Snapper

As an ex-owner, and a student of some sort of English, it should be Ilti, but I come from the time when more than one sports ground are stadia and not stadiums. Iltis is the German for polecat - not Ferret, as called in Canada. They like to confuse - too much warm air in their toques.

I think we have learned to be very sensitive about anything to do with the Holocaust and the plight of the Jews. BUT, I don't care about that as a side issue. I think it is disgusting - truly inexcusable to try and sell muck like this and eBay should be ashamed of themselves for allowing it. What next - repro manacles from Bristol slave ships? It beggars belief. MB

It was a balmy -2 when I drove Emily to school this merry morn. It never got above 0 while Grimmer and I toured Brookwood yesterday. We had masses of layers on, the groundsman we spoke to had pulled on a sweatshirt. Not good. Came home frozen, but happy. M

Never seen one. Looks like Czech markings???? V Interesting. good call. MB

I tell you what...I miss my Renault 5. Some idiot diced and flambeyed it. Lovely plate of food....

We were stunned to find the grave of Karel Jan Staller, the man who designed the Bren gun. I found a memoir of a Czech resister on the tinterweb which described him as a brilliant man of extreme moods and tempers. He did everything in his power to resist the Germans while having to work for them and eventually came to the UK, where he lived out the rest of his life.

Today Grimmer John and I drove to the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey. It is just down the road from Pirbright. We drove through an entertaining snow storm to get there, but on arrival we found that the snow had passed over sunny Bagshot and Pirbright. The cemetery is an amazing place. We found some fascinating graves and some of it was pretty emotional for us, reading the inscriptions and seeing graves of young people so far from home. It's not a new experience, but things always have a habit of being different each time. I hope JB will be on to post some snaps and thoughts of his own. He has been making some pretty special trips lately. Here is the grave of a great hero of Market Garden - Lt Colonel JOE Vandeleur. It is so simple. JOEV 1903-1988. Once An Irish Guardsman. John Ormsby Evelyn Vandeleur is perhaps best recalled when played by Michael Caine in A Bridge Too Far. I've always liked the line from the book when Horrocks described Vandeleur's Irish Guards group as "killers". He wasn't kidding. I've never been to Joe's Bridge. Any chance of a snap from your archive Joris? See: September 10th 1944 Joes Bridge captured - THANKS FOR ADDING THIS JORIS!!!

Wow! Where did you source the snap from, Tim? MB

This is all very interesting. I have had a bit of Jack's optimism rub off on me. I am pleased about it because I am fed up with negativity. However, things are up in the air for me. I need to see if I will still have a job and should find out in the next two weeks. I work in a team of 21 which includes a London and Glasgow office manager. Eleven people have to go, but the London manager is safe. I have been there for nearly 23 years. I need to write that blimmin' book. I need to send out the snaps I've said I will. I need to sort out other ideas. I need to finish the house rebuild project. I need to make the most of the MUTT. It's all easy ! MB

Police were called after Jack Beckett dropped his new wallet on the Dorchester bypass.

Top banana. The only Battle of the Bulge I know about is the Barnes waistline. My wife says I am drifting towards being a middle aged slob. I love the woman. My daughter often says I look a mess. My son thinks I'm an idiot. Speak as you find. It's 1610. Will Beckett be pi55ed by now? MB

Three views of the 49th (West Riding) Division memorial at Essex Farm.

My brother in law tells me that on the Kodak war memorial in the offices at Hemel Hempstead there is a man named A Killer. I can go close with Private G Killer of the Sherwood Foresters. He is buried at Dud Corner. Kodak used to have their UK HQ in Holborn in central London and the old war memorial stood there for many years - although they moved about a bit.

This is the only grave of an Army Physical Training Corps man I have seen. J A Campbell is buried at Le Paradis. One assumes he fell victim of the chaos in the retreat and the many stands made on the road to the channel ports.

This grave has a very unusual inscription..I haven't seen another in all the years I've been on "the trail". Whoever the poor soul is, they are buried at Etaples.

Thirty-nine again, you old b4st4rd? I dunno. Got your Russian hat on today? Some of us are working....:coffee: Happy days Plankety Plank. You look alright from a distance. But this presents difficulties closer to the target. It's like playing with Google Earth but with more noise. Pass the Horlicks.....Energy! M

I'm flagging already....you lot and your regions and pseudo-states. Emmetts! Do Cornwall and Jersey have seats on the United Nations? Nope. I am prepared to sit corrected. I live in the independent republic of Southend-On-Sea. We have our own unitary authority. I am not quite sure what this means, but the rubbish gets emptied on Wednesdays and you cannot kill worms on the Bell Wharf at Leigh. It all seems reasonable...from a distance. MB:nono:

Agreed. It's quite a feat. He deserves a lot of credit and I think he must have earned a comfy retirement.

Ok chaps... What good books have you had lately that you haven't told us about? You can bet your bottom euro I am interested in having a couple of sentences you can offer on them to build a digest for the front end. Don't be coy - or any other fish for that matter - I am not forcing you, and you don't have to be as verbose as me. I just want some confederates to do some good stuff with the reviews section. You know it makes sense (it might not in the early hours of Jan 1 - but who's counting?) MB

It certainly has it's moments....nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

With or without the Saracen???? :rofl: Now that would be a challenge. You've let yourself in for seven kinds of hades with this one, Dude. Now we want you to build a fleet of Brit MVs. You'll be the talk of the town. They will assume you are mad. You are in good company. MB

Good questions. I am no use - the brain went when Jack dropped a spanner on my head. I am fine, but the spanner walks with a limp. No prizes who he is. MB

Is there a Scammell Explorer mafia? No problems with that - but the pasta dinners must be exhausting given the size of the things. Welcome to the Friendly Forum. Make yourself at home. We are busy at the moment installing flagpoles in the grounds of the club house, so you may be needed for a little labouring. Biscuits optional. MB

I don't believe for a minute he would have brought them all that way without a good number of buyers up front. Adrian is right, they are bound to turn up. It would be nice to see one or two in a "before" state, before the serious work begins. I am just hoping we see some in British guise if appropriate rather than always American. But it would also be nice to see one in Brazilian colours, too. Whatever they hell they were! MB