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Is anyone watching Thatchers funeral ?
slingshot2000 - 17/4/13 at 09:13 AM

If so;
do you have any idea why the road and church yard, where the Jag hearse has take her coffin, is covered in a layer of yellow sand ?

It cannot be an oil spill, but could it be covering protest graffiti ?

Regards
Jon


{Edited to add
David Dimbleby has just explained that the sand is for the smooth wheels of the gun carriage.}

[Edited on 17/4/13 by slingshot2000]


britishtrident - 17/4/13 at 09:30 AM

I am watching it with my back turned towards the TV. The scale whole thing is grossly out of proportion.

The sand is to stop the horses slipping on the cobbles.


slingshot2000 - 17/4/13 at 10:05 AM

Ok, I have seen enough! I just wanted to watch the military procession as I think it is one thing that we can still do at least as well as any other country (if not better!).

Off to work now.

Jon.


Confused but excited. - 17/4/13 at 11:24 AM

Makes it easier to clean up the bull shit.


snakebelly - 17/4/13 at 11:35 AM

If I was not at work I would be watching it and would be doing so respectfully and with a tinge of sadness for the passing of a leader the likes of which we are unlikely to see again in my lifetime unfortunately


Ivan - 17/4/13 at 11:37 AM

Whatever you Brits may think of the funeral - take pride in the fact that you are able to organise and put on the best pomp in the world. Wish I could see it - will have to wait until the news tonight.


se7en - 17/4/13 at 11:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by slingshot2000
If so;
do you have any idea why the road and church yard, where the Jag hearse has take her coffin, is covered in a layer of yellow sand ?

It cannot be an oil spill, but could it be covering protest graffiti ?

Regards
Jon


{Edited to add
David Dimbleby has just explained that the sand is for the smooth wheels of the gun carriage.}

[Edited on 17/4/13 by slingshot2000]



Its to create the illusion that it is the Yellow Brick Road


r1_pete - 17/4/13 at 12:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snakebelly
If I was not at work I would be watching it and would be doing so respectfully and with a tinge of sadness for the passing of a leader the likes of which we are unlikely to see again in my lifetime unfortunately


+1, She did a lot of good, and bad, but, we are unlikely to see the strength of character in No10 from the lilly livered candidates we have now!!


Confused but excited. - 17/4/13 at 12:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snakebelly
If I was not at work I would be watching it and would be doing so respectfully and with a tinge of sadness for the passing of a leader the likes of which we are unlikely to see again in my lifetime unfortunately


If I may quote Sheldon; " Was that sarcasm?"


snakebelly - 17/4/13 at 12:15 PM

nope, dead serious


motorcycle_mayhem - 17/4/13 at 12:15 PM

I managed to see it, so glad that I was able to. Life is so precious and short. I shall not see a 2nd female Primeminister in what remains of mine.

I don't believe that a funeral is a place to offer protest, but that is my view. It is my time to reflect, to remember more youthful and future-seeking years. Maggy had a love and a conviction for this country (far more than I, on this Septic Isle), I certainly respected that. Rest in Peace.

The actions of some of the more 'favoured' PM's, Bliar et. al., have not meet with my agreement. I have, however, protested about the various contrived invasions/wars previous and current, the death, destruction, suffering, and profligate greed that has defined their Office.

I'll leave God to judge.


RK - 17/4/13 at 12:58 PM

Tory's are defined by God, so that's appropriate. Look up the definition. It explains everything: democracy? "God said it didn't matter." Nasty people if you ask me. We are there now in Canada. Can't wait to throw them out. Consideration of others' opinions and needs, doesn't figure, as it didn't for her.

I think she helped you, if only just for someone to rally around and despise.


owelly - 17/4/13 at 01:06 PM

I'm loving the teenage protesters who are experts on 80's politics!!


jeffw - 17/4/13 at 01:13 PM

Greatest leader this country has seen since Churchill and this fact is likely to remain in the future as politicians do what spin doctors and focus groups tell them instead of what they believe in.


Theshed - 17/4/13 at 01:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by owelly
I'm loving the teenage protesters who are experts on 80's politics!!


A bit unfair? Perfectly possible to have a good grasp of politics in the time before you were born - history can give perspective.

That said I am no teenager. I lived through the horrors of the 80s and am able to identify the revisionist nonsense that has filled the newspapers. I took the time to stand in Fleet Street with my back to the whole business. The last in a long line of futile gestures I suspect. Never mind I feel better for it.


adithorp - 17/4/13 at 02:07 PM

Not watching it but to get back to the original question...

The yellow sand is to prevent the horses pulling the gun carrige from slipping on the paved surface. I only know because they explained it on BBC Breakfast this morning (it was being spread in the background of a shot).


britishtrident - 17/4/13 at 03:47 PM

It amazes me how polarised opinion is on her.

For: Broke the back of union power forever, trade union law reform, She help restore relations with the USSR, and got the "special relationship" with the USA working again.

Against: Allowed the Falkland war to start because she along with Nott and Carrington didn't listen, the only reason so much effort was put into the Flaklands was down to the fact most of the land in the Falklands was owned by high tory Lord Vestey's companies. She continued her grudge match with the unions after she utterly defeated them and as a result failed to conserve and strengthen what was left of UK manufacturing. Her government ministers (and those that succeeded under Major) exhibited levels of sleaze and corruption that hadn't been seen since Lloyd George was selling peerages. She deregulated the financial institutions which was copied world wide andcreated the climate for the stock market crash and banking disasters of the 1990s and 2000s. Continually dodged the decision on build new nuclear plants which coupled with mine closures has resulted our dependence on imported gas and coal. She destroyed the moderate "one nation" wing of the Conservative party.

[Edited on 17/4/13 by britishtrident]


Theshed - 17/4/13 at 03:58 PM

This link contains no factual inaccuracies and tells a great deal....

Ohh dear I had vowed not to join in "Bob in Spain" will be along in a bit......

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/mehdi-hasan/margaret-thatcher_b_3042342.html


snakebelly - 17/4/13 at 06:01 PM

Not being provocative but how do you know it contains no factual inaccuracies?


Theshed - 17/4/13 at 06:11 PM

Because the quotations given were all in public and were widely reported at the time. For example the ANC comments were made at a press conference in 1987 - she referred to it as a terrorist organisation on camera.

In fairness there is some real debate about her "no such thing as society" comment which has been slightly (but not overly) twisted by her detractors.


Theshed - 17/4/13 at 06:17 PM

I must stop this! I know that those who love her will continue to do so and those of us who do not are unlikely to change our views. So apart from this argument over (for me anyhow)

However I have just re-read the link I posted - in fairness the author does give references for every single quote. Check them and disagree by all means but some are very well known.


snakebelly - 17/4/13 at 10:03 PM

I'm not arguing with anything you say but without actually reading all the references and also taking every quote in context I would find it hard to say that anything found on the web "contains no factual inaccuracies" I just wonder sometimes if we are all falling into the "it's been quoted on the Internet so it must be true" trap?


splitrivet - 17/4/13 at 10:47 PM

One thing Ive discovered over the past couple of weeks and after many heated discusions in the boozer is if you were a Thatcher fan you saw no wrong in her and the sun shone from her holy ring piece.
Dont agree with the nastyness following her death she was another human being after all but personally I'll shed no tears.
Cheers,
Bob


Volvorsport - 18/4/13 at 12:04 AM

my old man was never out of work when she was in power.......

ive not shed a tear , but im no socialist either....


RK - 18/4/13 at 12:43 AM

A human being, maybe. A human being with a bit of regard for other human beings, who might have disagreed with her? Not so much.


britishtrident - 18/4/13 at 06:29 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Volvorsport
my old man was never out of work when she was in power.......

ive not shed a tear , but im no socialist either....



Industry in whole swathes of the country was wiped out, some for no good reason.

[Edited on 18/4/13 by britishtrident]


Peteff - 18/4/13 at 08:59 AM

British Steel bought out the private firm I worked for just so they could close it down. It used to make steel for Rolls Royce engines and export to Japan, Germany and America. I don't hold any sympathy for Maggie or her party.


Slimy38 - 18/4/13 at 09:09 AM

While I was old enough to remember Thatcher (she was the first prime minister I was aware of), I had no concept of politics or what was good or bad with the country. But purely from a human being point of view, I find it extremely unpleasant that so much enthusiasm is going into celebrating her death. I really feel sorry for her daughter Carol, after all she's now lost her mum after losing her dad a decade ago.