moonraker

Seems we are now very popular in Zambia, particularly liked this comment on one on the Zambia Watchdog website "I’m buying a Mayuka Southampton t-shirt whilst the rest of Zambia goes around wearing their man U ones with a picture of lucifer on the heart….."

The biggest surprise to me is QPR who based on the survey draw their fans form a wider area than Saints?

TDD I fully understand your frustration 20 years operating and now nearly 20 years designing, believe me there is no easy answer. Design teams are very professional and truly try to provide the best possible solution to the front line but have to operate within the available budget and technology constraints. The 2 elements that designers cannot plan for are politicians and service driven requirements creep. The politician interfere and the series change their mind depending on the latest events. One of the reasons so many projects overspend is changing requirements (QEC will cost more because of Cameron’s complete mis-judgment on the type of Aircraft).

Ah Astute, please tell me which current SSN's available in the world are better. The design of a nuclear submarine is recognised as one of if not the most complex engineering systems in the world. The design process requires that technology is de-risked before it can be included in the design, I would bet my shirt your examples were not mature enough when the design freeze decisions had to be taken hence designers include growth margin in all designs to allow for capability inserts/upgrades throughout the life of the system. Minor question TDD do you understand DLODS?

Well as I said I speak daily to your colleagues in the Navy and Army (rarely the RAF) who have also been on the front line, on land and at sea (above and below the water), and they tell it differently. I can assure you what you have today is far superior not just in technical capability but also in quality to what I and my oppos put up with in the 70’s and 80’s.

Your comment on the size of the armed forces is spot on, I am no shoulder shrugger, unfortunately no party understands the importance of strong properly constituted armed forces, the Tory’s happen to have the worst record on cuts, not just this incarnation but all post war Tory govs. My point on aid was that it is a cross bench view not a LD only view.

The aid programme is essentilly a tory policy yes the LDs support it but it would be there anyway. And what has it to do with armed forces equipment. The UK armed forces currently have the best equipment available, I speak daily to members of the armed forces and whilst there will always be grumbling kit is a minor issue on the other hand force reductions are areal concern, and as history tells us vote tory and you reduce the size of the armed forces.

Not at all, who one supports is a matter of free choice, however whenever the LD's part in the coalition is brought up on here the usual suspects just jump on the media bandwagon. They criticise the LD’s as though they are the government not the minority partner in a coalition, a coalition that despite our voting system is what we voted for, not as individuals but as a nation.

Sadly no national media want to tell this story. The press barons are only interested in the Tories or Labour; misrepresenting the LD's is nothing new. It’s a shame so many voters are either too thick or to ideological to understand / acknowledge this. The one good thing will be that Cameron and his unpleasant self serving backbenchers are going to be a one term government.

I have no issue with a local authority lending money to a local organisation, even the local football club. In the case of our nearest and dearest the loan should be on the basis that the Fans own the club) and all FL requirements are adhered in full, no appeals and no campaigns. I can’t see what the basis for a legal challenge would be. Trust ownership and fans control is now the only solution I could stomach if the few are to survive. Such an arrangement would guarantee that they forever remain below us and in our shadow much more satisfying than them becoming a footnote in football history.

What happens if everyone on the flight purchases speedy boarding?

A quote form the New York Times might cheer Dune up "Britain offered a display of humor and humbleness that can only stem from a deep-rooted sense of superiority."

It was not about them as individuals, they were representing the future, or is that a bit to difficult for you.

Me my 2 kids, it was excellent. The interpretation of our history was also excellent, proud British citizens celebrating it, the colour of thier skin does not distort history. Using your perverse logic would mean that the sealed knot would have to have a bar on non white members. And the cauldron was an absolute masterpiece.

I have a feeling this is another Tory attmept to deflect the fire away from the real issues of Tax avoidance. Public opinion is building and demanding action against the tax avioidance schemes used by the big corporates and the wealthy, a large % of whom are the very good freinds of the Tories. Their attempts to blame our finnacial ills on benefits claimants have not had much traction so now the have lined up their sights on small mainly self employed tradesman and women, this will not turn out well for them.

Mark Wright

If you like a good steak to Vincent's Restaurant http://www.restaurantvincent.com/

At St Marys often!!!!!!!

Whilst Jason is from Bath I think he was a £50k transfer from Bath City at 18 or so.

Couple of points, trooping the colour is a Household Division event so includes the Blues and Royals (Donkey Wallopers) not just foot guards. The Duke of Westminster is the senior Territorial Army officer, nothing honoury about his rank he is a serving long standing member of the TA.

The acid test is whether the Armed Forces are offended by members of the Royal Family donning the uniforms of their service without actually earning it through military service. Whilst there may be some who object my experience of 40 years working in and with the armed forces is that they welcome the Royal Family in all its guises and do not object to them donning of military uniforms.

Or very enlightened countries like Sweden, Noray and Holland, last time I looked Uganda and Libya were not constitutional monarchies.

It is pretty normal to confer honoury titles, ranks and awards on members of the Royal Family in a constitutuional monarchy it is not unique to the House of Windsor and the United Kingdom.

Your ability to misinterpret is boundless, Freudian it was not just a pop at your unproven claims an, officer at the AIB telling you something proves nothing. I have the greatest respect for the Royal Navy officer cadre and have many good friends who are or have served including some who have reached very senior rank. I am fully aware of Engineering Officer academic requirements, you may have achieved those but the tone of your posts tell me the navy was/is better of without you.

All service men are born and spend time as civilians, not all civilians spend time as service men. As to the AIB telling Alpine he would get into Dartmouth, by his own admission it was never tested was it, so he is claiming something that was never proven, and in any case getting into Dartmouth is nothing to shout about 2 A Levels and lack of chin generally suffice!