BS: The Royal Wedding/baby

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:31 AM

hi

<" Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Lancaster.">

Called in on their way to bomb Libya ???

Cheers

Mikel2

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:34 AM

Even a fule kno Spitfire & Hurricane were fighters, not bombers...

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:36 AM

hi

Caught some of the actual Service while having lunch.

I have to say that it was very impressive in the Abbey. Thought the Bishop of London went on a bit though.

Saw Posh & Becks. Very smart. David was wearing a medal - not one he won with Man United ???

Was he wearing it on the correct lapel...eg right???

Cheers

Mikel2

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:38 AM

hi Michael

I was in the RAF !!!   lol

The Hurricane & Spitfire were protecting the Lancaster.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:40 AM

"Good job I know you Pete, otherwise I'd be thinking you're a gutwrenchingly miserable, joyless, soulless old fart! :-) :-)"

LOL! That's me! I agree that I may be in the minority, but until this country becomes a fascist state I'm entitled to hold and express that opinion. A huge number of my friends and acquaintances hold similar views. Nor will I be subjected to the bullies who think I should shut up!

Right this moment there is a street party outside my house - I even let them tie the bunting to my tree. The fact that I choose not to join in is neither here nor there. I don't want to stop people enjoying themselves; I just happen to think the monarchy is a waste of time, money and space. If anyone doesn't like that, tough shit!

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:41 AM

Were you then, LoL?

Then you know bombers didn't fly with fighter escorts...

Nice thought, tho, mind!

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:43 AM

"I pity your family constantly being subjected to your inane drivel."

My family mostly think the same way. What does your family think about your drivel, Bozo? I'd be really interested to know.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:57 AM

Six more minutes an I'll be five o'clock and we can open a bottle of wine and toast the happy couple (that's me and mrsleveller because we've managed to avoid the wedding) then we're going to go out and have a go on the bouncy castle in the field next door. Hooray - I LOVE bouncey castles.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Stu
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 12:01 PM

"Only a Green-Eyed Monster could object."

Or someone who's lost their job due to cuts . . . losing their carers because of cuts . . . can't afford to go to uni because of the rising prices etc etc

To those people it seems they're having wealth and privilege waved in their faces and are paying for the pleasure. I've nothing agains the couple personally and I wish them well in their new life as I would any other newly weds whose wedding (or part of) I don't have to pay for. Westminster Abbey looked nice with the trees though.

But what the heck. It's par for the course. The country is run by a cabal of old Etonians, rich businessmen and public schoolboys; some ordinary millionaire's daughter has been co-opted into one of the richest families in the country, Monarchs, slebs and politicians have gathered to pay homage to this unremarkable bit of social immobility and the willing citizens render themselves subjects and kneel before the flag and monarchy and accept their place in the world. Which, however at one you feel with House Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Baaaaaa!

I'm getting a sense of deja-vu here . . . a royal wedding, bunting, the innocent bride, the old crew on the balcony, a war or two, deprivation, misery, a nasty little piece of work in the PM's chair . . . it's like we'e back to the good old days of you-know-who.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 12:09 PM

I'm told the wedding cost the British public 29 million pounds. If that is true, I can understand the anger of some members of that public.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 12:09 PM

Today was a great day, we shared happiness as a nation, families enjoyed a memorable trip to the capital, the ceremony was filled with pomp and splendour in a way only us Brits can do it.

Americans interviewed in the capital today spoke with envy of us having a Royal family. Don't sour the day be going red Fred, May day is on Monday so you can wrap the red flag around you then.


Makes you proud to part of this great nation.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 12:40 PM

here,s hoping this royal marraige fares better than some others.
hopefully the royalty paraphenalia will be good for the economy,or at least recoup the expense.
but the english do pomp and ceremony so well-don,t we?.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 12:44 PM

The number of people who enjoyed the wedding far outwieghed the ones that didn't. That has now't to do with politics.

Anyway the debt for this cvountry was taken over from Mr Brown, so lets stop the crap about the cons. I am not a con voter, but some of you people need to get a life.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: gnu
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:11 PM

29 million pounds!? Good thing the Canuck PM had nothing to do with it. He spent a billion bucks on a much smaller party in Toronto last year.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: GUEST,Sugarfoot Jack heading for the pub
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:16 PM

"I am not a con voter, but some of you people need to get a life."

With eyes wide open . . .

Was impressed with the Battle of Britain memorial flypast though, and good luck to the lad as at least he puts his life on the line in the service of all of us and that bravery is to be admired.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:22 PM

What does your family think about your drivel, Bozo? I'd be really interested to know.


They enjoy every minute of it.

I hope you enjoyed not enjoying the street party, because enjoyment and having fun is most important.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:25 PM

Jack, Leveller, according to the BBC there was an estimated worldwide audience of 2 billion - THAT'S TWO FRIGGIN' BILLION.

That tells me that you're outvoted.

Two billion of us are happy today. Hurrah!

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:30 PM

Bloody hell. Are you people still at it? I spent most of today with a group of friends on Hilbre island in the mouth of the river Dee, miles away from the wedding. It was the gear. Not a tv or radio anywhere within hearing distance.

We sang republican and socialist songs, and picnicked, and observed the birdlife and the seals and the flora and the extraordinary sandstone rock formation which is such a distinctive feature of that splendid isle.

All that after a splendid night at Liverpool's own Woody Guthrie Folk Club, where we were righty republicanly entertained by the socialist sentiments of no less a personage than Roy Bailey. Brother, did the wedding come in for some stick!

And I'll be out again on Sunday, demonstrating against the cuts and the coalition and singing revolutionary songs with the Liverpool Socialist Singers. Dunno what we'll be singing yet, but Joe Hill will certainly get in there, as will Bandiera Rossa and the Internationale and quite a few others.

Sorry, did I hear the sound of a tory sick bag being opened?

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Becca72
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:43 PM

For some reason, this is all I could hear in my head during the ceremony... :-) mairrwage

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:44 PM

Sorry Backwoodsman, there are almost 7 billion people on this planet. That leaves around 5 billion who didn't tune in. OK, there are some ruthlessly repressive regimes who prevented their citizens from tuning in. (And before anybody says anything, I condemn all tyrannical regimes, whether of the left or the right.) So let's knock a billion off that figure. Then again, we should discount perhaps another billion who are too remote or poverty stricken to get to a tv. That leaves potentially 3 billion who didn't watch it. Doesn't sound like we've been outvoted to me.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:45 PM

Oh, Fred, you old cheater you. Out you were singing and enjoying yourself, when you had PROMISED to spend the day cowering under the stairs.

Shame on you for being such a wicked old fibber!

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:49 PM

I've had a great day! Really enjoyed the bouncey castle.Then just as the street party was ending (bear in mind I live in an ultra-tory/ukip area)a Labour Party candidate drove up and spent half an hour in heated debate with what was left of the party. It was hilarious - talk about putting your head in the lion's mouth! I'm not normally a Labour supporter (well, not New Labour) but that man gets my vote.

"They enjoy every minute of it."

Then they're the only people who do, Bozo! I bet she likes hitting herself on the head with a hammer - and the dog obviously can't run away! LOL!

Bear in mind that I come from a long line of left-wing activists and social reformers, and that mrsleveller works for the Workers' Education Association and younger son is following the tradition (he's at uni studying History and Politics).

We'll keep the red flag flying here. Long Live the Republic! :)

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:50 PM

Well M, I thought under the stairs was about the only place I could be sure of not running into you. Then I remembered Hilbre Island.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 01:57 PM

Oh dear, I'm quite tearful now! Some of our neighbours have just come over and given us big hugs and said they wished that we'd been at the party. When we explained that we would have felt hypocritical, being Republicans, they said that it makes absolutely no difference as they aren't that into the royal family anyway, so where off out get the adults' party going. If previous village parties are anytghing to go by, this will probably be going very late into the night.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 02:01 PM

Have a great time, I'm off to deprive our garden of a considerable amount of greenery which has grown whilst we were on holiday!

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 03:00 PM

"...where off out get the adults' party going."

sheesh I never will understand English English.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 03:06 PM

Hi Michael

I know that fighter escorts were not particularly successful in the early days of WW2 but both Spitfires & Hurricanes did fly on escort missions.

122 Squadron of 2nd Tactical Air Group based at Turnhouse near Edinburgh certain flew on escort missions.

They were superceeded by the American Mustangs as the main escorts. Especially when the B52's were introduced into Europe.

Regards

MileL2

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Alan Day
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 03:10 PM

I thought Kate looked absolutely lovely.
Nice dress.
Her Chief Bridesmaid's dress was stunning , plain and simple, but just lovely.
I think I can put up with Kate's smile for a few years.
Good luck to all that enjoyed the day.Very patriotic.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 03:14 PM

I thought young Hewitt did a great job.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 03:57 PM

MikeL ~~ but to be really pedantic, didn't Lancasters come along a bit later? Still, take your point!

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 05:12 PM

Lots of money spent, but with all the visitors, and interest elsewhere, sales are good, probablt many times the outlay.

It was a good show. I got up at 3AM and watched through to the away at around six and to bed again. Music was excellent, the hats were out of this world, Harry constantly rocking on his feet- lots to watch.
I thought the forest inported* into Westminster was a bit too much, but maybe the Greens applauded.
*inadvertently a new word. Descriptive, so I won't change it.

As a one-time car-buff, I liked the arrivals in the limousines (saloons?) better than the departure with the 'osses. One with side-mount tires, I would have mortgaged my soul for.

(My wife said I was nuts for watching it)

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 05:58 PM

A reet gradely do. Nowt to do with politics or class or creed - whatever people may think. It was about the joining of two people who obvioulsly love each other and, even if it did come from our purse, which I doubt, 2 billion people watching surely made up for it. No?

MP

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 07:17 PM

Anygody care for a fashion report?....

The groom wore a stunning red uniform jacket with gold cuffs and collar and a sky-blue sash adorned with pips and epaulets and a few medals, all held together with what appeared to be a very wide brown belt.....

What's the shamrock on his collar for?

I see the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour was delayed so it would not conflict with the wedding. I never did quite like that shuttle - why do the Americans have to use the British spelling for the name of that shuttle? Isn't Endeavor good enough?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 07:30 PM

The Shamrock is presumably there because he is a Colonel of the Irish Guards.

The Endeavour is presumably spelled that way because it is named as a tribute to Captain Cook's ship.

Q, I think you'll find that the term du jour is "curated", which has come to mean any remotely creative endeavour (see what I did there?), from making an iPod playlist to framing some pictures to put on the wall of your house - so you could say "Oh wow - Kate Middleton curated an amazing indoor forest for her wedding" while sipping your appletini.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Gervase
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 08:23 PM

I took 360 photos from our TV screen.
That's just plain weird - the sort of thing that used to typify the folk that Diana used to call 'the cat-stranglers'.
I watched it and thought it was enchanting. Utterly irrelevant to the world as it is today, but all the better for that. The language of the Book of Common Prayer wedding service is such a part of the warp and weft of our culture that even a crusty atheist like me finds magic in the words, while the drill and pageantry was faultless. This is one republican who thoroughly enjoyed the whole preposterous shebang.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 08:26 PM

kate was the plat du jour?

(sorry)

I'm still mired back in the days when people drank latte

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Gervase
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 08:39 PM

I'd love to see a provenance for the 2 billion viewers claim. One suspects that this is an absurdly optimistic guess which suits the broadcasters' purposes to the point where it can be mentioned unchallenged.
The FIFA world cup final claimed to have reached an estimated 1.3 billion viewers, and that figure was derided by many. To suggest that the wedding, jolly though it was, reach nearly 30 per cent of the population of the planet is preposterous.
Look at the audience. Vast areas of the world don't have access to television. For them the viewing figures will be 0 percent. A fifth of the world's population lives in China. I would be surprised if the wedding was shown live and watched by 30 per cent of the population of the People's Republic.
Even in the royal-loving USA, I find it hard to believe that a quarter of the population of Los Angeles got up at 3am to watch, or a quarter of New York stirred from its slumbers at 6am to tune in. What say our US posters? How many here watched it live?
Even allowing for clips shown on news broadcasts, online showings and streamed to mobile devices a day later, the two billion figure still seems ludicrous.
Sorry to piss on the parade, but shoddy claims like that do no-one any favours.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: J-boy
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 10:52 PM

I watched about four minutes of the big show on youtube. The flyover was cool. I just wonder how many bears died to supply the hats on those Coldstream Guards. Or maybe they use fake fur now?

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: J-boy
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:06 PM

And mighty fine hats they are.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 12:39 AM

Turned out okay, did it? I'm glad.

Penelope Rutledge and her clan must have had a simply wonderful time. I'm sure they'll remember it for the rest of their lives.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 03:21 AM

"I just wonder how many bears died to supply the hats on those Coldstream Guards. Or maybe they use fake fur now?"


The bearskins apparently are the 'by-product' from the culling of bears which takes places in Canada and the USA each year, under the supervision of Rangers, where they're killed to stop too much damage being done. They are *not* specifically killed for the British Army to make use of them. The Army purchases around 50-100 pelts a year. We are not the only country to use them...and the Army are searching for an alternative:

BBC article on Bearskins

Wiki - Bearskin Hats


This is a great site for many things to do with English and British Culture:

The Queen's Guard - from Woodlands Junior School

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 03:42 AM

The really nice thing about the wedding, is that it allowed us,and will for the next week or two, to be happy and see happy news and events, instead of all the aweful things we do get to see on the news these days.

It's as good as taking your depression pills.

I wish we could ban unhappy news on TV and the papers, and leave other countries to sort their own issues out and work on the positives of the UK.

Mudcat doesn't help, becuase there is always somebody who wants to knock a very happy event and of course blame it on the politicians.

What was so great, was that there was no trouble for the police to have to deal with. Much nicer. People came together in harmony and for a day, forgot their worries.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:34 AM

This was lovely, so very 'British'....Everyone did themselves proud yesterday.
The Police walking the crowds up The Mall

There was a magical shot on the News this morning, of one of the policman boogeying on down to the crowds, as they were walking up The Mall...He was dancing down it, in front of them all...giving some real Soul Brother moves...it was great! :0)   

I'm trying to find it on Youtube, no luck yet though..

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: DMcG
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:39 AM

Had an interesting discussion with my son about it today - neither of us watched, but he probably would have if he had not been visiting. He made the point that whether you are pro- or anti- the royals, they are one of the few things that are world-wide symbols of being British. But that led on to a few other things, to do with to what extent the wedding is binding the country together. I haven't seen a good enough photo of the crowds outside the palace, but I'd be really interested to know how well it reflects the ethnic mix of Britain today. The visitors from outside the UK add complications, of course, but some rough guide would be interesting. Also I became aware of one of Sherlock Holme's "dogs that didn't bark": I didn't see any shop selling fireworks and they are usually everywhere for these sorts of things. I can imagine prohibitions in the London area but haven't heard of one ...

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:42 AM

Joe, as Ruth said, William's uniform was that of the Irish Guards, of which he is honorary Colonel.
The page boys' uniforms were based on the same and also bore the shamrock.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:47 AM

The TV audience may not have been 2 billion, but it was big.
No ceremony connected with the administration of any republic would generate such interest and warmth.
Maybe the first moon landing was comparable.

Did anyone not enjoy it?
Certainly not those who supported the fatwah and declared it a target.
Sad for them.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 04:52 AM

I found that policeman! :0) He's in here, a few moments in...

Royal Wedding Moments You May Have Missed - BBC News

"..I haven't seen a good enough photo of the crowds outside the palace, but I'd be really interested to know how well it reflects the ethnic mix of Britain today..."


Pretty darn well, from what I saw yesterday..and there's a beautiful shot here of a West Indian lassie, Grace Gothard, all decked out in Union Jacks and looking radiantly happy. :0)

Grace's England :0)

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Allan Conn
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 05:02 AM

"to do with to what extent the wedding is binding the country together."

To tell you the truth I don't think it makes much of a difference re real politics. Many people perhaps see it more of a celbrity thing now - double A list perhaps - but still a celebrity thing. If anything it has perhpas emphasised the difference between modern Scotland and England at least. There seems to be a feeling of goodwill towards the couple here but there has been little big celebration. Folk were on holiday so no doubt many saw at least part of the wedding but the press was reporting last week that there are only 30 officially sanctioned street parties in the entire country (compared with thousands in England) and most of these were in Edinburgh itself.

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 05:03 AM

OUCH! Got a bit of a sore head from NOT celebrating the wedding last night.

But took the dog out round the lanes this morning and the sun is shining, the hawthorn hedgrows have burst into blossom and the verges are bright with cowslips, lady's smock and stitchwort. Now that's really what this country is all about, not a bunch of drones wasting our money on a pointless execise in self-aggrandizement.

And today I've got a big plot to dig over for the new gothic garden next to the orchard so better get started as mrsleveller is standing over me with a whip (nice!).

Subject: RE: BS: The Royal Wedding
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 05:12 AM

Oh, fer goodness sake, levels, stop being such a misery. :0)

Besides, you now have to live down enjoying a party that was ONLY put on because of the Royal Wedding...Teehee.. ;0)