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Remembered Today:

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Desmond7

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Man did well on Parkinson. Right blend of humour and history.

Will be watching his prog tomorrow night.

Des

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Man did well on Parkinson. Right blend of humour and history.

Will be watching his prog tomorrow night.

Des

Desmond hello again. I'm ashamed to say that I never really warmed to Mr Hyslop on the television/in the past, but can only admire from afar his great work. What a man. Got back late from work and was extremely disappointed. However, I'm looking forward to viewing his new series.

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I loved his story about Tommies excluded from the 1919 Peace Dinner burning down Luton Town Hall. Difficult to think that he won't bring a dash of "Private Eye" into the programme which may be interesting.

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I loved his story about Tommies excluded from the 1919 Peace Dinner burning down Luton Town Hall. Difficult to think that he won't bring a dash of "Private Eye" into the programme which may be interesting.

I didn't see this interview. Just out of interest, was there any reason given for the exclusion?

Tom

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Tom - Hislop said that the Mayor and dignitaries snobbishly invited no returning Luton tommies to the rather grand 1919 peace dinner. This provoked a riot that resulted in the Town hall being torched. He embroidered the tale with a mention of the soldiery looting a music shop, dragging out a piano and playing "keep the home fires burning" to accompany the conflagration ! Sounds to good to be true, I know.

We must watch for more !

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I saw most of this, he had been on a little while before I realised what he was talking about. I love and hate Hislop, but this time he spoke well and whilst I waited for many of the old myths to come troting out, I did not hear any.

well done

Arm

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Missed Hislop on Parkie,but as yet another British War Memorial freak I to will watch tonight with interest.

Regards Doug

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I love Hislop's sence of humour, I am sure many a Tommy would have like his dry humour, and I am sure he is tickle with the Tommies sence of humour too, so I can not wait until tonights prog.

Annette

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A bit like Max & Wrinkly One, I never really warmed to the Gentleman until I saw his trip to South Africa when he followed i think his grandfathers footsteps and exploits during the Boer War which showed him in a better light, off course I will be watching his programme.

Scottie.

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I am not as happy as I should be with this one. I had a researcher spend a full afternoon here at home trawling through my catalogued information on WW1 serving female casualties. She was looking for interesting stories so that they could "find" a memorial, appear to pick out a name and then reveal the story from the name. She went away with a fistful of information. I also know that the same happened with Dennis Aston, researcher of munition workers. Since then neither of us have heard a thing. An email to the researcher shows that she has moved on and an email to the editor has remained unanswered. Even if they don't use any of the information that we have supplied it would have been common courtesy to have kept us informed.

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These researchers are a brutal heartless lot and they are often treated similarly by their producers. I suppose they must find the story first and then the name on the memorial. The other way around would be impossible and it's natural that they will be looking for women's stories. No excuse for the rudeness though.

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On the subject of the burning down of Luton Town Hall. My mother Ruby (now 95 years old) was there with her mother and father (Ex. Sapper Herbert (Shub) Land East Angian RE's , one of 5 serving brothers who all returned).

Grand-dad saw trouble brewing and said "you girls had best be getting home". As they crossed the footbridge over the railway to High Town, they turned to see the Town Hall going up in flames.

Their next door neighbour got 3 months hard labour for riotous disturbance.

The piano was dragged out of Farmers Music shop which was just over the road from the Town Hall. I think the story is probably true.

The mayor, Henry Impey was smuggled out of Luton never to return. So a result there for the returned servicemen!

Many Luton folk had their holidays cancelled by landladies not wishing to accommodate such riotous people.

BW Roy (A Riotous Lutonian)

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Excellent first hand confirmation !. A great "let them eat cake" style story. I'll bet they jacked up the rates to pay for the new town hall though ! Council taxpayers probably still paying !

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What a marvellous programme. I can see this one becoming a big Forum favourite. I found it totally fascinating, combining as it does, my twin enthusiasms of Genealogy and military history. I was gutted to see the "National Bank" memorial in pieces. How can such things be allowed to happen in this day and age of the enshrinement of "period features" in buildings?

I'm very gladto hear it will be restored, but I'd love to know what other memorials of this type lie neglected in that basement..

Well done Mr Hislop, you have finally found a metier in which you can employ your skills in making a good point, rather than a cheap journalistic shot

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Can't stand the smug little $^&£, but I will be watching the progs.

After watching the program I now hope that you are going to eat your words?

It seems that alleged fraudulent e-bay sellers cannot be rebuked on the Forum for fear of litigation but I wonder what Mr Hislop would make of Forum Moderators taking his name in vain in such a manner?

The program was well researched, well presented and well done. IMHO

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What a good programme and that the others will be to the same high standard. Well done Channel 4.

John

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Good programme, as I thought it would be after Ian Hislop's appearance on the recent BBC genealogy programme, 'So You Think You Know Who You Are' (or something like that!).

I thought he came over very well in both.

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Excellent programme, Well done C4 and Mr Hislop.

Stephen

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Yes, I too associate myself with the positive reactions to this new series. Hislop demonstrated he has a heart after all when he was almost reduced to tears and had to stop reading the letter from the woman demanding to know why the powers that be had decreed that she could not have the remains of her fallen boy returned home from France.

I think too that its obvious that the tracing of the story behind names on war memorials would have to be researched prior to expensive filming of Hislop picking the name on camera, and I don't see that this makes any difference to the programme's validity.

Ciao,

GAC

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I thought it was an extremely interesting programme. Well done Ian Hislop and Channel 4.

Memorials have helped me in my research and as we saw tonight can really reveal some fascinating stories.

Brian90

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