Thank goodness for Prince Charles

[thirdcrank]

I can't speak for other parts of the country but I'm pretty sure that the official bands folded quite a long time ago. I suspect that kind of thing dates back to when many of the top brass were former military men who recognised a value in improving morale atc. In reality, it probably demonstrates one of the big differences between the way armed forces operate and the civil police. Ideally, armed forces would be training all the time and never fighting. If their training is sufficiently visible, that may be enough to prevent a war.

The deterrent value of prominent police patrolling has been questioned and while I personally think it's an excellent thing, I'd not go so far as to suggest that a marching band can achieve more than a single constable in uniform.

[Si]

recognised a value in improving morale atc

Marching bands - it's like modern team building exercises, however, they cost the same, have at least as good results and have the added benefit of sounding better and people enjoy them more. Yep, I can buy that.

[reohn2]

Good question!
I remember making a similar comment about a police brass band. Why should I pay for coppers to play music?

I got a mate who thinks the same about firemen,"why should pay for them to do nothing" he'll often say.To which I reply "then why didn't you join the fire service if you thought it such a good number".No reply is usually the answer.

[Si]

Good question!
I remember making a similar comment about a police brass band. Why should I pay for coppers to play music?

I got a mate who thinks the same about firemen,"why should pay for them to do nothing" he'll often say.To which I reply "then why didn't you join the fire service if you thought it such a good number".No reply is usually the answer.

Careful - I made a similar comment when someone was saying what an easy life teachers have: loads of money, most of the year they are on holiday and during term time they only have to turn up for 10 minutes each day (which they spend passing round the roll-ups in the staff room). Seems that teachers, though, are the privileged elite of capitalism, only achieving their rarefied positions by accident of birth within the tyrannical class system. Thus your comments regarding firemen, given the physical requirements for entry, may well see you being accused of promoting some kind of elitist master race of super-men.

[kwackers]

Careful - I made a similar comment when someone was saying what an easy life teachers have: loads of money, most of the year they are on holiday and during term time they only have to turn up for 10 minutes each day (which they spend passing round the roll-ups in the staff room).

My biggest problem with teachers is that in my experience (with possibly two exceptions) they were all crap. (And university lecturers were worse).
That's why the old addage "Those than can, do; those that can't, teach" makes me laugh and gives me a slightly sick feeling in my stomach...
Hopefully things are a lot different these days.

[Si]

Like any job,there are some who are better than others, and few are awful and few are brilliant.

As for university lecturers - depends on what you think that they are meant to do I guess. If you think that they are there to teach then you'll probably have a different view on it to many of them

[thirdcrank]

... I got a mate who thinks the same about firemen,"why should pay for them to do nothing" he'll often say.To which I reply "then why didn't you join the fire service if you thought it such a good number".No reply is usually the answer.

For some reason, which I've never completely understood, there is a lot of antagonism towards the police from some firefighters. I've heard it suggested it goes right back to the days when municipal fire brigades were part of the police. I once had a bit of an explanation from the chief of Leeds City Fire Brigade who said that whenever there was a big fire, the firemen (as they all were then) would be running about while the police were standing about just controlling traffic and bystanders. They didn't think about the times when they went on nights and there was no callout so they could have a good kip while the police were working all night. I think there's probably more to it than that but the grass is often greener.

[reohn2]

Careful - I made a similar comment when someone was saying what an easy life teachers have: loads of money, most of the year they are on holiday and during term time they only have to turn up for 10 minutes each day (which they spend passing round the roll-ups in the staff room). Seems that teachers, though, are the privileged elite of capitalism, only achieving their rarefied positions by accident of birth within the tyrannical class system. Thus your comments regarding firemen, given the physical requirements for entry, may well see you being accused of promoting some kind of elitist master race of super-men.

My point was that this chap(a right wing Tory) thinks that anyone in the public service is on an easy number,which is strange as his wife had to take early retirement from teaching due to stress,though legitimately I have to say,after a particular nasty incident with a pupil.
IMO a lot of the public services at the sharp end deserve ever penny they get,and their pension too,thats if they've have any left when this lot done

[reohn2]

For some reason, which I've never completely understood, there is a lot of antagonism towards the police from some firefighters. I've heard it suggested it goes right back to the days when municipal fire brigades were part of the police. I once had a bit of an explanation from the chief of Leeds City Fire Brigade who said that whenever there was a big fire, the firemen (as they all were then) would be running about while the police were standing about just controlling traffic and bystanders. They didn't think about the times when they went on nights and there was no callout so they could have a good kip while the police were working all night. I think there's probably more to it than that but the grass is often greener.

I've always thought firemen were worth their weight in gold TBH (and the police,nurses,paramedics etc FTM).
It can't be much fun attending fatal traffic incidents,or running into burning buildings especially when people have been overcome by smoke or worse,more so when theres children involved,not to mention the personal risk involved.

[reohn2]

My biggest problem with teachers is that in my experience (with possibly two exceptions) they were all crap. (And university lecturers were worse).
That's why the old addage "Those than can, do; those that can't, teach" makes me laugh and gives me a slightly sick feeling in my stomach...
Hopefully things are a lot different these days.

Same as anything theres good and bad,IME when I reflect on my school days there were more bad than good,but the good ones were incredible people who's influence is still with me.
The bad ones caused me some terrible problems with authority figures.

[thirdcrank]

On a royal visit to Leeds, HRH had the privilege of meeting my dear old dad who was by that time near the end of his working life. Having been made redundant in the general reorganisation of the wool textiles industry in the 1970's, he got an office job at Price's Tailors, in those days a vast factory on Kirkstall Road near Woodrupp's, now the site of the Cardigan Fields Leisure Complex. http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 213_173274

In it's heyday, the company had used the slogan "The Fifty Shilling Tailors" (in those long-gone days when £2.50p bought a three piece lounge suit.) Although he was never well-off, my father used to treat himself by buying his own suits from one of the best bespoke tailors in a city full of tailors.

Anyway, part of the royal visit included a tour of the premises to see people at work. When HRH went into the office where my father worked, he demonstrated his eye for a nice bit of schmatter and made a beeline for him, asking if he had bought his suit there. Just as people remember what they were doing when they heard JFK had been shot. I remember I was listening to local radio when the news bulletin summarised what he replied, although I'm not sure if he prefaced it with "Your Royal Highness."

That's an excellent suit for only £2-50

[horizon]

[horizon]

I thought I would just resusitate and amend the title (and the title of ) this thread - I've been waiting patiently (a bit like he has really). In the meantime, as an aside, I got to shake his hand on one of his royal walkabouts in our town.

[PedallingSquares]

I think he's too old.By the time all the necessary changes have been made and all the £££Billions spent on doing so he could be dead.
He should step aside and let one of the next generation step up.

[Tangled Metal]

My biggest problem with teachers is that in my experience (with possibly two exceptions) they were all crap. (And university lecturers were worse).
That's why the old addage "Those than can, do; those that can't, teach" makes me laugh and gives me a slightly sick feeling in my stomach...
Hopefully things are a lot different these days.

Same as anything theres good and bad,IME when I reflect on my school days there were more bad than good,but the good ones were incredible people who's influence is still with me.
The bad ones caused me some terrible problems with authority figures.

In my days the truly bad teachers got protected by the other teachers like a dodgy mafia.. in my son's days they get jailed for quite some time. How times have changed. Kids get listened to and protected from teachers without corporal punishment and worse. If your school was like that you'd not trust teachers and teaching unions too. I saw them as the enemy throughout school apart from a few good ones. One good one scared the shoot out of a one of the two class bullies by putting them on stools at the front of the class so he could shout and ball them out without having to stoop so low to them. They were only 10! Full on shouty spit in the face aggression. He was one of the good ones too. The 70s and early 80s were a dodgy time to be a primary school kid when the school was full of protectionist mafia. Still i did well despite them.