Dead Comrades

Remembrance Day is approaching. This is always a difficult time for Doug. Out of fifty men in his Special Services reconnaissance Commando Unit, only half a dozen survived. Doug himself only survived because he was recalled to England before his comrades. The war took Doug halfway round the world - to North Africa, to what was then known as Palestine, to Sicily and Southern Italy. He met and married his wife a few months after his return to England and they went on have four children. He never went abroad again. 'I rather lost my appetite for travelling,' he said. Needless to say he is not the usual dependable, cheerful Doug. His wartime experiences invade his every thought and the ghosts of his dead comrades visit him in dreams.

I can't do anything to stop this. I can only listen.

This illustrates how, when it comes to dealing with cruelty to animals, the law is pitifully inadequate. Don't look if you're squeamish. My initial reaction was: 'Give me five minutes in a room with one of those people, accompanied by a clawhammer'. Okay, not very civilised, I admit. I just want to know why. I don't understand and I'm not sure I want to.

In the meantime, my hometown - Birmingham (England, not Alabama) has been voted the most miserable city in the UK. I can't say I'm surprised. That city went downhill without the benefit of my presence. ;-)