House prices in Devon and Cornwall on the increase - but slowly

“I'm too smart for you that's for sure.

That's why I pay so much tax and have an interest in it not be wasted on the undeserving.”

“Charles, you don't argue anything: you just post links.”

“I'm never wrong except if I'm arguing with my wife. Then of course I'm never right.”

“.

@ Charlespk

You would know all about insults and failure of education wouldn't you.

.”

“What Churchill actually said was:

"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries."

This of course is a good deal more nuanced recognition of the weaknesses of both systems than Charles rather selective quote suggests. No wonder Churchill gets such a bad press among some on the left.

But then if we all accepted that just occasionally we might all be a bit right and a bit wrong at the same time - these forums would be much less fun, wouldn't they? Now where did I put that cat?”

“Unadulterated socialist sophistry.

The reality:-

http://tinyurl.com/dbwfmp”

“The lack of freedom extends beyond those on benefits to the low paid/those who are not recognised for the role that they play in society. Big Ger seems to suggest that people choose to be on benefits or low wages. I daresay that applies to a few but that is a convenient myth to peddle. If there are no jobs/well paid jobs moving from benefits is easier said than done. The suggestion that those on benefits should have no rights smacks of the kind of scapegoating that Hitler peddled 70+ years ago.

The war illustrated to the few the social conditions of the many. How ironic that the welfare state that was won and paid for with worse levels of debt that we had now in the teeth of opposition from Churchill and the Conservatives .”

“You have managed to insult an entire Nation with that post.

One thing there wasn't during wartime was Class War.

I guess we'll just have to put it down to the failure of our education system.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

http://tinyurl.com/37dh86g (open in a new window)”

“.

Yes and luckily we had an army of working class people to win the war for us, they didn't fight for the idle rich of this island they fought for indoor bathrooms, social security and a national health service.

Before Action
by Lieutenant William Noel Hodgson, MC, 29th June, 1916

By all the glories of the day
And the cool evening's benison
By that last sunset touch that lay
Upon the hills when day was done,
By beauty lavishly outpoured
And blessings carelessly received,
By all the days that I have lived
Make me a soldier, Lord.

By all of all man's hopes and fears
And all the wonders poets sing,
The laughter of unclouded years,
And every sad and lovely thing;
By the romantic ages stored
With high endeavour that was his,
By all his mad catastrophes
Make me a man, O Lord.

I, that on my familiar hill
Saw with uncomprehending eyes
A hundred of thy sunsets spill
Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice,
Ere the sun swings his noonday sword
Must say good-bye to all of this; -
By all delights that I shall miss,
Help me to die, O Lord

Serving with the 9th Battalion the Devonshire Regiment, Lieutenant Hodgson was on the Somme battlefield in June 1916 preparing for the Battle of the Somme. The scheduled date for the start of the battle was originally to be August 1916, but had been brought forward to the 29th June, 1916. Owing to bad weather in the week building up to the battle the date of the attack was postponed at 11.00 hours on 28th June and moved by two days to the morning of 1st July 1916.
It is believed that Noel Hodgson wrote the poem "Before Action" on 29th June

In the early hours of the morning of Saturday 1st July 1916 William Noel Hodgson was in position with his comrades, anxiously waiting for Zero Hour at 07.30 hours. Due to the severe damage from German artillery fire the British Front Line trench was unsuitable for the battalion to assemble in ready for the attack, so the men were about 250 yards behind the British Front Line trench. At Zero Hour the men of 9th Devons advanced from their position behind the Front Line trench, with the 2nd Battalion Border Regiment on their left and the 2ndBattalion the Gordon Highlanders on their right.

The 9th Devons had about 400 yards of No-Mans-Land to cross in the Carnoy valley before they could attempt to break into the German Front Line south of Mametz village. As soon as the first men of the Devons reached No-Mans-Land they were exposed to fire from German machine guns. Many were cut down in No-Mans-Land and the battalion suffered heavy casualties. Lieutenant Hodgson was Bombing Officer in the attack. He was responsible for keeping the men supplied with grenades during the attack, which would be especially important if they got into the German positions. Within an hour of the attack it is said that Lieutanant Hodgson was killed. He was aged 23. He would never again see a sunset.”

“No he didn't.

What he said was, "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

He also said, "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."”