I had beans on toast for breakfast. Eating them with one hand whilst working the keyboard with my other hand, I became aware that the transfer of beans from plate to mouth was not going well, and my shirt was becoming an unintended intermediary.
Although I thought I managed to wash it down before leaving for work it seems I was mistaken as small orange patched reappeared on my shirtfront during the course of the day.
Things got a bit more interesting when I got to work. Someone wants to know where his £80 items is. It appears to be at his house as it was delivered a week ago and is showing on the Royal Mail website as delivered, signed for and photograph. It’s either a very inept attempt at fraud, or a slightly dysfunctional family. If it had been me I would have been asking after two days – it was sent Guaranteed and that is a service with next day delivery.
Finally – the visit I had been waiting for. An elderly gent arrived with some medals for mounting. Although he last saw active service in the 1960s, the Government has just sent him a medal to recognise part of his service. It is the Nuclear Test Medal for those involved in the Nuclear Test programme of the 1950s and 60s.
There are 22,000 people eligible for the medal, though it’s likely that many will go unclaimed. This one will be mounted with his other two medals and will be ready to wear on Remembrance Sunday. The medal office is making a determined effort to get all the medals out to survivors so they can wear them for this year’s parades.
Unfortunately, they haven’t been quite so quick at getting out the guidance on the order they are to be mounted in and I am either going to have to rely on Wikipedia or ring the Ministry of Defence helpline on Monday.
It’s the first medal I’ve seen with the head of King Charles on it (the Coronation medals aren’t out yet) and the first Nuclear test medal I’ve seen, so it’s been an historic sort of day.
Nuclear Test Medal 1952-67
Funny story about the beans/shirt.
I’m wondering what you do to “mount” a medal. I see it’s on a ribbon suitable for wearing. “Mounting” sounds like you would put it on wood to display – but then he couldn’t wear it.
Mounting is putting a medal onto a suitable pin for wearing. In this case I have to remove two medals from a bar and put three together using a three space bar. Once you know how to feed the ribbon into the slot and feed it round the rest is easy. 🙂
I will try to find a photo, or I will take some while I am doing it.
Fascinating medal news; inept fraudster; and amazing dexterity getting any of the beans into your mouth.
I’m with Lavinia! But it is certainly historic. I wonder how the medal will be viewed 100 years from years.
It will be viewed in a number of ways. Collectors won’t rate it, as it isn’t named so has little research potential, though the government is interviewing vets to form a media archive. many families will treasure them. It will possibly be the only medal many of these men receive (the British don’t tend to give out a lot of medals). And, as we stare out of our air-conditioned bubbles (at a blasted wasteland, or a New Utopia) we may nod wisely at how it all came true. Or didn’t.
I’m hoping for the New Utopia option . . .
A Nuclear Test Medal sounds not only historic but bitter-sweet. It is good to recognize these 22,000 people, but so sad it is for a weapon of mass destruction.
Julia’s Dad was at one of the tests. They lined up, watched and went home. One of his more underwhelming memories, though he did go to Quaker meetings in his later years so you never know what effecr it had.