[This is not political, I would say the same if he was from any other party!]

What was Corbyn thinking at the Cenotaph this morning? An anorak with the hood waving about and what is probably the smallest poppy symbol it is possible to get.

Irrespective of his personal opinions, there is no reason why he couldn't be a little more respectful. He is representing his party, not just himself. Surely the party that would claim to have represented the miners, factory-workers and 'ordinary working men' who went and fought?

Unfortunately it has given him just the publicity he was looking for. Plenty of others were wearing enamel lapel badge poppies too - saved from last year no doubt............. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

It was odd because previously he has worn the same style all black clothing (save tie) and "standard" poppy as others. It almost looked like he had forgotten what he was doing today and had get ready in a hurry. I did think "what is he wearing?" on seeing his choice of top coat today.

In the past he has stayed at the Cenotaph and mingled with veterans - which is more than can be said for most of "the great and the good".

And, of course, at least he was there. Trump couldn't get out of bed because it was raining... 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

^^ What, in case his "tan" ran?

It was the Putin/Trump race to be the last there! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Apparently the massively expensive helicopters they use don't fly in the rain, or somesuch excuse. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

That IRA sympathiser is a piece of . The muslim mayor of Sheffield was wearing a white poppy...scum. Steve.

I don't have a problem with the white poppy. It's for peace, after all, surely something we all want.

The irony of people getting angry about poppies etc, is that people fought and died for freedom, and that freedom includes choosing whether to wear a poppy and what colour, if any, it is.

As for him being a Muslim, you are aware that some 400,000 Muslims fought for the allies in WW1 aren't you? And that nearly a quarter of them died for the cause. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

I once worked with two people who had been Japanese prisoners of war in WW2. Both deeply affected by their treatment and for me, as a late teenager/early 20's a genuine honour to know them. One was an active member of the local British legion but did not wear a poppy or take any part in the poppy appeal. The other played no part in the day to day operation of the Legion but was an adament supporter of the poppy appeal. They both had their reasons and I respected them both (and they respected each other, they had been through enough). I confess however that it does concern me when people show no understanding of why many of us choose to remember.


Later in life I had a role in supporting armed forces personnel and families in adjusting to life outside the armed forces. It is a national disgrace (my opinion) that this work is left to be undertaken by voluntary groups and charities while the armed forces continue to discharge personnel without preparing for civilian life, many (while I had the role) suffereing PTSD and others, particularly single young men, simply not having the skills to fit into society and get work, many becoming homeless quickly and living on the street. My local prison had a special unit purely for armed forces personnel in an attempt to support them back into society. Local Authorities are not even told that personel are being discharged into their area and have no information on whether armed forced families, who are likely to need additional services, particularly in educating the children, simply because they move around a lot, are posted in the area. We should remember the fallen but we also have much to do to support those who have served and are still with us.

Sorry, that is my rant and it is now over, until I think about it again.

^^^ couldn't agree more.

When I was growing up (1970s) many figures of authority (teachers, Police, etc.,) were of an age that they had been through the war. Some of them had "had a bad war"and, in retrospect, I recognise the symptoms of mental illness (some more than others). If the class got too rowdy, one teacher would retreat into a cupboard and throw a [de-activated] grenade into the classroom.

When pushed to the limit, some of these teachers would be brutally honest about their experiences in an attempt to make us realise how lucky we were: removing body parts from the cooling inlets of a minesweeper on D-Day; life as a PoW of the Japanese; the aftermath of a bomb falling on the town. The flip-side of this was that a teacher knew how to strip down a sten gun brought into school by a pupil who'd found in a drying-up lake in 1976, and another who broke up a fight and told me how to use my elbows and how to force my opponents joints the wrong way!

My children have been taught about WWII: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L9kyCRvmDw

Interesting video, well done!

One little point, the phrase "indiscriminate bombing" was used and then 43000 deaths were mentioned. That would be referring to the blitz on London presumably. It would be useful to mention both sides - a lot more Germans died from Allied bombing of German cities (Hamburg, Dresden and of course Berlin all come to mind and the total is much greater than London's terrible death count).

Of course, there is the argument that "they started it" etc., but the reality is that innocent people on all sides die in wars. If we remember all who died in the two World Wars (80+ million men, women and children) maybe people would be a little more thoughtful in their handling of current tensions.

Those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Sadly, history shows that people refuse to learn those lessons.  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

I seem to remember Corbyn being photographed at a wreath laying, but he said that although he was there he didn't take part. Perhaps he was not really at the Cenotaph

RRSTDV8 wrote:

I don't have a problem with the white poppy. It's for peace, after all, surely something we all want.

The irony of people getting angry about poppies etc, is that people fought and died for freedom, and that freedom includes choosing whether to wear a poppy and what colour, if any, it is.

As for him being a Muslim, you are aware that some 400,000 Muslims fought for the allies in WW1 aren't you? And that nearly a quarter of them died for the cause.

And even more Muslims from the then Colonies died in WW2 for the “motherland”, but it always angers me that the thousands of seamen from the Merchant Fleets rarely if e er get a mention, and they were the people supplying food, munitions and oil to the allies, often in the most horrendous conditions and they were not volunteers or called up, they were just doing their day to day job. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Cymruambyth wrote:

RRSTDV8 wrote:

I don't have a problem with the white poppy. It's for peace, after all, surely something we all want.

The irony of people getting angry about poppies etc, is that people fought and died for freedom, and that freedom includes choosing whether to wear a poppy and what colour, if any, it is.

As for him being a Muslim, you are aware that some 400,000 Muslims fought for the allies in WW1 aren't you? And that nearly a quarter of them died for the cause.

Probably best I don`t reply!