18-06-2020, 07:04 AM
63
Re: Proud to be English
Originally Posted by Bruce
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Ah, you forget that I am Australian by choice not an accident of birth! Different thing altogether. I am English by the accident of birth and I am entitled to a British Passport.
Thing is if you applied for a valid one would it be granted????
18-06-2020, 08:53 AM
65
Re: Proud to be English
Originally Posted by galty
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That is such an old one and not valid any more..Thing is if you applied for a valid one would it be granted????
Frankly I couldn't be bothered, my Australian Passport still has 8 years to run and if Britain is not part of the EU there is absolutely no advantage in holding a UK passport. (However the UK Passport is a few dollars cheaper)
18-06-2020, 09:52 AM
66
Re: Proud to be English
At the risk of being shot down here I'm going to chance my arm and say this, Britain was ONCE a great country, but sadly it isn't any more, it is finished.Where I live we produced several of the things that made changes worldwide, on the other side of town we had Pilkingtons Glass, now for those who don't know the history, it was they who invented the float glass process which is responsible for the perfectly flat glass we have today, they also invented several other special types of glass, which most of you will have seen or used, but may not be aware of.
Have you ever flown, if so then the very strong glass used in aircraft was originally developed by Pilkingtons, Have you ever been on a train, the glass in the drivers windscreen was also developed by them, as was a lot of other glasses, bulletproof is another, have you heard the joke about the 'glass hammer'? Well it actually exists, Pilkingtons produced one to show how strong their glass was, several generations of my family worked there, I was the only one who looked like I was going to break the link, then one day I ended up being offered, and accepting a job as a dog handler, where, at Pilkingtons of course!
Down the road from me we had the 'Vulcan loco works', they built steam trains that went all over the world, some are still in use in India, many many years later, we also had the 'carriage works' they built the train carriages, we could actually supply you with a complete train package, passenger carriages, goods carriages, coal trucks, you wanted it, we could supply you it.
My great uncle was a rear gunner in the dambusters squadron, he took part in the famous raids on the dams of the Ruhr, my grandfather was in the army, Royal Artillery iirc, he took part in the Normandy Landings!
Those are the things I am proud of, the time when we were a genuine world power, we produced proper stuff that changed the world and our lads were prepared to fight for what was right.
Today we produce little or nothing of any real value, anything we do discover we sell the rights to the highest bidder. Our lads today seem to lack interest in anything but video games and fast food, while they are quite happy to play 'war games' on X box or playstation, I couldn't imagine them rushing to get involved in a world war unlike the lads who fought in the previous two world wars.
Also the politicians are a source of annoyance, we are no longer a major player on the world stage, we have problems of debt, homelessness and poverty in our own country and yet we still have people with the 'tally ho, here come the Brits' mentality, that harks back to the days of the Raj.
18-06-2020, 10:03 AM
67
Re: Proud to be English
@ sparky, post #66I quite agree with all you write sparky, my sentiments entirely and such a shame everything has gone as it now is.
However, with COVID-19 and Brexit and all the obvious problems both have created, isn't this just the time when things can be changed. We should be making a fresh, new start to become the standing in the wold we once were. Not a lot some of our age group can do to help in this, but I honestly believe there are some very clever, talented people in this country whose efforts could go towards achieving this aim.
Build the factories and the industries, be they old, existing ones that have now gone abroad or those in new technology, create the now much-needed jobs. Above all stop selling to others what can and has been invented in this country using the existing talents of those who live here.
This was done once so no reason why this cannot be done again. If the will is there, and we are known as a nation who don't give up easily, it is entirely possible.
18-06-2020, 10:54 AM
69
Re: Proud to be English
Originally Posted by Muddy
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If we are so awful useless and racist to boot why are boatloads of illegal mainly black immigrants coming over the channel from France on a daily basis?
Not that I agree with what's happening, not for one minute. Anyone coming into this country illegally should be taken back, or whatever procedure the law insists on. Anyone entering the country legally should only be allowed to do so after proper checks and conditions that ensure they are suitable. Try entering American or Australia, the checks I understand they have are very strict, probably for good reason too.
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