Royal Duck House Political Correctness
has given him and his family great pleasure that the supreme sacrifice that his relative made, has not only been remembered, but honoured in this way.
It is a timely reminder of the huge sacrifices made by Commonwealth citizens, like Pilot Officer Hight, who left the safety and security of their homes to come to Britain and fight for its freedom and independence against the tyranny that was Nazi Germany. It is an absolute disgrace to our nation that their sacrifices have been totally ignored by our politicians who have turned their backs on the Commonwealth in favour of our membership of the European Union. — J. WRAITH,
CARSHALTON, SURREY.
Sir: Regarding “New Zealand Spitfire Pilot Remembered” (“Cornucopia”, Spring 2016), I thought you may be interested to know about a similar event here in Nettlestead, Kent.
Every June a memorial service for a young Australian pilot, Warrant Officer Anthony Blumer (1921-44), who was killed when his Spitfire crashed in a field at Nettlestead Green, takes place in the presence of a representative from the Australian Embassy. “Tony” Blumer was born on 19th April 1921 and came from New South Wales. Perhaps one of your Australian readers knows of his family? — YVONNE CRONK,
—Sir: I thought your readers would be interested in the recent launch of “Duckingham Palace” (see below) on the duck pond at Olveston, South Gloucestershire. The duck house, a replica of Buckingham Palace, was built by local resident Colin Prewett, to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. Mr. Prewett was partly inspired to make the duck house by the one that featured in an MP’S expenses claim!
I feel the duck house is a magnificent work of art and a great addition to the duck pond Sir: I am compiling a collection of instances of the lunatic bullying of political correctness, tentatively titled The Book of Madness, and would be most grateful if your readers could send me any instances they have come across.
Entries should be press-cuttings, with the name and date of the publication — newspaper, magazine or other — in which they appear. I may not be able to acknowledge all contributions, but all will be read with attention.
Please send them to the address or email below. — HAL those evacuees from Jersey we disembarked at Portsmouth.
Dad, being on the administrative staff, remained behind a little longer to complete the clearing-out of Station HQ and left the night before the invasion on a Royal Navy destroyer. He told us that he didn’t remember much about the crossing because the publicans in St. Peter Port were giving the drink away and pouring what was left down the gutters. He slept on the deck of the ship and didn’t wake-up until it reached Portsmouth to discover that he was surrounded by boxes of shells and other explosives. He thought it was a good job that they hadn’t been attacked during the night, but how wrong he was. They had been attacked, fortunately without any damage, but he was totally oblivious to it! — MIKE PETTET,
cakes”. She considers it “a little bit of England” and for us that makes it another worthy winner.
A letter from Eileen Stephens-veitch arrived recommending a “very special” local destination, the Tranquilitea Cake & Tea Emporium, Houghton Lane, Swinton, Manchester.
She says: “It is a delight in every way: tasty sandwiches, toasties, baked potatoes and the most yummy cakes, all served by the nicest of waitresses.”
The “bright, airy and colourful” tea room is filled with “bygone treasures” and has a special children’s corner, which, according to Eileen, is “a blessing for mothers and a very considerate thought.”
We think the whole tea room sounds a “blessing” for all ages and deserves recognition.
Now, back to the North West, and an email from Mike Harris who nominates The Old School Tea Room, Malpas, Cheshire.
He describes his visit as: “An immensely enjoyable experience,” and was most impressed with the extensive range of teas available — more than 25. He says: “The tea room manager couldn’t have been more helpful in helping us choose. Everything was served in charming, individual tea-sets; there was even an egg-timer provided for brew-length.”
All this plus a warm welcome, and “the bonus of no music”, made it the perfect tea room for Mike, so we are happy to give The Old School top marks — and a certificate.
Congratulations to all our autumn winners. Your certificates are on their way. We try to include as many tea rooms as possible in each issue, so look out for your favourites in the future. To nominate a tea room, send details to: This England’s Finest Tea Rooms, The Lypiatts, Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 2JA, or email: editor@thisengland.co.uk .