A big well done must go out to the the chaps of 1 Royal Anglian (Vikings) who exercised their freedom of Norwich yesterday and bury st edmunds today.
I was unable to go to the Norwich parade due to being on a bloody course up north.

Having looked at all the news reports and photos it was good to see the public turn out in mass to greet them home after their tours in the sand pit and remember those that didn't make it home.

I would have loved to have been there to cheer them on but alas i could not, but my heart goes out them all and so to my undying support for all service personel from all nations who are still out there doing the job

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is a music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncountered:
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end they remain.

Laurence Binyon

Yes folks its that time of year again and November the 11th swings its way around again. This year is a little different for me, this time i will be remebering some people i know who have passed away this year whilst serving over seas. Every year i try to inform people about the rememberance sunday parades and try to explain what it is all about.
This year i not really going to try, ok at cadets i have to as i am sad to say some kids just do not know what it is all about. I'm not sure they learn to much about it at school these days which is a shame as it marks an event so large it gripped the world, and twice. But to every one else i will let them find out by them self if they want to but will add in passing that we are free because of the forces, then and now. With out the men and women who do this and who did it all them years ago then things would be very different today. I sleep better at night knowing full well that we have these people to look after our nation. And for that i am very thankful.

Also this year on the 11th is a big difference for me, i in part will be the parade marshall for the local area that i work in :S never done it before and i feel very humble that i have been allowed to do it. But i will be sticking my head into a few foot drill manuals before then.

So people, if anything please go and get a poppy this year, even if you don't want to wear it the money is put as best a use as it can.

Many thanks
John

Right it's just taken me an hour to sort out my inbox on my main email addy. Ok it's not all the mail about ebay and other bits that bother me as they get the chop straight away. Its all the mail form the army cadets that screws me up. Weekend bid forms, course updates, account updates and cadets record updates all come through here. And i have to reply to every one of them to say i have got it then i have to say for a weekend reply with a list of names who wish to do it.

Its a sodding nightmare at the best of times. Right now i have to go and look at the two other mail addys and see how bad they are :S

JBxx

The other week i heard some sad news via and email sent to me via HQ acf. I young lad i knew as a cadet who went through the ranks and did very well in acf was killed in iraq. I know his mum as she works in the acf in one of the other units and my condolence goes out the her.

What seems to be biting me at the moment is, not long ago i knew this lad and he was on camp doing all sorts of training. And i guess at some point he left and joined the forces. I don't think he could have been older than 23.

Its an odd thing really to know that one or two of these cadets i train may join up and maybe get killed in some far off land. But not all of them will join i know that. But it kind off brings it home to me as to what i do for a past time these days. yep all the skills they learn in the cadets are part of what they would learn in the forces. And we are reminded the acf is the armys biggest recruitment tool in the UK. And its in a book some where that i am to try and promote a life in the army.

Ok on the whole i have no problem with it, but to some at such a young age is a bit much for me. I have said it before and i will say it again. I am not concerned with the rights or wrongs of this war in the east. All i am concerned about is the fact they are there and they are doing a job. They are the ones getting injured or killed and we sit here behind the safety of our pcs or tv's. I don't give a shit if you support the goverment as long as you support the boys and girls with sand in their teeth and miles from home.

Anyway...Just thought i'd try and get that one off my chest.

JBxx

Ok i find myself here twice in as many days, I have found that i do like putting stuff down in posts, blogs and the like. I guess some of it maybe funny and some of it not. Having looked over some of my past posts yes i would aggree that most of it is crude but that is my sense of humor and it ain't gonna change.

I'm not even bothered if anyone reads it, i guess most people skip over my posts and on to someone elses. I tend to write things down that i find funny or are bothering me. Ok sometimes i put things up in order to gain advice from others and i do thank you lots if you do post up advice. Remember i am a simple person(simple and a bit stupid).

I am learning a few things about myself, not all new things but things that make me who and the way i am. As of late i have being trying to impove those bits that i'm not happy with. Am i a cold person, hard to talk too? somethimes i feel people might think it and i will admit i have kept a lot of people at arms length. But that one of the bad bits i'm trying to change about. Anyway i'm running on so i will now get back to work and pick out some orders.

Have a good weekend all and may or may not see people at hades on sat.
JBXX

Well i thought i would have a quick browse through LJ as i have not much else to do. And i'm shocked that people still use it. With Myspace and all the other odds and sods out there i thought LJ would be dying on its arse.

Maybe not, Ok this is not an update really just thought i'd put something on here and let folks know that i'm alive but most of you know that already. I'm not even going to update as i do that on myspace and can't be bothered to cross post.

For those that do read my shite, hope all are well and its been cool bumping into you all where ever i happen to, mostly at hades. Yes i have changed a little in the last month, two more piercings and my hair is bleached and a lot less of it all round. Why? why not! i fancied a change to what little image i have. I was getting very bored of myself and as mike pointed out to me one night at said bar i was not looking very goth at all. By that point i had just given up! I looked looked like a bag of shit and felt the same way.

But i have had a little spark of some thing and looking to dress a little better and take a bit of care with my looks (though not much in the looks).
Also i have been wanting to try out making some shirts for me, I'm a big lad and finding anything alternative in my size is a mission. So when she returns, we're going to look at some items that i could use to make things with.

Right this is starting to sound like an update so i will stop here.
Have fun ya'll

JBxx

( I still have no life )

Just thought i'd post this, was sent to me by a friend and it kind of struck a heart string in me. Anyway i'll let you read it and make up your own minds.

"It's Christmas Day, All Is Secure."

T'was The Night Before Christmas, He Lived All Alone, In A One Bedroom
House, Made Of Plaster And Stone.
I Had Come Down The Chimney, With Presents To Give, And To See Just Who, In
This Home Did Live.

I Looked All About, A Strange Sight I Did See, No Tinsel, No Presents, Not
Even A Tree.
No Stocking By The Mantle, Just Boots Filled With Sand, On The Wall Hung
Pictures, Of Far Distant Lands.
With Medals And Badges, Awards Of All Kinds, A Sober Thought, Came Through
My Mind.

For This House Was Different, It Was Dark And Dreary, I Found The Home Of A
Soldier, Once I Could See Clearly.
The Soldier Lay Sleeping, Silent, Alone, Curled Up On The Floor, In This
One Bedroom Home.
The Face Was So Gentle, The Room In Such Disorder, Not How I Pictured, A
lone British Soldier.
Was This The Hero, Of Whom I'd Just Read?, Curled Up On A Poncho, The Floor
For A Bed?

I Realized The Families, That I Saw This Night, Owed Their Lives To These
Soldiers, Who Were Willing To Fight.
Soon Round The World, The Children Would Play, And Grownups Would
Celebrate, A Bright Christmas Day.
They All Enjoyed Freedom, Each Month Of The Year, Because Of The Soldiers,
Like The One Lying Here.

I Couldn't Help Wonder, How Many Alone, On A Cold Christmas Eve, In A Land
Far From Home.
The Very Thought Brought, A Tear To My Eye, I Dropped To My Knees, And
Started To Cry.
The Soldier Awakened, And I Heard A Rough Voice, "Santa, Don't Cry, This
Life Is My Choice.
I Fight For Freedom, I Don't Ask For More, My Life Is My God, My Country,
My Corps."
The Soldier Rolled Over, And Drifted To Sleep, I Couldn't Control It, I
Continued To Weep.

I Kept Watch For Hours, So Silent And Still, And We Both sat & Shivered,
From The Cold Night's Chill.
I Didn't Want To Leave, On That Cold, Dark Night, This Guardian Of Honor,
So Willing To Fight.
Then The Soldier Rolled Over, With A Voice, Soft And Pure, Whispered,
"Carry On Santa, It's Christmas Day, All Is Secure."
One Look At My Watch, And I Knew He Was Right, "Merry Christmas My Friend,
And To All A Good Night."

This poem was written by a peace keeping soldier stationed overseas. The
following is his request. I think it is reasonable. PLEASE. Would you do me
the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will
be coming soon and some credit is due to our British service men and women
for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small
way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe.

As most of you may have seen it was a bit cold and foggy over the last week. And in that week i saw no end of bad drills by other road users.

First off i saw a big fourby knock someone of their push bike as he crossed at a set of lights. A few knocks between cars that were too bloody close to each other, A tanker being hit by a car. And the normal twat road users thinking that they own it.

Some people don't seem to know how to deal with bad weather and driving, to me its no real differnce untill it snows hards then i drive a little slower.

Fog lights seem to cause some problems for people as to when they should be put on. Me i would only use them if i con only see about 15 yrds and at night. They come off when either the fog lifts or another car pulls up behind.

In my mind people start to panic and then they make mistakes, being safe is ok but over doing it causes problem. But my views are not going to change anything, i guess you just learn to deal with it.

Well i can't wait till the snow comes and then see how people cope with that.

JB