Write-Place

 Woke up today feeling the need to vent about many things but also not wanting to get into too negative a mood. So here we have the very first post of this blog way back in 2008, to refresh on what was happening in the world, from my point of view at least and the responses it received. Write-Place -   March 05, 2008 Hello to whoever is reading this and congratulations - you are the first (or one of the first) to read the initial posting on this blog. I have said that I intend to discuss all sorts of things here and will do so in the next post - just wanted to say welcome and thanks for coming. Please leave a post and let's get talking. Can I suggest a topic for your first subject matter? REFERENDUM: 1) Should we have a referendum on the Euro? 2) Is there a valid case for Britain to withdraw from the European Union altogether? It would be good to hear everyone's opinion on this. This topic usually manages to rouse strongly held beliefs from all sides of the political spectrum....

I had a feeling that as soon as I wrote the phrase “…I was incredibly proud to be British” on this blog , the other day, that within a short space of time I would have reason to question my views. And yes, I already have these reasons. I read that a 16 year old student from Qatar is beaten and left for dead by a drunken mob, which police have confirmed was a racist attack. Mohammed Al-Majed, died from his injuries two days later. He was on a visit to Britain to learn about it’s culture and traditions. There’s little that can be said about this appalling tragedy which wouldn’t sound patronising to the family. An 18 month old baby boy is critically ill in hospital after his five year old sister accidentally shot him in the head with their father’s air rifle. Do we need to discuss why the air rifle was even in the home? A schizophrenic who was locked up indefinitely 10 years ago, for killing Police Constable Nina Mackay, is back on the streets in preparation for his permanent release. El...

I must admit, I have been rather cynical recently, of the government’s rules and regulations on immigration and gaining British Citizenship. (What you - cynical? I hear you say with more than a little irony) The“British Citizenship Test” which began in 2005 – the year my husband and step family came to Britain to live – didn’t inspire me with much confidence of what the government thinks constitutes “being British”. But if you want the passport, then you have to read the “Life in the UK” book then take the test on society, history and culture. A 45 minute test, which costs you £34, of questions that many people born and educated in Britain struggle to answer, doesn’t seem to be the best way to integrate people from different cultures into a culture that is difficult to define – but there you go, that’s what you have to do. Almost 60m people live in the UK. By what factor do the native-born English outnumber their Scots or Welsh neighbours? A) 9 to 1? B)7 to 1? C) 6 to 1? Blowed if I ...

Just when we were hoping British troops might be returning from the Middle East, more are to be deployed to the south of Afghanistan bringing the total to more than 8,000 by next spring. The plan is that this increase will provide better protection and further the training of local security forces as well as developing projects already in operation. That this increase in soldiers in Afghanistan will likely coincide with less troops in Iraq, is coincidental, I think ! The move will involve troops manning new armoured vehicles and Chinook and Apache helicopters. Tornados will replace Harriers as planes and crews show the strain of almost four years of engagement. "It does not mean our mission is expanding” says the defence secretary Des Browne. “We are taking the steps necessary to take our mission forward as effectively as we can." The Taliban leadership, he says, have turned "their ambition from insurgency to terrorism" referring to the suicide attacks last week wh...