Barnsley folk v Donny folk

[Sprotyrover]

Why is it the case the folk in Barnsley are patriotic,love having the military in the town and generally make a big fuss whilst our lot don't give a monkeys?
I wonder if it is the legacy left by the Barnsley Pals Battalion?

[glosterred]

What makes you say that the folks of Doncaster don't give a toss?

[Sad-Rovers]

Nonsense, Sprotty.

We have two TA units in Donny, the KOYLI museum, Ashworth Barracks and a very active ex-service community, especially for our local Infantry regiment, the Rifles.

What makes you say Barnsley is any better?

[Sprotyrover]

Sad I can't recall an occasion when we Doncaster town council has permitted the Army to parade a dozen armoured vehicles through the town centre let alone park them up outside the mansion house or new town hall,the Town Council has far less enthusiasm when it comes to rememberance day compared to Barnsley.

[glosterred]

Have the army ever asked to park up the vehicles outside the Mansion house or town hall? I've seen the army parade outside the Mansion house on a number of occasions.

[Sad-Rovers]

The KOYLI were granted freedom of Doncaster by Donny corporation in the 50's (off the top of my head) that honour was subsequently passed to the Light Infantry and then to The Rifles. In September 2012 my Battalion, 5 RIFLES exercised that right and had a post Afghanistan homecoming parade  and marched through Doncaster along with assorted TA RIFLES sub units, cadets and other hangers-on.

In summary, the army has the right to march through Donny any time it chooses however we've been rather busy bayoneting babies for oil in foreign fields recently and, moreover Donny council doesn't get to pick and choose timings, it's the army's prerogative.

[Sad-Rovers]

And for a treat, here's a picture of a tank in Donny:



Enjoy.

[The Red Baron]

I'm glad to see it isn't the one with Three German Officers in it!

[Sprotyrover]

2012 how many Minden days was that ago?

[Filo]

Sad I can't recall an occasion when we Doncaster town council has permitted the Army to parade a dozen armoured vehicles through the town centre let alone park them up outside the mansion house or new town hall,the Town Council has far less enthusiasm when it comes to rememberance day compared to Barnsley.

I've seen the Army out recruiting many a time near the Frenchgate Centre and HSBC bank

7 times armed forces day has been celebrated in Doncaster since 2009

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/video-doncaster-celebrates-armed-forces-day-1-7331088

[Sad-Rovers]

2012 how many Minden days was that ago?

Sprotty, this might come as a surprise but the army is quite small these days. I joined in the year 2000 when it was 110k strong, these days it's 80k. Not only that but we've been rather busy the last 15 years or so what with a couple of foreign wars, evacuating civies from Lebanon, covering a firefighters strike, exercises, flood relief and culling hundreds of thousands of f**king sheep during foot and mouth.

Not only are we much smaller and far busier than the the days of national service or even the late cold war we like to manage our troops time better. Gone are the days of painting grass green or marching in circles, these days we tend to spend a lot of time training for our actual jobs. Of course, if you want to deprive very busy and somewhat tired men and women of their precious time off to reherse for a parade in a provincial back water like Donny that's your business, personally I'm happier that these troops might be spending time with their kids between training and running the risk of having their knackers blown off.

[German Rover]

I'm a serving soldier and I can 100% back up what's said above. I'm currently working my b*llocks off because I don't have the lads my company is scaled for. I've been on three exercises overseas and spent three months in Canada. I'm based in Germany and would love to have the opportunity to parade through Doncaster but I've been home for Remembrance Sunday once in the last 12 years. Might sound like I'm preaching a bit but I wouldn't change a thing, I do genuinely enjoy my job and I'll keep doing it till they tell me to piss off or I stop enjoying it.

[Sammy Chung was King]

I know people who have served, or serve in the forces, and they work long hours, often in temeperatures way above what we face in this country.
The government make up the wars, then don't have the decency, to supply enough of the right kit, which should be the minimum expected.

[Glyn_Wigley]

It'd be interesting to know what those who have served think about what appears to be the competitive jingoism of the armchair soldiers who see 'supporting our boys' as some sort of one-upmanship that they can use as an excuse to look down on others who don't drape themselves in the flag as much as they do...

[IDM]

Can't say I've seen any behaviour like that on this thread Glyn?

In my experience the vast majority of service men and women just knuckle down and get on with their duties...

[auckleyflyer]

Glyn, that's what i hate about the whole help for heros thing! And armed forces days at pubs! Saw one at the station finno. Made me cringe as does the least we forget graffiti outside!!
Just a front for bigotry.
10yrs RN  during first gulf and Bosnia

[Glyn_Wigley]

Can't say I've seen any behaviour like that on this thread Glyn?

I didn't say there had been. But it's what it's like in Barnsley.

Now, I don't agree with Help For Heroes. My stance is that what they do should be being done by the government who employed the service personnel in the first place. Help For Heroes - although they mean well and do good work - allow government after government to abandon their obligations because they know charities will take up the slack so they can continue to just abandon ex-service men and women to their fate. I believe there shouldn't be any Help For Heroes-type because there should be a need for any, and government should be pressured into doing what they should be doing in the first place. And because of that stance, which I think is a reasonable one to have, I don't contribute (I prefer animal charities personally) - and because of that I've been abused as 'not supporting our boys' (I even had one call me a traitor!) by some of those who fill the description of 'armchair soldiers' I used above.

[Sad-Rovers]

The Army is (was) the latest charity fad just as starving Africans were in the 1980s.

Personally, the sudden and public grief being shown by civies in the likes of Wooton Basset didn't sit well with me. The Army has its own way of dealing with loss and throwing single roses on moving hearses and competing to be seen grieving the most isn't it.

Still, we've gone out of fashion now. Back to the likes of "Captain Crumpet" headlines and feigning shock that 20 summat year old blokes like to get pissed and f**k around. The hip place to be is dead Syrian babies on beaches I hear, thats where all the cool kids display their public wailing.

[IDM]

Can't say I've seen any behaviour like that on this thread Glyn?

I didn't say there had been. But it's what it's like in Barnsley.

Now, I don't agree with Help For Heroes. My stance is that what they do should be being done by the government who employed the service personnel in the first place. Help For Heroes - although they mean well and do good work - allow government after government to abandon their obligations because they know charities will take up the slack so they can continue to just abandon ex-service men and women to their fate. I believe there shouldn't be any Help For Heroes-type because there should be a need for any, and government should be pressured into doing what they should be doing in the first place. And because of that stance, which I think is a reasonable one to have, I don't contribute (I prefer animal charities personally) - and because of that I've been abused as 'not supporting our boys' (I even had one call me a traitor!) by some of those who fill the description of 'armchair soldiers' I used above.

I agree that the government should negate the need for help for heroes..

An injured soldier said on breakfast this a few years ago - Heroes don't come home!

[Glyn_Wigley]

Can't say I've seen any behaviour like that on this thread Glyn?

I didn't say there had been. But it's what it's like in Barnsley.

Now, I don't agree with Help For Heroes. My stance is that what they do should be being done by the government who employed the service personnel in the first place. Help For Heroes - although they mean well and do good work - allow government after government to abandon their obligations because they know charities will take up the slack so they can continue to just abandon ex-service men and women to their fate. I believe there shouldn't be any Help For Heroes-type because there should be a need for any, and government should be pressured into doing what they should be doing in the first place. And because of that stance, which I think is a reasonable one to have, I don't contribute (I prefer animal charities personally) - and because of that I've been abused as 'not supporting our boys' (I even had one call me a traitor!) by some of those who fill the description of 'armchair soldiers' I used above.

I agree that the government should negate the need for help for heroes..

An injured soldier said on breakfast this a few years ago - Heroes don't come home!

Reminds me of a line from Steptoe & Son back in the 60s, it went something like 'They promised us homes fit for heroes, all we got was heroes fit for a home'.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Can't say I've seen any behaviour like that on this thread Glyn?

I didn't say there had been. But it's what it's like in Barnsley.

Now, I don't agree with Help For Heroes. My stance is that what they do should be being done by the government who employed the service personnel in the first place. Help For Heroes - although they mean well and do good work - allow government after government to abandon their obligations because they know charities will take up the slack so they can continue to just abandon ex-service men and women to their fate. I believe there shouldn't be any Help For Heroes-type because there should be a need for any, and government should be pressured into doing what they should be doing in the first place. And because of that stance, which I think is a reasonable one to have, I don't contribute (I prefer animal charities personally) - and because of that I've been abused as 'not supporting our boys' (I even had one call me a traitor!) by some of those who fill the description of 'armchair soldiers' I used above.

I agree that the government should negate the need for help for heroes..

An injured soldier said on breakfast this a few years ago - Heroes don't come home!

Reminds me of a line from Steptoe & Son back in the 60s, it went something like 'They promised us homes fit for heroes, all we got was heroes fit for a home'.

It was only fools and horses, glyn. Grandad talking to del and rodney. I thought i was the only one, who get's a bit p..sed off, about everybody competing to be top mourner. Many do go to show respect and support, but just as many, want to latch onto any attention going.
The service people i know, see it as they're job, they don't make a fuss with things, and spot on with help for heroes, a disgrace that people have to fundraise, when the government, hides from it's duty.