Captain Walker

Whenever I see this statue, I think of the opening song in Tommy - the Rock Opera by The Who.

Captain Walker didn't come home.
His unborn child will never know him.
He's believed to be missing with a number of men,
Don't expect to see him again.

Of course it's got nothing to do with that! The truth is even better:

Captain Frederic John Walker specialised in hunting down and and sinking Nazi U-boats. By all accounts a charismatic and eccentric character, blasting out the tune "A Hunting We Will Go" over his ships Tannoy as he returned to base from an operation.

HMS Bulwark

HMS Bulwark has been moored outside of the office for the past two days.

Apparently it's an anti-terrorism, anti-piracy amphibious assault warship. Better not fly the Jolly Roger from the office window then... :)

I've seen a few sailors and marines getting on and off, going into town and back. (No they're not singing "Shore Leave!" and tap dancing).

No sign of any helicopters using the flight deck.

Remembrance Sunday

I thought that for today's entry on my blog I would mark this day by pointing you to the lyrics of a song called The Remembrance by Jake Thackray

(I bought an album of his in 1987, with this song on it, amongst others. I still enjoy this record today.
More on Jake Thackray in Wikipedia)

Took the Hobbits to the up to the park for a bike ride in the pouring rain this morning. Stopped to listen whilst the minutes silence was going on - a little bit uncanny to hear in the rain, although the boys didn't last more than 30 seconds before making a noise.

We were too far away to hear the last post playing anywhere.

Later on I noticed a number of members of para-military youth organisations (aka brownies, cubs, scouts and guides), who must have been to a parade earlier, and were now out in uniform at the shops

Badger Soldiers

Do you believe the Military spokesman? i.e. "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."

I reckon that there's been a top secret program to breed Mutant Badger Warriors for the war in Iraq.