Pageant wind ups
Discussion
So having told the pageant to poke my place as apparently the other four boats planning on going with us didn't meet the criteria, all fair enough as long as I don't spot too much crap in the procession, what else is going to cock the day up?
Well the weather isn't great but proper boaters are used to that.
BBC just stated that it was such a difficult thing to arrange that the PLA had to go visit Australia for consultations.
WTF.
Surely this country has enough experience of dealing with a large number of vessels in a small place, we're an island state for christ sakes. More to the point in these days of e-mail and internet you would think that any advice could be imparted without the need to organise a jolly.
Apparently there will be an anti monarchist protest on the river bank all with the co operation of the police etc. Now don't get me wrong I'm all for free speech, but is this appropriate to allow? Perhaps we should have got a few chaps that have taken the Queen's shilling to police that bit.
Still at least the health and safety lot have ensured the Royal party won't have the indignity of travelling on a purpose built vessel pulled by royal oarsmen or even a run down state vessel such as RYB, and I'm sure she'll much appreciate the added pomp and circumstance of being aboard a old german barge dressed up with a few flags and a bit of gold paint.
Right that's all out of the way. Have a superb day Ma'am and don't let the b
ds boil your piss.
Let's hope they didn't forget to stock up with Gin and Dubonnet on board. I didn't.
Well the weather isn't great but proper boaters are used to that.
BBC just stated that it was such a difficult thing to arrange that the PLA had to go visit Australia for consultations.
WTF.
Surely this country has enough experience of dealing with a large number of vessels in a small place, we're an island state for christ sakes. More to the point in these days of e-mail and internet you would think that any advice could be imparted without the need to organise a jolly.
Apparently there will be an anti monarchist protest on the river bank all with the co operation of the police etc. Now don't get me wrong I'm all for free speech, but is this appropriate to allow? Perhaps we should have got a few chaps that have taken the Queen's shilling to police that bit.
Still at least the health and safety lot have ensured the Royal party won't have the indignity of travelling on a purpose built vessel pulled by royal oarsmen or even a run down state vessel such as RYB, and I'm sure she'll much appreciate the added pomp and circumstance of being aboard a old german barge dressed up with a few flags and a bit of gold paint.
Right that's all out of the way. Have a superb day Ma'am and don't let the b
ds boil your piss.Let's hope they didn't forget to stock up with Gin and Dubonnet on board. I didn't.
They closed the Thames Barrier to stop that nasty current thing; very wise.
Found the TV coverage rather dull, with very little attention paid to the rear 99% of boats and no information about any of them. They all have numbers on the side so it should be easy for commentators to look them up in a list and give some gen.
So it's about as exciting as watching the London Marathon between hours 6 and 10.
Found the TV coverage rather dull, with very little attention paid to the rear 99% of boats and no information about any of them. They all have numbers on the side so it should be easy for commentators to look them up in a list and give some gen.
So it's about as exciting as watching the London Marathon between hours 6 and 10.
Endless things we can criticise such as crap reporting, poor research, lack of naval display etc etc but one thing that stood out is that she stood there through the whole thing doing her dutiful waves to the crowd in the pouring rain and still managed to smile.
Proud to be a monarchist and hope you enjoyed 'your' day Ma'am.
Proud to be a monarchist and hope you enjoyed 'your' day Ma'am.
MOTORVATOR said:
Apparently there will be an anti monarchist protest on the river bank all with the co operation of the police etc. Now don't get me wrong I'm all for free speech, but is this appropriate to allow?
As much as I find this kind of protest distasteful - in a similar way that 'Anti-War' protestors demonstrate around Soldiers' funerals, and Muslims demonstrate with their 'Anti-West' rhetoric at National events...I am also glad in a beleagured way that our free democracy allows such things to happen.Annoying and bad form yes - but turn it around, and see it for what it actually is - we're fortunate enough to live in a country that embraces such freedom to allow such a thing.
I.E. if we were in Syria, they would all be lying in a pool of their own blood by now, with their brains leaking out from gunshot wounds...
I agree they have a right to their opinion Ray, but when they decide to do it when there are clearly streets full of monarchists about I think it shows an intention to incite rather than just put their point across. Similar to the processions for war dead. We have a law that is in place to stop incitement and I think it should be used in these sort of circumstances. Good on the media though for giving them zero coverage.
MOTORVATOR said:
I agree they have a right to their opinion Ray, but when they decide to do it when there are clearly streets full of monarchists about I think it shows an intention to incite rather than just put their point across. Similar to the processions for war dead. We have a law that is in place to stop incitement and I think it should be used in these sort of circumstances. Good on the media though for giving them zero coverage.
Agreed mate - and don't get me wrong - I don't like it either. I'm no royalist, but events like today and the forthcoming Olympics are fabulous National occasions that should be celebrated and enjoyed. I enjoyed watching the Flotilla on TV today, and it made me proud for my country.It's a fine line between incitement and free protest though - depends on the tolerance level of an individual I guess. The important thing is that we have laws in place to stop incitement, and I am pretty confident that if any Police officers present at such an event decide the line has been breached between the two, then they would take swift and robust action.
It's a difficult one - technically, we should defend the pageant, pomp and ceremony of our National and State events like today, with a similar level of democratic enthusiasm as the right to freedom of speech and demonstration - which I guess means tolerating and accepting such annoying diversions and accommodating what we find distasteful individuals and their right to protest.
It's all one and the same really - as frustrating as that may seem to you and I!
MOTORVATOR said:
Still at least the health and safety lot have ensured the Royal party won't have the indignity of travelling on a purpose built vessel pulled by royal oarsmen or even a run down state vessel such as RYB, and I'm sure she'll much appreciate the added pomp and circumstance of being aboard a old german barge dressed up with a few flags and a bit of gold paint.
I was looking at the pverhead pictures of the boat she was on today and wondered if she was chosen due to the ability to land a helicopter on herGassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff