Where has Prince Andrew gone?

There he is! Does he get a salary and pension with new job? Plus I thought the Services had a Promotions Board which considered not just length of time served but working record. And this at a time when senior Army officers are being let go due to vast reduction in numbers of troops.

I didn't think you were disagreeing, Ana. I was just continuing.

Quite. I'm not sure whether you think I was questioning your post in some way, Elegran - I was agreeing with you.

I don't think sex slaves get 10K for a weekend in a luxury chalet. If she was "only a bird in a gilded cage" then why didn't she open the door and fly away? Her pimp may have controlled her while she was 15 and vulnerable, but at 17 she was as old as many women are who are running a home and raising a child.

Well said, Elegran. This young woman was hardly a 'sex slave', labelling her as such just demeans the plight of those who actually are.

But would we have been all that shocked? We are not talking about a child here, but about a young woman. Buying sex from prostitutes is not something to be approved of, but it happens all the time - always has done and always will, while men want it and it is available. If he had the money and was free to spend it as he wished - then if he DID do so, that was his choice, that was his business.

That the man was about 40 and the girl 17 - well, presumably attractive and fairly young prostitutes are more popular than older ones, and can command larger fees, and in this country, sex at 17 is legal.

Her previous history is not really relevant if the man she entertained was ignorant of it, and did not treat her badly himself. Sex at 17 in a luxurious setting with an appreciative and not repulsive client with the prospect of a generous cash present is not necessarily an obnoxious way of spending a weekend. I don't think I would do it myself, but plenty of girls would at least consider it.

What I don't believe IS legal is what used to be called "living on immoral earnings" or pimping - managing a stable of girls and renting them out. If someone is taken to a house party to entertain a man, and given several thousands of pounds for it by her friend Whatsischops, then Whatsischops must have got that money from somewhere, or more likely a lot more than he gave her, keeping some back for himself.

Just a thought.

If this story had broke before Savile, Starr, Harris, Clifford, Fox, Smith, Hall, Lee Travis and all the others I can't bring to mind, then we would have been SHOCKED wouldn't we, now it's just here's another one.

confused

Could be lateral thinking though - Andrew-skiing-snow-winter-Christmas-decorations .......

Thought I'd lost the plot, again!

(it did wander a little bit onto twelfth night and decorations)

It's as good a thread as any. [shrug]

Are you on the right thread, jingl?

I took my last decoration down today. Well, I hope it was the last.

It was a family of snow people carrying their Xmas tree home. It said "wishes" round the wrong way.

Prince Andrew probably grateful to Charlie Hebdo for knocking him off the front pages.

I was beginning to think I had lost the plot, too, Petallus. At least Twitter is still alive and kicking - literally - with the many alleged mis-deeds over the years. But with the support of Boris Johnson and Sarah Ferguson - how can the integrity and moral turpitude of such a public figure (whose ancestors were also presumed to have led blameless lives) come into question! How did this family get so rich to the point of abiding by their own self-made laws?

I think it's known as "diversionary tactics" petallus.

I am finding this thread more difficult to follow than the plot of Foyle's War.

And me. The night of Christmas day is the first day, to my mind.

I don't supposed it matters much, unless you're really worried about bad luck befalling you if you don't take all the decs down on the right day.

And roseq

I always think of nights as coming after days but of course they come before too. I grew up with the 6th being twelfth night. It works if you count Boxing Day as the first of the twelve days. I guess Auntie Beeb is counting xmas day as day one.

Bless!

Perhaps that is the answer to the OP

Tardis?

except for a little robin on a phone box that I have just spotted

Do you keep a phone box in your living room jingls?

We have one of those modern little phones in our house.

I have never quite understood which is Twelfth Night, always thought it was on the 6th but had suspicions that it could be the 5th.

Have just googled it and tomorrow is Twelfth Day, so tonight is Twelfth Night.