The Iron Lady

wendy · Post by **wendy** » Wed November 23rd, 2011, 1:32 pm

Love her or hate her, Thatcher did what needed to be done at that time.
I remember the unions holding the country to ransom - the garbage men were on strike so the army had to be mobilized to clear up the streets, the miners were on strike so coal was incredibly expensive (if you could even get it) and the power companies had "rolling blackouts". It was the most miserable winter in the cold north of England that I can remember. I voted for her and she got the job done.
As time went on, however, she "passed her sell-by date" and had to go. The most destructive part of her legacy was that she squashed any talented rivals within the Conservative Party, so when she did eventually leave there were no young heirs to take over.
In hindsight, would I vote for her again? Absolutely. She was the right person for the job at that particular time

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Wed November 23rd, 2011, 2:49 pm

Please, no bloodshed in this thread please!

I truly did not mean to start a debate here. I just wanted a general idea of the feelings about her and it seems to me that like any politician, she's polarizing. I appreciate everyone's opinion on the matter and hope it will be a good movie.

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Wed November 23rd, 2011, 9:05 pm

[quote=""EC2""]I love this Steve Knightly song about Tony Blair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=andAg5RnC8g

Sorry, this is getting off topic isn't it? I'll shut up. but I do love this as a modern folk song.[/quote]

Thanks for that -- not because of the song but because of the reference to Steve Knightley who I remember hearing play when I was a student and haven't come across since.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed November 23rd, 2011, 11:07 pm

[quote=""SGM""]Thanks for that -- not because of the song but because of the reference to Steve Knightley who I remember hearing play when I was a student and haven't come across since.[/quote]

He's singing and playing with the WONDERFUL Show of Hands most of the time - I've seen them live and they really carry a torch for English folk music, both the traditional and the new. Their song 'Roots' is something of an anthem. I love the line 'Without our stories and our songs, how will we know where we come from?' It kind of links in to historical fiction.

The song was written in reply to a comment from a vicar saying that his vision of hell was 3 folk singers in a pub near Wells. At the moment, English folk music (which is distinct from the Celtic) seems to be undergoing a cultural revival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5h4PFBuzvw

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Thu November 24th, 2011, 8:10 pm

[quote=""EC2""]He's singing and playing with the WONDERFUL Show of Hands most of the time - I've seen them live and they really carry a torch for English folk music, both the traditional and the new. Their song 'Roots' is something of an anthem. I love the line 'Without our stories and our songs, how will we know where we come from?' It kind of links in to historical fiction.

The song was written in reply to a comment from a vicar saying that his vision of hell was 3 folk singers in a pub near Wells. At the moment, English folk music (which is distinct from the Celtic) seems to be undergoing a cultural revival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5h4PFBuzvw[/quote]

Hmmm -- not too sure about this myself. Could be interpreted in ways and by those I truly would hate to be associated with -- and obviously has been.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Thu November 24th, 2011, 11:36 pm

[quote=""SGM""]Hmmm -- not too sure about this myself. Could be interpreted in ways and by those I truly would hate to be associated with -- and obviously has been.[/quote]

Oh yes, you always get idiots stealing stuff and making it out to be what it never was - very irritating and sad. Worth looking at the other stuff they've done though. I find Haul Away Joe/The Falmouth Packet great for the gym!

SGM · Post by **SGM** » Fri November 25th, 2011, 6:20 pm

[quote=""EC2""]Oh yes, you always get idiots stealing stuff and making it out to be what it never was - very irritating and sad. Worth looking at the other stuff they've done though. I find Haul Away Joe/The Falmouth Packet great for the gym![/quote]

I suspect you are quite possibly correct and I give him the benefit of the doubt because I would find it hard to believe that anyone with a Modern Studies education from The Lanch would espouse the ideas of that group but the words are ambiguous and worrying and it is one of those areas of life where you just cannot be ambiguous. I would rather have withdrawn the song than have it used that way.

Plus, it brings out the worst in the YouTube users who post comments. I loathe, loathe, loathe them.

Although Scottish and not English, I like the example set by Billy Connelly in his World Tour of Scotland quite some years ago. Fondness and appreciation of the past with a sense of community without any bellicose nationalism -- but with a sense of the ridiculous. That comment is not meant to give rise to comments about whether people like or hate Billy Connelly, merely, in my opinion, an example of a job well done in this particular instance.