*BIG announcement by the QUEEN due at 8am*

[Albion my Albion]

They should give him a knighthood

I heard one of the Queen's fantasies was to do "it" inside a knight's armour. You never know if your wishes might come true.

 

[Clive Walker]

110 days of work in 1 year!

I'd like them to define the word "work".

Couldn't give a toss. The Royals hold no importance in any part of my life

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Can't believe there's other Mr Ross taught pupils on here. How many? Best teacher ever. Remembered: the time he walked into class, sat down, hands behind head, looking up to the ceiling in his inimitable style, and said "Decline the verb 'amo', Jenkins (or whoever)". No reply. "Jenkins, decline the verb 'amo', now". No reply. Looks down and across the class and realises Jenkins isn't actually in the classroom. Classic. More stories, please, with its own thread to discover other Mr Ross taught students?

Go on then, start the thread

I'll give you one. Whe he was my form master (3 or 4L - my memory etc etc), there were a few lads who had yet to notice that they had reached puberty some weeks or months previously, and the class was becoming quite whiffy, epecially as the week drew on (bath night was Sunday night back in the 70s). Ross, with eyes closed, and a pained look on his face made a comment one morning (I paraphrase) that it would be advantageous to all if boys would wash once a day 'parts productive of hair'. From anyone else (the very weird bloke who tought us French, for example) this would have been greeted with hysterical laughter, but when Ross said it we just sat looking at our feet, probably with one of those hard-to-quell blushes rising up our spotty faces

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

I wish Big Phil all the best in his well earned retirement. Always seems like a good chap who doesn't take himself too seriously and has used his prestigious position to champion the causes of many charities to bring them exposure.

Some of you lot should be thrown in the Tower of London for high treason.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

If the tax payer payed me a few million and provided a huge house I'd happily do so.

it's easy to say that when it's a pure hypothetical situation though isn't it

 

[Hampster Gull]

He was in his own words a "refuge", greek with gernam, russian and danish blood. There is no place for that in Brexit England init

 

[Pavilionaire]

Phexit.

 

[Soulman]

The Royal Family costs 62p per year, per person, we give more to despot leaders of dodgy countries.
GSTQ......and Phil the Greek.

 

[clapham_gull]

The Royal Family costs 62p per year, per person, we give more to despot leaders of dodgy countries.
GSTQ......and Phil the Greek.

That figure excludes a number of things including security and the cost to local councils for Royal Visits.

I think it's fair to say the football clubs contribute for the cost of their own policing but the Queen doesn't

 

[Soulman]

That figure excludes a number of things including security and the cost to local councils for Royal Visits.

I think it's fair to say the football clubs contribute for the cost of their own policing but the Queen doesn't

I think you will find that the Queen and Royal family are a highly profit making business.......how much is spent on policing with demonstrations, anti terrorism etc.
I am happy to pay, guess you are not.

 

[clapham_gull]

I think you will find that the Queen and Royal family are a highly profit making business.......how much is spent on policing with demonstrations, anti terrorism etc.
I am happy to pay, guess you are not.

It isn't a reason to abolish the monarchy but the cost per person / tourism arguments have absolutely no grounding.

"Royal Palaces" such as Versailles in France get far more visitors than the Royal Palace over here.

You either believe in having an hereditary un-elected Head of State or you don't. You can't take the really odd position they are just a tourist attraction so leave them alone.

I personally don't but I'd NOT advocating the abolition of the Royal Family, just their removal from the political process (because they have no power) and importantly their role as the Head of The Church of England. I find the latter deeply problematic Nothing to do with other religions I just think the state should get the hell out of religion. As for the Privy Council - it's "powers" abused by the both the left and the right.

There are number of arguments I respect that support the continuation of the status quo. There are good reasons (for example) to keep the House of Lords un-elected for example.

But please - if you are going to defend them you've got to have a better argument than.

1) They cost 62p a day
2) They bring in tourism
3) You'd end up with President Blair.

They ain't Tescos. We been lucky "politically" with the current Monarch but when King Charles starts writing letters it's gonna be interesting...

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

For more famous / infamous quotes from him, see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39806145

You shouldn't laugh at some of these really as they are totally non-PC but those of you with elderly relatives will recognise similar comments.

The Duke of Edinburgh's public engagements often produce memorable one-liners that can make some people chuckle and others cringe.
Prince Philip is renowned for speaking his mind - often explained as his attempt to lighten the mood - and that outspoken nature has at times led to controversy with some of those remarks teetering on the edge of being offensive.
Here are some of his most famous quips.
1966: "British women can't cook".
1969: "What do you gargle with, pebbles?" To Sir Tom Jones after a Royal Variety Performance.
1981: "Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed." During the 1981 recession.
1984: "You are a woman, aren't you?" In Kenya after accepting a small gift from a local woman.
1986: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed." To a group of British students during a royal visit to China.
1988: "It looks like a tart's bedroom." On seeing plans for the Duke and Duchess of York's house at Sunninghill Park.
1992: "Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease." In Australia when asked to stroke a koala.
1993: "You can't have been here that long, you haven't got a pot belly". To a Briton he met in Hungary.
1994: "Aren't most of you descended from pirates?" To a wealthy islander in the Cayman Islands.
1995: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test." To a Scottish driving instructor.
1996: "If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?" In response to calls to ban firearms after the Dunblane shooting.
1997: "Bloody silly fool!" Referring to a Cambridge University car park attendant who did not recognise him.
1999: "Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf." Speaking to a group of young deaf people in Cardiff who were standing near a steel band.
1999: "It looks as if it was put in by an Indian." Referring to an old-fashioned fuse box in a factory near Edinburgh.
2001: "You're too fat to be an astronaut." To 13-year-old Andrew Adams who told Prince Philip he wanted to go into space.
2002: "Still throwing spears?" Question put to an Australian Aborigine during a visit.
2002: "You look like a suicide bomber." To a young policewoman wearing a bullet-proof vest on Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
2009: "There's a lot of your family in tonight." After looking at the name badge of businessman Atul Patel at a Palace reception for British Indians.
2009: "Well, you didn't design your beard too well, did you?" To designer Stephen Judge about his tiny goatee beard.
2010: "Do you have a pair of knickers made out of this?" To Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie Pointing while pointing to some tartan in Edinburgh.
2010: "Do you work in a strip club?" To 24-year-old Barnstaple Sea Cadet Elizabeth Rendle when she told him she also worked in a nightclub.
2012: "I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress." To 25-year-old council worker Hannah Jackson, who was wearing a dress with a zip running the length of its front, on a Jubilee visit to Bromley, Kent.
2013: "The Philippines must be half empty as you're all here running the NHS." On meeting a Filipino nurse at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
2013: "[Children] go to school because their parents don't want them in the house." To Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban and now campaigns for the right of girls to go to school without fear.
2017: "You look starved." To a pensioner on a visit to the Charterhouse almshouse for elderly men.

 

[surrey jim]

110 days of work in 1 year!

I'd like them to define the word "work".

Couldn't give a toss. The Royals hold no importance in any part of my life

110 days work for a 96 year old seems plenty enough. How many days a year would you think you would be doing at retirement and at what age would you retire?

A quick calculation assumes your average person works 230 days per year [based on 5 day week, 5 weeks holiday and bank holidays]

 

[The Clamp]

Edited: wrong quote.

 

[The Clamp]

The Royal Family costs 62p per year, per person, we give more to despot leaders of dodgy countries.
GSTQ......and Phil the Greek.

My objection to the monarchy does not stem from the cost of them.

 

[Soulman]

My objection to the monarchy does not stem from the cost of them.

I know, I was just responding to another view.

 

[The Clamp]

I know, I was just responding to another view.

Fairs.

It's an odd one. I actually hold two opposing views at once.

I love the monarchy and it's history and believe they do Britain good.

I think they are an outdated sponging waste of space.

I genuinely believe both those things.

 

[BN9 BHA]

You shouldn't laugh at some of these really as they are totally non-PC but those of you with elderly relatives will recognise similar comments.

The Duke of Edinburgh's public engagements often produce memorable one-liners that can make some people chuckle and others cringe.
Prince Philip is renowned for speaking his mind - often explained as his attempt to lighten the mood - and that outspoken nature has at times led to controversy with some of those remarks teetering on the edge of being offensive.
Here are some of his most famous quips.
1966: "British women can't cook".
1969: "What do you gargle with, pebbles?" To Sir Tom Jones after a Royal Variety Performance.
1981: "Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed." During the 1981 recession.
1984: "You are a woman, aren't you?" In Kenya after accepting a small gift from a local woman.
1986: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed." To a group of British students during a royal visit to China.
1988: "It looks like a tart's bedroom." On seeing plans for the Duke and Duchess of York's house at Sunninghill Park.
1992: "Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease." In Australia when asked to stroke a koala.
1993: "You can't have been here that long, you haven't got a pot belly". To a Briton he met in Hungary.
1994: "Aren't most of you descended from pirates?" To a wealthy islander in the Cayman Islands.
1995: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test." To a Scottish driving instructor.
1996: "If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?" In response to calls to ban firearms after the Dunblane shooting.
1997: "Bloody silly fool!" Referring to a Cambridge University car park attendant who did not recognise him.
1999: "Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf." Speaking to a group of young deaf people in Cardiff who were standing near a steel band.
1999: "It looks as if it was put in by an Indian." Referring to an old-fashioned fuse box in a factory near Edinburgh.
2001: "You're too fat to be an astronaut." To 13-year-old Andrew Adams who told Prince Philip he wanted to go into space.
2002: "Still throwing spears?" Question put to an Australian Aborigine during a visit.
2002: "You look like a suicide bomber." To a young policewoman wearing a bullet-proof vest on Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
2009: "There's a lot of your family in tonight." After looking at the name badge of businessman Atul Patel at a Palace reception for British Indians.
2009: "Well, you didn't design your beard too well, did you?" To designer Stephen Judge about his tiny goatee beard.
2010: "Do you have a pair of knickers made out of this?" To Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie Pointing while pointing to some tartan in Edinburgh.
2010: "Do you work in a strip club?" To 24-year-old Barnstaple Sea Cadet Elizabeth Rendle when she told him she also worked in a nightclub.
2012: "I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress." To 25-year-old council worker Hannah Jackson, who was wearing a dress with a zip running the length of its front, on a Jubilee visit to Bromley, Kent.
2013: "The Philippines must be half empty as you're all here running the NHS." On meeting a Filipino nurse at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
2013: "[Children] go to school because their parents don't want them in the house." To Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban and now campaigns for the right of girls to go to school without fear.
2017: "You look starved." To a pensioner on a visit to the Charterhouse almshouse for elderly men.

The man is a legend, I laughed out loud reading that list.

 

[Clive Walker]

110 days work for a 96 year old seems plenty enough. How many days a year would you think you would be doing at retirement and at what age would you retire?

A quick calculation assumes your average person works 230 days per year [based on 5 day week, 5 weeks holiday and bank holidays]

you miss my point...re-read my post. Im saying that those 110 days don't constitute real 'work'

 

[Moshe Gariani]

The man is a legend, I laughed out loud reading that list.

1999(b) is a favourite and could have been said by my late father-in-law...