Those Churchill Cranes

[ichkeria]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2930818/Anger-BBC-Churchill-documentary-docker-s-claim-operators-paid-lower-cranes.html

I was watching a documentary about Churchill's funeral today and there was a docker interviewed who claimed that they were paid to dip the cranes. I assumed this must be a repeat and was common knowledge but it seems to have got the Daily Mail steamed up. And after the initial denial, a further piece by the lovely Simon Heffer slamming the 'in patriotic strikes'

That'll be the BBC sold off then :-)

[New Judge]

Indeed not, Marshy.

I was only remarking to Mrs New Judge when the photographs and footage of the dipping cranes appeared this week that Hay's Wharf is unrecognisable today. The walk along the south bank of the river between London and Tower Bridges is a delight with its various watering holes and restaurants, the Galleria, open air theatre, HMS Belfast and City Hall bang opposite the Tower. It seems a century ago that the old wharfs were there and Tooley Street was a place you would not want to venture to on a dark night.

[anotheoldgit]

Total hypocrites all those who thought him to be the best thing since 'sliced bread', while he was in charge of keeping the Hun from the door, and then to kick him in the back when it was all over, and they were at last sleeping comfortably, and peacefully safe in their beds once again.

Continue to rest in peace, the greatest Englishman of all times.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't think you can justify that AOG. He didn't win the war on his own. And it is perfectly reasonable to agree with/approve of someone regarding one aspect and not with another. If it were not so we'd all be unable to escape being considered hypocrites. One doesn't 'win' unquestioned total support forever due to something achieved in the past.

[anotheoldgit]

Marshwarble

/// It's weird that the Wail kicked up such a fuss, the dockers are no longer there, nor the cranes. ///

Where have the Mail kicked up such a fuss?

If anyone kicked up a fuss it was the viewers who telephoned the BBC with their complaints, the Daily Mail just reported on that fact.

[anotheoldgit]

Old_Geezer

/// I don't think you can justify that AOG. He didn't win the war on his own. ///

Of course he didn't win the war on his own, and neither did I say he did, thinking that would be plain silly.

But would you have cared to carry on your shoulders all the responsibility he carried on his shoulders so as to achieve such a victory?

[Old_Geezer]

Didn't say you did, but I considered it more or less implied. But it's hardly the point what I am or am not capable of doing. Whatever he did it doesn't make folk who were against his later political stance, hypocrites.

[THECORBYLOON]

ANOTHEOLDGIT, did you have a vote in the election after the war?

[DTCwordfan]

Just because he was a great leader in a crisis, doesn't make him a great politician in peacetime. He wasn't, like us all, he had his strengths and weaknesses. Yes, he deserved all the praise and accolades for what he achieved but history has a habit of bringing perspective to leadership and that should be recognised and he should not been immune to looking and learning from his disasters. Should we just mention Gallipoli for starters.....

From your rabid-pinkie-socialist-realist-world citizen of a Tory, AOG/youngmafbog.....

[ichkeria]

I love it when papers like the Mail state things like 'Anger. At xyz ... ' and 'there was shock last night as ...'
I envisage one of their hacks looking out of the window at Wail Towers to see a large cloud of shock drifting past.
To be really want TV documentaries to be Soviet-style whitewashed versions of the truth?

[ludwig]

The BBC's still there though Marshwarble, and the Mail hates the beeb.

[Marshwarble]

The trouble if they attack the BBC on everything it becomes annoying. Daily Mail TV would be worse than Channel 5, in my opinion.

[Cloverjo]

I saw the footage of the cranes dipping (before I heard the man saying they were paid to do it) and thought it was an incredibly moving gesture. Ridiculously, I was welling up even though I'm no Churchill fan.
But, why shouldn't they be paid to come in and operate machinery? These were men who had precious little time off and not a lot of money. Why is the DM getting all steamed up about it?