Three cheers for Councillor John Hart

I bumped into Councillor John Hart in Mill Hill Broadway today. He was selling poppies for the Royal British Legion in the rain. We have them on sale at my business, Mill Hill Music Complex ( http://www.millhillmusiccomplex.co.uk/ ) in  the foyer of the studio.

I am a full on supporter of the Royal British Legion and the Poppy appeal. Our business also collects for "Help for Heroes" in Association with BALLS Motorcycle club. Next week we are handing over £500 raised jointly to the charity. I believe that anyone who has served in the armed forces is owed a debt of gratitude. We have a volunteer army, and I believe that whatever faults this country has, we are a force for good in the world. Their is no more tolerant and diverse city in the World than London. That is because people have made sacrifices.

That is why I say three cheers for John Hart and every other person in the land who stands out in the rain (as John did) or the sunshine collecting for this cause. John is in his 80's and if he can make the effort, we all can.

England 1 - 0 Wales - Wembley Stadium

******** Updated 23:38 ********
Stan Collymore has just tweeted that a fan was killed in a fight at Wembley. We saw no trouble inside or outside the ground. It just adds to my gut feeling that we are getting our priorities all wrong when it comes to Football as discussed below.
***********Update Ends *******

So off to see England Vs Wales tonight at Wembley. £92.50 for two tickets. One for me and one for my 11 year old boy. Gripe no 1. No concessions for children. Now there was me thinking that the FA were supposed to promote the game to young people. Some hope. Due to the wonders of modern ticketing systems, I was emailed tickets to the wrong address. This meant I had to ring up, wait 20 minutes in a queue yesterday and then be told they couldn't resend them to the right email address. Nope, I had to pick them up from the box office.

So off we went, nice and early. Despite my fears, sure enough two nice tickets awaited us. Off we trotted. We got a nice program (£6). A bet for me (England 3-0 winners, Lampard to score) and one for the boy ( England 3-1 winners, Lampard to score) - yup your never too young to acquire bad habits if you are  a Tichborne. Mind you it was only £1 each. A pre match tradition of mine. Sadly our lords and masters don't allow us to indulge in that other pre match tradition -  a pint.

As to the game, the only moment of quality in the 1st half saw Young score and ruin my chances of getting a free(ish) night out. I must say the welsh were in good voice. I don't really know what they were singing - Odes to dead relatives or dead sheep, but it sounded far more tuneful than the chants of ENG-ER-LAND.

At half time we indulged ourselves. A small Fanta and two bags of crisps. A snip at £5.50. Of course we're English. Robbery and mugging is allowed if it's done by corporations and large organisations. £104 to watch 90 minute of football with and eleven year old. Just as well I'm a rich man (or I was).

At half time, we had a moving advert for help for heroes. They've raised £110 million for injured ex servicemen, to help them rebuild their shattered lives. It made my blood boil. Not that people dig into their pockets to help our brave forces, but the shameful fact that this is done as an act of charity. This country should pay for the best possible care and recuperation for injured soldiers, sailors and airmen from the public pot. The fact we need a charity called "Help for Heroes" to pay for rehabilitation from injury is a complete scandal. As I watched it I thought of this £110 million to rehabilitate our servicemen. £50 million for Torres to Chelsea, £35 million for Andy Carroll to Liverpool. Ashley Young to Man United for £16 million, Arteta to Arsenal for £10. Add those deals up and it's more than the ENTIRE cash collected for Help for Heroes. I'm a Manchester City fan. I saw somewhere that the team we put out against Spurs is worth £175 million. Are they really worth one and three quarters what we've paid as a nation to help rehabilitate our injured servicemen?

I just couldn't help thinking of all of the lies which landed us in Iraq. Don't get me wrong, I love football, but when I saw that video and heard the figures, I felt sick to my core. Am I the only person who thinks that it is a national disgrace that we rely on charity to fix up the bodies of the fallen. Am I the only one who thinks it is a disgrace that four fairly mediocre premiership players, not a premiership winners medal between them, are worth more than fixing the bodies of our brace soldiers?

Oh and the second half? There was really nothing to distract me from my maudling thoughts of national self loathing in the whole 45 minutes, apart from a half decent save by Joe Hart towards the end. 

As the final whistle approached I finally started to cheer up. I suddenly realised that I'd watched 90 minutes of football completely devoid of diving, play acting, players waiving imaginary cards at the referee. How much injury time - nothing in the first half and 2 mins in the second half. Not a physio on the pitch in the whole game. I thought how odd it was. Then I realised that all of the players on the pitch were British. As a nation we do play fair. We may be mugs, we may get turned over, we may not be able to string more than five decent passes together without giving the ball away, but we do play fair. And that is why I am proud of us. I saw a recent interview with Mike Summerbee, the Manchester City legend. He said "You don't support a team because they win or because they play nice football. If that happens it's a bonus. You support a team because you support them". That is why, come the next England match at Wembley, I'll be there, more in hope than expectation.

As we departed the ground, the  stadium announcer said "The man of the match is Aaron Ramsey". A bald fat Chelsea supporter next to me said "Whoever picked him is a F*****ng Gooner". That's football fans for you. I suspect that with the prices and the people running the FA, they'd rather have a rather different sort of customer. I hope to God they never get their way.

If you haven't donated any money to Help for Heroes - please click this link :-

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

We have a national duty to support these guys. If twats like me can pay £104 to watch a game of football, we can damn well afford to donate a few quid to the people who have suffered from the stupidity of the idiots we've elected. And if you voted Conservative or Lib Dem in the last election or Labour in the three elections before that, then I'm sorry to say that you share some of the blame for the fact that we ain't paying to look after these guys properly - and before you ask, I'm on a four out of four roll in that respect (3 Lab, 1 LD).

(and if anyone is tempted to leave comments promoting extreme parties by this comment, I will delete them -because this post ain't a soapbox for you).

Offord Falklands vistt : Time for Offord to do something useful

Our local MP, Matthew Offord has been on military manouvres in the Falklands.


http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/9040437.Hendon_MP_visits_Falkland_Islands_to_experience_military_life/

Apparently he took part in a "firing exercise" and visited a minefield (sounds like he'd be quite at home, given his time at Barnet Council). Matthew said :-

"For many years I believe the Armed Forces were neglected by the Government and I am pleased that is now being addressed.” 

I quite agree with Matthew, but he has rather missed the point. He said nothing about the biggest scandal of all regarding the Falklands campaign. Did you know that more British servicemen, who took part in the campaign, have committed suicide since leaving the forces, than were killed by the Argentinians? Unlike the USA, where there is a huge veterans program, we throw our servicemen on the scrapheap when they leave the forces. Many soldiers suffered huge mental scars following their experiences.Many have suffered nervous breakdown, homelessness, alcoholism and unemployment.

Whilst I hope Matthew enjoyed playing soldiers in the Falklands, the real issue regarding the "military covenenant" is here in the UK, on the streets of our big cities. It is the men with broken lives struggling to cope, following their experiences on the battlefields of the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Politicians love to be photo'd in military uniforms, alongside hardware and in glamarous locations. Sadly the arm of the military which most needs them is the invisible arm. The men who've left and are at a loss to cope with civilian life. Matthew doesn't need to travel 6,000 miles to meet these people. They are on the streets of our city. Organisations such as the Royal British Legion and "Help for Heroes" support them (often because the government has neglected it's responsibilities). Wilfred Owen (pictured left), was the greatest First World War poet. His words, for the first time gave us an insight into the stress of being a serving soldier in a warzone. Although the equipment we fight wars with have changed, the stresses have not. I spoke to a friend who was a Falklands vet and he told me that he thought no one should sit in parliament and vote on sending men to wars, if they don't know the poetry of Owen by heart. Owen wrote this poem "Disabled" just under one hundred years ago. It is sickening that it is relevant today

Disabled

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He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark, And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey, Legless, sewn short at elbow. Through the park Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn, Voices of play and pleasure after day, Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him. About this time Town used to swing so gay When glow-lamps budded in the light blue trees, And girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim,- In the old times, before he threw away his knees. Now he will never feel again how slim Girls' waists are, or how warm their subtle hands. All of them touch him like some queer disease. There was an artist silly for his face, For it was younger than his youth, last year. Now, he is old; his back will never brace; He's lost his colour very far from here, Poured it down shell-holes till the veins ran dry, And half his lifetime lapsed in the hot race And leap of purple spurted from his thigh. One time he liked a blood-smear down his leg, After the matches, carried shoulder-high. It was after football, when he'd drunk a peg, He thought he'd better join. - He wonders why. Someone had said he'd look a god in kilts, That's why; and maybe, too, to please his Meg, Aye, that was it, to please the giddy jilts He asked to join. He didn't have to beg; Smiling they wrote his lie: aged nineteen years. Germans he scarcely thought of; all their guilt, And Austria's, did not move him. And no fears Of Fear came yet. He drought of jewelled hills For daggers in plaid socks; of smart salutes; And care of arms; and leave; and pay arrears; Esprit de corps; and hints for young recruits. And soon, he was drafted out with drums and cheers. Some cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal. Only a solemn man who brought him fruits Thanked him; and then enquired about his soul. Now, he will spend a few sick years in institutes, And do what things the rules consider wise, And take whatever pity they may dole. Tonight he noticed how the women's eyes Passed from him to the strong men that were whole. How cold and late it is! Why don't they come And put him into bed? Why don't they come?

At my studios, we have a Help for Heroes collection permenantly running in reception and we sell poppies in November. Politicians such as Matthew Offord MP can do far more. They can change the way we treat our servicemen, so that they don't end up depressed, having breakdowns, on the streets and committing suicide. Every single person in this country today has a debt to the servicemen and women, past and present who have served us and protected us. I believe it's time we started paying that debt. I hope Matthew Offord MP does as well and starts to actually do something useful about it