Anyone else think he looks like Michael Bentine?

An evil version, possibly. Maybe split at birth.

In later years he resembled this guy…

Anyway, I thought In The Air Tonight was a great song, so not all bad…

In The Air Tonight

A Groovy Kind of Love

Same artist…

😉

😛

I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do per say, or that we should all follow his example.. I just find something admirable in the way they have played the hand they were dealt..

If it was a victimless theft (insomuch as those don’t really exist) you might have a point, but if your “philosophy” includes it being acceptable to beat a 57 year old man so badly it took him almost a year to return to work then it’s just wrong.

Same artist…

And the film was about Buster Edwards, not Ronnie Biggs 😉

Ha! Ah well, really made a **** up of that one, didn’t I.

I knew I should have Googled before posting…

Ha! Ah well, really made a **** up of that one, didn’t I.

I knew I should have Googled before posting…
😀

In later years he resembled this guy…

“God is in… his hoolllly teemmmmmmple.”
scares the shit out me that fella.
as does the rest of that film.

I don’t think there much celebrating on here, merely people expressing a view point on him, ie that he was a lowlife and they aren’t sorry to see him go. Doubt anyones planning a streetparty…..

I’m not sorry to see him go but that’s different to saying you’re glad he’s dead (as people have in this thread).

Atlaz, I’m not sure if you put the word ‘philosophy’ in inverted commas in a deliberate attempt to upset me, but that has certainly been the end result..

I hope you’re very pleased with yourself..
Happy Christmas to you too

Just to add another angle on the “Belsen was a gas” debate.

The germans used Belsen in propaganda films to show “happy jews” merrily leaving Germany for other shores, whereas the reality was the opposite.

The original lyrics to the song appear to parody this and were written by either Lydon or Vicious. Nobody will ever know as Lydon’s big gob claims he did and Sid is dead. If you look at the lyrics they actually reflect the irony of the germans telling everyone it was a holiday camp, but the reality being a death camp. The line “Belsen was a gas I heard the other day” could be seen as an ironic parroting of the german propaganda. Regardless it was a song designed to shock.

Read this and scroll down to the PIL concert comments which in my view underlines Lydon’s thinking behind the song.

Biggs re-recorded the song with the pistols minus Lydon and changed the lyrics. I don’t doubt that the thick tw*t did this with no sense of irony at all. The Great Rock and Roll Swindle absolutely underlines how McClaren et al completely and utterly missed the point of everything Lydon had done before.

I seem to remember when Thatcher died that there was a fair amount of outrage on here about people celebrating her death (not saying it was from you Cougar) and people saying you should never celebrate anyone’s death.

That’s a very good point, and I may well have expressed that sentiment at the time, yes.

Thinking about it, I think there’s two things I’d say on that.

First, I don’t think they’re directly comparable. Thatcher was a politician, and rightly or wrongly she made some unpopular decisions with what I can only assume were best intentions at the time. I’m not jumping to defend her, just trying to get a bit of perspective. It’s a bit like Cameron now, I can’t abide the man and there’s far too many policies coming out of his administration which are clearly intended to make life easier for him and people like him, at the expense of the rest of the country. But I wouldn’t wish him dead (I’d just really like him to consider a career change).

Biggs, on the other hand, was just a nasty piece of work. He’s displayed nothing but contempt for anyone but himself, almost killed someone, taken a load of money and sodded off to lord it up in a tax haven, then come crawling back here when he’s ill for free health care. Which we gave him. With his fingers in the air. So, yes, on reflection, bollocks to him; it’s one less parasitic drain on the country.

Secondly, I’m not exactly going to be throwing a “hooray, the Biggs is dead” party at the weekend. Someone who’s done nothing but take all his life is now no longer taking, and I’m glad about that. One less scumbag in the world. “Good” is a different sentiment to “yay!” is what I’m trying to say, I think.

Biggs, on the other hand, was just a nasty piece of work. He’s displayed nothing but contempt for anyone but himself, almost killed someone, taken a load of money and sodded off to lord it up in a tax haven, then come crawling back here when he’s ill for free health care. Which we gave him. With his fingers in the air. So, yes, on reflection, bollocks to him; it’s one less parasitic drain on the country.

Secondly, I’m not exactly going to be throwing a “hooray, the Biggs is dead” party at the weekend. Someone who’s done nothing but take all his life is now no longer taking, and I’m glad about that. One less scumbag in the world. “Good” is a different sentiment to “yay!” is what I’m trying to say, I think.

I agree with pretty much every word of that.

The fact that the BBC has a whole section dedicated to this non story is a disgrace. Particularly after the story of a murdered (totally selfless) UK doctor in Syria has now disappeared off the radar. This says a lot about the shitty state of our society IMO.

This is Jack Mills.
He was beaten with an iron bar by what is know, rather wrongly called the “Great” train robbery.

Nothing great about it.

From Wiki;

When Ronnie Biggs’ wife Charmian Biggs’ story was told in the Sunday Mirror, it was revealed by rival papers that she had been paid £65,000, dwarfing the £250 compensation that Mills had received. The Daily Mail then launched an appeal on his behalf that raised £34,000, which enabled Mills to move into a more comfortable house in Crewe. Mills died in February 1970 shortly after moving. He died of chronic lymphatic leukaemia, with a further complication of bronchial pneumonia……

As the victim of an infamous crime, Mills is usually mentioned when the subject is raised in the press. In 2001, when Ronnie Biggs returned to the UK, about a deal with The Sun newspaper financially beneficial to his son Michael, Mills’ son John remained unforgiving. The Independent quoted him as saying, “I deeply resent those, including Biggs, who have made money from my father’s death”

I don’t think there much celebrating on here, merely people expressing a view point on him, ie that he was a lowlife and they aren’t sorry to see him go. Doubt anyones planning a streetparty…..

Just for the record, I was celebrating Thatcher’s death.

As for Biggs, pathetic criminal who doesn’t deserve any news coverage. The world is a better place without him.

A bloke doing an honest days work died ultimately of this bloke/event.

I wont be watching/buying the criminals life work*

*thieving.

rewski – Member
Shame, I loved The Snowman as a boy, watch it every Christmas.

Excellent work! 😀

…on the other hand, we do need baddies like Biggs, like a modern day bogey man, a clear cut naughty fella who we can all get on with being outraged by.

Many, many others have caused much, much more misery, mayhem and murder, but we like our targets to be big enough to hit from a crowd.

rather wrongly called the “Great” train robbery.

I think in this context ‘great’ just means big, same as ‘Great’ Britain. And it certainly was great in terms of the amount of money stolen.

I rather think that a measure of how civilised or otherwise a country is is how it treats its prisoners / mentally unwell / enemies.

I detest the man’s morals, outlook and lifestyle but would not wish to see him denied treatment though.

I’m a little puzzled about the apparent double standards on this forum: it’s ok to say ‘Good’ when one person dies but not when another does? Regardless of what they have done?

I met someone the other day who was dubious about why the trial of the killers of Lee Rigby was happening – felt the need to point out that trying people rather than just sentencing them was a mark of a civilised country (not that I think Britain is that great on quite a lot of counts)

I’m in the “good” camp – didn’t particularly wish him dead, but I’d lying if I said I was unhappy to hear he’s carked it.Also agree with Julian – didn’t used to, but I firmly believe that you gotta apply the system equally, or the beliefs on which it’s built are worthless.

I’m late to this thread, and admittedly had a couple of beers, but my view is that he was a vile, horrible human being and I hope he suffered what Jack Mills suffered a hundred times over. Biggs and the rest of them were scum and I hope they rot for eternity.

Agree with Taz’s comment on the Thatcher thread.

I see no reason to change my view for Ronnie Biggs.

He was a pretty odious individual who seemed not to bring any great benefit to the world in any way.

It’s a pity he is seen as a role model in any way at all.

Who’s singing on these then?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVTD2lGR_Nc

I hereby revise my opinion.

John Lydon is a tosseur.

Slight diversion, as you were.

Yes Woppit. John Lydon was glorifying the Nazis. Moron.

On the subject of Biggs, at least he’s no longer screwing the system. Now if we can all forget about and let him fade in to the obscurity he deserves.

I’m a little puzzled about the apparent double standards on this forum: it’s ok to say ‘Good’ when one person dies but not when another does? Regardless of what they have done?

I’m a moderator; if some on the forum are to be believed, being inconsistent is pretty much mandatory.

(-:

Can’t see what all the fuss is about, reporting his death or anything else to do with the robbery. He was the equivalent of the teaboy in the operation (according to one of the senior detectives who worked the case). The country should have just given up and left him where he was, everyone would have forgotten about him and he’d not have had the notoriety to earn money.

Would’ve saved the state money too, I’m sure failed extradition attempts cost a fair whack.

The bloke cost the UK a fortune, probably without paying a penny in taxes too.

I can’t say I feel anything other than relief for the councils that were having to foot his care bill.

A sponger has departed, good.

I’m a moderator; if some on the forum are to be believed, being inconsistent is pretty much mandatory.

(-:

Pleased to see you’ve read and followed the job description then Cougar 😀

Actually not intended to upset you so apologies (it was intended to express my bemusement that you seem to think violent crime is an acceptable way to get along mind you). However, I don’t think you answered the question; do you really think battering an old man with an iron bar is something to make someone “a hero and a role model to many, many people”?

I think some of you would like to believe that I think that..

clearly I don’t and I haven’t written anything to that effect (I probably have a friend or two that wouldn’t bat an eyelid though)

Biggs is undoubtedly a hero to many.. there’s nothing a bunch of supercilious cycling addicts can do to alter that..
I merely stated that there is something admirable in a criminal’s decision to turn their nose up at the system..

Pretty sure that should be “turn their back on the parts of the system that don’t profit them personally”. Biggs was happy to be outside the system when it came to enriching himself at the cost of others but wanted to be part of the system when his money ran out.

turning your nose up at something is subtly different to turning your back on it though surely..?

Anyhoo.. enough of this trite ballbaggery.. I’m pretty damn sure that my purpose in life is not to defend my opinions to those that disagree with me, I’ll try to leave that to folk that enjoy martyring themselves to that sort of thing.. I’m off out for a ride with the fam 😀

To whom exactly was Biggs a hero and or role model?

I hope they rot for eternity.

Don’t worry, we all will.

yunki – Member
I merely stated that there is something admirable in a criminal’s decision to turn their nose up at the system..

Ian Watkins is a criminal who turned his nose up…

To whom exactly was Biggs a hero and or role model?

I take it you don’t often fraternise with the criminal underclass..?

Ian Watkins is a criminal who turned his nose up…

Hitler rode a bike.. your point is..?