I can see both sides to this argument,but a few bad eggs with guns would ruin our reputation faster than you could blink imagine the reports of rape and pillage coming back from Afganistan Their are people sitting in prison who given the chance would make very good citizens given the chance. There are people who have never been to prison who I wouldn't trust in any position with a gun or without,but they could still sign up!:OUCH:
On a more serious note. Listen to this written in 1879 :( [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR9jQeXm46c[/url]
Read an interesting book recently on the Gulf and Afghan. One Senior Officer was gobsmacked by what he referred to as the Playstation generation. He said the majority of these guys would do and go anywhere they were asked, champing at the bit for more. Two or three days on their feet with little food or water was nothing to them. For the first time in their lives a lot of them had some kind of direction and sense of belonging. The same can be said for people of all generations I'm sure and I'm sure those sentiments are echoes but it was nice to see how surprised and humbled he was by a load of kids he admitted once to labelling as 'chavs' and 'hoodies'. Bring back NS I reckon, teach them some discipline, self worth and save a lot of people from going in the wrong direction in the first place. You can pick up a decent map for a couple of quid but if you're stuck in the wilderness they become priceless.
and moving ..... I never knew Ziggy, if your OP was serious, what about the CVS? Community Service Volunteers? Having just read through their website, I might just sign up myself.
Thats a very good thing Daisees, but I was thinking more along the lines of something to do for the huge amount of self employed people out there, myself included, that need the occasional week or two's work when they have no other jobs on. Being self employed means no work no money coming in and that can lead to the business failing as the bills keep piling up. The benefit system doesn't usually help if you are self employed, they usually find a way of not paying. Even when i've been signed off with broken ribs they wouldn't pay me sickness benefit, told me that I should price the work higher to cover for periods of sickness. Higher prices usually mean someone else gets the work. It would be nice if there was a safety net when you need a weeks work, somewhere to turn up & do an honest days work. I've done alsorts between contracts, factory work, mushroom picking, veg round, sandblasting. Just at the moment though there is so little around for anyone. Had a chap knock on my door yesterday looking for work, he's been looking for 3 months now:( Still not got a start date for my new job, so i'm cooling my heels at the moment, my friend was round this morning, he's got nothing lined up either. Never known it this bad before.
Here's something in Nottinghamshire, but the pay's not much cop: Voluntary unpaid work in a Workhouse. NT volunteers round this way used to get free membership + tea & biscuits.
I spent a lot of my younger days in the East End of London and met people who had first hand experience of the workhouse. My parents always seemed to have them in the back of their minds and I think it made them work harder to fend for themselves. My father was quite well known for reciting that poem and keeping its message alive in peoples' minds. Daisees, the last workhouse closed in 1930. so it wasn't all that long before we were born. Ziggy, A much shorter, more modern and to the point version was devised when I worked in the markets. It was only four lines long. 'Twas Christmas Day in the workhouse The snow was falling fast We don't want your Christmas pud So stick it up your ****
Dai, if we're talking about the City, I don't think brains are a prerequisite. Attendance at a posh school and a nice accent probably are, though.
A bit off topic, but years ago one of the tabloids got its knickers in a twist about how much it was costing to keep juvenile delinquents in a special school. 'You could send them to Roedean for that!', it harrumphed.
Have you register with all the local temp agencies Zig? I don't know what it's like nowadays, but a few years ago my missus decided to have a go at that 'work' thing she'd heard about, so she registered with a few agencies. She did a few hours here and there in different companies. Not big money, usually about minimum wage, but better than no money at all.
Twas Christmas day in the workhouse The Snow was falling fast We do not want your Christmas Pud You can stick it up your Jack McHammocklashing RN VD and SCAR Ooops posted before completeing the thread sorry Shiney
