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This just received message made me feel better

             A story that should start the ball rolling – mushy old tosh? Well, maybe it is but the sentiment is right. Let’s stand up and show that, whatever your political views, these guys are out there trying to do a job, one that I wouldn’t fancy. After the disgraceful scenes in Luton recently, it is time to stand up, wear some red and show that most of us are proud of our servicemen & women. Last week I was in  West London attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their uniforms, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) wasabruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded Briton who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work, and enjoy our home without fear or reprisal. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran upto one of the male soldiers. He knelt down and said 'hi,' the little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek. The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Corporal and had been inAfghanistan for 5 months now. As the mum was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this temporarily single mum was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he toldme to give this to you.' He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a Kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying 'Your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.' The mum at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mum. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. That young soldier in one last act of moment turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek. We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an Englishman. RED FRIDAYS Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Englishmen and women who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for Country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many English people, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of  Britain supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until thetroops all come home, sending a deafening message that every Briton who supports our men and women afar will wear something red. By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make Great Britain on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football team If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, It will not be long before Britain is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once 'silent'majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on. The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...'We need your support and your prayers'... Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday. Lest we Forget.

Tony Price ● 6382d2 Comments ● 6382d

No more WELCOME from Ealing Council, so it seems

       It beggars belief that the L G A can spend time, and money , on such rubbish as this ( note Multi-cultural and multi-ethnic are still standing)and what the reason for requiring avoidance of many of the words I cannot fathom :-         LGA banned words - full listHere is the full list of 200 words which the Local GovernmentAssociation says should not be used by councils:Across-the-pieceActionedAdvocateAgenciesAmbassadorArea basedArea focusedAutonomousBaselineBeaconBenchmarkingBest PracticeBlue sky thinkingBottom-UpCAAsCan do cultureCapabilitiesCapacityCapacity buildingCascadingCautiously welcomeChallengeChampionCitizen empowermentClientCohesive communitiesCohesivenessCollaborationCommissioningCommunity engagementCompactConditionalityConsensualContestabilityContextualCore developmentsCore MessageCore principlesCore ValueCoterminosityCoterminousCross-cuttingCross-fertilisationCustomerDemocratic legitimacyDemocratic mandateDialogueDirection of travelDistorts spending prioritiesDouble devolutionDownstreamEarly WinEdge-fitEmbeddedEmpowermentEnablerEngagementEngaging usersEnhanceEvidence BaseExemplarExternal challengeFacilitateFast-TrackFlexFlexibilities and FreedomsFrameworkFulcrumFunctionalityFunding streamsGateway reviewGoing forwardGood practiceGovernanceGuidelinesHolisticHolistic governanceHorizon scanningImprovement leversIncentivisingIncome streamsIndicatorsInitiativeInnovative capacityInspectoratesInterdepartmentalInterfaceIterationJoined upJoint workingLAAsLevel playing fieldLeverLeverageLocalitiesLowlightsMAAsMainstreamingManagement capacityMeaningful consultationMeaningful dialogueMechanismsMenu of OptionsMulti-agencyMultidisciplinaryMunicipalitiesNetwork modelNormalisingOutcomesOutcomesOutputOutsourcedOverarchingParadigmParameterParticipatoryPartnership workingPartnershipsPathfinderPeer challengePerformance NetworkPlace shapingPooled budgetsPooled resourcesPooled riskPopulacePotentialitiesPractitionersPredictors of BeaconicityPreventative servicesPrioritizationPriorityProactiveProcess drivenProcureProcurementPromulgateProportionalityProtocolProvider vehiclesQuantumQuick hitQuick winRationalisationRebaseliningReconfiguredResource allocationRevenue StreamsRisk basedRobustScaled-backScopingSector wiseSeedbedSelf-aggrandizementService usersShared priorityShell developmentsSignpostSingle conversationsSingle point of contactSituationalSlippageSocial contractsSocial exclusionSpatialStakeholderStep changeStrategicStrategic prioritiesStreamlinedSub-regionalSubsidiaritySustainableSustainable communitiesSymposium ­­SynergiesSystematicsTaxonomyTested for SoundnessThematicThinking outside of the boxThird sectorToolkitTop-downTrajectoryTrancheTransactionalTransformationalTransparencyUpstreamUpward trendUtiliseValue-addedVision ­VisionaryWelcomeWellbeingWorklessnessStory from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7949077.stmPublished: 2009/03/18 10:19:38 GMT

Tony Price ● 6383d13 Comments ● 6382d

First grockle weekend

"Here come the grockles, clogging up our roads and carparks" Cor, you should hear the locals mumbling under their breath - but we'll take your money though!!     "What is the origin of the word 'grockle'?This slightly dismissive term for a 'tourist' was, as several of our readers have noted, first popularized because of its use by the characters in the film The System (1962), which is set in the Devon resort of Torquay during the tourist season. Some older dictionaries suggested that this might be a West Country dialect word. Other scholars have suggested that it might originate in a comparison of red-faced tourists (in baggy clothing with handkerchiefs on their heads) to 'Grock', the famous clown. The word grockle was indeed picked up by the script-writer from the locals during filming in Torquay. However, it was apparently not an 'old local dialect word'. According to research by a local journalist in the mid-1990s, the word in fact originated from a strip cartoon in the children's comic Dandy entitled 'Danny and his Grockle'. (The grockle was a magical dragon-like creature.) A local man, who had had a summer job at a swimming pool as a youngster, said that he had used the term as a nickname for a small elderly lady who was a regular customer one season. During banter in the pub among the summer workers, the term then became generalized as a term for summer visitors. This seems to have occurred in, or only shortly before, the summer in which The System was filmed: we know of no instances of the word dating from before the release of The System (though one or two people from the south-west remain convinced that they knew it before then)."

Peter Wright ● 6383d4 Comments ● 6382d

Free Swimming for Over 60s and Under 16s

Ealing is one of several councils doing this.  Here is the Press Release (at the end is the website you need to go to regarding registration and rules etc):http://www.ealing.gov.uk/press_releases/2009/april/pr1410.htmlSplash about without splashing out (PR 1410)People aged 60 and over, and youngsters aged 16 and under, can swim for free at any Ealing Council owned pool as part of a two-year nationwide scheme.The scheme, launched this week, is part of a campaign to get people to lead more active, healthy lives in the run up to the London Olympics.Free swimming is available at Acton Swimming Baths, Dormers Wells Leisure Centre and Gurnell Leisure Centre.Rebecca Adlington, double Olympic gold medallist, said: “I’m backing the free swimming initiative because it’s a great way to encourage more people into the pool.“No matter what your age, swimming is an amazing sport and a great way to stay fit and healthy. I look forward to seeing pools up and down the country being used to their full potential and maybe even creating Olympic stars of the future.”Ealing Council is one of almost 300 councils across England to take part in this national free swimming scheme. The £140 million programme is part of wider plans to ensure a lasting legacy from the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.Councillor Phil Taylor, Cabinet Member for Customer and Community Services, said: “Swimming is a great way to keep fit and this is a good incentive for people to stay healthy and fight the growing problem of obesity in the UK. We have been making substantial improvements at a number of our pools and I hope this offer will encourage more people to visit them.”Find out more at www.gll.org/freeswimming

Philippa Bond ● 6384d0 Comments ● 6384d