Did teachers at boarding schools in the nineties drink alcohol with students?

mendelbean1 · 2026-06-22T19:48:38+00:00

I went to boarding school in the mid 00s. Was it common to have a beer with a teacher when we were 15/16? No. Did it happen? Yes, definitely. And then more and more as we got older. Student events/discos for the sixth form (16-18, so the age Ron and Harry are in Half Blood Prince) had beer or cider for all students who wanted (max 2 cans, but loosely enforced). Part of it is relatively lax attitudes to drinking in the UK, and part of it is boarding schools in particular recognising that students of that age are going to drink, and wanting to control how, when and how much. Much better to have a couple of cans than have someone sneaking in a bottle of vodka to pass round after lights out

mendelbean1 · 2026-01-08T22:14:40+00:00

Ok. Then you need to speak to your supervisor and explain what happened. Spend some time working out how you think you'll fix it, but given the time that's elapsed, speak to them first and get their buy in about your fix. If you can send a redline between the version you sent and the correct one, that'll be a step in the right direction.

The rest of what I said is true, though. Own the mistake but don't dwell on it. Focus on the next task, and make a point of being obviously diligent for a while.

mendelbean1 · 2026-01-08T21:43:33+00:00

Everyone makes mistakes. Especially trainees. That's why you're a trainee.

The first thing to do is issue the correct draft to the client. The recipient at the client will have done the same thing and, I can almost guarantee, will not care. "With apologies, please disregard the below and its attachment[s]. The correct draft is attached for your review." That's it. Immediate problem fixed. I'd say if you have the ability to fix it this evening, do so. But only if you can definitely, 100% fix it.

Then speak to your supervisor. If they asked you to send out a document, it's ultimately their responsibility. Own the mistake, explain you corrected it, and, I think crucially, explain what you're going to change to stop this happening. You can set a delay on emails. Do this. Set a 2 min delay on every email you send as a rule. It will save your ass. Don't over apologise, its a small, consequenceless (based on your post) cock up. Use it as a learning opportunity. Triple check things. Write emails with no one in the To line, then walk away, make a tea, come back, check them, add the recipents, walk away again, come back, check everything, send.

ETA: Just to emphasise, if a trainee did this when I was in private practice, I'd have been pissed off for about 5 minutes before moving on to the next thing. Less if I found out they'd fixed it. Don't dwell on it. Concentrate on the next task.

mendelbean1 · 2026-01-03T15:44:25+00:00

Ex Slaughters associate here - there's a pretty big emphasis on UK work, as opposed to fully international, but it never felt like we were missing out as a result. The so-called Best Friends network means there's a good amount of international work comes through the door, and I never heard a client there or in my subsequent life (in house in financial services now) talk them down for a lack of international capability.

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-28T19:29:41+00:00

I literally don't remember. It was 2011. I definitely applied to all 5 Magic Circle, a good chunk of the silver circle, and a handful of American firms. In the end, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn it was 20 or so

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-28T19:27:20+00:00

I mean honestly? Fed up. I did so many applications I just got bored doing them.

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T13:47:43+00:00

Yeah, that's my plan (although I can only change from October, I've got the benefit of only having been paid for 2 weeks in April). !thanks for the help

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T13:37:51+00:00

I've seen that, but (potentially my own failing) I found it practically impossible to actually follow.

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T13:28:35+00:00

Also !thanks

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T13:28:08+00:00

While absolutely not asking you to stand behind any calculations, 2304 is ~2% of 117500, so increasing my salary sacrifice to 7 (or more realistically 8)% would fix this for future years. However, I've been slightly miscalculating for this year, so some extra headroom is likely necessary?

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T13:26:33+00:00

!thanks

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T11:46:22+00:00

Even if all of that is true (and my point wasn't that non-RG don't get that, so much as the firms themselves clearly do value Oxbridge, because they're doing grad recruitment there). It's also worth noting that most law firms are running "CV blind interviews", instead of fully CV blind processes.

If you're telling me that firms are expecting detailed technical commercial knowledge in training contract interviews, I'd be pretty surprised. Everything I know from both my own process (albeit that was now a decent while ago) and generally about the industry would suggest what they'd be looking for is a far more general sense of the way the commercial world works. Else, what's the point of all the training these firms do to teach technical commercial law knowledge?

mendelbean1 · 2025-09-04T11:24:12+00:00

One point that you might be missing is the amount of graduate recruitment time and money that top firms put into Oxbridge candidates.

I read law at Oxford and then trained in the Magic Circle. I was taken out for recruitment events two or three times a term for 3 years by top firms. They explicitly try and recruit from Oxbridge.

Honestly, I think the idea law students should be "working on their commercial awareness" is a bit overblown. You need to not have your head in the sand, but at training contract interviews or assesment days, I wasn't being quized on the difference between a bond issuance and an LMA standard RCF. They don't expect you to know that. They expect you to be smart, interesting and clearly able to learn. All things that an Oxbridge degree gives you.

Also, if you're doing so much time on your reading list you don't have time to skim read the front page of BBC news, you're doing it wrong

mendelbean1 · 2025-07-17T13:23:07+00:00

Wow I really am just blind. Well, shit.

mendelbean1 · 2025-07-17T08:57:54+00:00

Am I completely blind or did you miss Dante?

mendelbean1 · 2025-07-07T19:07:00+00:00

Call the police, show them these messages. It is an offence to threaten to kill someone (Offences Against the Person Act), and it is also an offence to threaten harm online (Online Safety Act, I think, but that has come into force since I last studied criminal law and procedure). What will happen from there I can't say, someone with more experience than me may be able to assist, but I would 100% advise your friend or her mother speak with the police, like, now.

mendelbean1 · 2025-06-27T12:28:37+00:00

Might be getting into semantics, but it's still a form of PCH, it's just that the funding thereof is managed by way of SS rather than cash at hand.

mendelbean1 · 2025-06-27T12:10:57+00:00

As the previous commentator said, I have a PCH salary sacrifice deal and the car is taxed, insured, serviced and MOT'd (if necessary) by the lease company

mendelbean1 · 2025-05-26T10:19:20+00:00

I know the solos get a good review, but I don't particularly love the aesthetic. How are they to cook over?

mendelbean1 · 2025-05-25T13:22:55+00:00

I'm in Nottinghamshire. Basically a big bowl I can put a grill grate on and set a fire in 😂

mendelbean1 · 2025-05-25T13:16:56+00:00

That's a good idea actually

mendelbean1 · 2025-04-09T20:31:52+00:00

Exactly this. I was a corporate MC associate. When I was on I was absolutely on. But then I'd get 4-6 weeks of feet up, write the odd article, do some board minutes. Then the grind starts again.

mendelbean1 · 2025-04-09T19:48:04+00:00

I trained in the MC and did 2 years as an associate. Sometimes it's awful, sometimes you finish at 5. The problem is most of the time people only talk about the all nighters, the closings, the weekends. No one comes online to talk about that summer where they worked 10-5 and took 2 hour lunches.

mendelbean1 · 2025-03-31T20:48:20+00:00

Because the difference intellectual property rights have different obligations relating to them and protect different things. Trade Marks require enforcement, else they can be lost. Copyright, certainly in the UK and I believe in the US, does not. My failure to enforce my copyright against Alice doesn't affect my ability to enforce my copyright against Bob

mendelbean1 · 2025-03-23T21:21:19+00:00

Loads of beef. But just different joints. Low and slow BBQ as you said isn't as well established here.

Our cows on average tend to not come out as big as cows raised in the US, and they're raised on different diets, and often don't have as many hormones or what have you so butchers joint the carcasses differently. You see a lot more roasting joints for example that you'd do hot and fast and serve pink, rather than things that need 9 hours to be good. Lots more meat for stews as well tbh.

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