More wonderful news for us all
has been sent to PM by email.
"We are pleased to inform you of the final announcement that you are one of our end of year winners of the UNITED KINGDOM FREE LOTTERY ONLINE PROMO PROGRAMMER, Ticket Number :4156189324Agent Id Number:110 held on the 7th of feb, 2007. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of 拢1,750,000.00 POUNDS STERLING. Please contact fiduciary agent for your claims.
To file for your claim, Please contact our Fiduciary Agent for VALIDATION.
Mr Anthony Flowers"
It's not enough for us all to retire on but it would buy a lovely meal.
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Eddie,
Wonderful news indeed...
Fifty-five years ago, I was languishing (exactly the right word in this context) in Ismailia, in the Suez Canal Zone. There had been a long bureaucratic delay in sending me home for a WOSB (if you don鈥檛 know what that is you shouldn鈥檛 be reading this), so I wrote to my mother and asked her to write to the Minister for War (they had honest titles in those days). He replied courteously, saying that 鈥渁 hastener鈥 was being sent to the War Office.
A few weeks later, my CO, a pompous double-barrelled ass who had done nothing to press my cause, summoned me and announced ceremoniously that I was about to be flown back. I replied: 鈥淵es sir, I know, my mother has already told me鈥. He never spoke to me again, not even to wish me luck.
I passed the WOSB, just in time to go to cadet school and buy the hat (拢5 10s 0d, made to measure) before my undistinguished two years of National Service drew to its close. Not long after, the rest of the 30,000 brave lads guarding the Canal were also brought home, but a couple of years after that Nasser nationalised the canal and Anthony Eden cooked up a plot with the Israelis and the French to provide an excuse for parachuting troops in to seize it back again.
This led to what many referred to as The Suez Debbakull; if Eden, and later Tony Blair, had consulted me about the wisdom of invading Arab countries on flimsy pretexts, they might have avoided such idiocy and the world would now be a safer place.
Then, in 2003, it was announced that a medal was to be awarded to all those who had served in the Canal Zone (presumably the cheapskates had delayed this for half a century in the hope that many of those eligible would have died and so would be unlikely to ask for one), and as I wasn鈥檛 at all dead I applied. Two years went by and then I wrote to ask why it hadn鈥檛 come, to be told, 鈥淣ow look, there are thousands to be sent out and it will take time鈥.
Another two years passed by and then I read in my paper at the end of January that there's a Minister for Veterans, (imagine, a whole minister just for us!), so I sent him an email. He didn鈥檛 reply, but ten days later 鈥攖oday鈥攎y medal has arrived.
It鈥檚 a pretty thing, and I shall wear it with pride in the unlikely event that an appropriate occasion arises.
Ray, Congratulations!
Thanks, too, for sharing all that with us here. Most interesting (and entertaining)!
Ray, you didn't honestly expect any efficiency, consideration or respect from the MOD - did you?
After all they gave you an expenses free trip to the sunshine.......I assume you didn't have to buy your own kit?
Mr Greenacre, although your message is addressed to Eddie, anyone who reads this blog can see it. I think you should explain the term WOSB because your story doesn't make much sense without an understanding of it. I offer my congratulations on the receipt of your medal.
Ray (1),
An excellent example of plus ca change...
Lovely story Ray, really enjoyed it and so glad you finally got the medal - congratulations.
I had to look it up however, and presume the WOSB was not a Women Owned Small Business, but probably a War Office Selection Board.
Thanks again.
鈥淒octor, doctor, I keep thinking I鈥檓 a moth!鈥
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need a doctor, you need a psychiatrist.鈥
鈥淚 know, but your light was on.鈥
Ray - thank you for sharing your story and I hope you find a suitable occasion to wear your medal after waiting so long to receive it....
Eddie - I've just had your newsletter pop through my virtual letterbox, and seeing as you're always winning money, I'd like a double expresso next time you're on the coffee run.
Thanks!
Eric, is it deliberate that you neglected to include Mr Flowers' contact details? Did you think that one of us would get in before you?
Ray Greenacre, congrats.
Congratulations, Ray. Where shall we go to celebrate? Apparently, PM's paying!
Fantastic story Roy. My only trip to Ismalia (to do a spot of shopping when you could not get McVities digestives in Cairo) included a stroll by the less than fragrant Sweetwater Canal. Still makes me smile. Thanks for that.
The newsletter has arrived (hooray!) Thanks Eddie. No time for lunch so if you are going anywhere near M&S or Pret a Manger a chicken sandwich and cappuccino (?) would be lovely.
M x
WOSB - War Office Selection Board.
Eddie: As it's Friday, and Jonnie's birthday, and you asked in the newsletter if anybody wanted anything ....
What a day! Ray's news. Eric's fabulous fortune and Jonnie's birthday!
Now all I need is for my phone call to a Vewry Useful Person to be returned and for the Evil Painter to finish the work.
Nope; it's not cold enough yet for hell to freeze over...
Could I just nominate Hugh Sykes for a special froggers 'Services to Broadcasting Award.' His revealing, honest and often quite personal reports from, at the moment, China, but particularly from the middle east, give listeners a valuable window into the lives of ordinary people around the world, and the events that influence and inform their corner of the globe.
I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.
I pledge my vote for Hugh and invite others to do likewise, or perhaps even nominate another....
:-)
Ray - congratulations on your medal, and on your persistance! I wonder how many have actually been sent out? (Your next challenge - to find out?!!)
Very sad about Ian Richardson. I loved him in House of Cards.
Congradulations on a great blog.
Frances O - he's not still at it is he? The bad news is I've forgotten his name so can't warn anyone away from him!
Frances O : try invoking Penalty Clauses. Say they're in the small print of your verbal contract!
'Either finish this to a professionably acceptable standard by XXX date or I will be deducting 拢XXX from your completion bonus.'
Of course, you don't want to be letting on that there IS no completion bonus....!
Fifi ;o)
Fifi - great strapline - you look quite like Kate O'Mara :o)
Fifi, Val -
Oh, lord,yes, and the ustairs neighbour who made the original contact / contract has washed his sticky paws of it.
Plus the slime-paint-ball* has been paid in full.
Argh! Might have to go to the small claims court.
But am going to fire off a swingeing letter on Monday.
(swingeing - what a lovely word)
*aka Mostafa
Frances - go for it girl! Don't let the evil man get away with it! I took an evil slimeball to the small claims court and won and it was SOOOOOOOO satisfying!
Are you on Moscow time too? :-)
Penrose (15) I'll support a Froggers' award for Hugh Sykes anytime - so calm and thoughtful, brilliant at the word picture and talking to ordinary people whose lives are affected by the issues he reports on.
More power to his microphone.
Re Frances, Use the small claims court.
I have had to use it a couple of times over the last few years, normally having problems with mail order companies. It is very easy if you haven't used it before and you can do it all online:
Go for it Frances, you've been pushed to the limit.
Penrose and Anne P, I completely agree, but couldn't have stated it so eloquently.
I was born in Ismalia in '49. Conceived under the Pyramids, so I am informed by sources close to my Mother (not an Egyptian Mummy!).
The system is working, my computer indicated that my message was not sent. I pressed the button numerous times, but the green lines did not fill the space. I hate to think how many times it has been sent.
The Fiduciary Agent is a plant.
Luc (28) Well that's a blooming nuisance!
In the interest of science, I am going to try to post something here. Just in an experimental way, you understand. To see if there is ANY movement on the Blog (indications are that there is very little).
Diamond Geezer, where are you?
Unable to post to The Beach, so testing here.
Big Sister - you must have managed to find a private line. I've given up trying (well almost).
My question about plants did not appear. It may have been stupid but it was not offensive. Grr.