The_Judge Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 It’s hard to say exactly how good she is because there’s no other Queens of England currently working that we can compare her to. I mean, I might have made an even better queen. It’s something I mentioned to the careers advisor at school but he just made a face and gave me a leaflet about jobs in data entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 5 outta 7 aint bad :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted June 5, 2012 Just discovered that McCartney is closing the Olympics opening ceremony. Oh dear. There is probably no greater admirer of The Beatles legacy than me, but I'm sorry, he is just embarrassing now. In other news, I went to see 60s veterans The Zombies last Saturday, and they were tremendous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted June 5, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 5, 2012 Mark Steel The Most Remarkable Thing One group of us is mad. Maybe it’s us or maybe it’s the others but one of us must be. “That’s the most remarkable thing I’ve ever seen”, said the commentator, as a boat floated down the Thames. How cruel of the BBC, to get someone to commentate on the Jubilee who’d never seen a boat before, or indeed anything as remarkable as a boat. They’ll probably get him to do the sailing at the Olympics next, so they can enjoy him hyperventilating as he gasps “Oh my God there’s LOADS of boats, they’re TRAVELLING through WATER, it’s a MIRACLE.” For several days it’s gone on, presenters telling us about the truly marvellous overwhelming astonishing spectacle and wondering how the Queen manages to be quite so magnificent, until you feel they’re about to say ‘And she often beats Ronnie o’Sullivan over 35 frames of snooker, and she invented saucepans and can understand fish language. We are so so lucky she lets us have her as our Queen’. Next week newspapers will publish photos of people who weren’t cheerful enough over the Jubilee weekend, telling the public ‘If you recognise any of these traitors ring our confidential hotline and get them arrested’. Then we’ll have a series of trials, with a judge growling “You are a disgusting thug who didn’t even have the decency to sing along to Obla di Obla da”, and handing out ten year sentences to set an example. To be truly British we had to show our full range, by then being devastatingly sad about Philip being unable to go, even though he probably thought ‘Oh not Elton John again. I had enough of him at that funeral, I’ll pull the old dodgy bladder scam’. But the oddest part is no one can explain what we were supposed to be celebrating. She’s been the Queen for sixty years, but all she has to do to be Queen is to be. As long as she exists, she’s the Queen, that’s how it works, it’s not like a boxing champion that has to keep seeing off challengers. If you’ve been an electrician for sixty years that’s worth celebrating, because you have to keep rewiring stuff to be one, but as long as she exists she’s the Queen. In effect people are spluttering ‘Isn’t she marvellous, still existing for us. Most of us wouldn’t have the stamina to keep on existing, but even at her age she puts in a full days existence seven days a week’. That’s why royalists get in a tangle when they claim she’s doing a marvellous job, as if she’s earned her position on merit, having worked her way up after starting out as a humble princess. But it would be churlish to deny a party, so next year we should do it all again, except for a random pensioner, with bunting and street parties and souvenir mugs and Huw Edwardes dribbling ‘There’s all of Ada’s family, waving from the balcony of her care home in Sunderland, she truly is the most remarkable woman there has ever been’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Watched the last hour in a hotel in Somerset after a lovely steak dinner. Sir Tom = shite Lenny Henry = not funny, never was after Tiswas Rolf - like the bloke but he was cringeworthy Blobbie = shite Madness = hugely shite Sir Elton = indescribably shite Sir macka = stop having facelifts and dying your hair mate you're 70 in a few days not 30. Also he was shite No wonder Phil The Greek gave it a **** miss Sir Tom = shite DISAGREE, he wasn't bad at all Lenny Henry = not funny, never was after Tiswas AGREE Rolf - like the bloke but he was cringeworthy AGREE Blobbie = shite AGREE Madness = hugely shite AGREE (although the Buck House light show was excellent) Sir Elton = indescribably shite DISAGREE - he can still do it Sir macka = stop having facelifts and dying your hair mate you're 70 in a few days not 30. Also he was shite AGREE, he was dreadful I'd agree with you there. I'm not really a fan of any of the acts but Tom Jones can still sing for sure. McCarthy and Cliff Richard were really struggling. I still enjoyed Live and Let die though, that is a classic riff Oh, and the Madness Buckingham Palace light show was not as good as the Sydney Opera House light show from a couple of weeks before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted June 5, 2012 I wish Elton John had done the Diana version of Candle in the Wind, and dedicated it to Camilla. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 hell is this still on? honestly I was aware of shit happening on the saturday, wasn't that 'the' day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted June 5, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 5, 2012 Unemployed bussed in to steward river pageant Saw that in the paper. My child is part of this farce up there, but is so desperate for a job they have stuck it out. They have been on the phone in tears, saying they are soaking wet, bleeding feet and sleeping in a wet muddy field with barely any facilities. I have said for gods sake come home but if they did it would be the end of the course and no SIA badge, I feel murderous, they are still there with one more night to do. Lets not forget that we as parents had to provide the tent and all the camping gear, not cheap staggers In his speech at last night's Jubilee concert, Prince Charles notably referred to the "difficulties and hardships" faced by many (before an unintentionally amusing reference to people proudly "lining the banks"). On the theme of hardship, then, today's Guardian reports that "A group of long-term unemployed jobseekers were bussed into London to work as unpaid stewards during the diamond jubilee celebrations." Worse, they were told to sleep under London Bridge the night before the river pageant, had no access to toilets for 24 hours, and were taken to a swampy campsite outside London after working a 14-hour shift. The security firm in question, Close Protection UK, was operating under the government's Work Programme, which attempts to make jobseekers more employable by offering them "work experience" with selected companies. It's important to note that the programme is voluntary and does not affect jobseekers keeping their benefits. But it's not hard to see why the story has provoked such outrage this morning. There is something Dickensian about the unemployed sleeping under London Bridge in order to guard a hereditary monarch. Blogger Eddie Gillard (who first broke the story) reports that "some had been told they would be paid for working and that they should 'Sign Off' benefits before starting, which turned out to be a falsehood, mistake or lie, I cannot say which." Given that the government allocated £1.5m for stewarding, it is unclear why some were left unpaid. The hope in Downing Street is that the "feel-good-factor" created by the Jubilee will improve the Tories' dismal poll ratings (one poll yesterday put them 16 points behind Labour). It may yet do so. The Guardian's story was not picked up by the BBC or the Times, both in full royalist cry. But the accounts of workfare are a symptom of why Cameron will find it so difficult to rally an increasingly divided nation behind him. Update: The BBC have belatedly covered the story under the guise of "Prescott urges inquiry into Jubilee work experience claims". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieB Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Thought Tom Jones & Shirley Bassey at 75 did not too bad at all. I actually like the Jubilee Song and I have to admit after slating it coming on, I enjoyed the documentary about how it was put together with Gary Barlow. Jessy Jay and opera singers did well. McCartney & many others = just embarassing. Prize goes to the twitter commentary by the mock royals - had me & many others in stitches last night, they were so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 hell is this still on? honestly I was aware of shit happening on the saturday, wasn't that 'the' day? Tell me you didn't go in to work this morning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted June 5, 2012 The Barlow song was awful. "Sing it louder, sing it clearer, Knowing everyone will hear ya" Dear, oh dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieB Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 My child is part of this farce up there, but is so desperate for a job they have stuck it out. They have been on the phone in tears, saying they are soaking wet, bleeding feet and sleeping in a wet muddy field with barely any facilities. I have said for gods sake come home but if they did it would be the end of the course and no SIA badge, I feel murderous, they are still there with one more night to do. Lets not forget that we as parents had to provide the tent and all the camping gear, not cheap Just a disgrace. These workfare schemes are nothing more than quasi-companies squeezing more out of the gravy train of government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 EDIT: Re: London Lax Nah I'm reprising the role of student this year. So bank holidays don't quite have the same level of "woohoo" when all the days roll into one. I was simply annoyed the library didn't open until 9.00 this morning, having to waste 20 minutes walking around in rain I admit I was supportive of the wedding bank holiday last year, when we had a bucketload of time off in one go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieB Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Ed Sheeran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 not simply 'celebrating our overlords/superiors' like sheep. To pickup on this point amongst many from the VT republican party I got the impression that people woke up over this long weekend and were free to decide what they wanted to do , same as any other non working day That some Freely chose to go to a street party or celebration doesn't make them any more sheep than people who say for example freely chose to go watch a Villa game or London marathon or even to go down their local Homebase. Ive not passed any comment on those that chose not to participate , it's up to them to chose how they spend their time, but for those non participants to then sort of suggest they are somehow superior is somewhat baffling. My kids have had a whale of a time these past weeks with all the events going on , I wouldn't have wished to deprive them of any of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 That some Freely chose to go to a street party or celebration doesn't make them any more sheep than people who say for example freely chose to go watch a Villa game or London marathon or even to go down their local Homebase. When the coverage of a Villa game, the London Marathon or a trip to a generic DIY merchants is covered non stop by both of the main rolling news channels with comments like 'the whole country has celebrated...' and so on then these comparisons might have a little merit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I'm quite surprised the role of King / Queen hasn't been re tendered. Surely these days any long established institution should be market tested. I'd happily pitch in with an offer of doing all those duties for just 57p per UK tax payer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I'm quite surprised the role of King / Queen hasn't been re tendered. Surely these days any long established institution should be market tested. I'd happily pitch in with an offer of doing all those duties for just 57p per UK tax payer. I'd vote for you Sir. Freshen things up a little. Her Maj ain't getting any younger. Time for the position to be tendered. I'd bet you could make that 57p per taxpayer go even further. And think of the amount of 'holidays' around the world you'd get .... :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 That some Freely chose to go to a street party or celebration doesn't make them any more sheep than people who say for example freely chose to go watch a Villa game or London marathon or even to go down their local Homebase. When the coverage of a Villa game, the London Marathon or a trip to a generic DIY merchants is covered non stop by both of the main rolling news channels with comments like 'the whole country has celebrated...' and so on then these comparisons might have a little merit. Indeed Snowster. Wasn't just the main news channels. For almost 4 solid days, you got the 2 main terrestrial entertainment channels providing near 'blanket' coverage. Fair doo's for those Monarchists who believe in the institution and who genuinely were out there celebarting for 'her maj'. I fundamentally disagree with them, but at least there's the consistency in what they are doing. It's the others, the non-monarchists, or the 'meh's' who partook in street parties or other events to celebrate something/someone in whom they didn't really believe. There are an awful lot of people who couldn't give two hoots either way with regards to a monarchy, and yet a great many were out celebrating the very institution. They are the sheep I was referring to. very different to your analogy Tone, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 6, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted June 6, 2012 Mark Steel The Most Remarkable Thing One group of us is mad. Maybe it’s us or maybe it’s the others but one of us must be.Yep. And then yesterday, the St. Paul's pantomime added the sky fairy madness into the equation. Our elected leaders listening to a man in a dress asking them to ask the sky fairy to look after the inbred anachronisms. Surreal, but people apparently take it seriously. :| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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