>>>>>Killing Time<<<<<

We inadvertently stumbled across a VE Day service whilst getting soaked at the seaside. It was very touching to watch those old boys shedding a tear for the fallen and brought a lump to this pacifist's throat. A shame, though somewhat typical and, in its own way, rather fitting, that the silence that followed the Last Post and preceded the Reveille was wrecked by a couple of track-suited lads kicking a football against a church wall. Bring back national service, etc etc etc. With May 9 now upon us and all the street party Cliff Richard sings for the country mess now cleared away, we can all turn back to our jingoistic, Euro-hating, misplaced nationalistic, insular, johnny foreigner's to blame for everything ways and, bearing in mind that these old soldiers ain't getting any younger, simply forget all about all those lives lost. After all, it's what they would have wanted. And thank heaven that war is now just a thing to get nostalgic about and no longer life-threatening. Erm. Ooh. Oh. Keith Douglas sums it up better than me...