To think the Duchess of Cambridge has no place in sports personality of the year

[Nishky]

Martina Navratilova made a moving speech about female role models so who do they roll out to present it?

auntmargaret "Does anyone else think that Wiggo's wife was devastated that he didn't thank her in his speech? I thought she looked like she was going to cry."

Yes! I thought the same.

Cat I thought my reply last night counted.

Kate happens to be a woman. I'd take the same approach if she was a man. I have deep reservations about Charles. He's a man. The thread concerns Kate . This woman/ man stuff is silly, and designed to deflect.

I'm not the one who doesn't want the status quo upset, love. I'm the republican, not the cap doffing royalist.

your status quo, love. That's what I said. You want to believe that the Princes are 'thick', so it doesn't matter what I say. You are quick to dismiss, because you are happy to believe they are thick. It doesnt really matter (although resorting to PA insults does rather call the definition of 'thick' into question)

I don't 'cap-doff' by the way. I salute.

All that having said, despite being a republican I don't actually mind Kate.

It doesn't matter what you say except that with every post you dig yourself a little deeper. The princes are thick and your saying they aren't doesn't make a damn of difference.

No I'm saying that if they were thick the wouldn't have been able to pass a full year of very technical and demanding exams. A full year of intensive classroom teaching - a degree course that is crammed into 12 months instead of 36 months.

Followed, only then, by practical flying training and experience.

A course of instruction that 100s of people fail every year. A course that very quickly weeds out those who would find it difficult, and the 'fly boys' who are doing it for less than honourable reasons. I have known people to fail on the dry first day

I know the people that teach the courses. I used to administer those people, and the trainees taking the course. I know how hard it is, and I know that they wouldn't have been able to pass if they had been thick.

But like you said. It doesn't matter.

And there you have it.

LtEve have you come across the phrase discretion is the better part of valour?

Yes, why?

I simply don't understand the degree of rattiness now being displayed on this thread. Is there some convoluted backstory? Someone please PM with it if so.

Yes they must have Kim . Most Officer Cadets have been to Uni (some are sponsored) but some are taken after A Levels. There is a lot of 'on the job' training though. Many hoops to jum

The only backstory I can think of is that LtEve seemed to take exception to my take on the anachronistic attitude displayed on my watch to army wives, but the rattiness seems disproportionate for sure.

Oops, 'hoops to jump through' of course

Eldrich, no backstory do to speak, other than some posters have a vehement dislike of the Royal Family, and some don't. Yellowtip and I have disagreed before, both on the Royal Family and on my knowledge of the British Army. I like to explain things

I think the minimum requirement these days is a strong 2.1 from a Russell Group or 1994 uni in a 'solid' subject. I think the army issues a list. The Shrivenham List. Or Informed Choices. Anyhow something like that.

RMAS Sandhurst

Defence Academy

These may help Kim.

Toughasoldboots - I take your answer to be an admission of nothing useful done. Yet they do say that if oyu want anything done you shoudl ask a busy person.

Yellowtip - anyone can make assertions. I was hoping for some evidence. In any event senior Royals do far more than 100 days a year - even in their 80s and 90s judging by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

Cat you asked, I answered. I can't possibly give details of any community service thing that I do, it would be entirely inappropriate. I thinkthe poster who calculated the hours spent on engagments was working in full working days, not part of. So I do vastly in excess of a tenth of that. And enjoy it and find it extremely interesting too. But I'm not going to out myself, sorry.