O that's grim,
iona . When I did the course (2004), I had an absolutely brilliant tutor who had worked his whole life in horticulture, starting out as a contract grafter at 14. He had been teaching for 40 years or so and just knew...everything. He was retired, but the college pleaded with him (every year) to stay to do the RHS course (and he loved it). He taught the first year of advanced but had to finally stop during the second year...and by then, FE was in all kinds of trouble, there were no tutors to be had, (all sorts of people were drafted in - I did a course with a retired groundskeeper (which I surprisingly loved) but by the third year, I had to go 30odd miles to Shuttleworth. No public tyransport but I managed to get a lift with another student on my course. Halfway through the second year, they also had to abandon the course completely. I could, I suppose, have done the 4th level, but that would have been another 2 years and I had no way of getting to Capel Manor and worse, I would have had to pay heaps of money (I did the gen cert, advanced and dip.hort for free). I was even asked to teach the general certificate myself (although ducked out of that because criminal records..., but I was paid to manage the greenhouse).I honestly can't imagine how difficult and frustrating it must be, doing this course under the current conditions. It really is the worst luck for it to have been while you were doing the course,
iona.
