Nice People Thread Number 11 - A Treasury of Nice People

zagubov

LydiaJ wrote: »

The current generation take it incredibly seriously too, and still know that inadvertent release of information can cost lives. Nowadays they will tell you that they work "in the legal department" or "as a computer programmer", and may complain that their boss behaved like an idiot in a meeting, or whatever, but they never, ever say anything about what it is that they're working on.



I can relate to that. My family were always very strong on keeping things equitable between the different children, and it's something I've picked up from them too.

I despair about the people who manage the intelligence services. i used to live near the new SIS/MI6 building and not too far from a building we all thought was MI5.

I was shocked to hear that trainee intelligence agents contact details were given to some firm who assesses how organisations iinterview, employ and nduct thier staff so they could evaluate their induction into the job. All had to be assisted to buy new homes/relocate elsewhere. I hope that turns out to be an urban legend but it sounds exactly like what could happen.:doh:

neverdespairgirl

Yorkie1 wrote: »

All we ever knew, to the day he died, was that he worked in an office. That generation took their Official Secrets Act vows incredibly seriously; they knew that inadvertent or deliberate release of information could cost lives, and maintained that stance even once peace had come.

Some did - others leaked like medieval pottery, though, to the USSR, for example?

I know a man (now dead) who worked for the CIA in the UK, and never said who it was he worked for. His children only mentioned it after he died.

LydiaJ wrote: »

I can relate to that. My family we were always very strong on keeping things equitable between the different children, and it's something I've picked up from them too.

I don't think that should do everything the same with them - no point taking Danny to the London Transport Museum all the damn time when he's a toddler if he doesn't enjoy it, for example (and here's hoping he doesn't, I had quite enough of the place when Isaac was tiny). But with important things, I think it's crucial. And for OH, and in Israel, circumcision's very important.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Yorkie1 wrote: »

grandfathers

One was too old for active duty, so worked on the home front as a radio operator.

The other was a doctor and was called up in 1939 to the RAMC, and served in India, Tobruk and El Alamein in Monty's 8th Army, Italy for the Sicily invasion and then up through the push north as far as Monte Casino where he was wounded trying to treat a casualty on the front line, and then after recuperation back into Austria and Germany, finishing the war as an Acting Colonel in charge of a field hospital treating the survivors of the concentration camps.

His brother (my great uncle) was a pilot, shot down in 1943, and was the only survivor from his bomber crew..... then sent to Stalagluft 111 as a POW, and then participated in TGE.

Their parents, my great grandparents, were trapped in Singapore by the British surrender at the end of the Malayan campaign. My great grandmother was killed by the Japanese.

The recent commemorations of D-day have very much reminded us all of what that generation went through to ensure none of us had to live through anything similar in our lifetimes.

That we haven't had to experience the horrors of a world war in almost 70 years is a fitting legacy for those that gave so much.

silvercar

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Yes - at Isaac's Brit I hid in the bedroom until it was sorted, then fed him to calm him down afterwards.

Good strategy. Perhaps with a friend and Isaac with you as distractions.

Better to get it done at this age, than them decide to have it done when older. AFAIK all the royal family are done too.

Generali

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

One was too old for active duty, so worked on the home front as a radio operator.

The other was a doctor and was called up in 1939 to the RAMC, and served in India, Tobruk and El Alamein in Monty's 8th Army, Italy for the Sicily invasion and then up through the push north as far as Monte Casino where he was wounded trying to treat a casualty on the front line, and then after recuperation back into Austria and Germany, finishing the war as an Acting Colonel in charge of a field hospital treating the survivors of the concentration camps.

His brother (my great uncle) was a pilot, shot down in 1943, and was the only survivor from his bomber crew..... then sent to Stalagluft 111 as a POW, and then participated in TGE.

Their parents, my great grandparents, were trapped in Singapore by the British surrender at the end of the Malayan campaign. My great grandmother was killed by the Japanese.

The recent commemorations of D-day have very much reminded us all of what that generation went through to ensure none of us had to live through anything similar in our lifetimes.

That we haven't had to experience the horrors of a world war in almost 70 years is a fitting legacy for those that gave so much.

One thing that a lot of people miss is that today's consumer culture came from WW2.

The UK changed output from other things to munitions almost entirely to make the bombs, guns, tanks etc. However in the USA, output for the war was almost entirely new output, very little existing output was cannibalized.

As a result, when the war ended, the US had a huge surplus capacity in things like tanks, planes, ships etc. That capacity was converted in many cases to make consumer durables: fridges, TVs, radios, cars etc. The increase in the standard of living by the 1960s across the western world was driven by this very cheap output from the US and European attempts to compete with it.

In addition, there was a huge drive to improve agriculture after WW2 as moving food around the world wasn't, as had been shown, always possible. As a result, British people have gone from spending about 40% of their income on food at the turn of the last century to less than 10% today.

Without WW2, our life of peace but also of ease and luxury would not exist. The sacrifices of the past have given us more than 'just' peace.

Spirit_2

silvercar wrote: »

Good strategy. Perhaps with a friend and Isaac with you as distractions.

Better to get it done at this age, than them decide to have it done when older. AFAIK all the royal family are done too.

How do you remedy it if they decide when they are older that they did not want it done? Is there much of a backlash about it?

In line with changes in the law the royal family no longer fox hunt. That they did it, did not make it right or currently nationally acceptable any longer.

As micheals said, times may change legal perspectives on this tradition too and mothers will not be faced with such decisions for their cubs .

Spirit_2

Yesterday our cat brought a mouse into our bedroom. Our daughter chased the cat out but could not catch the mouse.

At about 4.40am I awoke to see the mouse on the duvet in front of me, decided the bed was not big enough for the three of us and decamped to a sofa.

This morning OH was asleep on another sofa....he came down when the mouse ran over his head.:rotfl:


Today we are mostly catching mice I think:)

hjd

Spirit wrote: »

Yesterday our cat brought a mouse into our bedroom. Our daughter chased the cat out but could not catch the mouse.

At about 4.40am I awoke to see the mouse on the duvet in front of me, decided the bed was not big enough for the three of us and decamped to a sofa.

This morning OH was asleep on another sofa....he came down when the mouse ran over his head.:rotfl:


Today we are mostly catching mice I think:)

POSH ALERT - more than one sofa??

LydiaJ

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I don't think that should do everything the same with them - no point taking Danny to the London Transport Museum all the damn time when he's a toddler if he doesn't enjoy it, for example (and here's hoping he doesn't, I had quite enough of the place when Isaac was tiny).

I agree entirely. But I don't think that not taking Danny to the LT Museum would be inequitable if he wouldn't enjoy it. Treating them equitably will involve you in encouraging Danny's interest in whatever it is he's passionate about, just as you did for Isaac. It won't be exactly the same kind of encouragement, of course, because from now on you've got to juggle the needs of the two of them, but I think I know you well enough to be certain that you will try as best as you are able, and so will your mother!

chewmylegoff

Mortgage funds arrived at solicitors on Friday, completion tomorrow.

:eek: