The Poppy Appeal

Next week the Poppy Appeal will come into action, please do not just walk by the volunteers standing in the cold, they are giving their time to help all service personal, who have injuries,or home problems, the Royal British Legion, provides care and help,where and when it is needed.

This year is so important to raise money for the Headly Court, rehabilitation unit, if you look on my earlier page to see a young Major Phil Packer, who was shot in the back, and now sites in a wheel chair, this is for his and fellow comrades who need help.

 

Why do you ask us to give,we have so little, I could say you have two legs and arms, but they don't, and the National Health Service, does not cover their treatment. They don't want your sympathy, just a small help of a pause and drop in money

 

It is not just the present wars that we are fighting, but going back to the second world war, shown on to-days news a man who would have been living in a cardboard box, if the Legion had not found a home for him.

There are others who are on the streets, with major problems, not able to settle in a home, have problems with drink and drugs, these in turn are caused by sights and sounds that they have witnessed, this has pushed then to the brink,some go on to taking their own life.

Who would understand these problems, if you had not been in that position, their mates have most likely been blown to bites in front of them.

At this time I think of my time, when I also served with the QA's , and also the QA's who were killed in the second world war. 

That ladies and gentlemen is why you should not walk pass the poppy sellers. 

 

Rage -the lust to harm and kill

It has been reported that a young woman walking home was attacked, by a group of girls, why for gods sake, what did she do to them?

More and more females are getting in to this awful state of causing grievous body harm, that means bones broken, tissue damaged, why is this for kicks.
Perhaps we should bring the troops home,and send out all the young people who get their kicks by hurting other people to the danger spots around the world, and see what that would do to their warped egos, would that satisfy their lust to hurt.

Oh no that would not do, I can hear the voices of do gooders saying, they come from poor homes, I came from working class home, and lots of other people also, but we did not go round in gangs hurting others,even to killing.

Stop giving excuses, and work these people hard, so no energy to engage in this type of thuggery.

We have never had it so Good

Our these pensioners the rich ladies, throwing their money in to the sea for the fishes, I think not more like trying to catch a meal, the inference of the life style in Devon is misleading and insulting to the hard working people who get the lowest wages nationally

 

Oh my what have I been missing, those knowledgeable people who sit in the House of Commons, are so sure that we have nothing to grip about.

People who think the west country ends at Bristol, should venture in the this so called idyllic utopia,

You know and I know we have the highest bills in all the utilities, and the Water bill are more because we have the largest area of coast line.

 

Take all this in plus the cost of food, why do you think the Pensioners are on the war path, not just to get their blood boiling or exercise the brain cells, no it costs more to live in this area.

It was said that we had full employment, strange why has the building trade laid off so many staff, why have so many small company's gone out of business, I have seen this before we had the credit crunch.

 

A lot of food is brought  in from other areas, so the cost goes up, and have our farmers had a good deal from this Government, the answer is no, having lived in France I can say their farmers would not have stood for what our farmers have had to put up with. they would have shown their politicians who was in charge.

 

 

 

A Hundred Years of Scouting in Kingsteignton

I was approached by a grand dad, to be told that the roof needed urgent repairs.

We in Teignbridge have a Community fund, and Councillors have £1500 to spend within their community. What better way to help young boys and girls, so yes I put £500 in, they also had money from the Parish Council of £300, and the Land fill Trust was approached and they helped.

Today was the day for all mums and dads to see the work that has been carried out by Grand dads, now that is community working. Oh what a joy when a young man asked if I would like a cup of tea, and I might add lovely cake to go with it.

What memories it brought back for me - I was a Girl Guide, and loved every minute, working for my badges, going to help out in the day nursery near to our group. One big joy was the camping out, in our tents having midnight snacks, cooking over open fires, sitting round the camp fire singing, we were happy girls, It made us more mature and able to face what life and in store for us.

I still have my badges and belt, and the scrap book with all the things we got up to, even the photos which look a bit ancient, I loved every minute. Looking at the photos and wondering were where all those girls are now.

I was most impressed by the courtesy shown from the man on the gate to all the boys and girls, looking at the photos from all the years that Kingsteignton has had Scouting, but looking at the faces who had taken part in those years, they may be old and infirm ed, but the eyes lit up when some body said look at you there, bring forth loud giggles and laughs.

Congratulation Kingsteignton Sea Scouts on reaching your century, and I do hope you go on for many more years. I have added the picture of the founder Baden Powell, who inspired all the young people of the world, to work for others, who have not.

If you have grand children encourage them to join the Scouting movement, it broadens their out look on life, and make life long friendships.

Are you ready for the Olympic Games

Ladies and gentlemen shall we ask the rich bankers to pass over their hard earned cash, oh dear me no it is you the humble tax payer, the money for these games is drying up, why oh why has no one checked the contracts, who are the project mangers, are they not doing their job.
If one asks for building work to be done you see the quote, the time scale, and if it is a big job you put clauses in to safe guard your project and money.

So why has this gone over budget?

I hope this government is not thinking about raiding the pension fund or the County Councils coffers, that they might get back from Iceland. It was interesting looking back at 1947 to the freezing winter, when all our pipes burst, we could not go to school, that we though was great, but not when we had to shift the snow.

It was no joke trying to keep warm, remember no central heating, coal fires, where you roasted in front and froze on your back and legs. It was a combination of though in lack of money now, and then, we also had no money, and very little food, no good mum going to Iceland, only the corner shop, with her ration book.

In my earlier blog I spoke about the training of the team's, the cost to be incurred in the training programme, I do hope the money comes up, but not the tax payer's subbing it

The Real Meaning of Poverty

What is the real meaning of the word "POVERTY"? It is used in so many contexts, which gives it so many different meanings.

I will point out that I am not making any inference to the sick, disabled or infirm.

from Wikipedia
Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life, including food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, and may also include the deprivation of opportunities to learn, to obtain better employment to escape poverty, and/or to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens.

Would you say that this applies today's living?

In 1947 having come through the the war, then into another, we had to have a Austerity Plan for Great Britain - that was due to money that this country had to borrow from the USA, to pay for the war and we still had rationing up until 1954.

Should we not ask ourselves "where did we go wrong", at the start of the sixties through to today, and ask your self "what is poverty"?

We have child benefit, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit.

Look at child benefit - is this money spent on the child, or on adult entertainment? Unemployment has been low, but how many people claiming this are out of work? I know this will rise due to the economic downturn, or have we bred a generation of work shy people (or are they needing the education which has failed them)?

There are people who just can not organise their lives, through no thought of their own, inadequate and hapless people.

We managed in the forties and fifties, but the expectations where not as of to day, to-days society must have it now, pay on tick, it is known in areas in this country that the term knocker man is a way of life, from cradle to grave no other way to pay.

What about the drug addicts - are they poor or just inadequate souls? You will say "what about the poor people who live on the streets"? Well who are they, and why do they live rough?

They are most likely to be ex-service personnel who have complex problems - they are poor, as the brain is unable to clear the awful pictures and noises in their heads when they close their eyes. This also applies to people who have mental health problems, they are unable to live as others do.

I will come to the other people who beg on the streets, and no, I am not talking about the sellers of The Big Issue, but people who make out they need money - where do these people come from - are they of this country?

If one could take just one item in what I have said, it would take pages to do justice to this subject.

Sorry my mistake in text

 

I apologize for a miss quote in the paragraph about pensions, I should have said that over 11million pensioners are getting a pension £40.90 per week less then the official poverty level of £135.60 per week, having said that why do these people have to go through means testing to get benefits, when there is this money in the pension pot.

Now we all pay for bail out

Oh dear those poor politicians in the cabinet, having to work all night and pay out our hard earned money, to save the banker's and deposit holder's, but hang on a minute what about the local councils, who were advised by the Treasury to put their money in to the banks which have hit rock bottom.
The tune we are playing to is some £500 or is 700 billion, that all depends which programme you happen to be watching, that amounts to the tax payer, £16 k each year, how on earth are the pensioners and families going to pay, the extra tax that will come out in future budgets

I would like to draw you attention to the fact that pension savings have been hijacked by this government, a note from the Devon Pensioner Digest In communications with the National Pensioners Convention, Three senior ministers, Secretary of State ,Pensions Minister and the former Paymaster General all three have said that the funds huge surplus is being used to finance expenditure that is totally unrelated to the purposes for which the fund was created.
As a result, over 11million pensioners are getting a pension £40.90 per week, and do you know what there is ,£46 billion in the pension pot.
I ask you put this into perspective, what other funds have been hived off, and into what pot has this money gone.

I have just been reading a letter in The Western Morning News, saying how wonderful this government is, is it me, but who is responsible for what I have just said, or do I live on a different planet.

Other points that one should be aware of , if you require help in the home, like getting up,or going to bed,even having a wash, how much an hour will you be charged - cost £9.50 per hour, and for small jobs around the home like DIY-type jobs, these small jobs will cost just £14 per hour or if on benefit £8.

There are a lot more thing that I am going to research, and will be keeping you up to date with

Has Christmas come too soon?

Well we know now it has, for those poor struggling banker's, what do they say "God Bless America", no the people who pay taxes will be paying, it is the people who pay the piper, no, never forget that when the politicians say what they are doing for you the trouble is so many people just sit back and take it, so ask the question just what are you doing with my money.

I have spoken before about the redundant banking staff and building workers, who else will go to the wall, as it has been reported this weekend think of seventy five years ago, oh why the young people will be saying, I would just say look back at history ( 75 years ago ).

I do not follow how one can be sacked from one's position, and then reinstated a couple of years later, what is this the mad hatters tea party, have you been reinstated, if so why were you fired in the first place? Are we ever going to have somebody in power, who will actually tell us the truth, no Joan don't be daft, that only happen in fairy land,or are we living in the brown fairy land, of good payment for farmer's, growing our food, oh I forgot I believe Lord Woolton words to the mum's in the forties, how to spread out the rations, yes I do remember the Shepard's pie with little or no meat, must say we did not have a problem with weight gain, and remember no cars, as people did no earn enough to buy one, even a Ford.

Transport in London in those times was bus-Trolley bus, or you just walked or run when an air raid was on. What has this got to do with today, think of petrol prices,Gas & Electricity,plus water, will we be going back to a ration book?

I just wonder how this generation would manage, when you are in a super market just look at the trolleys, I wonder if they are stocking up for a food crisis.

How much of this food ends up in the green bin? forget the other countries lets provide for the children of this country, must say the school meals are improving.

Remember only 80 days to Christmas