Very true tanker. When I went to secondary school it was the first time Catholics had been allowed entry and only one enrolled. He was greeted with "******* Pape", although some of the other teachers were more tolerant.

For me it was when I joined the RAF at 17 and moved south to Swinderby/Halton. The thing is, when you are caught up in that sectarian bubble, you don't notice anything until you manage to break out. After a few months at Halton. I realised than no one had asked me my religion or what school I went to. As you said, its a revelation and I never went back.

At the Towers in the late 1960s, we had a number of ex-Super Tech apprentoids on our entry.

Having had the benefit of being in the mob for a while, they did some thinking, then announced that would all like to become Catholics. The RC padre was amazed and was just about to ring the Vatican with his news when his colleagues had a word with him.

The reason was the timing of mandatory church on Sundays. CofE fell in at about 10:30, had a parade and an inspection, then marched off to the god shop and back again afterwards, not escaping until about 12:30.

Church of jocks and odds met at 10:00 at the JMPG and marched off to their place, but were free by 11:00-ish.

Whereas the RC cadets merely turned up at their church at 09:30, mumbled some Latin and escaped PDQ. This wasn't lost on the apprentoids!

So the RC padre, having been tipped off about these cunning beggars, told them that there would be no problem, but that they'd need to attend religious instruction sessions first. On Saturday afternoons. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their enthusiasm for Catholicism soon vanished!

Beags . My hut included two Jockistanis and so we got briefed that the chats were very informal and included TEA and BISCUITS.
I suddenly remembered that I was a Baptist, our tame Welsh item a congregationalist and the only other Englishmen Plymouth brethren or some such. So off we all marched on Sunday mornings down the road to salvation.

My wife, a Glasgow Jordanhill graduate, taught for many years on Clydeside and was teaching in her first English shool. One day the RC Priest walked in for 'Fall out thr Catholics!' and, when she looked a bit surprised, asked if she had an objection. "No." she replied, "It's just that I didn't know I had Catholics in my class."
It was her first introduction to the English non-sectarian education system.
I think our divisive Scottish system is stark raving bonkers.

At South Cerney the non C of E types had an honour system that required us to locate and attend our God House of choice.
Mine was my room in the Cadet Mess Seco Hut :E

Tut, all this talk of religion at Christmas. It'll never do.

A friend of mine is a former Nimrod tac nav, and tells me the story of his intake in which one recruit got out of going to church on Sunday by announcing he was Jewish and therefore unable to worship in a Christian manner etc. All very well, except of course he wasn't Jewish at all. By all accounts his face was a picture when a car turned up with a couple of very pleasant gents to take him to the local synagogue to join them for their service...

Presumably after checking whether he'd had the relevant surgical procedure?

I get the impression that the instructing staff had heard it so often that they had a regular arrangement with the synagogue, who were more than happy to play ball.

At least all the rumours of her abdicating were wrong, As much as I think she should scale back on her duties a bit at her age, the thought of the future King and his other half bring shivers down my spine.

Maybe we could all have a vote on it?

Monarchy YES/NO

Charles YES/NO

We have a vote (such as it is) for the Commons.
I'd be dismayed to have a public vote decide who should succeed HMTQ.

Wasn't that the "elected monarchy" system that certain foreign Johnnies had and gave us an advantage over for so many years?

I see that all the palace guardsmen have now had their sentry boxes moved back behind the railings and are protected by armed police. I am in two minds about this. Whilst not wishing our chaps to be put in any unnecessary danger surely in a way the Islamic Extremists have a moral victory. Any ideas for a better solution? I can think of one but the mods would delete my post :E

It might be worth starting a petition on Change.org when the time is right. I suspect that, if the crown passes down through the existing succession, the monarchy will be unrecoverable by the time William gets his chance. That would be a pity because, from what I have seen so far, William and Kate would help to establish a modern and popular monarchy.

I'm sure folks were saying the same about Charles and Diana when they were first married. I wonder if you'll be thinking the same about William and Kate when they're touching 70 and still waiting for the position to open up.

That's the 'beauty' of monarchy - you get what you're given, when you're given it. No ifs, no buts, no say....

And, we are very, very lucky to have such a hard working and dedicated 'firm'. Not too late for the New Year's honours list Your Majesty :ok:

"Wasn't that the "elected monarchy" system that certain foreign Johnnies had and gave us an advantage over for so many years?"

welll--- talking of advantages the USA & Germany have Presidents......... as do China & Russia

Japan does have a monarchy of course but otherwise....................

I remember Brize late 80's wanting to do a VC10 run during the God-slot when it was verboten by the Staish, our Sootie desk boss said if we can't beat them, then let's join them, so off we all traipsed In our oily dirty working kit.. He was not amused.