FOOTBALL OVERKILL

Have to admit I am not a sports fan and couldn't give a hoot about rugby and football but to suggest having a Bank Holiday to celebrate if England wins is absolute madness.  Apparently it would cost 3 Billion - not sure why but that's what was on the news.

I really do get upset at the assumption that we are all Footie fans.  There was a poll some years ago with regard to the percentage of folk interested in and followers of Football . The result was 30% which did surprise me.  Tony Blair acted as though the whole  population were Footie devotees.  The behaviour of many of the fans is so appalling  it would put me off even if I were so inclined.  

Today there was a poll as to whether there should be a Bank Holiday to celebrate a potential English victory and 70% did not think so.

And, of course, all the TV schedules are altered to accommodate the Football which is intensely annoying.  One of my favourites - Antiques Road Show - was rescheduled for 9.00 pm on Sunday and then came up against 3 other programmes I would have liked to watch.  Must say, this is very unusual to have so many programmes which appealed.  After the local Meridian News I turn over to Netflix on most nights as there's nothing which I want to watch on Terrestrial which is stuffed with Game shows, Cookery and Reality.  At least we now have the benefit of Catch Up. 

One of the programmes scheduled last Sunday was 'The Turkish Detective'.  I binged on BBC Iplayer - it was extremely good.  In fact, on Netflix, I watch a large amount of Foreign films and series.  Unfortunately one often has to turn on Subtitles for English products because of poor speech and mumbling.  I used to avoid Subtitles but have become so used to them that I hardly realise I'm watching a foreign film and reading the script.

Beautiful Garden

 Went to lunch at friends on Saturday.  They have a magnificent garden.  This year there was a rather unusual colour combination which, I believe, works.  I'd never have thought of putting Apricot with Lilac/Mauve but the mixture looks stunning don't you think.

Battle of Britain Memorial Day - Capel le Ferne 7th July 2024

As promised, some photos from a wet, windy and cold Capel.  

Air Attachés

At the Memorial Wall with my tribute to René Mouchotte =

Cross of Lorraine - sign of the Resistance

French Air Attaché Col. Xavie Rival and

Air Commodore Rick Peacock Edwards

 

BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL DAY - Capel le Ferne

I do hope you've followed me over from Twitter.

As you know I've long been a big supporter of the Battle of Britain Memorial and allied charities.  It was at Memorial Day in 2007 that I sponsored a name on the Memorial Wall and thus began a 17 year project with regard to Commandant/Squadron Leader René Mouchotte - one of only 13 Free French pilots with their names on the wall.  The Documentary is on You Tube https://youtu.be/oVNwEZ8KriM

Over the intervening years I secured a short Documentary on my Search for René Mouchotte; was instrumental in the renaming of the RAF HQ in Gibraltar - Mouchotte Buildings; was able to have René's Diaries republished in English in 2022  'Free French Spitfire Hero'; last year on the actual 80th Anniversary of René's death I secured a service at the Biggin Hill Chapel - where René was based and from where he flew on the fateful day of August 27th 1943 and met his death on the Raid at Eperlecques - the V2 manufacturing base.

I've attended all the Memorial Day services since 2007, sadly now a shadow of what they were.  When I first attended there were 25 Veterans, several of whom became my friends.  We now have no veterans and the panoply of the RAF Band, the British Legions and the public have all gone but we still mark the day and honour the Pilots and Air Crew who flew from July 10th to October 31st in the Battle of Britain.

I formed a good relationship with the now outgoing French Air Attaché and this bore fruit as he too had an interest in René Mouchotte.  Last October the 12 French Squadron Badges were presented to the RAF Club along with a beautiful painting, heavily featuring René on the historic day at Biggin Hill when they celebrated the downing of the 1000th Enemy Aircraft.  René and a Canadian pilot Squadron Leader Jack Charles shared the honour and the prize which I know René shared with his groundcrew.

Last year it was wet, windy and cold at Capel le Ferne which is very exposed on the cliffs.  I was very cold so this year, when similar weather conditions were forecast, I abandoned the summer dress and went for a Winter Velvet Suit.  Delighted to say it saw me through the afternoon and I was at least warm if somewhat wind blown.  For some reason my photos from yesterday are not loading into my Photo Library but will post when they do. 

Here's the Painting now proudly displayed in the RAF Club.  

WELCOME

Hallo and Welcome if you've followed me from Twitter.  

I closed my Twitter account today for many reasons mainly because I felt so helpless in the face of all the animal cruelty and abuse and was totally unable to help.  My main charities have presence on Facebook.  I have an account but rarely use it - I think Facebook is worse than Twitter for abuse.  However I will now post for my charities on the site and also, if I can come to grips with it, on Instagram.  

A very small part of my decision to leave was the nasties.  Admittedly I've been subjected to very few over the years but they hurt and very often, unless one engages in a 'tit for tat' one is unable to explain fully what you meant because of the restriction of 240 characters.

On my Website I can explain myself fully.

I will see if I can make the site for Members only - free of course.  I would like to stop JobsWorths and journalists snooping on what I see as my right to express my feelings freely.

As you possibly remember I was cancelled in September 2022 for two old Tweets in which I had done nothing more than express an opinion about the Abominable Yulin Dog Festival and also a comment on a BBC breaking news story.  The first was posted in 2020 and the second in 2021.  I was due to do a special recording of Pointless celebrating 'A Hundred Years of the BBC' and was obviously a last minute replacement (but I'm not proud) as I presume the Newsreader originally engaged must have been called away for duties to do with the Queen's funeral.   I was cancelled at the last minute and possibly have a Black Mark on my record.  I approached the FSU - Free Speech Union-on my behalf and despite asking the BBC for disclosure under 'Freedom of Information' the request was ignored.

BTW - If you believe in Free Speech then please look them up.  You can get the Newspaper for free or if you become a member - where fees are used to fight legal cases of people wrongfully accused - the fee is less than £3 a month.

Under the new Government I rather suspect there will be many more cancellations of otherwise innocent people.