I think the answer is pretty clear: they both stood for something and both connected with and appealed to the voters.

And that’s a lesson that so many other political candidates should learn if they want to [...]]]> Boris Johnson won in London, George Galloway won in Bradford, but what is it that made them winners?

I think the answer is pretty clear: they both stood for something and both connected with and appealed to the voters.

And that’s a lesson that so many other political candidates should learn if they want to survive. Far too many are concerned with being politically correct, sticking to a party line and standing only on what they perceive to be the safe middle ground.

As a result they stand for next to nothing and have little or no appeal.

And many end up losing, but worst of all: we don’t win either.

Having served with both shoulder launched weapons and the longer range Rapier missiles, I ran a quick mental check as to which one [...]]]> It was a trip down memory lane this morning when I heard that the Army were going to deploy air defence missiles onto blocks of flats around the site of the Olympics.

Having served with both shoulder launched weapons and the longer range Rapier missiles, I ran a quick mental check as to which one I’d prefer on my roof.

There’s no doubt about it, the shoulder launch version is much quieter than the longer range Rapier which requires a generator running 24 hours a day to keep it active. Fired from the shoulder the High Velocity Missile (HVM) makes no noise until it’s fired. The Rapier however has a radar tracker that seeks out targets at all times and therefore needs the generator to power it.

The HVM only needs a detachment of 3 or 4, whilst the Rapier comes with about 8, sometimes more to keep it running. And of course there’s always the need to create an area to administer the troops. So the Rapier guys need more space!

But what about capability: can they knock down aircraft if they have to?

The answer for both is an unequivocal “Yes”. There’s even a true story from the Falklands War of the precursor to HVM killing 2 aircraft with one missile! That’s how good these missiles are and the guys who man them.

So they are both fit for purpose, but if I had my choice I’d go for the HVM guys: so much less obtrusive!

But later today I started to hear some “comment” from politicos in East London stating “the Army should expain X,Yand Z about the threat and the likely response”. What absolute rubbish.

An enormous decision has been taken, in response to a possible threat, that we need to deploy missiles around the Olympics to ensure that no hijacked aircraft can hit possible targets anywhere in London.

Questions from vacuous, minor politicians seeking some airtime are irrelevant.

There is definitely a potential and credible threat and we need to defend against it. Missiles on the roof are one answer, but so are better Border Controls.

Thankfully the Ministry of Defence will get the air defence sorted, but I’m not sure our borders are as well defended as they need to be.

Perhaps we could train some troops to sort out passport control?

I’m a bit of a Traditionalist and Royalist, but that’s irrelevant because the main reason for wanting to see her was to see the sheer sense of joy that she brings to those who turn out [...]]]> I didn’t get to see The Queen on her visit to Wales this week, but I wish I had.

I’m a bit of a Traditionalist and Royalist, but that’s irrelevant because the main reason for wanting to see her was to see the sheer sense of joy that she brings to those who turn out to see her.

She makes people smile, and when I remember that she has been our Queen, with all that entails, for longer than I have been alive, then I can only think that we are lucky to still have her as a Sovereign.

Long may she reign over us.

I know, it’s a while since we won the Grand Slam this year, but I have to mention a couple of things:

1. The Team : Wales are now a wonderful team: they are committed, physically intense, supportive, creative, intelligent and it was marvellous to see that all their tries were scored by [...]]]>

I know, it’s a while since we won the Grand Slam this year, but I have to mention a couple of things:

1. The Team : Wales are now a wonderful team: they are committed, physically intense, supportive, creative, intelligent and it was marvellous to see that all their tries were scored by the backs.

2. The Recovery: If the trips to the Polish cryotherapy centre were so beneficial in aiding recovery before the tournament, why then were the team not taken back there to recover after the tournament?

3. My Heart Rate: During the build up to the French match my heart rate rose from a normal resting rate of 60, to 72 on driving into Cardiff, to 80 whilst meeting a few friends before the match, to 95 on getting to the Stadium and finally to 105 just after the anthems. I was so knackered after the match that I was home by 7.30 and in bed by 9! Maybe I should have had some cryotherapy  instead.

It was, however, a great tournament.

And to add to the euphoria on that news, the University of Bristol has published a report that the incidence of Cancer is not [...]]]>

The patient’s right hip joint replaced by a metal head and a plastic cup. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s great news: there is very little evidence of Chromium or Cobalt in my blood, which means that my first hip replacement is behaving well, unlike 49,000 others in the UK.

And to add to the euphoria on that news, the University of Bristol has published a report that the incidence of Cancer is not increased by these DuPuy Orthopaedic hips. Here’s a reassuring quote:

She hopes she was able to reassure patients that their cancer risk is “relatively low” or that the metal shavings aren’t increasing that risk.

So one less thing to worry about.

Of course if the dodgy hip had been a breast implant with no chance of causing anything other than irritation, it would have been replaced immediately.

I still don’t get the logic of the difference responses.

It would be easy to say that I did it for Lent, but I didn’t. I’ve just been too damn busy to get the juices flowing, [...]]]> It’s been almost a month since I wrote anything here, and I’ve been equally quiet on Twitter as well in recent weeks. But it’s now come to an end.

It would be easy to say that I did it for Lent, but I didn’t. I’ve just been too damn busy to get the juices flowing, but the level of frustration by not blogging and tweeting has been huge and many an interesting issue has passed that I should have commented on.

As from today: it’s back to writing as usual and if I’ve got time over the weekend I’ll try and catch up on some of the stories I missed.

But one message that came over loud and clear, between the lines, was that the Army is both [...]]]>

General Sir Peter Wall KCB CBE ADC Gen, Chief of the General Staff

It’s a few weeks now since I was at a dinner where the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall was speaking about the challenges for the Army now and in the years to come.

But one message that came over loud and clear, between the lines, was that the Army is both preparing to downsize and also preparing for war. He didn’t say where, and nor would I expect him to because he probably doesn’t know where. But there are “options” being considered without doubt for military activity in more than one country.

Will it be The Falklands, Iran, Syria, Somalia or even somewhere in Africa? Lord only knows, but one thing is certain, we will not be able to open up another offensive operation without first being out of Afghanistan. The end of that campaign is advancing.

I went into hospital with severe low back pain [...]]]> Around 3 years ago I had a hip operation to resurface an arthritic joint. It was done in an NHS hospital on recommendation of my GP and was required to relieve pain and to stop my back going out of shape as the arthritis got worse.

I went into hospital with severe low back pain and came out with none. Wonderful. Or at least it was until I was informed that the procedure used now has a high incidence of failure (Story here) and the new joint was subject to recall. Sounded a bit like a Friday Ford of the 1970′s. But there is no plan to replace it, only to monitor it for failure. Which translates to: “let it start affecting you before we fix it”.

This week we hear that breast implant cosmetic surgery, undertaken privately, will be repaired at public expense, even though there is only a risk of infection. I’ve heard no explanation of what that infection might be or the likely incidence. So why on earth are we leaping to replace something that had been bought privately and may not even have been required for medical reasons?