GOOD TV

[Big Kev]

I tried getting into His Dark Materials but it's not for me. I have watched the first 5 episodes of World on Fire and have enjoyed it. I hope to watch the last two episodes before the TV gets 'boxed up' for house moving.

[Stanley]

Funny isn't it how tastes vary, can't get on with World on Fire, so much of it is at odds with my experience of those times.
I watched Brazilian GP and Dark Materials last night. You were right Wendy, Vettel is a bugger for veering across, he did it to Lewis at the start and eventually took his team mate out by doing it again. Poetic justice was served by the fact he did it to himself as well!

[PanBiker]

Funny isn't it how tastes vary, can't get on with World on Fire, so much of it is at odds with my experience of those times.

I didn't know you were at Dunkirk or in Poland in the early months of the war Stanley, I thought you were a little lad at the time.

[Stanley]

Very clever.... You forget that even then there were such things as newsreel films, direct testimony from war correspondents on radio and accounts from survivors. Add to that being bombed, we got to know very early about blast affects etc. You never forget seeing hundreds of bodies being carted out of an orphanage in army lorries after a land mine flattened it during the night. We heard that one explode as we sat in the Anderson Shelter, you can't miss things like that, over 1500lbs of Amatol exploding gets your attention. Have you ever heard the sound of a large bomb falling? We soon learned that if you heard it it hadn't got your name on it. Then there's army service and 40 years of reading history not to mention taking the trouble to listen to and record a Polish survivor's experience (Stanislaw Bajkowski). All told that qualifies me to have views about the events of the years I lived through. So have a tiny bit of respect for age and experience.

[Big Kev]

I watched the programme as a 'story', it was about the people. I didn't consider it to be a documentary.

[PanBiker]

Oh dear, seemed to have touched a nerve, no disrespect intended. Like Kev I see it as a family saga set against a backdrop of the events during the early war years.

[Stanley]

I understand that but my admittedly over-critical brain refuses to allow me to suspend disbelief. That spoils the plot for me. No enjoyment = no viewing.
One funny story about the war. The most frightening and violent explosions I ever heard (Until I first fired a 17pdr) was the noise of the battery of mobile Ack Ack quick firing Bofors that arrived on the park one day 100 yards away from us. When they opened up that night we had to put our fingers in ours ears. Far worse than 1500lbs of Amatol in an air burst less then half a mile away. I can still hear them!

[Stanley]

I managed to catch Daniel on The One Show on Wednesday. Considering his condition he looks well and very distinguished! Only criticism is that there wasn't enough of him and the pics!

[Tripps]

Just watched an interesting programme on Ch 4 (episode 1 of 6) about the House of Windsor.
It makes the current antics of Prince Andrew seem quite trivial, and in view of the behaviour of his recent ancestors almost predictable.

They showed a recently released document saying that the (abdicated ) King Edward VIII was being groomed by the Germans to take over the monarchy after the invasion. his motivation was said to be that Wallace Simpson wanted to be a Queen. She was said to totally dominate him.

I've always tolerated a hereditary monarchy on the grounds that it avoided the possibility of a President Jeffrey Archer. I'm reminded of Tony Benns question 'how do we get rid of you'? I think the moment has got nearer. I don't see the current crop surviving the death of The Queen.

Monarchy

.

[Whyperion]

Funny isn't it how tastes vary, can't get on with World on Fire, so much of it is at odds with my experience of those times.

I didn't know you were at Dunkirk or in Poland in the early months of the war Stanley, I thought you were a little lad at the time.

Is it American financed, I understand it is mainly written from the view of people in Europe more than England for much of it. I think the programme would serve as a useful, dramatised, introduction to the time and the events.

I think it is possible for some 'young' oldies to interpret their view of WW2 through their experiences of the likes of National Service ( the likes of the Middle East, Korea, Aden, and other places for the British Army rumbled on as anything like diplomacy was at best a muddle through by the higher ups ).
I have learnt a lot from mum's experiences, I will have to post at some time dad's photos. Here's a question (which should go on a more general history page), if you were called up in WW2-did you have to do a further period of National Service- my father would have been 18 in the July before the end of WW2 and I know he served (Pay Corps in REME) post the end of war as he was in North Africa (after everyone else had gone to Italy, and Lebanon/Palestine, literally following the footsteps of his older brother ). For WW1 I have found some relative's records that show they too were retained in Middle East and not demobbed until well into 1919. I dont think I could cope either on home soil or in any physical or mental capacity in military service, so that mum, and many aunts and uncles did I find astounding.

[Whyperion]

The BBC Reports key items in the Tory Manifesto set for Launch Sometime today. (summarised slightly )

Brexit aside, whats not to like (more interestingly what is not said?)
a commitment to a "triple tax lock" - a promise that the rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT would not rise under a Conservative government.
The pledge is in addition to Mr Johnson's previous announcement to raise the National Insurance contributions threshold to £9,500 in 2020., I assume that if N Threasholds rise, that it is possible that Basic Rate threasdholds wont for the 5 years. Presumably planned increases on Company Cars and changes on Company Vans tax will also be occuring?
[ No mention of things like, rises in Council Tax and other charges for Local Services, changes in rates of Inheritence Tax or Stamp Duty for example].

more investment in the NHS, schools and tackling crime (NHS one I assume is the seed funding for new hospital proposals, so not much)
£500m a year for four years to fund filling potholes - Could be handy I suppose.
Spending £6.3bn for environmental upgrades to homes, such as grants for improving boilers and insulation. this should address some concerns (note some insualtion cannot be done without works to reduce ground levels below DPC, and is difficult for the stone built terraces beyond loft work. Mum's gas pipe have corroded , presumably others in the street suffering too so additional beyond running boilers hopefully included).
Childcare: £250m a year, for at least three years, plus a £250m capital spending boost, for "wraparound" childcare - meaning after school or during holidays (close, but not enough compared to the Labour Child Centres)
ban on exporting plastic waste to countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (presumably should get cross party support, if Brexit can be done in six weeks hopefully this policy is oven ready too)
Free hospital car parking to protected groups ( people with disabilities, frequent patients, gravely ill people, family of long-stay patients, carers and NHS staff working night shifts. )
Education: A new National Skills Fund of £600m a year for five years. Does not seem to go far , could be topped up from current EU funds to NVQs and similar .

Pensioner-friendly policies like keeping the triple lock, winter fuel payments and free bus passes for those of state pension age.

[Stanley]

David, I agree with you about Brenda. You'll know the dam is cracking when someone does an exposé of Dicky Mountbatten.

[plaques]

They showed a recently released document saying that the (abdicated ) King Edward VIII was being groomed by the Germans to take over the monarchy after the invasion. his motivation was said to be that Wallace Simpson wanted to be a Queen. She was said to totally dominate him.

Read the biography on Edward VIII and look up the pedigrees of our Royal family and it becomes clear that they are already German. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg was the stud farm for our Royalty. The name of the game is dynasty survival as poor old Nicholas II (the last Tsar) Nikolay Aleksandrovich Romanov. was to find out to his cost in 1918. So not so much of a takeover but more of a guaranteed continuation.

[Stanley]

They don't appreciate being reminded of that uncomfortable but true fact. Calls into question convoluted explanations 'proving' that the monarchy is a continuous blood line.
I watched the first episode of The War of the Worlds, it has got my attention.

[Tizer]

Here's a Martian in Woking... LINK

[Stanley]

Very Good Tiz. I watched the third episode, not bad but the flash backs and leaps forward confuse me. His Dark Materials was excellent, very convincing.....
I watched the film 2001 by Kubrick on Youtube the night before. No wonder it puzzled many people when it was first screened but still excellent.

[Stanley]

I watched Gold Digger last night but soon gave up. Either I'm peculiar (Definitely possible!) or this is a convoluted and boring plot. I went and reminded myself why I always Liked Captain Janeway in the series Star Trek Voyager. I loved that series.....

[PanBiker]

Voyager and all the other Star Trek franchises are available every night on the higher satellite channels.

[Stanley]

It's amazing what's out there if you search. Triggered by my new book on Stalingrad I watched 'Enemy at the Gates' yet again last night. If you have never come across it it's well worth finding. The other one l love is 'Das Boot'. Both of them superb fictional renditions of the reality of war. (LINK)

[Stanley]

I'm still enjoying His Dark Materials but it's complicated! I've saved War of the Worlds for tonight! I shall have to go to catch up to watch the end of the last Grand Prix of the season, I fell asleep before it ended!

[Stanley]

I watched Nigel King stun everyone by knocking out Judd Trump by 6 frames to three. Trump is world number one and Nigel number 94 and he's 54 years old! It was no fluke, Nigel played good solid thoughtful snooker and didn't let the occasion phase him. Very enjoyable!

[Big Kev]

I've saved War of the Worlds for tonight!

Mmmmmmmmm! Did you enjoy it?

[Tizer]

We tried the first episode and didn't both with the rest!

[Stanley]

Haven't watched it yet Kev, I got diverted into the Panorama prog on the Andrew affair.
Deeply depressing, the man is a waste of space with attitudes so far removed from real life that an ordinary mortal like me can't possibly understand his mind set. A life of undeserved privilege and indolence may have qualified him to wear fancy dress uniforms loaded with decorations but do nothing for his usefulness in my world. As good an advertisement for Republicanism as I have ever seen. I am sure that he still doesn't get it, he is incapable of understanding how desperately useless and damaging his lifestyle is.
On the quiet Brenda must be incandescent!

[Tripps]

We still have stocks in the village under the giant chestnut tree. I mused after the interviews that they should be re activated for Prince Andrew. I envisaged him walking barefoot on a pilgimage of repentance to Walsingam with nightly scourgings, and afternoons in the stocks.

That would suffice I think - I wonder what the outcome will be?