Saturday, August 7, 2010

The Latest From Where England Used To Be

Telegraph: Soldier in uniform refused service in supermarket.

Sapper--combat engineer, to us--flies home on leave, stops off at pick up some beer on his way to his nephew's birthday party, and is refused service.  "We don't serve soldiers in uniform."

Calls for manager, who says he can't help him, because those are her beliefs.

It's like they want us to have even more reasons we're not them...
h/t Blackfive.

Seems like only yesterday...
TOMMY
(Rudyard Kipling, 1890)
I WENT into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, " We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, go away " ;
But it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
Updated for the 21st Century:
O then we're just like 'eroes from the army's glorious past.
Yes, it's "God go with you, Tommy," when the trip might be your last.
They pays us skivvy wages, never mind we're sitting ducks,
When clerks what's pushing pens at 'ome don't know their flippin' luck.
"Ah, yes" sez they "but think of all the travel to be 'ad."
Pull the other one. Does Cooks do 'olidays in Baghdad?
It's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, know your place,"
But it's "Tommy, take the front seat," when there's terrorists to chase

... An' the town is full of maniacs who'd like you dead toot sweet.
Yes, it's "Thank you, Mr Atkins," when they find you in the street.
There's s'pposed to be a covenant to treat us fair an' square
But I 'ad to buy me army boots, an' me combats is threadbare.
An' 'alf the bloody 'elicopters can't get in the air,
An' me pistol jammed when snipers fired. That's why I'm laid up 'ere.
Yes, it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, "We 'ave to watch the pence";
Bold as brass the P.M. sez, "We spare them no expense.

But I'll tell you when they do us proud an' pull out all the stops,
It's when Tommy lands at Lyneham in a bloomin' wooden box!
I was having trouble editing this, and almost forgot to add that the grocery store's general manager apologized, and said he hopes that Tommy will be back--after Tommy's leave was up and he was back in the sandbox.

1 comment:

Nancy R. said...

Words fail me. Wish I'd been there -- I'd have bought it for him.

Great update on the Kipling.