City Salute

[Green Flash]

City Salute on BBC2 NOW.

[Green Flash]

Didn't realise Wokkas were in the show too!

[Il Duce]

OK, maybe slightly off thread, but couldn't somebody have given the two officers of Royal background a hint about getting YER BLOODY HAIR CUT!!

[Zoom]

I don't think pongo officers do haircuts. At least, they didn't in my day.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Nice flypast from the trio of Typhoons - looked very tight as they banked past Covent Garden lit up by the setting sun. :D Certainly looked good from the P & J; I completely forgot that the City Salutes was on:O

[TOPBUNKER]

Where and when where these events publicised?

Rather a waste of effort without publicity perhaps?

[Al R]

I hope I don't get seen as pissing on the bonfire by being negative, but here goes. This is not a reflection on those who organised it, more I suspect, apathy and uncertainty within central government. Perhaps it was only meant to be a softly softly event anyway.

The whole thing struck me as sheepishly apologising for itself, not so much a celebration of what we're about.. but more, a 'hey, please don't forget us and thank you for just giving us this'. There were a few fancy lasers to tart it all up and make us forget that Hamleys does more to announce the Xmas season. QCS was pretty good, the nags looked fine, the CVR(T) didn't break down and looked nicely swarfega'd.. the flypast - well, tick, and I'm not sure what 2IG did, but hey.. they marched on and looked the part.. but there was nothing there out of the ordinary. That had nothing that a tourist couldn't see anyway, and you could have gone to any town show 20 years ago and seen the same. It had this lovely English feel, the way that the best parties are those organised on the hoof, and I don't mean that as an insult. But a couple of hundreds of yards of pavement for a thousand or two employees on the way home, a couple of Royals who looked as if they had been out shopping and stopped when something caught their eye, family and friends and of course, the most important of all.. a few honoured guests (the injured), is never going to make the public sit up and take note.

What about getting the Royal Tournament going again? I accept that COs will greet the idea of generating for this with a smuch enthusiasm as turncoat Quentin Davies' idea for opening up military assault courses for adventure seeking civvies and 'National Forces Day'. But if this is just the opening shot, then fine.. lets build it into something really good again and I take my hat off to everyone who fought hard to achieve this. I hope this has given HfH and SSAFA again, lots of well earned experience at organising and I can see the merit in keeping it small so that mistakes can be easily recitified, and mistakes learnt from. But if it was offered as nothing more than an appeasement to keep the nasty army people quiet, then sod that. Its patronising and insulting.

And I agree. Harry, get a bloody hair cut lad. You look a tw:mad:t.

[Mick Strigg]

I caught this by luck rather than planning. Why?

Where were the trailers advertising this programme? Non existant!

Why tuck it away on BBC2 on a Wednesday evening? This should be BBC 1 on a Sunday after Songs-of-Praise!

Come on BBC, if you are going to do something for our brave boys, do it properly!

[Ray Dahvectac]

For those that need reminders (as I suspect this one will get as much advance warning, traliers, etc):

A Heroes' Welcome
BBC 1 Sunday 11th May 15:30 to 16:25

The private grounds of Windsor Castle play host to this musical and military spectacular in honour of the men and women who serve in today's armed forces, in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. Kate Silverton presents highlights of last night's special event, including the drive of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the musical ride of the Household Cavalry and a finale tribute to soldiers returning home from active service.

But getting back to City Salute ... I am sure the intentions behind it were the best, the cause it is supporting is worthy indeed, and it's great to see whose who have served the country getting even a small part of the recognition they deserve, but at the same time it somehow didn't quite gel for me.

Perhaps the scale of the event was too small - and it showed. Although it was a live event and therefore more difficult to cover it seemed under-rehearsed, and also poorly produced (the pre-event interview with Jeremy Clarkson was shown with abysmal lip-synch).

And why the Typhoon flypast? OK, they are nice, shiny and new(ish) but I wasn't aware of their having played a major role in Iraq/Afghanistan to date. Or is that why they were there - the rest of the nation's air assets are over-committed?

[skua]

I agree it was appallingly underpublicised. I had known about it for some weeks, through the City jungle drum. But the organisers seemed very timid about it. The website could not even put up a decent programme beforehand.

I went along to see it, (possibly becausue cost centre #1 was marching :) ). Most of the crowd seemed very ignorant of what was going on - the charming American next to me said she thought it was "tribute concert to Prince Harry and Prince William" because that is what a policewoman had told her!

The fabulous backdrop of St Pauls could have done with a bigger spectacle, and as for 3 Typhoons - a banner headline of our reduced strength?

Skua

[colonel cluster]

You miserable load of old wan*&rs! Damned if you do, damned if you don't seems to be your motto!

So a bunch of people got off their arses and organised a tribute to our fellow servicemen, which got national coverage, an hour on prime time TV (yes BBC2 at 8 pm is prime time!), royal coverage, Jezza Clarkson (oh for he to be PM!) and all you can do is moan. I am sure if I look back through the numerous threads about supporting our troops, some of the same faces will come up demanding we as a nation do more. Well here is some of it! It may not be perfect, or made the whole world stop turning, but it helped in no small way. Try looking at the coverage and comments it created in the media.

If you can't for once get behind people who organise and give up time to do this, then either do it yourself, or get the hell out of the way!

Arghh!

Oh, try looking at Arrse if you want to read some good news about the event, from people who were there. (Ok, still one post about the length of ginger hair, but amongst the other 114 posts, thats much better than here!)

[Clockwork Mouse]

Well said Colonel!

[Al R]

Colonel,

I was expecting a post such as yours, and yes.. there is an element of truth in what you say. As for the 'put up or shut up' perspective, sorry - thats boll:\ks though. The guys on ARRSE have a different outlook and although I enjoy posting there, long may we embrace diversity!

I would agree 100% that it helped and if I was a little less robust in my perspective, then perhaps I might have done my 'case' a little more good. I thought that Timothy West was inspired (masses of credibility and no audience fatigue), Ross Kemp..? Well, iffy at best, and you get JC onboard to make headlines and to get the right demographic watching, although I know he has been tireless in his support for the troops and that gets a massive tick from me. But it was a shame that BBC coverage lead this morning with news of his Chinook gag. Yes, funny - but the event was worth more than one person trying to stand above the subject matter.

Lets consider more practical matters - the venue. The Naval college at Greenwich would be perfect. Brilliant arcs to see the flypasts (I blinked and probably never saw the Chinooks from the ground last night), superb arcs from which to view, an element of connection and a better setting that you would be hard pressed to buy anywhere in the world. Easier to prep, minimal disruption, timeless military elegance and atmosphere.. what more could you ask for?

It was wonderful to see people actually doing something practical and yes.. although it was very much a rough diamond, it was a diamond nonetheless. Now all that it needs is polishing. The greatest shows in the UK are those which evolve and move on, and which actively thrive on negative feedback. I accept your point though - although I was trying to offer constructive criticism, perhaps this probably wasn't the time or place for it. I will endeavour to be less of a miserable git in future - I had a lump in my throat last night and the pollen from the hot weather was causing an eye irritation.

edit:

http://www.gre.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0006/4488/greenwich-02-700x669.jpg

[colonel cluster]

Sir, if only everyone had such manners! The art of discussion and understanding is sadly rare these days. To be honest, I was expecting a F&^k Off, Bignose! You make some good points about the old RNC, what a venue that would be.

The one group of Civilians i pity most at present are doctors and opticians, the surge in eye complaints must be staggering, eye-watering some might even say!

[Al R]

F&^k Off, Bignose.

[Ray Dahvectac]

I was expecting flames for what I posted, but sorry - that's how I saw it.

The event was good, but I feel it could have been a better tribute than it was. Hopefully that will happen in the future, and Al R makes some valid suggestions.

Well, if that opinion makes me a miserable old wan*&r in your book Colonel, then you are entitled to your opinion - I don't need to cite Voltaire.

But I do reserve the right to retain an independent mind.

[doubledolphins]

As an aside I did rather enjoy the sight of a Royal Marine Band with a large amount of them sporting "Royal Yacht" badges playing a tune about foxhunting. If you include the Royal Tournament itself that's a nice little reminder of three things this government have got rid of.