I don't know if you have ever been in a mine. I have. The blackness is beyond comprehension. Stygian. You really can't see your hand in front of your face.

In the face of cheap coal imports it seemed inevitable that there would be mine closures and I think that all the deep mines have now closed.

Re-opening the mines is probably not a viable option in many cases because of flooding and possibly other problems.

But, back to poppies. We should be free to wear them or not without being stigmatised.

War is a nasty affair but somebody has to do it if war is declared. I've heard a few stories from relatives although most of them didn't talk about it very much. Perhaps understandably.

Now and again, when my father's brother, Uncle A, came to stay, they would discuss some experiences they had in WWII.

Some of the stories weren't altogether pleasant but a slightly amusing if the moderator will permit me to share it.

Uncle was taken POW but he and another escaped and were on the run for two years. One day they were sitting down by the roadside eating and a loud, racous noise came over the wall behind them.

Of course, they jumped up, guns at the ready. It was a braying donkey......

Couple of things - so wearing a 'rubbishy' paper one is somewhat less than a ceramic one and could you tell me just how much most people put in the tin for their 'rubbish' paper poppy and how much do they cost to manufacture - just wondering where these statistics come from?

Those man and women who fought so hard and for so long to keep their jobs, there families and their communities together when thatcher decided that any sort of worker strength needed to be cut off at the knees would be weeping at those sentiments! Yes his house has double it's value since he bought it 10 years ago - so what should he do about it - why is that so wrong?

Bit late to the party and no I won't dignify your snotty comments with a reply.