Attention

[alf corbyn]

sorry Ivan I am trying not to use the postal service now its gone private, and its not even a labour government

[Colin Hawken]

#10 I believe the Government of the day deliberately forced multiculturalism on to us, We British zre not multicultural by nature,we've always been suspicious of Foreigners. Time to bring back Madame Guillotine I think. There'd be a lot of empty seats in Parliament by the time I'd done with them.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Colin we are not Foreigners , we are British,
I have evidence of this.
I was taking a tanker up the Shat Al Arab, sometimes known as Shet Creek,
The Iraqi Pilot was with me, I said, "Would you like a cigarette, Pilot"
He said , "I do not smoke foreign cigarettes".
I said , "These are Not foreign cigarettes, these are English."
He said , "Thats OK , I will have one then.".
So there you have it, we are not foreigners.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

I had to register in 1955, and still have the registration form( was a green postcard size document) but was stamped as exempt. By the same token of national service my son had a friend of part French parentage, although born in France had lived in UK and did not even speak French. He would not go to France as said he would be picked up by Authorities to do his bit. How the same situation would occur these days with no supposedly borders remains to be seen. John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

Thanks for all the replys to this one, would appear there is no clear answer. But the Irish Republic began life I believe with the 1916 uprising begining at the Dublin Post Office.
Maybe Alf that is why your post is now privatised.
Multiculturism does not work anywhere in the world despite all the political claims that it does. suspicion about the other person and their motives will always exist.

[John Arton]

Happy daze John
Multiculturism does work and I am living proof of it.
I was born and grew up in the N.W. of England
Wifey was born and grew up in the N.E. of England
we have been together for 35 yrs now and never any problems or serious arguments and we live very happily...or so she tells me!
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

Ive been married 51 years next month. Think if I had not been away most of the time she would have ditched me long ago. They say every homecoming was a honeymoon, probably spent more time in the pub to know. A large percentage of seamens marriages did not last due I suppose to the long seperations. Reckon I must have been lucky. John Sabourn

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Hi Captain Kong, My best mate a few years ago was born like Spike milligan on a british army camp in India, in the days of the raj, his dad who I knew also was R.S.M, his men who served with him would salute him in the pub/club and buy him beer, his mother was from wales , he and his brother both had British passports, both born in India my mate John was a paratrooper, and his brother dave was a marine 15years service. Dont understand why was Spike milligan was not British???? was it an error?????

[leratty]

Jim, that is mind blowing but so true how is this so? Whilst in London recently we were told about a African black with very little English from an ex Portuguese colony & without a Porto passport as could not get one, who had come to UK illegally. He was put up in a home in Islington & feed looked after. His lawyers is being paid for by UK government to fight his deportation.....
Louis, I agree it seems odd as so many born overseas back in those days are UK citizens, just two of them being Joanna Lumley & Felicity Kendal (get her auto biography terrific read fantastic family.) so why not Spike? He had residency in Aus, lived at a place called Woy Woy on the Nth Coast of NSW where he spent a lot of his latter years. Guess in UK winter?
Brian, in regards the term 'foreigner' my wife & I had to go to the local council in Hong Kong where we lived over a matter to do with use of our garden as summoned via letter. We arrived at appointed time, announced ourselves & why we were there then waited. After 5 minutes an as usual delightful Chinese local came out to greet us & handle the matter. His greeting was, "ah greet foreigners so much nicer to deal with." (: 1st time we had been called foreigners anywhere we had lived which of course we were but what a nice way to be so called. Love the Chinese.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Louis, I remember seeing it in the Press every time he applied and was turned down by the Government, even with his and his families war record.
His Mother went to live in Woy Woy and Spike used to visit quite a lot. but his work was in the UK and he was desperate to get a British Passport and was always refused. so he was accepted by the Irish and they gave him the passport.
I have his book and it is all in there.
Cheers
Brian.