THE THOMPSON TWINS

THE THOMPSON TWINS

The Thompson twins shared everything from cradle to cricket bat, so when they joined up together to fight the Kaiser, their mother comforted herself by saying, “They’ll look after each other,”

Then James was shipped home, alone, minus an arm. After two weeks he tried to re-enlist, pleading, “William needs me,” but the army’s response was brutal. “You can’t fire a rifle one-handed.”

So James took his father’s motor-car, followed the golden thread of William’s need to the Somme, and dug him alive out of an abandoned trench.

They ran the farm for decades with only one pair of arms between them.

Al Forbes' photo of vintage cars sporting Remembrance poppies prompted my 100 word story this week. Thanks as always to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers. To read how other writers interpreted the photo go to her blog https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/ - after leaving a comment on mine, naturally!

BOYS WILL BE BOYS - a 100 word story for Armistice Day

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

“Your boys should be more respectful,” old Cyril grumbled to the new vicar, “Graveyards aren’t playgrounds.”

“All those dead grandparents probably enjoy their laughter,” Peter retorted, but at teatime he told his sons they must play elsewhere.

“But the others will miss us!” Harry cried.

 Peter was puzzled. ”I’ve not seen anyone else with you.”

“He means the old ones,” Ben explained, “The boys who played here before.”

“Before when?” Peter asked carefully.

“Before they went away, of course. Their names are on that pillar by the gate.” He raised innocent eyes to his father. “Are they dead too?”

--------------------------------------

Thanks to https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/ for hosting Friday Fictioneers and to J Hardy Carroll for the photo that prompts this week's story. 

Follow the link on Rochelles blog to read many other takes on the photograph.

-------------------------------------

You may have noticed I've been absent for a month. This is because we have moved back to England after nearly sixteen years living in Tenerife, and such a move was bound to take up all my energy!

Now we are settled in a flat in our old village, and as I am no longer an expat I have changed the name of my blog to http://lizy-writes.blogspot.co.uk/ .

 So if you're a regular follower, please adjust your search accordingly - I should hate to lose you.

REMEMBRANCE DAY, TENERIFE STYLE

 The Royal British Legion Tenerife Branch held its annual Remembrance Day Service this morning at Westhaven Bay, Costa del Silencio, courtesy of the Belgian owner Nele.

Branch Chairman Don Young, who did his National Service with the Royal East Kent Regiment "The Buffs", welcomed Senor Ricardo Melchior Navarro, the President of the Tenerife Cabildo - the first time we have been honoured by the presence of a member of the Spanish Government.

Here is Snr Melchior, wearing a poppy.

Rick Farmer, an ex-Royal Marine, led the service, various members of the Tenerife Branch read lessons and led the Intercessions, and I read the Act of Committment in Spanish - always a nerve-wracking two minutes - especially as the service was being broadcast over Coast FM.

Below is a photo of Rick with Kelly, our Poppy Appeal organiser, and Diane Grey, one of our members.

A lady trumpeter played the Last Post before the Silence, which on some occasions has been broken by an aircraft passing overhead on its way to Reina Sofia Airport, and then a few of us went very carefully down some dodgy steps to the rocks below the terrace and placed a wreath in the sea in memory of Servicemen lost at sea.

This is Mary, a former Wren, who read one of the lessons, and Earle, a former Royal Marine who was selling poppies at our local British supermarket all week.

There aren't many of us - we have a membership of 17 of whom half do all the work - but for the last five years we have won the Noel Rogers Trophy for the most Poppy appeal money raised per head. Last year our total was about 9,000 euros.

Paul Grey on the left of this photo is an ex-Army man, Vice-Chairman of the branch and Welfare Officer - everyone has to wear several hats with so few working members!

The superb venue and the great atmosphere draw a large crowd - it's impossible to count heads because once all the seats are taken there are people standing at the back, round the sides, sitting on the sea wall and beside the pool - but we printed 350 service sheets this year and didn't have enough.

Afterwards, of course, there is time to relax with a pint, or a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake.

The smile on my face might tell you how delicious the cake was!

POPPIES ON BOARD

The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Tenerife had an unexpected bonus yesterday, when the Royal Caribbean International cruise line invited us to sell poppies on board Mariner of the Seas on its first visit to Santa Cruz.

The ship is huge - 138,279 tons and a third of a kilometer long. The Chief Security Office Bob Smith who, together with the Environmental Officer Christopher Collard, welcomed us on board, told us they can carry 3,800 passengers and 1,200 crew.
In other words, a small town.

 Here are Don and Paul taking a first look at the interior - apart from the slight movement of the calm harbour waters beneath us, we could have been in any luxury hotel.

Looking up several stories through the central well, the lights are dazzling.

 Following on the "Small town" theme, there was a shopping mall with "pavement cafes".

There are theatres, swimming pools and a running track. You can play what looked like mini-basketball, there's a gym and a putting green, and a climbing wall for the more adventurous. There is even an ice rink where international skating stars perform.

The main dining room is on three levels, with the Captain's Table dead centre - of course - and can seat half the passengers at one time. Imagine the noise!

The bridge, at first glance, looked like a luxury penthouse suite, with pale blue carpet and panoramic windows, but the technology reminded me of Star Trek. Everything can be controlled from here, even the massive fire doors that can isolate a fire if necessary.
This is the Boss's Chair, so it was only right that I should be invited to sit in it!

 The three sailors on the left were our hosts, with Don Young, Chairman RBL Tenerife, and Paul Grey, Vice Chairman and Welfare Officer on the right.

The Mariner of the Seas was only in port for a day, and after an excellent lunch - we were spoiled for choice! - we stood by the gangway for over an hour while the passengers returned from tours or shopping trips in Santa Cruz. Our collection box now has euros, pounds and a few American dollars, and the ship sailed with quite a few non-British chests displaying a Royal British Legion poppy.