The current Royal hysteria.

[The Duke]

The school has done their propaganda job well, my 9 yo is all up for another royal wedding. She already can’t wait for the next incoming royal royal sprog.

They still keep trying to sell her on religion too, which annoys the shit out of me. Teach facts please.

Also the persist with this mythical language, insisting  its a real thing. They call it Welsh iirc ?

I have no bad feeling for the top royals, I’d even make up a bed for Liz to say over, if she was ever stuck or to drunk to drive home. However once William dropped a kid or two, I no longer see Harry as a top draw royal. He is up there, but unless he does some great “planning”,he ain’t getting the big job.

I  care about his wedding about as much  I do for whoever is getting married in the lodge at the weekend. Ie None.

If I’m home when its on no doubt I’ll watch. Wow,  the royals sit about on par with the England national team, I’ve just realised.

[Bob Williams]

How many of your offspring are Welsh-born Steve? It sounds like your youngest are being indoctrinated!

What amuses me about this whole Prince of Wales thing, is the fact that the first one became Edward II, the son of English King Edward I, who killed the last Welsh PoW in battle:    http://tinyurl.com/ycr4547c

Why many of the Welsh continue to have a belief in English royalty is something only they would be able to explain. Maybe. The present Royals are not of English descent anyway. The Georges, ancestors of Victoria, were all Hanoverian Germans. Before that, all the Royals were descended from a mix of Norman French and real Scandinavians. So they are not really English, but then who is?

I know the Welsh fascination with religion, my grandad was High Church and did not like dad marrying a Methodist. He was even more peed off when dad told him it didn’t matter, as he was actually an atheist and followed gran’s Romany Earth beliefs (as do I). My Gt7 ancestor was christened Manasseh Williams and came from the Machynlleth/Dolgellau area. That name is apparently the title of one of the 12 tribes of Israel, and there is a black American rapper called Manasseh Williams, with many more black people having the same name. Go figure, as the Yanks say. I love Welsh male voice choirs, though. Listening to “Bread of Heaven” always lifts the hairs on the back of my neck.

I have a male cousin in Staffordshire, another religious nutter, who has the Family Bible and has sent me details from it. He is an arrogant barsteward who thinks he has correctly translated from the Welsh. He has it all wrong, I have researched the family history and he missed out the fact that our Gt2 father was married 3 times and had about a zillion brats. I took great pleasure in informing him that he has paid alot of money to have a Family History professionally printed, with all the wrong ancestors for more than 200 years. ?? I actually visited the Uni of Wales at Aberystwyth, and researched Welsh parish records. Then I travelled through Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire for the rest.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Alan Wood]

dwynnehugh wrote:

Looking at some of the replies here, I think there is far more hysteria here than out in the big world!!

I tend to agree.

[Richard]

Alan Wood wrote:

dwynnehugh wrote:

Looking at some of the replies here, I think there is far more hysteria here than out in the big world!!

I tend to agree.

Yes, I’ve seen far more here than I read anywhere else.

[The Duke]

My youngest is the only Welsh one, though not being very ‘English’ (or any ish), I decided I’d always support Wales over England when they come up against each other.

Simply because I didn’t want my girl to be forced, via peer pressure,  to be English, given the rest of us are, so I decided when she started school I’d be Welsh when I needed to be. The wife gets very English when the footy is on. So I balance that out, to her massive displeasure.

Plus I’d already forced Liverpool on her, I didn’t think it was right to force England on her too. I’m not an animal lol.

 

[Bob Williams]

Very sensitive of you Steve, what a sacrifice you make in the name of good marital relations. ??

I make a similar sacrifice, by going into this room and watching footy on the PC instead of making our Gert sit through it*. She hates football, don’t know how we made it through all these years together. I even took her to the City Ground once, a long time ago when we about to be promoted (briefly) back into the Premiership. We beat Middlesborough 4 – 0, Stan Collymore and Brian Roy were unplayable that day. She was unimpressed, especially as my 5 nieces, 2 nephews and various in-laws were there and screaming their heads off.

You can please some of the women some of the time, even some of them all of the time, but you can’t … well, you get the picture.

*When I hear her snoring on the sofa, I sneak back in and watch on the big screen, TV volume down and hearing aids turned up. ??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Mine likes the footy. she comes with me when I go. Luckily we rarely sit together, given how hard it is to get matching pairs. So I don’t need to hear her woman’s screams at the players.

Women are far to high frequency for my ears.

 

 

[Bob Williams]

Probably why I now have a hearing aid in each ear, Lol.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

What ?

[Bob Williams]

Hot? no, cold but warmer than yesterday. ?

I kid you not: you would not believe such a noise could come from a 71 yo 4’9″ lady. Usually a Top ‘C’ shriek, in response to something I just bought. Or did. Or didn’t do.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

It must be something to do with size. Mine just tops 5′, and there is legend that she could shatter a mess tin, if caught at the right moment. ?

[Bob Williams]

Little ‘uns always had to struggle to be heard, they develop more power with practice. I’m just 5’6″ myself, lost an inch out of my spine after the op in 2005. I was “volunteered” for a 1 month spell as a Drill Pig in the Army, RSM was impressed at the time, said he could hear my commands from the Weapon Training Room across the Square. Does not impress Our Gert though…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I’ve just lost a little respect for you bob. Lol.

Hardly tall myself, 5.8, was 2″ taller untill ones 4 disks decided to evaporate.

Docs reckon my disks was always gonna be an issue, but cos of job choices early on, caring 100lb plus burgers for hours at a time, over weeks at a time, coupled with a fall, and them a 2 year spell landscaping after that, accelerated their demise from a bit 45-50 to 20-25, by 25 my back was f**ked. Given I have 4 gone/damaged/deformed, the docs won’t touch them. I’m waiting for either the tech to advance to swing the probability in my favour, or to be almost chair bound before I even chance the knife.

As it stands the docs won’t touch anymore than 2 disks, unless very rare circumstances are also in play.

Sigh. As my backs got worse, I’ve learnt to live with it, and anticipate it alot more. Its worse now that it’s ever been, hurts like hell every day,  all day, but as Im now uber careful, it’s been a good while since it’s “gone”, probably 4 years now. In the early years, every 4 months I’d have upto 2 weeks ony back.

But now I just refuse to lift anything.

Last Sunday I borrowed the FiL balingo car/van (its the family banger) I got my lads to put the fridge/freezer in the back. When I got to the tip, I opened the iron lung (shipping container) reverse the car in open the boot, slid the fridge out, easily as it’s metal on metal, untill it was pivoted, then accelerated out of the iron lung, leaving the fridge on the floor.

The tip guy looked at me and said, “that’s one way to do it”.

[Bob Williams]

Reason I have not just a Stoma, but a herniated Stoma: had the op in September 2009 and was told not to lift anything or do anything streuous ever again, as they noticed before the op, that the spinal op I had in 2005 was seizing up my neck, and the other damaged vertebra at the bottom was now inoperable. They said that this meant that any lifting/straining would have effects upon stomach muscles and spine, together. OK, I said.

November 2009 the East Coast was heavily snowed, thawed, snowed, frozen and snowed again, right up to March 2010, off and on. Our Close was completely snowed-in. The only 2 people who were out there clearing paths, were myself and a mate a lot older than me. We cleared the lot, with no help from our landlord, Highways or Council. Next morning I was stuck in bed, could not move. It freed off about 3 am on the next day. Dragged out, ate, slept some more. When I got up again, the left side of my stomach, where the Stoma lies, had a stonking great hernia. No kidding: my left profile looks like a beer belly, right is flat. Dumbest thing I ever did, was clear those paths. A local builder I phoned, took pity on us and cleared the roads with his digger. We bought him a case of wine.

But I can still walk: today I took my grandsons to the barbers, it’s a family tradition and we have a meal afterwards. Left the car at No.1 gsons and walked into town, about 1½ miles. They grumbled all the way, started off in front but grandad was in the lead by the time we got there. Going back was the same, they start off at a pace and I just keep going, catch them up and am there waiting at the gates. They also wear soft trainers, I wear good shoes. All that tabbing for 12 years comes in useful now and again.? If I could still go at the same pace, though, I would be there before they were halfway.

BTW, great result for you today Steve. Please don’t mention Forest, whole team has two left feet.??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I’d bet being on the shorter side never help when Yomping. Speed marching was the one for me, as when Yomping you can take one and half steps compared to other, but speed marching, especially if someone taller was calling the pace, I use to hate it. Not that I think anyone for info it fun.

At least when Yomping you can switch your brain off.

I seen a clip on YouTube a while back of marine recruits Yomping with bead phones in. I remember being Beasted for daring to to pull the neck Scarf over my ears “cos it’s not frigging tactical. How would you hear enemy’s coming”. I don’t answer F-off, they they would her us first if that close. But frigging Earphones listing to music. FFS…..

You will know the neck Scarf come balaclava out of really thin elastic material. Olive of course.

If they are a my thing like my kids, the enemy would hear the music out their ear pods from 1000m in the dark.

 

[Bob Williams]

Can’t believe that, earphones? Going Jungly in Borneo/Brunei, we had to stop washing for a week before a patrol, as apparently the Indonesians could smell Western soaps and toothpaste. I learned some years later that was all garbage: their troops were almost all city boys anyway and received very little jungle training. Don’t know how not washing would go down today, without a shower and some Lynx the kids feel naked!

I never had any problems tabbing or quick marching, used to make sure my feet were looked after. Lots of Foot Powder, one pair thin socks, more foot powder. One pair thick socks, more powder. Used to pull them all of lathered in sweat, but the mix lubricated my feet, which are still good, arches are perfect. If only the rest was as good! That tip came from a very old sweat that I knew in ’68. He had joined WWII in Italy, 1944, crossed the Rhine in a rubber boat the month I was born: March 1945.* Stayed in and was in Korea. He was on his last year of 25 when I knew him. I always listened to blokes like that, they were the ones who knew enough to survive. I could just switch off and keep going, thanks to being a distance runner. Khaki robot! ??

*A bit gobsmacking, is that. I was born as a bloke I served with, was fighting WWII. Never thought of it that way before.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

By the time I went in, you could get what was called (probably still are) ‘1000mile socks.

They are what you describe, two thin pairs of socks, just sown together, the theory was the two thin socks did the rubbing together. And you’d have the green pusser socks over them.

They did work, even though no amount or protection works when your doing 8hour patrols over wet ground, day after day. Id imagine you was the same bob, some times you’d loose the majority of your nails and over half the skin of the underside and top side of your feet. I use to get it bad where the bottom of the lasses, inner seems would rub the top side of my foot.

Before going out I’d always use a good roll or more of zinc oxide tape, on all the “hot spots”, also I’d tape up my left ankle with medical tape (cheaper than ZO tap) making a solid cast.

In about week 7 of training I tore my ankle ligaments, I thought id fractures it tbh, but the xrays said it was OK. I had the choice to carry on in my troop, or be back trooped setting me back 2 weeks or more. I decided to ‘see how it went’, so I tapped it up for about 4 weeks, and it never properly healed, and from then on I had no faith in it, so I’d tape it rigid. To this day I where high boots the majority of the time, as I feel more relaxed when it’s laced up tight.

Probably should of taken the back troop, had proper time and physio and joined another troop. However I don’t know if I’d of passed out with a new set of lads. By week 7 we had really bonded, and we all (my 8 man section) all fed off each others energy and lack off it sometimes. One day you’d be the one being dragged through by your oppo, the next day you be the one helping.

Re soaps, only non scented was allowed in the field. Was not an issue for me as I’m a special flower, my skin doesn’t like soaps and my noise hates artifical smells. Anything our a can makes my noise burn.

All the kids know they only spay crap in their bedrooms. And if they driving them anywhere they don’t put after shave or perfume on untill I drop them off. Otherwise they don’t get in.

The chemicals in them attack my noise, I get a short headache, but the real issue is, my noise burns inside and I’ll rub it untill it’s raw inside. This has got worse the older I get. (it from my mother).

Also another in I have that arrived about 28 is hayfever. You can’t serve in the marines with it, and id assume the infantry. Around 28 I got it mildly, not knowing what it was. Since then every summer it comes back that much worse.

The body is a strange thing.

[Bob Williams]

“Pusser socks” takes me back to my big brother, who was a stoker in the RN. Of course, they didn’t shovel coal by the time he joined (early 1946) as it had oil burner engines, so he eventually went into Engineer training. He last served on HMS Nelson, the old battleship, and was slated to be an Artificer. When they decommissioned the Nelson it broke his heart, he loved the ship. A lot of his messmates left the Andrew when he did, because of that. My parents had to buy him out, which caused me problems when I joined the Mercahant and left within 2 years. When I joined the Army, big bro encouraged me, the other bro sneered and said they would have to buy me out. I served 12 years, but when I came out he got the sneery head on again, until I told him that I had seen and done more in my life than he ever would. We never got on, example from about 1980: “We just holidayed in Turkey little brother, bet you ain’t been there!” — “Yes bro, there for 4 visits in the Merchant Navy, before I was 17 – Izmir, Istanbul and some other places that I have forgotten. In fact I have forgotten more places by the time I was 17, than you will ever see!” The following year I went to Canada for two weeks, he was quiet about that.

I did get chafing from the laces as well, only on top of the feet and it rarely developed into sores, though when it did I knew about it: we just kept going then, because everybody else did and you did not want your mates to think you a wimp. So we suffered. But anything lower down never suffered in wet or desert-dry conditions. I was lucky, but I got Athlete’s foot in Denmark on a NATO exercise. Still don’t know how it happened, but I was sharing a truck with a big fat Jock storeman and I suspect he wore a pair of my socks once, although I couldn’t prove it. He was one smelly Jock, the worst of all the Scots I served with, although none of my Scottish mates liked him either. I had a little bit of revenge on return to barracks, by getting into his bunk and tying a fish behind his radiator. It took him a couple of weeks to notice.

I have to say that I use a bit of deodarant, have to stop my stoma smelling! I use Nivea, which is the only stuff that does not set my skin off with boils. Apparently I have some sort of tropical bug in my Lymph system, which cropped up years after I left the Army. A Dermatologist reckoned it was kickstarted by all the oils and fuels I came across as a mechanic, complicated by me being a hairy Neandertal. I’m hairy all over and our son is even hairier: No.1 grandson used to call him “Uncle Furry”. ?

I probably looked after my feet so much, because I loved running and wanted to keep doing it.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Do you not call all army issue kit in that army “pussers” (sure we spoke about this once before), not sure if it’s the same today, but in the 90s everything army issue have a stamp on it that looks like a crows foot. I always knew that as  “the pussers arrow”.

20 years on from joining I still have, and still wear daily issue socks, down to about 8 pairs. They have done 100miles Yomping, and 100s of washes since. And after every wash they feel brand new. I don’t know if the current socks are of the same quality. I know the black Raf ones arnt. I have a hand full of pairs of them, well gave them my number 2 son, as he works as a gas apprentice. And they just want upto the quality of the green 90s socks.

I’d go and look in ex army/navy shops, but they all seem to of closed down around my area.

[The Duke]

Ive just looked it up and the arrow is called a broadarrow (or pussers after the rum in the navy) its the mark of ‘property of the crown’.

I probably learnt that when we last spoke of this too. And I’ll probably learn it again in another 4 years time. Lol

 

These ladies are sporting convict wear. It was the in garment of the sailing class back in the day. The ones sailing to Aus that is.

[Author]

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