To think Liz Jones is a bitter and twisted old hag?

GNHQ mentioned this thread in their newsletter so it can't be ALL bad.

OK so it's not this thread.

Sel - I have known much more reasonable disciplined debates in school societies.

FFS

You do have to wonder at times if this is a forum for adults or a school debating society. Sheesh.

Yes glass

Has crimson gone?

Does that mean we are not allowed to say anything else on the matter then?

---------------------------------------------- THERE, I've drawn a line.

An excellent law Greatnan

This is known as Godwin's Law - once anybody brings Hitler into a debate they have lost, and the thread is nearly finished!
I lost interest in the arguments about horse racing pretty quickly!

absent That wonderful comment shows just why we missed you!

Why do we need to put an end to it?

No, probably not

Anyway, I don't believe it.

I know exactly how to put an end to this thread – mention Hitler! He was a vegetarian, verging on vegan, and was kind to animals too. There – has that done it?

I have just read this thread because someone PM'd me about crimson because they were upset that she has gone. So am I. I do hope she is lurking somewhere and will come back. If you are please PM me crimson. No we are not particular friends but we did chat at the Midlands meet.

I know nothing about this journalist and think that is probably a good thing.

I think CB is a very good journalist and presenter.

I just don't understand what is so wrong with racing being a business, will someone please explain? I think it is very likely that racehorses are treated extremely well and that their care is monitored closely by the authorities. In such a sport we would soon hear about any cruelty.

Many years ago I heard a radio programme presented by Angela Rippon entitled 'Raw Meat and Tutus'. It was about all the people who trained to be ballet dancers and didn't make it for, very often, minor reasons. It was, and is, a very competetive environment, just like horse racing but, unlike horse racing, no one cares when you are past it and you won't go off into stud or any other care! Young ballet dancers are not monitored by doctors in the same way as horses are monitored by vets!

I also like Julie Birchill and JSP - in fact I love Birchall's columns, and then again I hate them when she's rabidly supporting Israel!

Very cowardly of The Observer to pull her recent article.

It's very sad that crimson seems to have gone. I believe she has been here from the beginning of gransnet. Hope she returns

Nelliemoser it's part of the job description for female columnists - I also like Julie Birchill and JSP - neither are exactly sweetness and light in their comments about others.

sel Just because L J is kind to animals and spends lots of money rescuing them, it does not absolve her from being very spiteful and insulting to the people she writes about.

petallus phew, doesn't often happen

You're making a lot of sense to me Sel

hey don't think I was accusing anyone of racism..maybe just a bit of thoughtlessness in using a generic term that covers many different people from many different places..

Put in the context of the racing world..which I know nothing about.. I now understand that this may be a specifically understood term referring to the horse racing community in gulf states.. fine I understand now.

Oh dear. Thanks Ana At one point - 20+ years ago, I had five horses racing in this country, it was very expensive and I only twice went to actually watch them race as I was too busy making money to pay for their training fees! Did have a winner at Sandown and another at York. Whoo! I know crimson knows her bloodstock so would possibly know their names. I did enjoy visiting their stables which were in Stamford but couldn't quite equate the beautiful animals they were with the fact they actually had to make money. They didn't have a choice. When I was young I had to save up money from part time jobs to have riding lessons and I always loved horses with a passion.

A decision was made to sell them, dispose of an asset if you like. Luckily, they were good enough that when they sold, at auction a couple went to the UAE to someone who's name began with Sheik Al one to the US, one Sweden and one remained in this country. They will be dead now - if they continued to make money then maybe they did enjoy the rest of their lives. If they didn't, goodness knows what happened to them.

These were not jump racers. I find the use of the whip in racing upsetting and the point I was trying to make about LJ is, she is passionate about animals and as such, probably does have an issue with anyone associated with the industry. For that's what it is. I don't have an issue with comments on here about racing, I was trying to explain why LJ may feel the way she does.

It's cursed. Tried to PM crimson but she's gone...