Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Like I said I'm not against the poppy as a symbol that the horrors etc. of war should never be forgotten lest they get repeated over and over again.

I'm against the donations funding ex-servicemen who served in places I don't agree they should have been in. Obviously soldiers don't get to choose their battlefields but I'm certainly not interested in donating to someone who contributed to the situation in Northern Ireland and historically Ireland.

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

You took your cue!

I was going to send you a PM but realised I have nothing much interesting to say. Frankfurt is "nice", lacking the edge or energy of Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg or even Munich. I haven't really gone out there since the late '90s I guess. The old town, Sachsenhausen, is fun in a kind of sanitised way but nothing gay there. I guess you'll catch the start of the xmas markets which will add to the atmosphere. What I recall about the "scene" is that US service guys are very evident which adds a bit of diversity. Things were spread out a bit, mostly in the central area (north of Sachsenhausen). It was the usual mix of intimate "stubes", one of which was pretty cool as I recall and was the most famous venue - likely still the same I guess, and nightclub/discos - pretty lame except for the American drag queens!

Strasbourg is easily reachable from Frankfurt and is worth a visit if you haven't - not least because you can go and protest all the lovely Euro stuff there! I'd guess it will have a very nice atmosphere for xmas also.

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Family spent Christmas in Strasbourg last year. Rented a flat and all that. It was pleasant. I liked Strasbourg. Colmar, mind you, was sheer touristy hell (even if I did have a good time).

Can you summarise the difference between Frankfurt and Cologne? Google map says it's two hours away but what makes it edgy that Frankfurt isn't? Could do a day trip there if time allows.

I'd forgotten the Christmas markets. That could make for a fun evening. Getting drunk on mulled wine and trying to seduce some friendly Germans ;)

Edit: just realised it's Germany end of November, NYC mid December and then two weeks at home end of December ;) you won't see much of me on here in December except the odd hour at the airport waiting for flights.

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Frankfurt is Birmingham to Cologne's Manchester - anyone having that?

Cologne to me is very "West Germany" whereas Frankfurt is bland European. Aside from that unintelligible differentiation (to anyone not inhabiting my imagination), Cologne has a huge leather/bear scene - maybe even the biggest in Europe and is (I have heard) prone to getting pretty wild... And the cathedral's alright as well though almost all the rest of the centre was destroyed and rebuilt after the war (hence the 1970s West Germany vibe I guess). And Aachen is definitely worth a day, which you can do easily from Cologne but not from Frankfurt I think. Dusseldorf is nice as well with the old city and the river but probably not worth the effort to get to from Frankfurt though it is close to Cologne. I've not been to Bonn, also in that area, but I would guess that is pretty interesting to see all that frozen-in-time stuff from the BRD. In the other direction Heidelberg should be a manageably decent day trip from Frankfurt.

Oh, and be aware, the A5 which looks like a terrific artery is pretty much a car park for much of it's length and much of the day. Trains are generally a better option.

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

oh....DXB & MISS ANNE been smoking the peace pipe...Mashallaah:thumbup:

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Only a few months late to figure that out - better than your VAT plan I guess!!

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

few months? you two were at each others throat not to long ago

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

That was Scamp and D2D, keep up!

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

did i make the cocktail party list:unsure:

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Hello! I made my cue.

Interestingly I agree with your point, but almost end up complicit whenever you do anything with ex-service people then? My sister's Sandhurst buddy set up a charity for injured / amputee ex forces to go competitive sailing and I helped at a few events and things. Fantastic charity, great work and an phenomenal bunch of guys and girls benefiting....but, they're predominantly Afghanistan / Iraq service, which is a war many people disagree with...so where do 'you' draw the line? Do 'you' donate your time / money / efforts to that but not the Great War? Do 'you' donate to Vietnam war vets?

Genuine question because I get your logic and wonder if it extends beyond personal experience.

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Don't worry Mission pet, you're welcome around ours for cocktails anytime. There'll be plenty of booze but just bear in mind we might be asleep by 10pm (unless there's something good on the National Geographic channel). I'm sure we can up the ante with a thrilling game of Scrabble though...

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Note I don't do xmas cards: I prefer winter festival spiritual tokens, preferably woven of hemp and goat hair rather than destroying the environment with bleached pulp and pigments.

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

didn't ya know i'm a wild child myself :rolleyes::rolleyes:

aww thank you :wub:

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

Whilst I will respect your own reasons for your stance, I just wish that you would explain in a little more detail your obvious stance with regards to N.Ireland? Unless that is that your a rabid IRA supporter, or have friends and family that were affected by the Troubles (always struck me as a pathetic way of encompassing that era). If you are the former, then go rot in hell, but if you are the latter, then I can feel a little sympathy!

Re: Remembrance Poppies
 

It's possible to be against the division of Ireland and not be a rabid IRA supporter ;).

To make it clear I can't donate to a charity who support servicemen who were involved in:
Collusion with terrorist organisatons
Summary executions ('shoot to kill' policy)
Internment
Opening fire on civilians