HMS Thunder Child Charging the Martian Fighting Machines.
I found this wonderful artistic image of HMS Thunder Child engaging the dreaded Martian tripods. It is the fabulous creation of an artist named Rado Javor and I think it is absolutely breathtaking.
I always find it so interesting to get other people's vision of the Battle of the Blackwater from H.G. Wells imaginary story of War of the Worlds. I always wanted to know why Thunder Child engaged the three alien fighting machine - the dreaded tripods that roamed Britain and the rest of the world to destroy mankind.
I wondered about HMS Thunder Child's story so much that I decided to invent a pastiche story concerning the ironclad. Every time I see a wonderful image like this one by Rado Javor, I wonder some more.
This ferocious piece of engineering was an absolute beast. It was dreaded by all allied forces through out World War II and in all theatres of campaign. The Tiger II was an impressive upgrade and was produced from 1943 to 1945.
Its main service was from 1944 to 1945 - coming into service when Nazi Germany was already losing the war. If such a heavy armoured tank had been in production when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, one shudders at the thought. The tanks official title was; Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B. As previously mentioned, the tank was an upgrade, hence the B, but it was shortened to Tiger B or Tiger II as we commonly know the tank today. There are still some left in various museums around the world, including UK Bovington Museum.
The Tiger II made its infamous presence known to the allies during the Normandy campaign on 11th July 1944 and went into service on the Eastern front against Soviet forces on 1st September 1944. The were used by the German Army and Waffen-SS. Sometimes Germans refereed to the Tiger II as Königstiger. This translated means Bengal Tiger.
An old 60s Retro Britsh Rock Band Called the V.I.Ps
V.I.Ps' Drummer Walter Johnstone is kneeling down in above photo
In the early to late 1960s; a British rock band from Carlisle began playing at the Scotch St James club in London among many other up and coming bands. They released a few albums and had some singles, though they did not break into the UK charts. They did have some success in Europe, especially Germany and France. One of the members went on to play in Humble Pie, and for a short time after 1967, Keith Emerson was in the band, though they changed their name to Art.
The original band (The V.I.Ps) consisted of the following: Mike Harrison vocals, Jimmy Henshaw and Frank Kenyon as guitarists with Greg Ridley on Bass and finally Walter Johnstone on drums.
45 Years Later 2012
Walter Johnstone Today in 2012 while telling his story of the 1960s decade
While working on the verge cutting in Essex, England during this dreadful summer of 2012, we were sent a casual worker from the job agency to help with the grass cutting. The man was retired but liked to do the odd bit here and there. He was a polite and reserved man – perhaps a little unassuming. The rest of the gang liked the retired man and he has since been called back on several occasions when a member is on leave. He has a Cumbrian accent of North England, though he is Scottish – a real Reiver from the borderlands.
During tea breaks, while we sat in the van having a cup of tea, we would talk to this guy, wondering why he left the beautiful Lake District of Cumbria to live in Essex, South East England. He was interesting and spoke of many things. He had been an oil rig worker off Aberdeen and served time on the platforms at sea. He had done a great many things during his working career.
He had been working with us, on and off for a number of weeks, and finally, on Friday 12th October, he told me a great story of some of the things he did during the Retro Brit 1960s decade. He said he was in a band and they toured a lot as a support band. They had released albums and had singles, but they did not break into the UK charts but were well received in Europe, especially Germany and France – one single getting to Number 2 in France. He said they had supported bands like the Small Faces and The Jimi Hendrix Experience band.
He said the band was called the V.I.Ps and he was the band’s drummer. I got out my phone and tapped his band’s name into the search engine and up came a photograph of the old rock group with today’s 69-year-old Walter Johnstone standing with other band members when he was in his 20s. He was taken aback - the long ago, faded away, the band were still on the net. They are on YouTube too, which surprised him, as Walter is not too knowing on computers. I was amazed too, looking at Walter in the 1960s next to the band members of the V.I.Ps. Walter is a modest and unassuming person and this past life of his came out casually in conversation.
Of the original five; only Walter and Mike Harrison are alive. Jimmy Henshaw, Frank Kenyon and Greg Ridley are deceased. Of course, other band members came and went when they were called Art. Walter Johnstone, the drummer and man I’m talking about, had left by the time the band was called Art.
Procol Huram Story
When Walter left the V.I.Ps, he did get a number of phone calls and requests from a man promoting a new band and this promoter said he wanted Walter to come back to London and do a session for this new band’s song - the group which was to be put together. This band would be good and he wanted Walter Johnstone to do the drums in a demo run for a song called Whiter Shade of Pale and it was to be by a group called Procol Harum. By this time Walter had left the V.I.Ps because the money was not regular enough and the band were not big enough. He was, however, persuaded to do the demo when offered £18 plus travel and lodgings back to London.
After doing the demo, he was offered the drummer work for the band, but he refused not having faith in the promoter who was guaranteeing £250 a week for the next five years. This was good money in 1967, but Walter had been on the fringes of the rock industry in Britain for a number of years now and had heard such promises before. For every band that hit the big time, there was a larger number, like the V.I.Ps, doing the support stints and earning little. The big break never came to every band and Walter had lost faith - especially when the promoter only gave him £8 instead of £18. He wrote him a cheque for the other £10 which promptly bounced when he got back to Carlisle. Of course, Walter Johnstone was shocked when Whiter Shade of Pale smashed the charts with Procol Harum. He said they were from Southend in Essex where we all now work, cutting the grass verges of the surrounding towns.
Jimi Hendrix and the V.I.Ps in Scotch of St James Club London 1966
Jimi Hendrix in UK 1966
Walter also told another Retro Brit story about Jimi Hendrix. The V.I.Ps (Walter’s band) was managed by a man called Michael Jeffery and this man also managed The Animals – a famous British band from Newcastle. They (The Animals) had come back from a USA tour and were in the Scotch St James club in London, where the V.I.Ps were playing. It was about the year 1966. Michael Jeffery (Manager of The Animals and the V.I.Ps) had discovered someone special in the Village (A place in New York) He was called Jimi Hendrix. The Animals Bass player; Chas Chandler also had dealings with Jimi Hendrix. From what Walter said; it seemed to be a joint interest between Mike Jeffery and Chas Chandler.
Walter is in the centre and furthest back.
Chas Chandler asked the V.I.Ps if they would let Jimi Hendrix play alongside them in the Scotch of Saint James club. The audience consisted of other British bands who liked to look at up and coming talent. Band members of The Small Faces, Kinks and other well-known groups would be in the audience. Walter said that he and the rest of the band said ‘ok.’
For the first song, which Walter can’t remember what the title was; Jimi Hendrix just played along rhythm. Then when they finished Jimi Hendrix asked them; “Hey can you play ‘Wild Thing’ by the Troggs.”
Walter said the rest of the band and himself replied yes, but thought it odd, for they regarded the Troggs as a pop band. People who played in the Scotch Saint James club regarded themselves as proper musicians. Walter laughed as he told me this, realising that perhaps, the V.I.Ps was a little too pretentious, even during the swinging sixties. After all; the Troggs made and sold records that got into the charts.
Well as the V.I.Ps began to play; Jimi Hendrix went on one of his whirlwind guitar solo acts and blew the V.I.Ps and the audience away. Walter said as he played the drums; he called to see the mind blowing effect Hendrix had on the audience. No one in the UK had heard or seen him until this moment, but Jimi from the village, across the pond, launched himself with great aplomb upon the unsuspecting Brit audience.
Walter laughed, “When Hendrix played, they (The V.I.Ps) almost shit themselves.” Evidently, Jimi made a big impression.
Whatever you believe or disbelieve; this is a very compelling talk. I don't think such a thing is real, yet there is a part of me that would like it to be so. Because of this, I enjoyed watching the talk. Just because I remain sceptical, does not mean I disrespect the believers. I don't and will continue to listen to such things. Maybe one day, there will be stronger evidence because it is not completely wrong to believe that we may have been visited or are visited and watched. Watch and enjoy.
The Viet Minh became the Viet Cong over decades of warfare. This documentary tells of their durability against many enemies and forms of combat in the tropical rain forest regions they knew so very well. This military insurgent organisation has got to be one of the most formidable fighting forces that the world has ever come across. Despite horrendous casualties; the Viet Minh/Viet Cong kept coming back to continuously fight against foreign powers in their country.
The Phoenicians were a Mediterranean race of seafarers that travelled many seas in search of trade. They were among the first of the great cargo transporters developing complex international trade among the great and emerging civilisations of ancient times. The lands that these people came to occupy during their greatest era was Lebanon (mainly) but also parts of what is today, Israel, Palestine and Syria. The prominent times of the Phoenician sea traders were between 1200 BC and 800BC. After this time, the Phoenicians began to be swallowed up or ruled by other Mediterranean powers, though their seamanship skills were still hailed and used.
In their heydey; the Phoenicians sent out explorers to settle the various area and even went beyond the Mediterranean sea in search of trade. They were known to go along the west coast of Africa, Spain and France. It is also believed that some settled in Ireland too. There is also a strong belief that the Phoenicians began to trade with Britain for tin, which was abundant in Cornwall. Some historians believe that the tin was traded for in the north west of France as a secondary seller, acting for south west Ancient Britain - a sort of middle man. However, if a seafaring race like the Phoenicians know that tin can be got across a channel of water, it is very likely that seafarers would go directly to the source once known. I, therefore, believe that the Phoenicians and probably Israelites travelling with them might have come to Britain and traded for tin.
Phoenician Bireme used to travel across great seas
There are, of course, no written records in existence of Phoenicians visiting Britain because when Carthage fell, to the Roman Empire many of the historical writing of Phoenician explorers was lost in the destruction of the great city, long after the time of the great Phoenician trade routes and explorations.
Imagine what the Phoenicians might have thought of the Celtic Neolithic stones of Gaul, Ireland and Britain - especially Stonehenge, for I believe these Mediterranean traders would have seen such places. But then coming from lands of Pyramids and other great building feats of monumental achievement; perhaps the stones would not have been too amazing to such well travelled people.
I try to visualise the scenes of Ancient Britain through the eyes of a Phoenician sailor or Jewish trader looking for things of interest to buy and sell. The lands of North West Europe would have seemed very lush green and densely forested - a raw untamed view of mystical Celtic Britain via the eyes of a first time visitor.
England was a land of virtual irrelevance during the 15th century and was no more than a fringe island on the edge of Europe – a small nation that had spent years fighting a civil war of the Roses between House York and House Lancaster. This finally ended with the death of Richard III in battle and the accession of Henry VII of the Tudor dynasty. During this turbulent time, England had neglected her navy and had only constructed six ships for the crown in a period of eighty-seven years. The new king, Henry VII maintained a precarious peace with the dominant powers of Europe and managed to keep the island nation free from trouble allowing England a small time to establish breathing space and rebuild. At least, begin to rebuild.
Midship Section of Mary Rose
When Henry VII died his second son – became King Henry VIII. His first son, Arthur had died before ascending to kingship. Arthur had briefly married the Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon. In this day and age, Spain was the super power of the world and France challenging for dominance too. Because Henry VIII wanted to join a powerful Spanish alliance against France, he decided to marry his late brother’s wife Catherine of Aragon – he was six years her junior. By doing this, Henry the VIII had made a powerful enemy of France but had many strong allies including the Holy Roman emperor Maximillian alongside the superpower of Spain. Little England was trying to punch above her weight, but for those who dare; sometimes things work out. This did in the long run but in twisted ways that none designed or could have predicted at the time.
Henry VIII had received the start of a navy from his father Henry VII, but early into his new alliance with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, his small country decided to start by showing ambitions to the navy. England had two large warships to boast of and they were the Regent and the Sovereign. Henry VIII decided to add two more substantial battleships of the day. One was called the Peter while the other would be the Mary Rose. After this, more ships were started and the beginnings of a Royal Navy ensued.
Inside Part of Mary Rose
The grand warship ‘Mary Rose’ was launched in the summer of 1511. She went to London and received adulation in a grand ceremony as she was towed up the River Thames. The glorious array of flags and streamers must have been a colourful sight to behold as citizens of London flocked to see the modern battleship. For the times, this ship was a real state of the art building and engineering, lovingly crafted from fine English oak and craftsmen who were very proud of the profession and able to work for the grand king and country.
Some people believe the name ‘Mary Rose’ came from Henry VIII sister, Mary Tudor and the Rose of the Tudors. However, eminent historians say that it was the fashion throughout Europe to name ships from everyday common Christian names. England was trying to play alongside the big boys of Europe now and tried to emulate them in all ways.
For twenty-five years the ship patrolled and did her national duties taking part in actions against the national enemies of France and Scotland. She had castle style protection at the stern and bow with a lower mid-ship section. She would have looked resplendent in this day and was brought back into dock for a major rebuilding and enhancement programme in 1536. She was to be upgraded from a 500-ton vessel to 700 tonnes. After this, the Mary Rose continued in her duties against the main enemies until a fateful day in 1545 when the grand ship of war took a lead to attack a French invasion fleet.
Before this battle, the grand ship had performed admirably during the first and second French Wars – this was the third French war when Mary Rose was to meet her fate.
The Mary Rose lay on the Solent bed for many years.
As the Mary Rose went into action, a Flemish eye witness had his version of events written down. He saw the Mary Rose fire all one side of her guns as the battle began – a salvo. Then as the grand ship manoeuvred to present her opposite side of guns, she was caught by a strong breeze which caused the vessel to extravagantly heel to her starboard side, where many of the lower deck gun ports were still open. These were water tight when shut, but during the confusion of the battle they remained open and were, of course, in use. The sudden intake of water caused the ship to heel further over to her broadside as the weight of the water intake caught the mighty ship off balance. All people on board would have been flung about. Heavy guns and other bulk items would have broken from their fastenings and slide starboard too, causing more weight on this starboard side. Men would have been crushed and killed during the horrendous twist of fate. Those that escaped being crushed would have been struggling in a blind panic as their world, inside the ship, turned upside down. It was all over, very quickly, as the Mary Rose capsized and sank in the Solent off of the Isle of Weight and from a crew of four hundred and more; only thirty-five men survived the capsizing of the Mary Rose. The vice Admiral George Carew went down with his ship and crew as well.
Salvaged part of hull in Portsmouth museum
This terrible event rocked the entire nation and the great battleship lay on the seabed for hundreds of years until she was raised by scientists in 1982 after being re-discovered in 1971. Many of her artefacts and much of her hull are on display at the Portsmouth naval museum today.
Has anyone ever walked through woodland at night? Your mind starts to play tricks on you in strange and wonderful ways. It can be eerie and spiritual too. Your mind can drift a little and you think you've been to the place before in another time and place.
Chris Froome wins 'King of the Mountains' red dotted shirt
I sat spell bound by the fitness and energy of all the participants in the Tour de France bike race in this stage seven - Tomblaine to La Planches des Belles Filles. It was up a huge mountain pass - a gruelling uphill slog all the way by super fit bike riding athletes - each individual was super fit. I felt exhausted just watching it. There is a Team Sky - a Brit professional road racing bicycle team. As this race went on I was gripped, hoping Bradley Wiggins would steal enough points to go into an over all lead in the competition.
Then in the final sprint GB rider Chris Froome stole the show with a finishing burst that earned him the red polka jersey for 'King of the Moutains' point accumulation. Bradley Wiggins came third gaining enough point to wear the yellow over leading jersey.
Bradley Wiggins wins overall lead up to stage seven of Tour de France and wears the yellow jersey during the next stage of the race.
In the UK, there is a new scandal that has blown up
concerning British banks. This threatens to rock the core of the British
banking establishment and may cause criminal investigations into unlawful
interest rate fixing. The consequences of this will anger the British public
who have seen tax payers foot the bill for these failing banks. Above Tony
Robinson reflects the angry mood of the British nation in Question Time.
As Carole and I was walking back to Leigh-on-Sea from Chalkwell in Essex, UK; this little gem of a car pulled up beside us and out jumped the driver who had been giving the car plenty of TLC for a number of years. He said it was his Austin 7 and it was made in 1929. He was taking it to a car show. Obviously, it is a good old retro Brit car so why not have it here on the Retro Brit blog. You don't see such splendid machines every day unless you are the gentleman that owns such a grand little car.
I came home from my sister's farm in Lincolnshire and walked straight into my street's Diamond Jubilee Street Party to commemorate our Queen's reign of sixty years. If Queen Elizabeth II reigns for three more years, and I'm sure she will, her reign will exceed that of Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth II will be the longest ruling monarch of the UK.
In the above picture, I am at the back on the crowd's right, in front of the black car, in a white cardigan. Carole is in front of me and slightly to my left with copper coloured hair. Further to my left and at the back, by the side of the car is Lloyd, my first son, holding up a beer. And just down to Lloyd's left, in front of the dark haired boy waving, is my third son, Robbie. He is waving to the camera and has ginger hair with a dark top.
Mispronunciation is always a cause for a giggle, but if you can do it and keep a straight face it becomes so much more laughable. I think British retro comedians explored these things and exploited them wonderfully. We still have fine comedians today, but much is based on cheap and vulgar hits on people, or so it seems. I'm not saying they were not vulgar in the past; but they often used more clever innuendo to soften the blow.
Another retro comedy star was Stanley Unwin. He always mixed his words up and spoke double Dutch or pigeon English. The strange thing was; everyone listened intently to try and decipher what he was saying. He would have small walk-on parts in movies and confuse everyone with his speech - yet somehow you grasped the gist of what he was trying to say. Once they had him talking about a government budget and he was a scream to listen to. The presenter remained serious and asked her political budget questions while Stanley Unwin spoke of the hardships the budget would cause to the average working Brit. He, of course, spoke in his usual confused mushy worded English. The funny thing was; you could grasp what he was saying. He made a living out of speaking like this because people wanted to try and decipher what he was saying. In the above clip, he tells the story of Goldilocks and the three Bears. Because you know the story you can grasp what he is saying - terrific fun to listen too...
It is amazing how a game can change from being demoralising to one of pure joy. This hard fought 'rollacoaster of a ride' game between Sweden and England in the Euro 2012 finals had it all. England took the lead and then Sweden, our chief boggie team, came back and led 2-1. Theo Walcott came on for England and he levelled the scores to 2-2. Then Sweden and England went at each other, each side searching for that winning goal. England prevailed with this wonder goal form Danny Welbeck. The striker must be walking on air with super sub Theo Walcott. I had about 100 heart attacks watching this game.
I always remember this episode with Bert and Harry - the two soldiers on the Sir Prancelot odyssey in the travelling balloon. They aid the escape by sling shooting spaghetti at their assailants. Every evening there was a different episode. I used to like the end theme tune with the jester playing his lute like an electric guitar.
Since fictional knowledge of supernatural creatures, such as vampires, came into our minds through stories, etc; many of us have wanted to believe in such beings. Over time we have even twisted and re-fashioned them into anti-heroes, convincing ourselves they live among us secretly and preserve some strange good. We re-invent them as beautiful Gothic type creatures that we might want to fall in love with. I think some of these strange Goth dressed teenagers, of today, would run headlong into the path of a vampire to be bitten into the supernatural world of such beings. We even have loads of tv, books and film series based on such things. However, this is all fantasy, but the original folklore comes from rural Balkan people and their belief of such things. Vampires were very real, to these people, at one time, and because of such beliefs; they often did things from hysteria and panic concerning their conviction of vampires.
In remote areas of Eastern Europe, the people have always harboured a fear and belief of vampires. Such creatures were not so pretty to the small perspective of peasant villagers and the remote type of world they lived in. Even up to a few decades past. Often people, believed to be vampires, were buried with stakes through their heart to stop them returning as undead supernatural beings. Often they were visualised as the rotting flesh of dead people walking about, but sometimes possessing abilities to portray an image of allurement to deceive a victim into thinking they were an image of love.
Recently in Bulgaria, archaeologists found
two medieval skeletons pierced through the chest with iron rods to supposedly
stop them from turning into vampires. The discovery highlights the dreadful belief and practise common in some villages up until a
century ago, say historians.
People suspected of becoming undead (vampires) had their hearts stabbed after death, for fear they would
return to feast on living humans' blood.
Many such archaeological sites get unearthed in countries throughout the Balkan
region as this area is home to a great number of vampire burial grounds.
In the photo at the very top of the blog, searchers came by two specimens in their graves, dating back to the Middle
Ages, in the Black Sea town of Sozopol. The skeletons were stabbed with rods betraying a practise which was common in
many Bulgarian villages up until around 1910 of the 20th Century.
This is according to Bozhidar Dimitrov who is based at the National History Museum in
the Bulgaria's capital city, Sofia.
People believed the stake would impale the undead to their graves thus preventing the 'believed' vampire
from leaving the grave at night to roam and terrorise the living.
In 2004, archaeologists discovered another six nailed-down
skeletons at a site near the eastern Bulgarian town of Debelt. These ghoulish religious
rites were also practised in neighbouring Serbia and too.
Vampire legends form an important part of the region's folklore. The most
famous tale is that of Romanian count Vlad the Impaler, known as Dracula, who
staked his war enemies and drank their blood. Also a Hungarian Countess that was tried for such things concerning bathing in virgin blood.
The myth inspired Irish writer, Bram Stoker, to create his legendary Gothic horror novel,
Dracula, which was first published in 1897 and has since been turned into
numerous film versions.
Is it just me, or am I the only pro Euro Brit? Our best British elected Euro politicians are Euro sceptic, articulate and very clever people. But I can't agree with their solutions to the EU problem; fundementaly pulling the UK out of the EU. What good is that? All the main critical points raised concerning unelected leaders and economists running the show are correct. I just wish some Brits could sugest ways forward for the UK within the EU. I would like us to get out of the mess as Europeans.
First I want to say that I'm a Brit who believes and would like to see the European Union succeed.
Beyond all things, I want to see Britain along with fellow Europeans getting on well with one another and I believe in fiscal union in the long run. I think it is a great idea and a dream that could have been realised if only it was not steam rolled through. Its like wall papering your room without prepping the walls first - there are lumps, bumps and holes roughly covered over. It begins to get worse as time goes on.
In the YouTube clip above is Nigel Farage correctly stating the bad things of the European Union, as it stands at this moment in time. His condemnation is correct and much of his analysis, as to why this is happening, is right too. However, his solution that the UK should quit Europe seems wrong to me, though I have to admit, he is gaining support in the UK. I do not want to see the UK leave the European Union. I do believe this would be bad in the long run. I think the EU dream is in tatters, but this terrible mistake can be corrected. I also believe that the southern European nations have got to try and adapt too. It can't all be left to Germany. This is unfair on their part (Greece, Italy, Spain) I think Germany is getting all the blame when she has done things correct. Angela Merkel (Germany's Chancellor) is correct in her austerity talk because the southern Mediterranean countries need to do this if they want help.
Nigel Farage is so correct, at this moment in time, concerning the failure of the Eurozone, but his solution is wrong, wrong, wrong concerning the UK quitting Europe. We Brits cannot be like this and much of what is happening in southern European countries is the fault of these nations - they got themselves into this. It is not fair on the voting population of Greece, Italy, and Spain, but their politicians and economists did not do the ground work properly when joining the Eurozone. They can't blame Germany either, because she did do her groundwork properly concerning her own nation's ability. Germany's only fault was to naively believe the southern nations were telling the truth. Now the strongest economy in the EU is damned if she helps and damned if she doesn't.
This steamrollering through of the Euro currency is like taking two steps forward and now we seem to need to take three steps back. The EU must not fail and all nations of the EU must do their best to rectify the situation. The southern European nations have got to take some bitter medicine and so to, must the EU Parliament where unelected statesman are concerned.
The EU Parliament is just fuelling the crisis more and destroying their own dreams of the United Europe with unelected presidents and economists leading over 500 million people who never voted for them. These people allowed the southern Mediterranean countries to borrow huge sums of money with very low German interest rates. This is not Germany's fault, its the economists who lent the money in the first place. For Christ sake listen and go for a federal system where all Europeans have a voice. Try and do this properly without steam rolling through plans because we Europeans are being denied a dream of Union. I don't want Nigel Farage and his ideas of the UK outside Europe. As clever as he is at criticising the EU - as right as he is concerning condemnation of unelected EU politicians; his solutions are not right in the long run.
An Irish entrepreneur summed it up when he spoke of all his wealth vanishing due to the Eurozone crisis. It is like putting a small non-league football team in the same league as Bayern Munich. They are not good enough to compete with such teams on such a level yet!
Its not the good teams fault, its the bad teams for trying to gamble in the first place. We all know the mistake now and as Europeans we have all got to try and sought this out. The UK as stood back on the side lines to watch this and were right to stay out of the Eurozone, but we Brits can't be smug - our much prized banks lent much of the money to these nations, so we have a responsibility here too. Stop bashing the Germans all the time, because at the end of the day; they got something right and the rest got it wrong. Also when this currency mess is sorted out; the UK will have to get into the pool with the rest of Europe one day, including the adoption of the Euro. It might seem a long way off but we might need to one day. Don't let the dream die - the EU must pull through.
