Why is it then that the UK government has made it progressively more difficult for young Australians, New Zealanders and presumably Canadians etc to obtain visas to do the traditional working/ holiday experience in the UK as has been the case for many decades? Don't they value the contribution/ sacrifice our forbears made for the mother country us as much as they used to?
I'm a NZer. In my family alone, male relatives going back to the Boer war fought for Queen/ King and country. As a child I remember visiting a Great Uncle several times who fought at Gallipoli, I remember him showing me his bayonet that he claimed was stained with Turkish blood! (I'm sure he was joking with me..?). Later I believe he fought on the Western Front. Other relatives saw action in the Middle East and Greece in WW2. Luckily they all made it back home though my Grandfather was a POW for 3 years.
I have vivid memories of going to summer "POW picnics" in NZ as a child in the late '60s. They were big events, thousands of people... The sacrifice/ contribution to the war effort my tiny country made was enormous. I can't help but think this has been mostly forgotten by the current politicians in the UK who make the rules...
Sorry if I sound a bit disillusioned/ bitter but that's how I feel...
