Snapper

Being forty-nine and three months old,I find that I have been a GOM for many, many years - so do not fret, Mike. My wife and I noticed I was getting a little like and often as accident prone as Victor Meldrew some time ago. The phone ALWAYS rings just as I sit down to dinner. Things that don't break, do. The list is endless. I tend to agree with Gritineye and just get on with life. I actually find that now I am this great age that life can be so much more fun. People expect me to be stupid and juvenile and inept and a disaster waiting to happen. SNAFU. I love being a thorough pain in the harris. I have a reputation to build on. Enjoy.

A Southern Tour! Like on the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Cool! When you cross the Thames you have to change your money up. Bring your passports. MB

Good point. I note that someone left a load of pizza boxes in the Thousand Poster Lounge Bar and Grill. Where was my slice, then???? BTW - there was a pair of dancing pumps under the coffee table...have they returned or is someone on a big wind up?? M

I've had twenty-two years of it. Still trying to get gaps in my schedule to catch up with all my photo-admin. Patience is a virtue, or so I am told. Mb

Looks like you had a nice run there. Well done to all concerned.

blimey, they're all at it.

Tea and medals all round, MB

Had it with the Iltis sale. West African scammers pretending to be from Jersey or Ireland saying their shipper would come with the money or offering dodgy cheques. All scams, all scum...and not particularly bright with it. MB

Yes indeed, The mews is the nice little place behind the mansion where Gieves keeps the car or coach and four. The little grey cells are at work, mon ami, n'est pas! Anywayz - Guy Fawkes is your man, hung drawn and quartered for treason in the year of terror ,1605. He tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James I of England with a gang of religious extremist friends who were the terrorists of their day. Not much has changed in 2008 except now the extremists support Mecca (or Tehran!) and not Rome. Translations are always on tap here, like the beer, tea and custard creams. Captain Hastings ran off with the house maid, and now we have to do our own washing in the club house...which is where new blokes like you come in. It's Murder In The Utility Room (ask the Mrs...or Agatha) MB

Benfleet, bloody hell, she must be the bird holding up the traffic at Tar Pots.....cones hotline time again :-D MB

Welcome to the Friendly Forum, John. We cover all periods and pretty much any subject. We like to have a laugh in between being deadly serious or dead stupid. The clubhouse is always open for the drink of your choice. Biscuits optional. Enjoy the sun lounge looking out over the vehicle park and a lovely glade of gum trees. New members are required to perform cleaning duties in the club house. Seeing as we've just opened a stable block and mews for all the carriages, it looks like you will be mucking out Trigger for a while. Atleast the carrots are free. Enjoy. MB

Is your bank manager doing Gilvert and Sullivan then Jack? or did he think you had a passing resemblence to Gilbert O'Sullivan??? :-D

Yeh - dunno how he does it. I think the snap of him standing on his Quad is one of my favourite snaps from this year. Lots of atmosphere.. He can use it on the dustjacket of his memoirs. Cheap.:-D MB

Now I have to add Benghazi to my list.... Hoping to visit some in Hong Kong in October. MB

some more from Mont de Huisnes

some snaps from Mont de Huisnes..............

These German cemeteries are actually ossuaries and are entirely keeping with the way the Germans do things. The remains are stored in small boxes behind the stonework - not unlike some crematoria. If you see the ossuary at Mont de Huisnes in Normandy it is, in spirit, almost exactly the same. MB

More to come yet....and then I'll start on the general stuff. I have family commitments and some work to do in between being a domestic god and Murdoch Minnion. MB

I'd love to, but am snookered. You chaps can represent HMVF for us. I am dead jealous. I've never been to any of the Market Garden locations. A big hole in my military history pilgrimages. Looking forward to your reports already. MB

Bonkers but brilliant.

First time I've seen a Sudan Defence Force head stone. I'm not a "collector" per se, but I always try and get snaps of the varying badges on headstones on my travels and have seen a few rarities. The pix are very nice. One day I'd like to visit the desert locations, but I haven't done half of the Somme and Flanders yet and don't even start me on Market Garden or the Ardennes. MB

I did find a snap on the web of a Canadian Iltis with a TOW or Milan post mounted on the roll frame. It had storage for replacement tubes on the back and GPMG mounted for the front passenger. A brutal and slightly heath-robinson looking thing. I harboured ridiculous notions of making FDE look like it. I never actually made FDE look like FDE. Good luck! MB

I'm sure I remember someone launching a gas rod into the ceiling once, when we were learning how to do basic stripping and cleaning, circa 1977. I try not to be a gun nut, but recently reading A Long Long War (review appearing soon) and then visiting Paul, Clive and chums display at Beltring (complete with bird hide for Kate Humble and Odd Billie). I'm not sure I can run to a deact at the moment - but may plumb for an airsoft next year. I saw a fantastic example at Beltring. Money had run out, though. MB

With the flipping beer that begins with A in the yellow cans. I remembered the name of it the other day. Happy learnings. MB

I'd just like to go to an event like that in the USA. Just to see a completely different array of kit and kaboodle. It would be a grand experience. Any chance of an HMVF charabanc, Jackie my boy? Got to be worth pawning your plank for. MB