Julia's asking for votes

[stuartmartin]

Dear all, a friend of mine pointed out this forum as he was a fan and stumbled across my fiancee. I just wish to clarify a few points as it appears some of you are quite naive and judgemental towards some of the contestants. Annette Finch and I are engaged and have been together for years. She used to have a career for ITV but gave it up to dedicate her life to supporting me in my career. I am currently serving in Afghanistan and I regularly come into contact with the poor soldiers you see in the news who have paid the ultimate price. Annette supports me and my squadron more than I could ever wish for and she applied to do this calendar to show her dedication to our cause.

Yes, she used to be a journalist with ITV but that was a over 12 months ago and we have not flaunted any of her contacts to 'boost' her rating in this competition. We have dedicated our time working with all the local media for their support - google it and you'll see. Last year my squadron raised over £10,000 for H4H and we aim to do the same this year. She is just doing her bit to show she cares as well and we deliberately avoided using any old contacts to give an unfair advantage.

Please keep your arrogant assumptions to yourself and support the guys on the ground who come under fire everyday, putting their lives on the line so you can sleep soundly at night. Please also buy a calendar and support the work that Julia and Andy have done to put this amazing calendar together!!

 

[exp]

All concerned,

I would never routinely visit a site like this, but was linked here by an equally incredulous colleague. Can I just say how much you have collectively done to damage my faith in humankind, and for that congratulations.

Think for a second about the collective mood of this site (and I do not include those sane posters in the last few pages). I am sorry if you have an issue with a woman who appears on a shopping channel. I am also sorry if you have an issue with her daughter. But please try and put things in perspective. Sophie, a girl I have never met but I respect for her commitment, has volunteered to take part in a charity calendar in order to support a charity that she regards as important for the simple reason that her boyfriend is serving in the military (as do I). That means that she is someone who, like my wife, has had to deal with the helplessness of sitting at home for 6 months while her partner is in an environment where there is a 1 in 8 chance of sustaining a life altering injury (amputation, PTSD, blindness). That means if it isnt her partner it will be someone that her partner knows well. That is pretty hard, on its own, to deal with. My wife had to endure 6 months of that within days of our wedding, having already gone through it several times before we married. I cannot begin to describe the feelings of utter helplesness that our partners go through, for 6 months, wondering if the death that they have heard about on the news is their partner or a friend of his, of how difficult the damage of having to live with a husband or boyfriend who has had his life radically altered. Sophie chose to voluntarily support this charity project. One that appeared to specifically asked for people with a forces link to insure that the motives were as good as they could be. And you choose to try and destroy her on the internet for it. So what if her mother tried to encourage you to vote? Would you be equally outraged if someones Mother was a teacher and she mentioned it at her school? It is about raising awareness. Like it or not at least you have heard about it. Many of you say you support the Forces but you cant/dont/wont support her. She has done something to help. She has made a demonstrable effort. The majority of you havent, choosing instead to simply snipe from a distance.

Her Mother raised awareness. Maybe there are people out there who saw her Mother and now at least may buy a calendar. If that one sale raises 5 or 6 quid for H4H then that is all that matters. That may be the money that takes a severely disfigured soldier out near Selly Oaks and buys them a pint so they can start adjusting to the looks that they are going to receive for the rest of their lives. So I dont care what you think about her daughter. She stepped up and awareness was raised. And I will thank her for it if I ever meet her.

I have been shot at, assaulted, blown up, buried friends and helped others come to terms with life changing injuries. But I always knew why I was doing it. And it wasnt for this. Those of you that say you support the Forces and then attack someone for raising awareness should really think about what you have said. Because nothing sickens me more than hearing 'I support our Forces but...'. If you feel the need to make it conditional then please let me speak on behalf of all my colleagues. We dont need conditional, nasty, self serving support. We will be fine without you. Simply thank us and be on your way.

Sophie bothered. You didnt. I know who I would thank.

And to those that spoke sense and saw this for what it was many thanks. Vote for who you like, but please buy a calendar.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Don't make assumptions Exp - I spent many months in 2009 raising money for Help for Heroes. In addition, my team gave the money they won from our company's sales drive instead of using it for a night out.

If you are slating us for not caring, better make sure you get your facts right first.

 

[Olivia]

exp, I do understand your feelings to a degree but you are doing the exact thing you are accusing others of - making massive assumptions! How do you know what people on here have done for HTH or other charities ? If Julia's, and Sophie's, intentions were really altruistic attention could have been bought to the calendar without asking for votes for Sophie - since it is for charity what does it really matter what models are used?

I have no idea what their real intentions were- though I have an opinion- but I'm just putting another view of it.

 

[Beady Belle]

I haven't read one post in this thread that says that people are NOT supporting HTH campaign, just that they are choosing to vote for whoever they feel is the most deserving in their opinion.

Exp - how do you know the majority have done nothing to support the campaign? Please don't make assumptions about this.

Thank you and your fellow servicemen and woman for their continued bravery and courage, in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.

 

[bags]

From Julia's blog his was her introduction to Sophie wishing to be in a calendar

"It looks like Sophie will follow me with her choice of career, having already been in two girl bands and performed at the O2. She's also hoping to do something I have never done and that is to appear in a calendar..."



I have noted now that the following comment has been added to Sophie's page :

Julia says:
June 1, 2010 at 12:41 am
Thanks to all of you who have left encouraging comments for Sophie. This is a very important cause for her because of her boyfriend but also for me as my Dad ( Sophie’s Grandad ) was in the RAF during the war. I’m sure the calendar will be a great success and we will both do all we can to raise the profile and raise lots of money for the ‘Help For Heroes’



I do recall a B & W show when a caller rang to say she had purchased a wing pin for her daugther as her father had been in the RAF, during the call Julia was very clearly upset as she'd recently lost own father.

 

[Catkins]

I think everyone has had their say now about what is after all a charity project so I would suggest that we all now let it go and move on to what this forum was designed for.:flower:

 

[Kitee]

I haven't read one post in this thread that says that people are NOT supporting HTH campaign, just that they are choosing to vote for whoever they feel is the most deserving in their opinion.

Exp - how do you know the majority have done nothing to support the campaign? Please don't make assumptions about this.

Thank you and your fellow servicemen and woman for their continued bravery and courage, in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.

Exactly right. I think some of us felt that it should be more about the promotion of the charity HFH and not vanity/career promotion. Perhaps that was just down to bad wording on the QVC blog...

I know for a fact that a few of us here have family and friends currently serving in the Forces and also like to do our bit to help in any way we can.

Anyway, lets hope that whoever is chosen helps make lots of money for a great cause.

 

[Pinkpussycat]

I have noted now that the following comment has been added to Sophie's page :

Julia says:
June 1, 2010 at 12:41 am
Thanks to all of you who have left encouraging comments for Sophie. This is a very important cause for her because of her boyfriend but also for me as my Dad ( Sophie’s Grandad ) was in the RAF during the war. I’m sure the calendar will be a great success and we will both do all we can to raise the profile and raise lots of money for the ‘Help For Heroes’

Yes Julia, most of us from your generation had parents who served in the forces during WW2. My Dad was in the Royal Navy and my Mum was in the WAAF but I think most of us can find a way to support our past and present servicemen and women without using it to promote an offspring's profile or profession.

 

[Boris Bear]

exp, I do understand your feelings to a degree but you are doing the exact thing you are accusing others of - making massive assumptions! How do you know what people on here have done for HTH or other charities ? If Julia's, and Sophie's, intentions were really altruistic attention could have been bought to the calendar without asking for votes for Sophie - since it is for charity what does it really matter what models are used?

I have no idea what their real intentions were- though I have an opinion- but I'm just putting another view of it.

Julia could have waited for the calendar to go on sale and then mentioned it on her blog whether Sophie had been picked or not. Doing that would have been more likely to raise funds for the charity than mentioning it now well in advance of it being available.

 

[WhyMe?]

I cannot begin to describe the feelings of utter helplesness that our partners go through, for 6 months, wondering if the death that they have heard about on the news is their partner or a friend of his, of how difficult the damage of having to live with a husband or boyfriend who has had his life radically altered.
.................................................

I have been shot at, assaulted, blown up, buried friends and helped others come to terms with life changing injuries. But I always knew why I was doing it. And it wasnt for this. Those of you that say you support the Forces and then attack someone for raising awareness should really think about what you have said. Because nothing sickens me more than hearing 'I support our Forces but...'. If you feel the need to make it conditional then please let me speak on behalf of all my colleagues. We dont need conditional, nasty, self serving support. We will be fine without you. Simply thank us and be on your way.

Your post is completely inappropriate on a number of counts, here's some points I take exception to:

1. You are a serving member of HM Forces so should not make unauthorised public statements - as you have nominally identified yourself (by posting with Stu) you have left yourself open to actions from your chain of command. So this has left me thinking, was this a very silly career move or are you an imposter?

2. "Simply thank us and be on your way?" - How dare you say that to those you are employed to protect! You should never seek gratitude; did you learn nothing in your training - you are supposed to be the "gentlemen" of the services yet you seek to insult us - again, why so public a tirade at members of the public?

Before you peg me as a leftie peace campaigner and hater of the forces let me tell you this.... I have been one of those wives waiting for news of my husband after seeing the latest Sky news segment about another death in a sandy place. I know the fear, have lived with the realities etc. I am also the daughter of someone who suffered severe PTSD from his time in the military with him reliving the horrors every day. My husband and father never demanded "thanks" they were just doing their jobs and that's why I find your stance so utterly insulting.

In my opinion, most on here have no issue with the H4H charity but with its misuse to progress someone's career rather than that person following a more selfless line of simply promoting the charity.

 

[Aranlady]

Your post is completely inappropriate on a number of counts, here's some points I take exception to:

1. You are a serving member of HM Forces so should not make unauthorised public statements - as you have nominally identified yourself (by posting with Stu) you have left yourself open to actions from your chain of command. So this has left me thinking, was this a very silly career move or are you an imposter?

2. "Simply thank us and be on your way?" - How dare you say that to those you are employed to protect! You should never seek gratitude; did you learn nothing in your training - you are supposed to be the "gentlemen" of the services yet you seek to insult us - again, why so public a tirade at members of the public?

Before you peg me as a leftie peace campaigner and hater of the forces let me tell you this.... I have been one of those wives waiting for news of my husband after seeing the latest Sky news segment about another death in a sandy place. I know the fear, have lived with the realities etc. I am also the daughter of someone who suffered severe PTSD from his time in the military with him reliving the horrors every day. My husband and father never demanded "thanks" they were just doing their jobs and that's why I find your stance so utterly insulting.

In my opinion, most on here have no issue with the H4H charity but with its misuse to progress someone's career rather than that person following a more selfless line of simply promoting the charity.

Not simply a great post, for which I thank you, but an absolutely BRILLIANT post

xx

 

[Tracy]

HI I have just read all the posts above, my husband served in the armed forces for 3 years and although he didn't actually get posted to fight i have great admiration for the ones that are serving abroad now. I take great offence that julia and sophie use this opportunity to further sophies career by asking for votes for her, this is outrageous, I have 3 sons that a roughly sophie's age and although i understand she wants the best for her daughter, her daughter needs to learn to stand on her own to feet and forge her own career without her mother, is sophie going to get her mother wipe her bottom for the rest of her life, as with my children i fully support them but they are independant young adults that have to make their own way in life otherwise they never learn from their mistakes.

Julia needs to let her daughter grow independantly and stop doing things for her.