Theresa May attempted a reshuffle today, yet all she did was move the milk from one side of the fridge to the butter, but added some butter and cheese into the mix.What are your views on the reshuffle and did Justine Greening get sacked or did she really quit of her own accord?
On a side issue, very sad news about James Brokenshire, hope he recovers well.
Well the provisional schedules reveal that for the first time since 2004, there is NO ANIMATED movie on BBC1 after The Queen. Instead it's a premiere of Disney's live action remake of Cinderella, a fitting film for Christmas afternoon.
The Christmas Eve line up isn't too bad either with:
6.00pm Countryfile
7.00pm Still Open All Hours Christmas Special
7.30 Mary, Mel and Sue's Christmas Thank You
8.30 EastEnders
9.00 Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show
10.05 Not Going Out Christmas Special
10.45 The Vicar of Dibley (rpt)
11.25 BBC News
11.45 Midnight Mass
LW, your poem moved me. Thank you so much for sharing. I wrote a collection of poems in 2014 for a book called "Field of Souls" which were all commemorative poems on the subject of WWI. I sent a copy to none other than HM The Queen and I received a reply from her lady in waiting confirming that the Queen had read them and had enjoyed reading them. Your poem LW, is so thought provoking that I thought it would be an ideal poem for someone to read at The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance.
Sorry for inflicting another poem on you all, but with Remembrance Weekend upon us, I thought I'd share a poem that I wrote to commemorate the start of World War One, which is, I believe, appropriate for Remembrance:
GOOD MEN OFF TO WAR
"Are you going dad?" asked Lucy.
"In a bit love" dad replies.
With kitbag filled with all he requires,
Dad smiles but silently cries.
"Are you ready love?" asked Flora.
"Not quite, but soon" says Stan.
With all his worldly possessions at side
He is a terrified young man.
"Is it time yet?" asked Violet.
"A few minutes left" answers Dick.
With his memories of the ones he loves,
He is desperate and worried sick.
How long before the battle cries
Wake them in their sleep?
How long before they shiver with cold
In the trenches vast and deep?
How long before the sound of guns
Penetrates their brain?
How long before their dead friends'
Spirits drive them all insane?
These few good men that are off to war
Are just somebody's son.
Or dad or husband or brother dear
A loved one for someone.
Some of them will one day return
But most of them will die
And when back home the women hear,
They will learn to say goodbye.
They will hold them forever in their hearts
And think of them everyday
For the special men who fought so brave
Some poppies we will lay.
"I've died" dad tells Lucy,
"I'm in heaven love" says Stan.
"I'm coming home" Dick replies,
The returning hero, man.
I would definitely prefer a first post the post system so we can a better balanced parliament more representative of the wishes of the people. I know it can lead to hold ups in getting some legislation through but with PR views are better balanced and we can stop the extremism from all sides. When alliances and compromises have to be made, we can get better balanced policies by agreement.
The AV referendum was lost because people allowed themselves to be convinced that they themselves could not be trusted to count up to four.
I would vote for First Past The Post. The current behaviour of our MP's over Brexit has convinced me enough that they would be unbearable in a situation where thrashing out coalition agreements were necessary. They only act for the good of themselves, not the country. And, what would be the point of manifestos? What would we actually be voting for?
Been very warm. Hate it. It's meant to be October. Still, colder air from the North set to come in over the weekend, thank goodness. The colder, the better as far as I;m concerned. November looking to be cold and sunny with high pressure dominating from the North. But we'll see what really happens when it gets here!
I'd take take the extra hour of light.
Thanks for that BBC link, wizzy.
There are some things in life that people will never agree on. This is obviously one of them. 
I don't think we're going to get too much warmth into the middle of winter, wizzy, but yes, for an extra hour's light, I would change the clocks.
When was the last time winter was cold? 2010/2011? Last Christmas Day it peaked at nearly 16 degrees in some places of England. I love winter, I like it the way it is.
You might be right Ron, I'll check into that later. Thanks for posting it.
Of course, extra light into the evenings wouldn't help some people who go onto forums very early in the mornings.
Extra light in the evenings is pointless. Dark at 4.30pm or 5.30pm. What difference does it make? Most people would be travelling home from work at 5.30pm anyway. Keep the clocks as they are. Fall Back, Spring back.
Here's the video from the BBC about when we changed the clocks to keep it on BST - renamed British Standard Time.
Our time zone is our time zone. It's British! And it's a time zone the rest of the world set theirs too. The Greenwich Meridian line is the most crucial timeline there is. Why are so many people wanting to give that up, the importance of it all, just to "get an extra hour in the evening in winter." The clocks are already only set to GMT for five months anyway. It may also not have occurred to some, that not everyone loves summer and wants lots of glorious warmth and sunshine. Therefore, what we have now is a fair compromise, and I think it is right and proper that we keep it the way it is.
Display MoreI am firmly in the leave the clocks on BST camp.
By December it will be dark around 4-4.30pm and as I live by a primary school and some kids are still coming out of school clubs around that time, it's dangerous for them to be coming out into the darkness.
But I want the clocks to stay as they are for purely selfish reasons. I want the extra light in the late afternoon, it makes the day a little longer and I hate the darkness.
So, no. Don't switch over to GMT in the Autumn and keep things on summer time. Plus, there's another benefit. We'll be two hours ahead of those on the continent.
If we left the clocks as they, there would be darkness for longer in the mornings and more risk of children getting run over on the way to school as orientation is not as strong in the morning as it is in the evening. If we are two hours ahead of the continent it would catastrophic for business. We'd lose two hours of trade.
I like the clocks going back. I see no reason to change that process just to satisfy some small groups of self obsessed idiots who think they would have longer at the theme park in the winter.
I've only seen Bradley Walsh on The Chase... Is he an actor as well? Or am I thinking of someone else?
He was in Corrie and Law and Order UK. Jodie Whittaker has also only been in similar types of drama before so playing quirky and eccentric may be a challenge for her.
It's one of the reasons that I like Game of Thrones as it has strong female characters who are their own characters in their own right, not extensions of male characters.
Absolutely. I like shows that just cast women in roles created for women and men in roles created for men. I think both sexes have so much to offer in terms of differences and talent and as such we should be celebrating those differences, not merging them into one non-descript gender.
Can you imagine the outcry if Call The Midwife decided to ditch the female lead roles and turn the nuns into monks and the midwives into male gynecologists? Or if Wonder Woman became Wonder Man? Way too much effort is put into trying to appease to the minorities in order to be diverse and to not to offend, that it has got to the point where people are being offended by things that are totally avoidable. One of the reasons I liked Merlin was because it treated its male and female characters on an equal footing. Sure, the story centred around a young Merlin, but it was often told through the eyes of Guinevere who had such a pivotal role in the series, it would not have worked without her. I also only noticed she was mixed race when it was pointed out to me, so in that respect I think it was superb casting, and demonstrates that people by and large do not have any care as to whether an actor is black or white, male or female, because we have adapted and embraced our diversity.
What is happening now is degrading to women and ethnic minorities. Forcing diversity causes unease and potential animosity and shows also a lack of creativity from modern screenwriters. You pointed out Game of Thrones as an example where strong female characters are their own and as such the women shine in those roles. We are at the point now where, supposing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman quit Strictly, there would be outrage if they were replaced by men.
I don't have any ill feeling towards Jodie Whittaker. It isn't her fault. I blame Chris Chibnell and the PC gone mad BBC. They have recruited a bloke in a wheelchair as a Countryfile presenter. I'm sure he is a nice bloke and capable of doing many things, but I find his presenting skills terrible. There is a black guy as a continuity announcer on BBC1. Again, I'm sure he is very talented, but he's awful as a continuity announcer. He says free instead of three. Friller instead of thriller and so on. You wouldn't employ a blind man as a sole worker in a petrol station who has to authorise the pumps for use. So, why just employ people because they "tick boxes"?
Sorry, I am ranting, but I hope my point is made clearer by my explanation.
Is it that the character is now played by a woman, that you dislike wizzy? Well, basically you've pretty much said that, so fair enough. I'm going to give her a chance, though.
Sorry to hear about your upbringing. If you want to create a thread and talk about, go ahead. My mum was strict, but nowhere near to the extent of your experiences which seem to be sadistic in nature.
Yes. It is absolutely that I dislike the fact the character is now played by a woman. There are lots of liberal people saying "About time" but why is it about time? There are a lot of people saying "why not" but never ask "why?" The Doctor has been male for 54 years. He is married to a woman and has a granddaughter so clearly has children too. Yet only since "The Doctors Wife" has it been assumed that Timelords can whimsically change sex. There have always been Lords and Ladies in Doctor Who canon and as such, the character of the Doctor is sacred to me and the shows mythology. In fact in "Night of the Doctor" when the Doctor would have died forever had the Sisters of Kahn not given the Doctor the chance of regeneration through a magic potion, he refused to take a potion that enabled him to become a woman, instead choosing the "War Doctor" to turn into. I think it is sexist that writers are incapable of creating strong roles for women without casting them in roles traditionally played by men or making them bitches and strong minded bosses. When do you ever see a normal woman played normally by a normal woman on telly? Why could they not come up with an equal for the Doctor who happened to be female? She could outsmart him, she could also guide him too. But then he would be able to outsmart her, to guide her as well. That's true equality. We are going way too far into the world of surrealism, where the Two Ronnies "Worm That Turned" sketch is starting to become an inadvertent reality.
Another point to consider, many young boys regard the Doctor as their role model. In a world where boys are being brought up by single mums (mostly brilliantly), taught by female teachers and even possibly have girls in their scout group, who the hell do they get male guidance from? If television is their only means of escape from a world without male voices and even their male role models are being removed from them, what else do they have left?
Apart from a few episodes here and there, I haven't seen Dr Who since it came back onto our screens several years ago and what I did see, I wasn't keen on. But the new lady doctor has piped my interest and I like Bradley, so shall tune in for the first few new episodes and see how it goes.
I'm a fan of Doctor Who since Jon Pertwee and as such I regarded the geeky, eccentric mainly unattractive (until Tennant) male hero as my role model. When you grow up with a dad who takes pleasure in humiliating you and setting the dog on you for laughs, I needed someone I could relate to. In those days it was not even considered that the Doctor could be a woman. I physically grieved the loss of my role model on 16th July this year. I can not put into words how angry I felt that they had stolen this brilliant, amazing yet totally bonkers ordinary bloke with a time machine and a sharp mind. In my view this is the worst most offensive publicity stunt ever carried out to such an iconic character and show. Doctor Who has, in my mind, finished. It finished with Peter Capaldi dying in the series finale this year.
Bradley Walsh as one of the new doctor's assistants!!
That's got to be worth a watch for that alone.
I disagree. I think the appointment of Bradley Walsh is confirmation that the BBC are shit scared that they have made a big mistake by recruiting a female to play a male role and that they employed Bradley Walsh to attract viewers. The danger is is that people will be thinking "Bradley looks like the Doctor, acts like the Doctor so should be the Doctor." The term "All New Doctor Who" is also enough to ensure I don't switch on. Doctor Who has lost me as a viewer.
Of course, the BBC also need to save face. Had Doctor Who flopped because of Jodie, they would have looked stupid, but if Bradley brings viewers in, then the BBC will say, triumphantly, that the female Doctor is a great success. This is one clever confidence trick.
In Newbury, we have two English Civil War battle sites, and one ancient monument, Donnington Castle, is one such prime site. One night my brother came hurtling through the front door so fast, he was white as a sheet and his hair was literally stood on its end. He slammed his bedroom door and didn't appear for about an hour. When he came downstairs mum asked him what was wrong, and he said that surrounding the castle was a strange blue mist that just appeared and coming out of the mist were what looked like black shadows of men. They were advancing towards him and his friends. My brother only glimpsed at them for a second because he was 13 at the time and found them terrifying, Don't know what he saw to this day but he recalls what he saw vividly. Whether his "sighting" has been exaggerated by memory is another issue, but something was there that night that frightened him so much. He still visits the castle with his kids, but only during daylight hours.
Remember, this is not about being 'nice' or being a 'personality'. It's about having, as our constitutional Head of State someone who is entirely unelected, and in no way answerable to the democratic process.
This sends out the message that to have political control - even political rights - in this country, one must be white, Christian and from an elite minority.
So, whenever you praise the personality cult of a Diana, a William, a Harry or a Kate, you are opening the door to the selfish, ambitious creed of a Boris Johnson or a Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Elizabeth II in my view is not a cult personality. The biggest example of cult personality in this country is Corbyn and the way his followers ignore or protest about any fact or criticism is disturbing beyond the realms of sensible behaviour. The Monarch may be unelected, but they don't make the laws do they? We elect people to do that for us, yet these same folk who bemoan the monarch as being unelected, are embracing the EU as some kind of wondrous, fair organisation, that is fully democratic and accountable. If you believe that, you believe the loch ness monster lives in your garden pond!
As for your "one must be white, Christian and from an elite minority" comments, I found this quite offensive to be honest. All of us can go to a posh college or university if we really aspired to. The only ones preventing us from doing so are ourselves. Aspiration is what this country used to be about. And if you stop promoting aspiration you develop a country of state reliance, where those with little start resenting those who have more. In honesty, rather than resenting the have's, people should be aspiring to become like them. If they choose not to, fair enough, but why waste energy resenting them? As for your white and christian comments, I'm sorry to say this, but it comes across to me as if you have a persecution complex, or at the least a very big chip on your shoulder. Britain historically is a white, Christian country, and our population is still majority white, and will be like that probably for all our lifetimes. Are you suggesting the majority should no longer be represented by people they can relate to anymore, as some kind of forced appeasement to the ethnic minorities? Maybe if people stopped looking beyond skin colour and ethnicity, they might start achieving things.
I'm not overly sure about what you mean about the "selfish, ambitious creed of a Boris Johnson or a Jacob Rees-Mogg." Although I do observe that these two figures are rattling the left so much it would be delicious to have them in power just to witness the fireworks! Joking aside though, these two men are politicians, therefore by their very nature they are ambitious. I can't think of one MP or politician who isn't. As for being selfish, well surely that is just a bizarre comment based on the fact that you oppose their politics. They clearly have the interests of Britain as their priority and whether their vision of what the country should be is something you share or otherwise, does not mean they're selfish.
I will give one simple answer to the Question asked by the Thread Title:
Do we need a monarchy in 21st Century Britain?
Yes.
Did we ever?
Yes.
Monarchy is part and parcel of what this country is about. Our democracy is founded upon monarchy and the system of governance today is also kept in check by a monarch. And the alternative of having President Blair or President Osborne feels me with such nausea, I couldn't even relate to this being Britain if such a thing occurred.
The reason I say these things will not be "supernatural" is that all things are natural, so if they exist, they exist in the world the way everything else does.
"Ghosts" or spirits do not always manifest to people as most humans are not tuned to seeing them. However, often dreams turn them up, or dream states. My father was "psychic", and my brother and I have the same thing (because classically, this is inherited) but I don't know what to call it in today's world because today's world does not acknowledge anything that isn't material, here and now and provable by our extant detection equipment. So I'll just use the old fashioned terms.
To see things as one dimensional and "all there is" is to miss a large percentage of what is. Humans have since discovered this by the discovery of dark matter and energy. Ironically, dark matter makes up a far greater percentage of what exists in our everyday lives that we just cannot see. I have to presume this goes for much else that some of us experience too. But scepticism, although healthy and often correct, tends to suppress the experience of people and now, quite a lot of people just keep quiet. Myself included. The trolling that results isn't worth it, but if we are going to be able to discuss this topic here without being told we are mad or evil, then thanks to Horizon for the opportunity.
Indeed. Thanks for the opportunity, it is nice to have somewhere to discuss things without being ridiculed. I mentioned in my first post on the topic, that I had another story to tell on the subject and now I will tell it.
In 2003, a few months after my mum died, I walked home from work. At the time I had to walk down a gravel drive, shared with other houses. It had shrubbery and holly bushes all along the length. It was more like a country lane in the middle of a town. But as I got to the end of the lane, towards my front door (not the same flat as mentioned previously) I saw, clear as day, a tall man, dashing if you like, in a World War I trenchcoat. I just walked past him but neither of us spoke but when I turned around, he was still there, as if watching me. When I put my key in the door, I turned my head left to see if he was still watching me, but he was gone.
About a couple of weeks later, I saw him again, in the exact same spot and at the exact same time. The same thing happened. But then something weird happened. After that appearance he appeared few and far between but not always in the same place. I would see him in the Supermarket, in the Doctors surgery and once when I was at work, he appeared whilst I was cleaning the loo! I stopped seeing him in Autumn 2013. I think I saw him about a dozen times.
Why did I stop seeing him, or, why did he stop appearing? Well, I wanted to know who he was. So I did a genealogy project using ancestry.com. I traced my family tree back to 1685. I spoke my late Aunty Pam who showed me family photos and when she showed me one, I froze. She revealed a picture of my "man in a trenchcoat". His name was William Wickens and he was a great, great, uncle. He served in World War I but went missing in action and he was never found, one of many that applied to. My Aunty Pam said that everyone has a guardian angel, and they are never who you expect them to be. They protect you and look out for you during the darkest times of your life and I do recall being very emotional and often very low following my mother's death. I wondered why he stopped appearing and I was told that now I know who he is, he's done his job and feels content that I'm OK. Whether I'll ever see him again is another thing, but to date, since that 2013 Autumn, he has not appeared to me.
I'll leave it up to you to decide whether I'm bonkers or not, but I know what I saw and it does feel me with hope that there is something after death, even if it's not what we think it might be.
Did you ever do any background checks on the flat, wizzywick? To find out its past occupants and whether any incidents had happened there or not?
No, I should have done in hindsight, but a neighbour told me she often experienced similar things and actually thought she saw a woman in 1930's clothes walking through a wall. I never saw it though. It was opposite a Victorian cemetery though.
I have felt the presence of "something". In Summer 1992, August, I lived in a studio flat in Newtown Road, Newbury. I was lying in bed at around 2am with my face against the wall. Suddenly, for no reason whatsoever, there was a burst of an extremely cold breeze. It was as if someone was stood behind me because my aura across my back suddenly tingled and I froze. I daren't not turn round and I kept my eyes firmly shut. After a few seconds the coldness went and the room temperature returned to normal. I did not turn around for several minutes but when I did, I leapt out of bed and turned the light on and I slept with the light on for several days thereafter. I have another experience to share too, but I'll save that for another time.
"Innovative new programmes," who are they kidding? Probably another reality show will get put on.
Crimewatch was innovative though for its day and I watched it for many years, but like all things, it does get stale after a while and I got bored of it and moved on. Although, when Jill Dando was murdered, I did briefly go back and watch it, including the powerful episode that Nick Ross did about his colleague, Jill Dando.
Do you watch Crimewatch and will miss it, or has it has its day?
I haven't watched Crimewatch for years. It has had its day, but I do find the BBC statement to be hugely patronosing. "Make room for more innovative programmes" my arse! Why not just say that "due to social media and constantly evolving ways of appealing to the public, it is fely Crimewatch as a prime time programme, has reached the end of its run. We will maintain the brand and will continue with the daytime version, aswell as online content where possible." No need to mention innovative programmes! I'm still waiting for all the innovative programmes that were meant to replace all the other shows that have been axed! Remember "Total Wipeout"? That was axed to make way for more "exciting and fun filled entertainment shows" some 6 years ago. When are we going to see these "exciting and fun filled" shows on screen?
These kind of things are very much on my mind too.
Great poem.
Really sorry to hear that. Life can feel like a complete chore sometimes and emotions are like athletes on steroids. I hope you get comfort from someone and I hope in time, life starts being kind to you. I hope you got comfort from my poem.
I was reading on "The Great British Weather Thread" that Joe-G was reading a poem for her brother-in-law who has his funeral on Monday. It reminded me of when I read poems I had written for my mum's funeral. A friend of mine asked me to write a poem for her boyfriends funeral, and I tried to imagine her fella and the type of relationship they had. I didn't know him very well so couldn't write a heartfelt tribute, but I chose to write about their relationship and how she must be feeling now that he is no longer here. So I wrote a poem which is technically a love song for the dead, called Threnody. A threnody is a wailing expression, or a song or poem of mourning. So I hope you like it. my friend by the way, loved it. She said it summed up her feelings exactly and that moving on and getting on with your life is crucial. So, here it is:
THRENODY
Lips that taste of tears
Are the best for kissing,
The special person in my life
Is the love that I am missing.
Eyes that cry a bitter tear
Are the ones that bring me sorrow
My love is gone, I am preparing
For the loneliest tomorrow.
Lillies reign upon the darkest pond,
The world just keeps on turning.
The love that I hold in my heart
It's you that I am yearning.
Roses that grow up a cold stone wall
Are soft upon my pillow
And when the seasons turn to fall,
I'll be your weeping willow.
Daffodils in a cool spring breeze
Remind me of your beauty
As the grace within my soul
Reminds me of my duty.
You asked me to smile again,
Never to stop giving,
New love will come to me
And I will once more start living.
Anyone would think humans had no idea of morals, eternity, hope or good behaviour until we were salvaged by a middle eastern cult, or two. On top of that, it nicked all our festivals and burned, hanged, tortured and shunned anyone who dissented, including other Christians. No, I don't think it has much to offer that wasn't already there. As for having a message of love, this is also typical of cults that claim to have a message of peace. Often their history reveals no such thing and is a song of blood and conquest, with the added attraction of theft, brainwashing and oppression.
The Earth, on the other hand, has been the silent witness to human suffering since first we opened our eyes and saw our brethren coming towards us, carrying clubs.
Your post here proves that one age old myth. The older we get, the more cynical we become.
Christianity is, like all religions, a mixture of old and new. Many pagan aspects are incorporated into Christianity. The whole good vs evil thing for one start. I guess it's just an evolution that takes place in everything humans are involved in.
When did the good folks of this historically stoical and tolerant nation start making mountains out of molehills? So the Government voted Remain? Well considering the leaflet we got through our letter box said the Government was backing remain, it's not surprising that most would vote that way. They just didn't bargain on the public sticking their fingers up at them and blowing a huge raspberry! So, they are in an usual position of implementing democracy. The only thing that matters is whether they carry out Brexit. They have said they will, so we have to trust them. If they don't, they'll pay for it. But let's see whether they back out of delivering Brexit before we pass judgement.
Because they declared it wizzy. If you do a quick google search, it should tell you who voted to remain, which was most of them.
The leavers in the present cabinet are Boris, Davis, Gove and Fox. I don't think there were any others.
True. But just because they said something, doesn't make it true. May said she was going to look after the "Just About Managing" but that was a lie too! I just think politicians will just say things to keep them in favour with whatever group they need to keep on board with. We'll never really know how any of them voted in reality.
Most of the cabinet voted to remain. Can you see the "little" issue we have here, LW?
How do you know? None of us were there with them as they went into the polling booth. Corbyn also says he voted Remain but I don't believe him. I think May would have voted Leave had any of them done so.
