More hope for the future

Vigilant · 28 July 1999, 12:41 PM

I saw in today's Times that pupils at a school in Lille have voted to rename their school after (wait for it..) Albert Ball!

Looks like there's hope for France as well as GB.

28 July 1999, 02:03 PM

More on French schools.

A group of French school students from Villiers-Bretonneux last Monday laid wreaths at the AWM to honour the Australians who fought in France.

The 18 students from yhe College Jacques BREL are touring Australia as a part of a tour organised by their principal, to see the country who's sons helped liberate their town.

Good stuff

Andrew.

Vin · 28 July 1999, 06:07 PM

We have staying with us at present a 16 year old French lad on a student exchange. He had never hear of René Fonck, Georges Guynemer or Charles Nungesser. However he did correct my pronunciations of their names. He thinks my interest in WW1 aviation is "bizarre" !!

Vin

Barrett · 28 July 1999, 06:23 PM

Vin, you are not the Lone Ranger. A friend with whom I've written 2 books recently hired some college age kids to help with some house renovation. The helpers, seeing John's Vietnam-era USN displays, asked if he'd been in "the war." John allowed as how he had (3 combat deployments), to which one helper asked if he'd been in "that Gettysburg movie with Tom Hanks and Omaha Beach."
Now THAT'S bizarre!

stephen · 29 July 1999, 02:18 AM

Try the American War for Independence! Do the names King's Mountain, Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse mean anything to you? On these fields the course of the world was changed and a nation was forged, and most people don't even know they exist. I'm going to Cowpens this weekend, and my kids will know, understand and appreciate what it means to be an American.

And by the way, I've taken a new slant on Europeans and British colonials who just don't understand beans about America's passion for individual liberty... that's a positive, not a negative. When they start understanding our viewpoints, we must be slipping and had better re-examine our positions. They aren't supposed to understand... that's why they fought on the other side.

Michael · 29 July 1999, 03:27 AM

"British Colonials"?

Them's fighting words, mister. We didn't take that from the Brits, and we won't take it from you, either.

As far as world visions go - Kipling had it right:

There are nine and sixty ways
Of composing tribal lays
AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS RIGHT!

Vigilant · 29 July 1999, 03:49 AM

Having a school named after Jacques Brel is pretty cool! And I mean cool in a polo-neck, cappucino, smoky jazz cellar kind of way.

Mmm, n-i-c-e...

stephen · 30 July 1999, 02:20 AM

Heck, Michael... they still call US colonials! And we thought we'd made our point 200 years ago.

(And be careful sticking up for your country like that... someone might mistake you for a Yank).

Billy_Bishop · 30 July 1999, 06:55 AM

Vin, is this person related to Jeni's parents? Remember, they thought HER interest in WWI aviation was unhealthy, or something like that.

You should ask him if he has any hobbies. After all, unless you write books, or do something in this field that makes money for you, this is a hobby, or passion if you prefer.

If you write books and get them published, then it's a profession.

For me, it's a hobby. I've not got the talent to turn it into a profession, unfortunately.

VBR,

Al Lowe

Michael · 30 July 1999, 07:32 AM

Someone once wrote that during WWII Canadians maintained their identity by acting British with the Americans and American with the British.

Mistaken for a Yank? Jamais de la vie!

Is someone who gets fighting drunk on Aqua Velva...

A Wild Cologneial Boy?

Just thought I'd ask.