Try a little tenderness

Well I blame those colonials. Britain and other European countries spend centuries raping and pillaging Africa and Asia of their wealth leaving behind nerey a footie pitch and develop the Americas by way of the slave trade and there’s no gratitude.

Then FIFA come along in the 1950s and use some of their ill gotten gains from World Cup football, a competition England refused at first to join, to start the sporting revolution that develops the game to such an extent that players from these countries are transported to Britain where they take over from home grown talent thus weakening our international teams… how’s that for gratitude.

The representatives of these countries serving on FIFA forget all that Europe have done for them and vote for somebody from SWITZERLAND a country with no known history of colonialism ditching one of their own, a graduate of Sandhurst no less.

Then there’s them Russians, the Oligarchs, not content with being able to buy up most of Britain’s football clubs (and London’s Mansions) they bring in many colonials and other players of darker skins thus weakening the chances of our home international teams they financed, and won Russia’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.

In this process the Russians put to shame England’s £18 million and and their “little Princes” bid to win the World Cup Competition, one they had never hosted, with hard cash. And look what we did for Russia … Lack of gratitude or chickens coming home to roost?

https:/aroyjones.com

Help! Will you please look out for quotes that are anything Ageist in print or broadcast journalism or in general and send them tpo me for a job I’m on. The below is a guide to what these could be

“The opinions of the public and what administrators do is helped by informed and accurate reporting so , as with all members of society, the media should treat older people with fairness, dignity and respect.,NUJ code of conduct.

There is A GOLDEN RULE for those reporting on older people and issues: Ask yourself whether the words like old, elderly or aged are appropriate. If they are not necessary or relevant to the story, don’t include them.

“Old” itself is loaded with assumptions of neediness and ineptness that terrify the young and undermine the old robbing them of self respect, damaging their health and and welfare.

Emile Zola Germinal 1885 Part 3 chapter 1.

Scene a pub in a French pit village

“The revolution had had only made things worse (for the working man) the bourgeois had been living off the fat of the land since 1789, greedily taking every thing for themselves and leaving not so much as scraps off their plates.”

“You didn’t get bread on your table by voting for these splendid fellows who then promptly went off and led a life of Riley and spared no more of a thought for the poor than they did for an old pair of boots.”

“No one way or another it was time to put a stop to things, by nicely by agreeing new laws” (seen here as the Karl Marx way) “or else like savages, torching the place and fighting each other to the last man.” (Anarchism).

“There would have to be another revolution before the century was through, A workers revolution this time , a right bust up that would sort society out and rebuilt on a just and proper basis.”

“Things can’t go on like this” Mme Rasseneur repeated insistently. “Quite right!” the three of them cried. “Things cant go on like this!”

On a glorious sunny day this week three of us ventured out into Colwyn Bay’s town centre on a packed market day to take the message to the people that the older generation are alive and kicking and will not take the blame for the nations ills.

Norman, Ted and I in the name of the National Pensioners Convention told all who would stop and listen that Older people are important and an asset not a burden with every adding £40 billion to our economy. But face a challenge if we are to maintain ourselves above the poverty line.

There is no better place for an activist than out on the campaign trail arguing the case for a decent state pension and support by getting first hand views that will help that case from those most affected with not all agreeing with you.

We were told of the hardships and of those content among older people as we handed out our leaflets and got our petition signed and urging people of many accents to come and join us in the fight for justice. Norman and Ted following up in Llandudno on Wednesday.

The streets were crowded by what will be the electorate on May 7^th but of the seven candidates for the Clwyd West seat there were none. It was a scene where once competing politicians gave themselves up to glad hand and face their potential constituents roused some passions, sought votes and have a pint, I’ve done it.

These very politicians could have been found that night at a “Hustings” in a school, its called preaching to the converted, they will not take to the streets, unless a minster turns up, relying on leaflets or telephones they are mostly strangers to their electorate. “The main opinion of them in the Bay was “ there’ll all the same.” No wonder no-one votes for them

Star letter Apr 6.

Three hundred years after the industrial revolution that made and kept Britain in the forefront of modern history, on May 7 we go to the polls with “austerity” the watchword of our would be leaders.

A mix of our country’s scientific genius, the unscrupulousness of its rulers and the mass exploitation of its populace over that time leaves poverty and food banks in its wake and an uncertain future.

The forests once covering Britain were torn up to build the world’s greatest war and merchant shipping fleet opening the ocean way to the riches of new lands and the exploitation of their peoples, armies always on tap.

Under our own islands a vast wealth of coal, copper, iron and lead ores were mined for use at home and abroad leading to the great industries starting with cotton and steel making huge fortunes for the exploiters but little but misery for those who produced the wealth. Only the rise of trade unions gaining anything for the workers.

Three hundred years after the industrial revolution that made and kept Britain in the forefront of modern history, on May 7 we go to the polls with “austerity” the watchword of our would be leaders.

A mix of our country’s scientific genius, the unscrupulousness of its rulers and the mass exploitation of its populace over that time leaves poverty and food banks in its wake and an uncertain future.

The forests once covering Britain were torn up to build the world’s greatest war and merchant shipping fleet opening the ocean way to the riches of new lands and the exploitation of their peoples, armies always on tap.

Under our own islands a vast wealth of coal, copper, iron and lead ores were mined for use at home and abroad leading to the great industries starting with cotton and steel making huge fortunes for the exploiters but little but misery for those who produced the wealth. Only the rise of trade unions gaining anything for the workers.

During these 300 years those in charge have come from the same class their legacy spelt out by their kith and kin of today ( Nineteen Prime Ministers schooled by Eton and Harrow six). A legacy given the genius and hard work of the rest of us makes for a picture of outrageous incompetence.

After all they didn’t have to do much simply provide a job, a house, health and welfare from, surprisingly, an undemanding electorate, simply to stop making war would probably have done.

But enough is enough they can run but they can’t hide a small start would be to get rid of the latest bunch of Old Etonians and their seven centuries of failure. Then start the task of getting rid of a system that relies on the combined effort of all, knowing that that this only a start .

Roy Jones, Colwyn Bay.

Dr John Davies. who died recently aged 76, .A History of Wales  described as one of the most influential Welshmen of our era with a plea to all  active in the labour movement to read his book

The work tracks the development of Wales from its earliest days to modern times in page after page of interesting detail and great prose. A History of Wales stands besides EP Thompson’s The making of the English Working Class and AL Morton’s A Peoples History of England.

“The greatest book of Welsh history ever written” Lord Dafyd Ellis Thomas of Plaid Cymru.
The history of Wales is the history of Britain and Ireland tracing developments that brought rich and poor from the Viking across the sea and Britain’s across the border and the hordes that laboured through the industrial revolution in copper, steel and coal changing the nation’s i face more than once.

It gives due regard to Wales’ Kings and Princes but running through are the lives of ordinary people in every facet of their work, play and at prayer, religion on its own a fascinating part of Welsh history.

In 1994 RJW Evans in the New York Review of books wrote. making  accessible and intelligible the   evolution of Wales, and to chart its crucial relationship to Englishness,”

The concluding page of the book illustrates where Wales has been but looks to the future  He tells of the scholar Thomas Jones who in 1688 expressed his concern that “the Welsh will be deleted from history” and others that “the Welsh language would be extinct by 1950.”

To which Davies adds “It would almost seem as if the history of the (Welsh) nation is an endless journey back and forth from the between the mortuary and the delivery room. Thus those who proclaim the funeral are singularly unwise, for tenacity is the hallmark of this ancient nation.”

John Davies ends by writing that; “This book was written in the faith and confidence that the in its fullness has yet to be.”

Those who wish to believe this will have their confidence boosted if armed with this remarkable book.