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amber21 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Wonderful news congratulations xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yaffa Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 If you have a Tesco card you can swap you Tesco points for Red Handkercheif ( I think that's right but it might be red handky) vouchers and then order your train tickets through them. It is a very economical way of doing it as you get double the value on your Tesco points The company's Red Spotted Hanky www.redspottedhanky.com. You can get a good overview of this and other train offers on the moneysavingexpert.com site at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-train-tickets .and http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-coach-train-ticket-deals Yaffa (with no connection to either company - just passing on the info) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Amazing news, and lovely to hear that another talented dancer is on her way to her dream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarplumsmum Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Just a little update.. I think I'm getting there with the help of you all, our insurance papers arrived today along with her railcard and her "very expensive" vocational uniform. we had a few of the things on the list already and hoping the fact her Jazz trainers are capezio not bloch wont matter? we've cut corners as much as possible going for the cheapest option of everything and hopefully not scrimping and set up a go fund me page for her as the person that was going to help with the maintenance has backed out as now funding someone else we have discussed already that next year we will be looking for a hosthome and hopefully this will also cut some costs down.. but we have to get through this year first and as a late starter this option wasn't an option, to the relief of my Dd who said she just wants to feel the magic of the full Tring experience for just a little while but will live in the shed if has too..lol. She's been so good bless her and all her savings she's had since a little girl from birthday monies unspent has gone towards uniform and expenses and ive noticed her looking at prices of things and swapping for value range everything, think Im more proud of how grown up she is being at this very moment but also a little sad as since little instead of doing the usual spending after the birthday she would ask me to put her money gifts into her bank and say this money is for my dance school, even £1 coins were saved instead of a bag of sweets. I'm thinking of all you lovely dancing parents stepping onto this rollercoster of auditions and dance schools and all I can say is hold on tight as it has many a dip and turn and yes on times you will be screaming lol x 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwimum Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 What amazing and happy news. Have a read of the lovely article in this month's dancing times x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarplumsmum Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 kiwimum I don't get the dancing times are you able to post a link? x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 That sounds like my DD - all she asked for for her 16th birthday was uniform for starting at vocational school and she counts the pennies all the time. For extra funding, I expect you have done this already, but look on your local councils websites for any charity funding options. In our area, we found it was usually Sept - Dec for awards to be made so you may still find something to help. All the best to you and your DD for this new adventure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingDays Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Hi Sugarplumsmum, just wanted to say that I hope everything has gone well and that your DD has an amazing first day at Tring today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porthesia Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Hope your DD is having the most splendiferous first day at Tring today 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarplumsmum Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Thank you everyone. well Dd was dutifully delivered to the 6th form boarding house and was greeted by such amazingly welcoming students, each in turn come to visit and was waiting in the wings to sweep her into there embrace once I finally allowed myself to let her go, I had been so good right up to the very last moment but that last cwtch was just a step to far and unfortunately I left her crying because I was crying her day started officially at 8am with a meeting with head of academics and has found that even though she has started only a half term late she has a lot of academic to catch up on and has been advised to perhaps consider dropping a class then when she got to the dance classes (by following the others and just joining anywhere as she wasn't told what set or classes shes in ) she has now found that appraisals are in 2 weeks time and she is expected to learn all the syllabus to take part in the process, so even though she was totally exhausted at 8.45pm when she finally finished her last class and aching all over she was looking forward to the following day and doing the dancing part all over again we've had a steep learning curve and sure were only just on the first step, and my heart hurts so much from loss but also pride, and its thanks to my ballet forum family that made it a little bit easier x 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugarplumsmum Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 ps.. ive now added a photo to my profile so you can see a picture of my Dd, this was taken on a photo shoot with a photographic artist, at the time I was thinking why is she not dancing and only doing shapes and then this picture was sent to me after the photographer had won a competition with it... its named "An angle on pointe" and is how the artist says she imagines dancers find there way to heaven. x 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 What a beautiful photo. So glad she's settled and looking forward to today. It is such a friendly environment. I'm sure she'll love it x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2dancersmum Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 I'm sure that in a few weeks time your DD will be fully settled into her new life and new school and it won't seem as if she is playing catch up all the time. At least when she is so busy she will have less chance to get homesick. I know it won't stop you worrying about her or missing her but she will be home before you know it. You speak of 'loss' - don't - yes you will miss her but I am sure you will manage lots of contact with her. I get daily texts from my DD, facebook messages and frequent telephone calls. I may not physically see her everyday but even when she was home she was often at ballet, at school or in her room studying. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Lovely! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutcracker-x Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Glad to hear your DD has settled in well at Tring. She'll soon catch up and it will soon seem as if she's been at the school since the start of the term and didn't start half way through 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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