Q. Everyone over 40 in my office has been let go. I assume I have been spared the axe because Human Resources has never had a record of my date of birth. Now a mountain of paperwork has arrived from the school at which my son will take up a place in September. We, his parents, are asked to supply all manner of personal detail about ourselves including our ages. My husband is happy to give his age. I do not wish to lie about mine but if I failed to fill in the box at all, or wrote ‘N/A’, it might draw more attention because we have moved into a rather small and gossipy community. If I were to give my true age and anyone from the school office were to talk, I truly believe I could lose my job. What should I do?
Name and address withheld
A. Many well-organised parents consign the mountains of paperwork that come in from their children’s schools to lever-arch filing systems. No one in the school office would be surprised, therefore, if you were to return the form with the contents of the age box simply punched out by a ‘carelessly’ applied hole-puncher. In this way you can sidestep your difficulty.
Q. I am the organist in our small village church and am frequently approached by neighbouring church wardens and vicars as to whether I am willing to deputise in their church. I would appreciate your help in wording my enquiry as to the size of their organ without causing an embarrassed silence or a raised eyebrow.
Name and address withheld
A. The conductor and director of music at Tonbridge School, Hilary Davan Wetton, advises you that, ‘Since the organ is very much a hands-on instrument perhaps it would be better to discuss the number of manuals, pipes or stops, rather than making any direct reference to size.’
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