herfiehandbag

Reserves are really only any use if they have had regular training to keep them current. If not all you have are a lot of untrained, unfit, uninterested and unwilling blokes, with some memories of their times as conscripts 10 years or more ago.

How does it go - if I can paraphrase the chant from George Orwell's "Animal Farm": " EU good, Hungary bad, EU good, Sweden bad, EU good, Brexit bad"

I am sure that the EU will in due course declare that Sweden can no longer be considered a democracy...

One rather hopes that the Royal Air Force didn't actually attempt a barrel role with this aircraft whilst conveying Her Majesty to London?????

To me, perhaps an innocent abroad but I don't know; using a judge to ensure that material which the prosecuting authority obtained legally cannot even be examined to seeing it is evidence of the alleged crime, does sound a teeny little bit like an admission of at least concern that it may reveal guilt?

A convoy of coaches, being flagged off with a chequered flag, by a policeman! TAT don't do irony do they?

Many people, including much of Mr Thaksin's power base, live if not from day to day then certainly from week to week. There is nothing to save, to invest, to provide for the future. No hope really of ever doing so, or improving their lot. Of course they listen to him. When he was in power he introduced measures which materially improved their standard of living. Then they look at what this present bunch have achieved since they took (literally) power.

I live next door to a secondary school. Every morning 8.00 to 8.30 music is played over the P.A. system. Some days a teacher is in charge, patriotic ballads; often the youngsters are on the mic - rap is an incredibly popular genre amongst the teenagers, and I suspect it is not particularly complimentary towards the more conservative elements...

I wonder whether a discreet call was made suggesting that the visa be refused? The younger generation's disenchantment with the status quo does need to be kept under wraps after all, and this young lady is a major player in this antipathy.

If he had been in the MT Platoon the motto would have been "Cede Nullis" - give way to no <deleted>!

Presumably that is its market value. However it is not Prince William's to put on the market. Whilst the estate surely returns a healthy profit, it's revenues are subject to tax, it plays a very significant role in the economic life of the West Country, including providing significant opportunities to young people to make a living from farming which would not otherwise be open to them. It is overall very beneficial to the rural economy of much of England.

I should imagine that prosecutor is very dismayed that his attempt to drag Prince Andrew in front of him in. New York court did not come off. Prosecuting high profile cases in the American judicial system is often the gateway to judicial eminence or a political career. Firstly blaming the British establishment for that failure would be better received in New York (and in the Guardian for that matter) than would admitting that there wasn't really any evidence. Secondly, given Epstein's somewhat suspicious demise whilst in custody, is anyone surprised that there was a reluctance to deliver Prince Andrew to the New York judicial process? Incidentally I note that he was subsequently sacked as a prosecutor...

Well if I may be blunt, to shut up a persistent gold digging raddled old tart, who,now that her looks had gone, was forced to find more inventive ways to screw men for money; and thus avoid her dragging the Queen's second son (prat as he may be) into her corner of the gutter during the last month's of Her Majesty's life.

A dinosaur on the maximum dosage of Immodium? To avoid confusion I must stress that I am referring to the very large petrified log!

Perhaps you exaggerate slightly? The fellow in Edinburgh was arrested for behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace. I can't offhand think of any behaviour more likely to cause a breach of the peace than standing in a large crowd of mourners as the Queen's coffin is carried in procession through the streets and shouting at one of her sons! There has been, is, and will be ample opportunity and channels for them and others to make their views known on the subject of Prince Andrew and the monarchy in general. This is no more than attention seeking, they know that they will almost certainly cause a breach of the peace and are setting out to do just that.

You would have thought that with that sort of wedge he could afford a better hat!

You would have thought that with that sort of wedge he could afford a better hat!

Neither Prince Harry nor Prince Andrew are serving members of the Armed Forces. Prince Andrew lost his honorary appointments which allowed him to wear uniform when he was " retired", Prince Harry voluntarily relinquished his. Neither of them are entitled to wear uniform. Both of them are entitled to wear their medals, as would be any other person with military service. Those medals represent that they "went to war for their country". Neither of them have any gallantry awards - so I don't think their is any "stolen valour" going on.

Mind you, his concerns about the stationery costs for the head of state's office do him credit!

Well said sir. I happen to be an avowed monarchist, for a great many reasons, but the political argument which you advance for a hereditary monarch as our head of state is unassailable. Goodness, we could have (most probably would have) ended up with "President Blair"!

Yes soldiers do swear an oath to the sovereign, his (her) heirs and successors. But overthrowing the government; why, in the case of the infantry it would interfere with the rugby and cricket programs, for the Cavalry polo, and for the Household Division polo. For the logisticians it would involve suddenly dispensing items over the great counters of "no" so they wouldn't want to do it. All the Navy's Large Grey Boats are being mended, and the RAF would insist on it all being done and dusted by Thursday teatime lest it interfered with the weekend. Amongst the "officer corps" the "young thrusters" would hang back to see which way it would go before they got involved; the "passed over" wouldn't know where to start. Anyway, it would involve facing Penny Mordaunt in full "little Miss Bossy mode" - I would take my chances in battle but sod that for a game of soldiers!

Yes, realised that now. My post was clumsily worded, and not really aimed at you, rather I suppose at all the putative conspiracy theorists out there...

Well it was her three children's first day at a new school. She and her husband probably thought it important that she was at home for them, especially as someone had to explain that their great grandmother had died .

Oh I don't know, it looks like a top notch condo...

Thank you Ma'am.