The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: NormandyMary on June 03, 2012, 05:51:05 pm

Title: Thames Pageant.
Post by: NormandyMary on June 03, 2012, 05:51:05 pm
Anyone been watching it? Ive been having to take it easy for the last few days as Im poorly, so Ive been able to put my feet up and watch it all. It was quite a spectacle I thought, despite the weather. Although I live in France, it did make me feel proud to be british. They know how to do a pageant do the Brits!!!
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 03, 2012, 06:16:59 pm
god save the queen!
hip hip...
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Bangbang on June 03, 2012, 06:23:07 pm
Horay! watched the last hour, felt sorry for the presenters having to come up with so much
drizzle to keep us awake! GSTQ
 
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Bionic on June 03, 2012, 06:43:48 pm
After the lovely weather we have had recently its such a shame that today was awful. We were going to the local village celebration but didn't go because it hasn't stopped raining. Still, hopefully Mon and Tue it will improve and there are still events to attend.
Sally
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Fleecewife on June 03, 2012, 06:49:40 pm
I almost hate to say it, but it's lovely and sunny here in the south of Scotland, even if there's a bitter east wind and a possible frost forecast for tonight.
 
I did watch the pageant but was disappointed with the standard of commentary - hardly anything about the history of all those ships and boats and barges.  It's not as if they haven't had three years to prepare what they were going to say.   Yes I am a miserable old git  ;D ;D ;D :eyelashes:
 
I felt sorry for the two thrones on the royal barge, at least for the embroiderers who must have spent years sewing the emblems - why didn't She and He sit on them?
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: tizaala on June 03, 2012, 08:03:37 pm
Because it would have looked too funny to see her with an Ivory dress with a big red damp stain on her backside from the soggy upholstery.  :innocent:
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Berkshire Boy on June 03, 2012, 08:14:04 pm
Should have sent a submarine up there and torpedoed the lot of them. Bring on the revolution.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: jaykay on June 03, 2012, 08:38:28 pm
go away, we're enjoying it <sticks tongue out>
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Lesley Silvester on June 03, 2012, 10:56:01 pm
No TV so I'll have to watch it on iplayer.  Long live the Queen and down with the revolution.   :P
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: bloomer on June 03, 2012, 11:00:14 pm
i have MIL here for weekend who is very anti royal, so i have recorded it all to watch when i have time!!!



Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Fleecewife on June 03, 2012, 11:59:39 pm
Because it would have looked too funny to see her with an Ivory dress with a big red damp stain on her backside from the soggy upholstery.  :innocent:

 ;D ;D ;D 8)
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on June 04, 2012, 07:28:26 am
also (and I thought better) ITV showed last night (so should be on their iPlayer equivalent) the Pageant of the Horse from Windsor which took place a couple of weeks back. Not only 1000 horses from all over the world doing amazing things but lots of dances and performance as well. And it didnt rain!
It might sound as dull as ditchwater but do give it a lookie, I intended to just flick on and off and ended up watching about 2 hours!
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 04, 2012, 09:56:39 am
nice one, ill tell my daughter about that.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: sabrina on June 04, 2012, 10:19:26 am
I watched a bit but I enjoyed the Queens Horses more, very entertaining.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: MikeM on June 04, 2012, 11:41:16 am
started watching, but the presenters they picked were even more moronic, assinine and tedious than normal, so I had to stop. They'll be 1st against the wall, come the revolution.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Castle Farm on June 04, 2012, 03:08:36 pm
We ought to have one of these shows at least once a month, it will help take or minds off all the finacial crap we are in.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 04, 2012, 04:05:29 pm
hurrah, god save the queen!! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: henchard on June 04, 2012, 05:46:10 pm
Personally I find this servility to a rich woman with several large houses and numerous servants, paid for by us, nauseating.

Nothing against her personally but it really is like we’ve fallen through a time hole into an age where nobody questions the utterly bizarre situation that in a modern country in 2012 some people get given a load of castles, servants and treasure simply because of who their dad was; then the rest of us are expected to bow down in front of them. Mind you it’s even more bizarre that people accept it.

Deep in debt? Lost your job? Lost your home? Never mind; wave a piece of coloured cloth on the end of a stick and everything will be fine.

As for 'god' what on earth has some imaginary tooth fairy got to do with it?
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Bangbang on June 04, 2012, 06:01:00 pm
Ooooh ! A person who speaks there mind, an admirable quality, though I don't personally agree with
the content of your post.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on June 04, 2012, 06:21:34 pm
If the only benefit is to enable us to avoid partisan, incompetent and arrogant politicians instead as head of state.....well, well worth it! Pence per year per head, and we'd have to pay for the replacement system anyway.
I dont think people bow down in a genuinely servile fashion these days, I think they do it out of respect to HMs service over 60 years, and also to be honest as a piece of theatre and fun dressing up. And that's OK, it doesnt all have to be Cromwellian misery and no music and dancing in life...:-D
But, as the saying goes, I may completely disagree with your view but I will defend to the death your right to hold it and say it....:-))
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 04, 2012, 06:25:04 pm
absolutely damn right! on all counts.
i couldnt do what she does. no way.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Bangbang on June 04, 2012, 06:34:01 pm
We can only play the game with the cards we are dealt, some get a royal flush
others a lousy pair, but every hand can be a winner!
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: benkt on June 04, 2012, 06:34:30 pm
The alternative of electing someone would be dreadful. The nearest comparison where we have an election for a single personality is the London mayor and the though of Ken or Boris doing the job horrifies me!
The cost would probably go up as well, a general election costs ~£80m to run which would pay for two or three years of the Civil List and most of the rest of the cost of the monarchy is on things like security and big state events which we'd still pay for anyway.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: henchard on June 04, 2012, 06:36:39 pm
But, as the saying goes, I may completely disagree with your view but I will defend to the death your right to hold it and say it....:-))

thank you.

As for the ‘ she works so hard and brings in loads of tourists’ line can I just say I’d agree with the former if she’d been working12 hour days, six days a week cleaning NHS toilets for the last 60 years and as for the latter that’s hardly a good reason as no doubt turning the Palace into an upmarket brothel would pull in the overseas punters.

The whole jamboree is just a big PR exercise to raise their profile after Joe Public was starting to see through the pantomime what with Charles being an adulterer whilst he was married to that lovely ‘Saint Diana’, some of the others getting divorced (despite mummy being head of the Church that frowns on such things) and Andrew being friends with an American paedophile and having meetings with Muammar Gaddafi.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Berkshire Boy on June 04, 2012, 06:57:14 pm
Oh and they're Germans who would have sold us down the river if Hitler had won.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 04, 2012, 07:01:20 pm
the trouble is, cleaning toilets for the nhs doesnt bring in any tourists. as far as i know anyhow.
i think charles will make a great king, if hes given the chance, so him n diana didnt work out, at least hes with the women he loves now.
the church frowns upon lots of things, it is changing, and weakening too, hey ho, onwards and hopefully upwards.
politics is a tricky buisness, i wouldnt want to walk the fine line being a royal takes.
hip hip hooray! ;)
 
how could thay have sold us down the river?? they dont have any real power. all the world governments sucked up to hitler until war was called.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: henchard on June 04, 2012, 08:19:05 pm
I never have and never will understand anyone who tolerates, let alone supports, the existence of any monarchy in this day and age.

It doesn't matter if she's the loveliest old dear in the whole wide world; the idea of an undemocratically non-elected head of state in a modern Western country is bizarre.

As for the tourism excuse. If you got rid of the Royal family you'd still get tourists coming to see Buckingham palace and the rest. In fact you could fully open them up; have guided tours of the Queen's bedroom; you'd make a mint. How long has it been since France became a republic, and people still visit Versailles in massive numbers.

The next thing they trot out is she doesn't cost everyone very much money? Well if that's the case why can't I have umpteen million a year? It won't cost you much. Some estimate that they cost us over £200m a year which equates to many thousands of extra nurses in the NHS.

The final excuse people trot out at times like these is "Oh yeah, well what would you prefer; PRESIDENT BLAIR??!!!?!?

You'd prefer that the head of state be decided by virtue of their magical bloodline that makes them more important than anyone else rather than having someone actually elected by the people? And how does "President Blair" sound any more stupid than "Prime Minister Blair" (as if he'd get elected anyway)? In actual fact why would you need a President? What's wrong with an elected government and a Judiciary to deal with constitutional matters?

So what happened to the "all men are created equal" thing, something to which the Royal family are the complete antithesis. How can anyone, in any small way, support this fundamentally archaic, unfair and blatantly discriminatory system?
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Lesley Silvester on June 04, 2012, 09:07:46 pm
As has been said, we are all entitled to our own opinions.  Personally I am proud to be British and proud of our Monarchy.  I wouldn't want to be royal for all the money in the world.  I like to be able to make mistakes without everyone knowing and without everything I do or say being broadcast in the media.  I also like being able to retire when I choose not have to go on for ever.
 
Have your opinions, you won't change mine.
 
Long live the Queen and the monarchy.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Rosemary on June 04, 2012, 09:09:40 pm
Oh and they're Germans who would have sold us down the river if Hitler had won.

I find that quite offensive.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Berkshire Boy on June 04, 2012, 09:37:55 pm
How do you find that offensive Rosemary? A deal had been struck that they would get safe passage out of here and set up elsewhere. It is not a secret that info is out in the public domain. I find it offensive that this self appointed family have the nerve to still be here.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Bangbang on June 04, 2012, 09:39:15 pm
If people who live in this great country do not like what it represents, whether in its past or soon to be future then they should find a country that suits them and there attitude, leaving the rest of the country to enjoy itself.
Sort it, move, or shut up. This is a great nation having a celebration!
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 04, 2012, 09:50:42 pm
rather old boy, thats the spirit, they dont like it up em :thumbsup:
 
hic hic hoooooooray :-*
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Mammyshaz on June 04, 2012, 10:02:32 pm
For my pennyworth

As  I've become older ( and wiser  :innocent:) I grown to respect theroyal family and what it represents to our country. The history of kings and queens through history i find very interesting and we are one of the few countries to still have a royal family, many others have been lost. We ought to be proud. But like many other things in this country, instead we slander it to death.

Be British! Be proud!

Times are tough but there's always time to party.

Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Castle Farm on June 04, 2012, 10:40:35 pm
What the hell have us british to be proud of?

We invade other countries and kill the people that live there.

We live in cloud bloody cuckoo land governed by a bunch of total idiots who couldn't sort out a ball of tangled string let alone the financial problems the 'higher mortals' have got us into.

Where is all this extra tax going?
Stupid fiascos like this weekend and the bloody olimpic games.
Gef rid of the lot of them we'd be better off with Harry Hill running the country.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Bangbang on June 04, 2012, 10:56:23 pm
Fine words from someone who lives in a 'Castle' farm.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Berkshire Boy on June 04, 2012, 10:59:09 pm
Presumably Bangbang as others are not allowed an opinion you would like the royals to go and a dictator put in their place. ???
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: robert waddell on June 05, 2012, 08:36:58 am
this is turning into a good going spat      vat went up to 20%  to help out Europe and vat was introduced to part fund our way in Europe
and on El presidentie Blair  don't rule out the possibility  if anybody had observered the gushing reporter talking about him at the levison inquiry you would think he had that status already   the prime cause of the country having the problems it does have in his rush to get up there with all the other scammers that have the mistaken belief that the taxpayer will fund it for them
the revolution cant come quick enough :farmer:
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Sylvia on June 05, 2012, 09:44:09 am
I haven't seen the pageant but was a captive audience last night for the Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace. That poor old soul sat through it stoically but looked as though she would rather have been in bed with a mug of cocoa and a good book!
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Tilly on June 05, 2012, 10:06:15 am
 
(http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-random-smileys-1006.gif) (http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/facebook-smileys.html)
 
.... well what ever everyones opinion  - its a good opportunity  for a knees up  :eyelashes: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: henchard on June 05, 2012, 11:11:09 am
.... well what ever everyones opinion  - its a good opportunity  for a knees up  :eyelashes: :thumbsup:

yep I'm sure the unemployed brought in to steward the event (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/04/jubilee-pageant-unemployed) and forced to sleep under London Bridge had a great knees up whilst the billionaire queen went back to her palace. Makes you think about scroungers doesn't it?
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Small Farmer on June 06, 2012, 12:10:11 am
As a political system the monarchy is unsupportable but works well in practice.  It makes a lot of people happy and proud to be British and is supported by an overwhelming majority.  That makes it curiously democratic.  It brings in vast amounts in tourist revenue etc by comparison with what it costs to run.  It provides vast experience to the PM of the day (even if he's too big a tit to listen)  And the Queen's bragging rights in the wealthiest Brit contest have been knocked over the years


So unless there's a really good alternative why change?  And there isn't a better alternative, merely a choice of other ways of doing the same thing less well at vastly greater cost.  Look at the wads of dish being thrown around in the US where the megarich contributors to super PACs have effectively controlled the choice of Republican runner.  Consider Russia, Italy...


But I'm unconvinced by Charles.
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: Fowgill Farm on June 06, 2012, 10:43:54 am
As has been said, we are all entitled to our own opinions.  Personally I am proud to be British and proud of our Monarchy.  I wouldn't want to be royal for all the money in the world.  I like to be able to make mistakes without everyone knowing and without everything I do or say being broadcast in the media.  I also like being able to retire when I choose not have to go on for ever.
 
Have your opinions, you won't change mine.
 
Long live the Queen and the monarchy.

Well said MGM, have watched HRH all weekend from the Derby on saturday thro to the procession yesterday, she is one helluva trooper and i also think prince Charles has come out of this weekend very well and for all everyone says about Camilla never was a DIL ever so more attentative to the Queen as she has been this weekend, good on her, wouldn't have seen Princess (me me me me )Diana doing that. Been a grand weekend depsite the appalling weather bring on the olympics, ascot, wimbledon and all the other things that make you feel great to be British.
This weekend we've shown the world couldn't you just see the hundreds of thousands who had streamed into the Mall and funny there was only a handful of protestors who were quickly shouted down!
Mandy  :pig:
PS arise Sir Gary Barlow! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: RaisinHall Tamworths on June 06, 2012, 06:38:07 pm
As has been said, we are all entitled to our own opinions.  Personally I am proud to be British and proud of our Monarchy.  I wouldn't want to be royal for all the money in the world.  I like to be able to make mistakes without everyone knowing and without everything I do or say being broadcast in the media.  I also like being able to retire when I choose not have to go on for ever.
 
Have your opinions, you won't change mine.
 
Long live the Queen and the monarchy.

Well said MGM, have watched HRH all weekend from the Derby on saturday thro to the procession yesterday, she is one helluva trooper and i also think prince Charles has come out of this weekend very well and for all everyone says about Camilla never was a DIL ever so more attentative to the Queen as she has been this weekend, good on her, wouldn't have seen Princess (me me me me )Diana doing that. Been a grand weekend depsite the appalling weather bring on the olympics, ascot, wimbledon and all the other things that make you feel great to be British.
This weekend we've shown the world couldn't you just see the hundreds of thousands who had streamed into the Mall and funny there was only a handful of protestors who were quickly shouted down!
Mandy  :pig:
PS arise Sir Gary Barlow! :thumbsup:

Agree  ;D .  I ,love the royal family and think they do a great deal for this country. 
Also HM  breeds Highland ponies and Jersey cattle so I like to think The Queen and myself have a lot in common with us breeding Highlands and I have 2 Jerseys  :D   
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 06, 2012, 06:55:46 pm
 :D im not too convinced about the princes 'bladder infection' i think hes taking the p..s
Title: Re: Thames Pageant.
Post by: jaykay on June 06, 2012, 07:15:42 pm
Quote
im not too convinced about the princes 'bladder infection' i think hes taking the p..s
Groan  :D

Castle Farm, what other countries are you thinking of where what you state isn't the case?

Whatever system we had I don't think the 'ruler' would live in a two-up, two-down in an ex-industrial terrace somewhere. They would be privileged and live accordingly.

Personally when I look at the quality of person who is the Queen and compare that with the likes of Cameron, Clegg and Balls......well, thank goodness we do have a monarchy!