Hello!!!...just a little snapshot, pre-war but not forgotten, (and slowly getting back there) of another evening at my place....sun facing and up for a large dollop of giggle. Yes I have a lot to say....and relish giving it some (flowery) wellie, especially if you bring beer and cakes. If I really like you, raspberry ripple is always a winner, we will laugh at each other till dawn....just tie up the donkey by the garden gate and don't forget your gee-tar.....Brrrooom sticks and hairbrushes optional....
...on your way over, please look out for my abandoned boat (last seen on a rock just left of the *grin* store......and take no notice at all of the nekked dancing pirates......they are attention seekers)....and my GHD straighteners sadly abandoned in error....weren't they AA?
Can't sign off without a nod to all my 'myspace' friends especially my dearest Orph.......have a listen myspace/thecollectormusic and myspace.com/simonkingmusic (in my top friends) THEY HAVE NEW MUSIC UP!!
Time for change......check out www.brokencovenant.org.uk ( British LegioN)
and www.mfaw.org.uk (MILITARY FAMILIES AGAINST THE WAR)
Dear Help for Heroes supporter,
I am delighted to be able to announce that we have raised over £12 million in 12 months, that is £1 million a month or, as Mark the Insomniac worked out, .39p a second!
This time one year ago, we had formed a charity in under two weeks, blagged offices, recruited volunteer staff, been given furniture, computers and telephones and were ready to go. We didn’t know what to expect; there was no masterplan apart from a determination to help the wounded and a passion to do so to the best of our ability. We knew that thousands of people felt the same as us; that ‘something’ had to be done. Well, we, you, all of us, did that ‘something’ and the results speak for themselves.
Help for Heroes has been very simple. We have told people of our desire to help the wounded and then asked those who wish to join us to get out there and do their bit... and thousands have. We have had the big events, the London Marathon, the 52,000 rugby supporters who filled Twickenham, the 300 cyclists who raised £1.3 million on a bike ride, the £1.5 million donated in return for nine passenger seats on the Red Arrows and we have had the smaller events; equally important to us. There have been cake sales, car washes, sponsored shaves, runs, walks, balls, clay shoots and thousands of other inspired fund raising events limited only by the law and the imagination. Thank you everyone who has done something, great or small for Help for Heroes, you are really marvellous and a part of this wonderful wave of support.
We have been able to allocate the funds received so, of the £12 million we know that will come in, we have already allocated nearly £10 million to support the wounded and you will be able to read more about that on the main website. Soon, the wounded will have their own pool and gym complex, will go on adaptive adventure training trips as part of their rehabilitation, get job opportunities and gain assistance with the stress caused by combat. As money comes in, we will take advice from the Services and other charities, the people who know, and we will get it out to where it is most needed; you can be sure of that.
Raising a great deal of money is only part of the story of Help for Heroes as we know that we have played our part in raising the awareness and support for the Armed Forces. Our leading sporting heroes have professed to being humbled by the true heroes, the extraordinary... No, the ordinary... blokes, they have met. This respect has spread and our Servicemen and women tell us that the way they are seen by the public is changing for the better. This quote is from a Serviceman in Afghanistan..
‘To me the most incredible success that H4H, and other military focused charities, has been to make our service a part of every day life in the minds of the general public and by doing so, creating an atmosphere of unstinting support (numerous parcels for my boys in Afghanistan from complete strangers being a physical demonstration of this support) for the young soldiers I had the privilege to command no matter what ones political views of the operations in which we fight.
This, in my mind, makes a real difference to the morale of the troops and makes the soldier that much more comfortable to do the job that he does; thank you.’
Running at this pace has its challenges and the success of the appeal has depended on the extraordinary dedication of everyone who has been involved in Help for Heroes, the staff, volunteers, supporters and the thousands of fund-raisers... so thank you and keep going.
Finally, none of this would have happened without the inspiration of ‘the blokes’ themselves. If we ever feel a little weary, we only need to visit the staff and patients at Selly Oak and Headley Court to get a dose of their courage, humility and humour to spur us on. To hear one of the wounded refer to himself as being ‘blessed as he has only lost a leg’ is to understand what this is all about; the blokes. They are the reason, they are the inspiration and frankly, it is an honour for us to do a little to help them; I know you all feel the same.
With thanks for everything you have done and will continue to do,
Bryn, Emma and all the H4H team
HUGE hugs and thanks to Simon King of The Collector (top friends) for letting me 'borrow' The Piano Song as well as his beautiful cover of 'Temptation' I owe you one Si!!!! xxmxx
There has been a lot of politrick spiel from our ol' Gordon and his electioneers just lately. Namely the promised exit strategy. He sweeps his statements like Trigger's old broom. "Only changed the head and the handle 59 times Del Boy! Honest!"
A petition is being handed into Downing Street on Monday 21st December at 5pm. It contains thousands of signatures calling for the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan.
Here's what Stop The War Coalition are saying........
Gordon Brown's "mini-surge", taking the number of British troops fighting the Afghan war to over 10,000, followed by Barack Obama's surge taking the US deployment to over 100,000, confirms that Afghanistan faces many more years of war and occupation. The responsibility of the anti-war movement is clear: to build the biggest possible swell of public opposition to this senseless war and pressure the politicians into reversing a policy which can only bring the mass slaughter of Afghans and invading soldiers alike. Many thousands of signatures have been collected for Stop the War's Bring the Troops Home petition, with some local Stop the War Groups reporting unprecedented levels of support. The deadline for the petition is 17 December. It will be delivered to Gordon Brown in Downing Street on Monday 21 December by military families who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan, other families who have relatives serving there, and former soldiers who were deployed there.
The online petition is at: http://bit.ly/8jLhRk
It's been a while, I know. Forgive me for not feeling inclined to revisit the hell that my family went through. For the whole time that this site has been up, there has been the same ol' same ol' rhetoric about supplies, numbers, and inconsistancy, with complete and utter disegard and therefore conflict between the government and army top brass. Democracy in Afghanistan?
Out in Afghanistan there are many needs. Our soldiers are battling to curtail the domination that the Taliban and Al Queda would impose upon the people trying to find a way through 30 years of conflict. Afghan Aid has been targeting the needs of those children, mothers and fathers since 1983.
Check out their website. Their work is amazing.
Sombre thoughts then....
More and more British soldiers are being killed in Afghanistan. 157 British soldiers have been killed since the conflict began.
I am lucky. My son came home.
But for 6 months we all lived in hell. 3 Para are home now, safe and well and back training as hard as ever. They drank the *grin* stores dry and partied like only Airborne can! They put their hearts and souls into everything they do and insist on practising this every weekend! Ha! Mission hugs to everyone that took the time to share their thoughts with me.
As a family we are trying to move on. It would be easier if the end was in sight. If a purpose had been served. We are many years from that day and will see many more lives lost.
To the soldiers, and to the innocents still embroiled in such a diabolical betrayal out there, we shall never forget. And will not be silenced.
WELCOME to my page. I hope you like what you see and hear. Mail me either way.........
because there is no band.................there is one passion.....
...... my 24 year old son joined the Parachute Regiment....and I am so, so proud of him. He trained so hard, he's travelled to places he'd never heard of and made the most amazing friends. Some of whom have had the misfortune to merit a full english after a night out at Mandys !!!!!!!! I have the photos!!!
I come from a military background. My dad was a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force and both my grandads were in the army and the navy. But this has been his dream since he was 6 years old. I know. I'm his mum.
HE FLEW OUT TO AFGHANISTAN ON 15th MARCH 2008 for a 6 month tour AND I HAVE LOTS TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
For a change some good news! I know! Kinda nice though....A returning soldier was approached by a guard on a train and on seeing his ID Card, asked him to stand and follow him. The soldier, returning to the UK to help organise a funeral for a fallen comrade asked him why. "On my train soldier, you travel first class." Americans will not understand the significance of this.
And the bad. Four more British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan today 18th June 2008. WHY? Because Gordon Brown will not supply our soldiers with the essential equipment that they need.....The Taliban's tactical strategy has changed. We know this. Our troops know this. Someone should tell him.
He can mobilise thousands of policemen though, to protect GWB... deny our democratic right to walk 50 yards. And all for tea and crumpets.....
....I am not an activist, but this is what I think of our government....
Huge thanks to the Navy for their messages of support. Keep going Yvonne....and to all he families of serving soldiers....please know that so many people send their love and support.....Debs, I am thinking about you all the time....
...but here's how it really is.....
THE REAL COST: MORE DEATH AND MISERY.
For all you soldiers out there in 'stan...RIP Cpl Jason (Jay) Barnes. He was driving a Vector ambulance vehicle when it hit a suspected Improvised Explosive Device. He was returning to base after he had successfully aided in the evacuation of a casualty who had been injured earlier near Kajaki in northern Helmand. Despite the very best medical efforts at the scene, Cpl Barnes sadly died a few minutes later.
Private Jeff 'Doc' Doherty and Lance Corporal James 'Jay' Bateman Private Nathan Cumbertson, Daniel Gamble and Charles David Murray - 2 BATTALION THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT. Five soldiers killed this week.
RIP David Marsh and John Thornton. My heart is just breaking for you and their families. Pte Scott Mugridge, a friend of my daughter has tragically been killed on exercise in Germany after completing a tour in Iraq. He was training to be deployed again to the Middle East. He was just 20.
..and to all troops out there in Iraq. We are praying for you all....Hundreds of people are contacting me weekly pledging their support for you all.
and yes, we know about all those desperate delays in Afghanistan with getting supplies, armoury + ammunition and reinforcements out to operational soldiers...
and the lack of drinking water being supplied too. ....
sadly, it is just not enough to make the British newspapers. We know what is...
Secondly, I am not anti-military, on the contrary, I wholeheartedly support all of our troops. The whole point of this page is to highlight the lack of support shown by the government here in the UK. If you think I am damaging morale amongst the soldiers out there.......you are on the wrong page. Many soldiers write to me, many families of serving soldiers write to me. Abandon them if you like.
Dear Government.....
(do you deserve a capital letter....or any mothers son/daughter?)
Did you ask anyone out here about going to war? You certainly didn't ask me. Our soldiers are there because we voted for you and you sent them there. What is your agenda I wonder?
Your 'hearts and minds' policy is not enough. Legalise the poppy or eradicate it and implement alternative employment for the farmers. And stop paying Karzai to flout his democratic duty.
I was looking forward to seeing you on SATURDAY 15th MARCH. Where were you?
much love
xxmandyxx
50,000 people marched for PEACE on the 15th March 2008 in London. All ages. All colours. All creeds.
How come there is no coverage in the media?
When no-one turns up to welcome soldiers home there is an outcry in the press. When Prince Harry came home the world and his uncle knew about it. What about the injured soldier that came back with him?
50.000 PEOPLE YESTERDAY QUESTIONED WHY THEY ARE EVEN THERE? It felt great to be a part of it. Our military should be for our defence. SHOW OUR SOLDIERS HOW MUCH WE STAND BEHIND THEM.......YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN FRONT OF THEM!
Gordon Brown says, "I've got nothing but praise for our Armed Forces." PRECISELY!!!!!! (Jean Humphries, Surrey, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph.)
Do not forget that Brown has been Chancellor for 10 years and responsible for Defence spending.
'Army Officers will tell you that they can only pay out for so much with the pittance the Treasury allows them. Budgets all across the MoD are going to be cut even more this year.' (Tom Newton Dunn Defence Editor of The Sun Newspaper)
I need to say how proud I am of our soldiers. I pray for them and their families.
I wrote The Poppy Song.
It leaps from my heart. My children say I should be shot... yeah! I have no musical knowledge (can you tell what it is yet?) but some things just need to be said. (or sung very loudly!)
I am totally priviledged in that I am allowed to bash my guitar at my infant school, accompanied.....by 200 very loud children and an amazing music teacher/singer. She has even dragged us off busking with just four chords and a capo. (I joke not!) Many thanks to ISA and Musical Records Ltd for this demo.
....the last word goes to:
Mr Blair........... and Mr President over there.....
you don't care, why should you care - fallen men ......don't kiss and tell...
Oh did you serve your country well,
Oh did you serve your country well?
With a Passport in your hand?
and a cheque book for more land...
lets walk the road from Hell
Your story should sell well....... Hey!! should I (C) that??? It's not half bad!!!!
My son 'doesn't mind this song'.......... it's my considered DUTY to embarrass my kids wherever possible) and he sure as hell doesn't know about this page....He just wants to get on with his job, and I had to promise his girlfriend no photos...until now ....will he ever live it down?
I have had sumo support from my man Ian who bought me my 'Norman' guitar and my fellow buskers 'Highly Strung' and of course both Chris S , 'it's my favourite! ' and Chris D who was, and will always be, total inspiration for me....
join this page, be added, make a difference...... pray for, and support our soldiers.
Check out www.brokencovenant.org.uk and sign their petition online.
'Hello' to the gorgeous, GORGEOUS Auntie Sue, Claire, Stanley and Freddy - who taught me 'Wild Thing' on the guitar........do they know what they started???????
Hats off to Sue though, thinking that deployment meant our troops were all coming home!!!! And her a military child too....lol
Well, ok! I concede........I have to have the very last word......lol.......so come on in and we'll have a chat
Just sailing by to wish you a Happy New Year 2010. May all your wishes and blessings come true in 2010. Thanks for being a friend. Have a safe and wonderful week and year ahead. Warm regards, good health, your friend, Bruce
Hairy christmas Mandy, and a Peppy new year. Haven't had the chance to thank you for the 10 wonderful gifts this christmas. So, thanks. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxx!
Hahaha love it Mandy although I think I had one too many JD's this past week! How was your Christmas? I type this as the clock says 00:05 which means I am now 25!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!x
Hello to you! Good to hear from you. Think of you everytime we're on here. Spending alot of time on Facebook. Actually, think of you very often. Start worrying when we loose you for awhile. Things are ok on this side of the pond. Johnny's music is getting out there. Little things happening here and there. And yes, oneday we know we will be face to face. And a great day it will be! You're part of the family now. So here's a toast, to the late night conversations, the tears, the fears and all the other glorious things that have passed between us.
Peace and much love from our house to yours ~ Johnny & MaryAnn
The dawg is great thanks. A lot of work, but worth all the effort.
We're still kicking along and next year is going to be quite busy musically speaking. We're gonna start recording a new album sometime in Jan and we're also in the process of putting together a 12 piece band in readiness for a charity event I'm organising in aid of Macmillan Cancer relief.
The project is called 'The Gigantic Mirror Ball' and we're hoping a few musician friends will take part with us too. I'll let you know how we get on.
I hope you are keeping warm and well? Sending you much love and merriment over the festive season and beyond. Speak soon and take care Ian xx
Hey Mandy. Dont go beating yourself up. It takes two too keep in contact and I am guilty as charged. I am sorry. The stew and a very lg*grin* would be like heaven in this cold right now. It would freeze the B..............., well you get the idea.
Sending holiday greetings and wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. All the best in 2010. God bless our soldiers serving in harm's way. Warm regards, Bruce and Sandy
Hi Mandy....just old Tom checking in. I hope this finds you and family doing well. Things are a total mess here. The country is going broke and the idiot polititians are escalating war. I guess...peace...is not profitable enough to escalate? I'm unemployed...again. Jobs are really scarce here. Anything you see about the economy improving in America is either a lie or they fudge the numbers. The Pawn shops here are buying up gold like mad. The rich people want gold because they know that paper money will be close to worthless soon. It may be the same in England....there is a massive shift of wealth taking place. So much for that....I've been writing on a British site called, ABCtales under the name, Larkin Williamson. It has kept me busy these past few months. I checked my Myspace this morning...saw the Poppy and had to write you. Tossing a big hug from across the pond!
Hello Mandy! Thank you for the thoughts and your comment. Good to know you are in way for a good mood. Have a lovely christmas too and all the best for the next my friend. Time is runing, but a big "hello" back to a great friend like you. Allright, greetings with the best wishes.
merry christmas and new year 2010
Take the time with a smile always and be happy. All the best
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