Re: Pride & Pejudice....

'Scuse me, car bodgers - you *do* realise you're being crossposted to Snail City, do you?

Fran ( snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Alhambra's perfectly reasonable, sane and well-balanced by caravanner standards, is he?

My dear lad! - I get vilified amongst the caravan fraternity for being suspiciously left-wing.

Forget the Monday Club - if you want to see and hear middle Britain airing forthright views on such diverse subjects as Crime, Immigration and Taxation, look no further than a Caravan Club rally field.

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Oh, he's well balanced alright - he's got a chip on both shoulders.

Well, I've not been towing a snail for long enough to know Alhambra particularly well, but I do know that until the crossposting started the bad language was, well, moderate.

As for whether or not he's sane, I'm not in a position to judge. After all, they say it takes one to know one, so how on earth would *I* know?

While you're all here though, where is the best place to obtain a 24mm socket and open spanner? I've drawn a blank at the local motor factors, and I really would like to remove the towball from Guy's former car.

/me waves to Guy

Fran ( snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Whadja mean "While we're all here?"... We're *always* here...

Halfrauds Pro range is meant to be worryingly good quality, given the source.

D'you know, it never occurred to me to try there. It's where I go for not-very-cheap and not-entirely-cheerful, but open-on-Sunday-so-it'll- do. I'll give 'em a go. Ta.

The message from Fran contains these words:

Not much of an advert for the all loving Christian God, is he? The list of those he hates simply goes on and on. But if he's right and there is an afterlife his god will get his revenge on him for his lack of compassion- and that compassion surely was the principle thing Christ was famous for.

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Some people find security in god[1] others in a close relationship with another person and yet others couldn't give a monkeys either way and have their own routes to happiness. Some like to have that recognised by others, much as many religious people like to worship in a group. It's a human thing, some people like the approval of others.

It's not a marriage but a civil partnership. One benefit is to give the couple the same rights as a married one in event of a death, etc.

Many years ago there was an openly gay barman in my local pub. He had a partner of many years who had kidney problems and was on home dialysis. The partner owned the flat they lived in, but couldn't work anymore, and was supported both physically and financially by Jim the barman. His family never came near. And as you might imagine, looking after someone with kidney failure is a pretty arduous task.

When the partner died the family didn't even come to the funeral, but afterwards sucessfully contested the professionally drawn up will, and left Jim effectively on the streets, since he had no money saved, having spent what little he earned running the home.

Luckily not everyone shares Alhambra's hate of gays and a collection in this rough and ready 'straight' pub raised over 1000 quid - the equivalent of a couple of months wages for a barman in those days.

... and butting in here, I can't see any point in non-Christians insisting on getting married in a Christian church or on having their babies baptised. That sort of hypocrisy just leaves me cold. But plenty of people do it, and can't see that it's wrong in any way. One day I'll suggest to such people that they ask the local Rabbi to do the honours. Should get an interesting reaction...

But, to return to our muttons, d'you reckon we can all kill the crossposting now please? As entertaining as it's been listening to you discussing the rights and wrongs of it, I can't for the life of me work out why it was ever crossposted to the caravan group in the first place.

And it doesn't have to apply to gays, either. Two friends sharing a house or business (maybe not business, that's probably covered by other laws - but you get the picture) could take out a civil partnership to protect joint interests, even if they weren't in a sexual relationship with each other.

Fran ( snipped-for-privacy@privacy.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Or, perhaps, why it was crossposted to uk.rec.car.maintenance...?

The post which started the thread was to both groups, and discussed caravans more than car maintenance.

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The message from Fran contains these words:

That really bugs me. I suppose it's a dangling craving for some sort of structure that the lack of religion leaves. A damn good Naming the Baby party would seem a good idea.

I'd say they like the theatre of it. More fancy dress in church than the average pantomine. Funnier, too.

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Ah, the Daily Mail - known in this house as The Bile Duct.

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Had he been thinking impure thoughts?