Last month we had Rememberance day.   With Christmas coming Save a thought for the Guys and Gals that will be away from their friends and familes serving Queen and Country.                                                                                                                                                                             

Well said geez, nice sentiment                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                             

Yeh...well said Mick..   Lets hope they all come home safe and sound.                                                                                                                                                                             

Might I also add those who will be working on Christmas day protecting you.. police fire and ambulance as well as all the hospital staff.   My Dad was a bike copper for 30 years and only missed about 4 Christmas's with his family. This was thanks to all the other officers without families who swapped shifts. This happens with all the emergency services and hospital staff. The favor is re-payed. So when your out on the bikes or cars during Christmas or any public holiday and you see one of the emergency services give them a nod. they have probably swapped shift with a family guy or gal.                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                             

Ditto..                                                                                                                                                                             

I am out supporting the Ambulance service christmass eve day and new years eve. that should be fun. an ambulance is not a taxi                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                             

Many moons ago, i used to work at the Royal Sussex..Brighton, as an A+E porter....i swapped the xmas/new year shifts for colleagues with families etc.. for the same reasons as PP mentioned earlier.  Sooooooo know how busy you're gonna be geez!..good on yer                                                                                                                                                                               

  My son, is a service man and won't be home when Christmas day falls  He has just been at sea for 3 months and is only being granted ONE weeks leave, BEFORE Christmas.   In these modern times of broken families it would be nice if the government realised that involves more travelling time to see family who could be living at different ends of the country, or even abroad. A week isn't much time to try to visit parents and other rellies and friends civvy side.                                                                                                                                                                               

I'll be working xmas eve, xmas day, boxing day, new years eve and new years day....I have no life                                                                                                                                                                              

I'm supposed to be working all xmas and new year too, but being alone in another country I've decided to take vacation and go back to the UK to see all my family (Had to work last year and spend xmas on my own - not nice).   Lucky for me that xmas isn't a big thing here, they have "Sinta Klaas" at the beginning of Dec (Was yesterday, 5th) where they do all the gift swapping etc.                                                                                                                                                                             

Error - duplicated. Bloody computers eh? Sorry playmates!                                                                                                                                                                             

Not gift swappin Matt - SHIFT swappin` . Do try and keep up old boy!  Back to main topic - yeah I agree, we owe a huge debt to the lads n lasses of all our services whether armed or public. My own lad`s just turned down a place in the Lilywhites cos he wants Marines. Worryin` times. I`ll be thinkin of `em and appreciate the topic bein` raised. Ta Micksaway.

My better half hopefully will have the xmas off, but he will be on call, sadly its the busiest time of year for the murder squad.   The lads from 40 commando have just left Taunton to go over to Afganistan so my thoughts are with them and their families too.                                                                                                                                                                             

Suicide's right up there too :o(   So spare yet another thought for those volunteering for organisations like the Samaritans... and hope you never feel desperate enough to feel the need to contact them... at Xmas or any other time of year come to that...                                                                                                                                                                                 

Well said.                                                                                                                                                                             

 T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE, MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.  I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY, WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,AND TO SEE JUST WHO, IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE. I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES, OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,A SOBER THOUGHT, CAME THROUGH MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR, IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN  DISORDER,NOT HOW I PICTURED,AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER. WAS THIS THE HERO,   OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,  THE FLOOR FOR A BED?  I REALISED THE FAMILIES, THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.  SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE, A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.  THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM, EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.  I COULDN'T HELP WONDER, HOW MANY LAY ALONE,ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE, IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.  THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT, A TEAR TO MY EYE,I DROPPED TO MY KNEES, AND STARTED TO CRY.  THE SOLDIER AWAKENED, AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;  I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."  THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.  I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL,AND WE BOTH SHIVERED, FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.  I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE, ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR, SO WILLING TO FIGHT.  THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."  ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,  AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."                                                                                                                                                                             

Good one Mick