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'Our Henry' reaches a new milestone
Henry Allingham, the 112 year old war hero, has become the oldest ever UK man. He beats a welshman named John Evans who died in 1990. Yesterday (Sunday) Henry turned 112 years, 296 days.
Henry is one of the two surviving World War One veterans in the UK and is also Europes' oldest man.
I had the privilege of proposing Henry for the Freedom of the Borough of Eastbourne a few years ago when I was on the council, and it really was a privilege to have met this remarkable old man.
Henry, who lived in Eastbourne for 40 years until moving to St Dunstans a few years ago, is a national treasure, who saw action at the battle of Jutland, and is the last surviving founder member of the Royal Air Force, which celebrated it's 90th year last year.
He is one of the few people alive in the world today, who knows what the first world war smelt like. Quite astonishing.
Henry has received many honours over the last few years, and today will become an honourary member of the Royal Naval Association, and just a few days ago he received an upgraded Legion d'Honneur, six years after receiving his first one.
And much is owed to his friend, Dennis Goodwin, the founder of the WW1 Veterans Association. Dennis has dedicated the last few years to making sure Henry is honoured for all he did those generations ago, and as a result received, quite deservedly, the OBE in the Queens New Year honours list.
Congratulations Henry! Dennis says Henry is looking forward to his next big event, becoming a teenager again in June when he turns 113!
The Battle of Airbourne
There's a rather naff token 'battle' taking place between Eastbourne and Bournemouth, about whose got the best Airshow. This is designed to engineer some publicity for both shows; to try and create a controversy where none exists.
The facts are we had the best free seafront airshow in the world, and because of last year's debacle where the council charged for the privilege of having people stand on their own seafront to view it, threw away the goodwill that had been built up over 15 years.
It remains to be seen how successful this years event will be, although I suspect (and hope) it will come back strong.
In the meantime Bournemouth started their own Airshow, with help from Eastbourne Borough Council, and now have claim to our former title. And to prove the point, you can tell who's playing 'catch up', this 'story' is all over the Eastbourne council website, but not even mentioned on the Bournemouth one!
The press story is similar to the 'fight' a few years ago between Eastbourne and Bognor, over who had the best Birdman event (where people get pleasure from jumping off the pier in the mistaken belief they can 'fly' further than three metres).
Madam Home Secretary; you couldn't make it up!
Jacqui Smith, our illustrious home secretary, of whom we are all so proud . . . or not, as the case may be, has followed her expenses furore with a claim for porn films on the state. Obviously it's a bit of a, er, cock up, but this woman runs our police force! You couldn't make it up!
For me she lost credibility when she didn't honour the police pay award last year, but now she's turned into an embarrassment. Surely she must go . . .
The New Towner
I am looking forward to the opening of the New Towner this week, and will give my informed insight (well, I'll tell you what I think anyway) in this column next week.
In the meantime, have a good week friends!
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Weather for Eastbourne
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
