Sunday 24 June 2012

Falklands - It's War

Daily Mirror and Sun dated Saturday April 3rd 1982
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The Daily Mirror and the Sun took quite opposed views on the Conflict, the Mirror being against British military action and the Sun being all for it.

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Guess which pages 2/3 are from the Mirror and which the Sun.
The Falkland Islands were first visited by Europeans, a Dutch ship, in 1600 and since then have been tossed around by the Spanish, French, Argentineans and British. A British naval base was set up in 1834 and it became a British Colony in 1840. The Argentineans have always maintained that the British had no real right to the Islands and on Friday April 2nd 1982 they invaded.

The Conflict (no actual state of War was ever declared by either side) lasted 74 days and cost 649 Argentine, 255 British and 3 Falkland Islanders’ lives. The 3 locals were women killed ‘by friendly fire’ –what a disgusting phrase that is.

With Margaret Thatcher being Prime Minister at the time, the old idea that if women ran the World there would be no more wars was finally put to rest. 

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The Sun starts as it means to go on with jingoistic calls to support ‘our lads’ and hate the ‘Argies’.

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The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Prior, quashed Charles McCormick’s conviction in 1984. McCormick may or may not have been working for British Military Intelligence at the time of his alleged bank robberies.

In 2009 the 72 year-old Charles McCormick was re-arrested for the murder of Sergeant Joe Campbell a fellow RUC member who was shot in 1977. I can’t find anything online to say whether or not there has been a second trial. 

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Helen Smith and a male guest both died during a party in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, apparently from falling from a sixth floor balcony. The Saudi authorities and the British Foreign Office both agreed that it was miss-adventure caused by alcohol. Helen’s father didn’t believe this was the truth and campaigned for a different verdict for 30 years.
Helen’s body was kept unburied for all this time and 6 post-mortems were carried out, but all were inconclusive. She was finally buried in 2009.

As a result of the campaign the Law was changed so that coroners were obliged to investigate deaths of British citizens who died abroad if their bodies were returned to Britain. Princess Diana is probably the most high profile death to be investigated as a result of this change in the Law.

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Nicholas Parsons hosted ‘Sale of the Century’ from 1971 until 1985. You either loved or hated both him and the programme. 

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The very popular series Minder began in 1979 as a vehicle for Denis Waterman when the Sweeney finished but he ended up playing second fiddle to George Cole. The programme lasted 10 series but Waterman dropped out (character emigrated to Australia) after 7. 

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Can you put a name to these famous faces of 1982? Answers at the end of this post.

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The Sun's 1982 Grand National tips.
The actual result was 1st Gritter, 2nd Hard Outlook, 3rd Loving Words and 4th Delmos. 1 out of 16 predictions correct isn't bad, I suppose.

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The first female jockey to complete the National course, Geraldine Rees, came in 8th on Cheers. Charlotte Brew who was the first woman jockey to ever ride in the National, was unseated at the third fence.

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“By Gad, Sir! A fortnight lazing on the beach watching all the young fillies in their bikinis with their bronze bodies and their… Oh dear, I think I’m going to have one of my turns. Pass the Sangria!”



In the Big Time answers - 
Top -                  Clint Walker                   Richard Kiel                 Woody Strode
Bottom -            David Prowse               Giant Haystacks            Lou Ferrigno





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