£130,000 😮 That’s obscene…..seriously. What the hell is going on here? Austerity for some I guess….poor woman.

Thanks for that info Charlie. Can’t keep up with all these countries renaming themselves.

Neil.

I worked for Air Ecosse from 1980 to 1983. At one point, we were the largest Bandeirante operator outside of Brazil. It’s some time ago now, but our engineering base at Dyce, used to undertake work on Bandits operated by other airlines as well as our own machines. We had two Twin Otters in the fleet, and a leased Herald. Air Ecosse was owned by a company called Fairflight based at Biggin Hill, this gave AE access to a Learjet, and further Bandeirantes as required. The highly lucrative Royal Mail Datapost flights, operated at night, covered routes spanning the UK and Ireland. Those Bandeirantes were hard working and reliable pieces of kit, with an excellent despatch record. The Otters were virtually indestructible, which was just as well considering some of the airfields they served. I did once travel from LTN (where I was based) to ABZ, on a Twin Otter, it was a long flight compared to a Bandit, and was rarely used on that route…..thank goodness. We did operate a Bandit, that was painted into the bright red and yellow Datapost livery, it was appropriately registered G-POST, there was also G-MAIL, but I can’t remember wether or not it wore the same livery.

Isn’t it called Myanmar now, with the capital named Yangon?

In short, yes, I do think UK society needs to take stock, develop a respect for others, and learn that instant gratification and a celebrity-lifestyle for all without a thought for the long term consequence, is simply not sustainable….

I agree with you totally. But as I put in my first post, I don’t know where you would begin to change things. We now have more than one generation of folk, who have never known anything other than the ‘celebrity, me first, instant gratification’ society, that is endemic today. In short, I personally think its too late, unless some form of ‘subliminal brain washing’ was embedded in TV signals! I understand that the North Koreans, are a dab hand at that kind of thing.

Of course, when we visited that lovely family, the Muslim Brotherhood was not so pervasive as it is now, indeed, at the time, I don’t think I had heard of them. I have always been suspicious of Erdogan, and I think the west would be wise to be careful in its dealings with him.

Back on topic, beloved and I have just returned from the weekly shop. I have to use a white cane when out and about. Today I was walked into by an adult texting on her phone. She knocked my cane to the ground without any apology. My partner went after her, I don’t know what she said, but beloved came back with a face like thunder. That is the third time in as many wks that this has happened. On the first occasion, I was told to watch where I was going, I retorted to the ‘gentleman’ “Well you have the advantage over me” I don’t want to be treated like royalty, just a little understanding that’s all. Such is modern society, but not all of it.

EGTC. Sorry to hear that you did not eventually get the career that you worked so hard to get, but it sounds as though you’ve set up a really worthwhile, and fulfilling one. All I ever wanted to do, was work as cabin crew, but for health reasons, it was never going to happen. So I worked 25 years in the airline industry on the ground. I’ll health struck again 2 years ago, so that had to end too. I miss it, and the terrific friends I made doing it.

Back in 2005, my partner and I took the holiday of a lifetime, in the form of a 3 week trip to Egypt, the historic part, not the Red Sea region. What struck me most, was the people. We were lucky enough, to stay with the family of our guide, for a couple of days. They lived about half an hour south of Cairo.

What really struck me, was their sense of values, and their take on what was really important in life. They had a modest, but clean house, located right on the bank of the Nile, along with the other homes in the village. They seemed genuinely happy with their lot in life. Their two children, still in school, wore immaculately kept uniforms, and appeared to enjoy a good education. One morning, we accompanied the mother down to the river bank itself, to do the laundry! This was when all the news and village gossip was shared. And I challenge anyone to find cleaner while washing, than that which festooned the village wash lines and balconies! The father ran a little small holding, and this supplied the bulk of the family income, along with selling fish, which both he and his son cought themselves. The youngest son ran his own little roadside stall, selling figs, and eggs. Healthy respect for parents was a given. They had TV, so knew what was going on in the world. The house itself had been handed down for generations, and by the look of things, this would not change.

The priorities of those lovely folk, were very different. None of this endless ‘tread milling’ towards a bigger car/house, the latest mobile, numerous holidays etc etc. They were genuinely happy to have a good roof over their heads, good and bountiful food on their table, and good friends. We were made very welcome, and being as we were very much unexpected visitors, I doubt very much, that we were watching a Disneyesque stage show by these lovely people. Despite our best efforts to pay them for their kindness and hospitality, they would take no money.

Mention has already been made on here, of the importance of good family life. And there was very good evidence of that with our Egyptian hosts. It was no idyll, just lives being led, with a very different set of values and priorities to our own. Will their children be ‘led astray’ by the influences of ‘western lifestyles and beliefs? A distinct possibility, but maybe, just maybe, they’ll find a way, to link the two worlds together, and keep those sense of values with them.

Well it’s a damn sight better than that God awful giant fly.