Children in need.

[holmleighchris]

I watched a short documentary not long back, filmed in 1951 about the great exhibition which Eamon Andrews presented. He didn't talk with an Irish accent then.
Did he a) cover his Irish accent back then or b) put on the Irish accent when it emerged as okay to broadcast with a twang?

[WBA1955]

I used to hate that false laugh of his on This is Your Life, then when the show was ending he would slither away with that, thank f eck that's over look on his face.

[Albionic68]

Children in need seems to promote the distress of kids in Africa these days. Never sure if it ever really helps. it’s just that nearly 35yrs and billions of pounds in worldwide aid nothing has ever changed. Millions of kids are still starving. The countries of Africa are still led by corrupt dictators who generally steal the huge sums raised for themselves while the fatuous rich and famous still use this charity as a vehicle to signal how virtuous and caring they are, when we all know that they are in fact arseholes at heart.

Funding for African projects is fine, more so when done on a local level where results are often more tangible.

The Albion Foundation does some fine work in this regard via 'Inspire Africa'.

[WBA1955]

We have been sending stuff to Africa since i was a kid, so you can see how long that's been. Blue Peter used to do appeals.
You still get horror stories coming out of there.
Phil is right, most of the money ended up with the likes of Idi Amin and Bob Mugabe.

But my main point was about Britain, we have kids here living in poverty, sleeping rough and using food banks. Why should us, the working classes be made to feel guilty by overpaid multi millionaire celebrities?
Years ago these kids would have followed their fathers into an occupation, so the mess we are in, and the avarice of the well off certainly isn't our fault

[Albionic68]

I agree with much of what you've posted there Des'.

We should have no need for food banks in this country. Political leaders of all persuasions have been contributing factors to this over the years. Equally leaders of other countries do have a reputation for wasting aid on retaining their own regimes.

Ultimately Children in Need is a charitable endeavour and we have a straight choice whether to donate as opposed to watching tax pounds disappear down the drain. Likewise there is the option of changing channel or going out for a beer if loveys urging you how to spend your spare change isn't your thing.

I prefer that my change goes to lads like Tommy Brown, or if to Africa then via the Albion Foundation and Inspire Africa where I can at least see where the money's going.

[WBA1955]

I have money deducted from my wages for Compton Hospice and Barnados.

How much did this government spend to keep themselves clinging to power by their finger nails?