Harrod's of London bans soldiers in uniform

[dwarven1]

I swear I'm not making this sh*t up!!


Harrods bans soldiers on Poppy Day
By Mail on Sunday Reporter Last updated at 21:30pm on 18th November 2006

A serving Army officer was banned from entering Harrods on Remembrance Day in case his uniform upset other shoppers.

Lieutenant Daniel Lenherr had just taken part in a parade honouring Britain's war dead when the London department store turned him away at the door.

The security guard told him other customers might be intimidated by the uniform.

The 26-year-old soldier, who serves in the 1st regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery, had been at commemorations in Hyde Park Corner last weekend when he decided to visit the shop with his wife Michelle and their one-year-old son.

Mrs Lenherr, who lives in Tidworth, Hampshire, said: "We were horrified when we were refused entry on a day when we honoured the men who sacrificed so much for our freedom. I find it sad this can happen."

The store has stood by their dress policy, saying: "There is a long-standing tradition at Harrods that would normally preclude customers who are wearing non-civilian attire from entering the store.

"A lot of people assume that somebody in uniform is either there on official duty, which could cause them alarm, or they assume they're a member of staff and ask them where the lavatories are and so on."

But the shop came under fire for its ban.

Shadow Defence Minister Mark Harper said: "It's an outrageous slap in the face to our Armed Forces who are serving our country around the world. On Remembrance Sunday it's even more of an insult. I cannot see any legitimate reason for a shop not to let in members of the Armed Forces in uniform."

And Thomas Carter MBE, a former Warrant Officer in the Royal Horse Artillery, said Mr Lenherr had been treated disgracefully.

The 78-year-old said: "Harrods' policy is a load of rubbish. It treats members of the Armed Forces as sixth-rate citizens. It definitely makes it worse that it was on Remembrance Sunday, as that's the day everybody wears uniform."

Rival department stores Selfridges and Harvey Nichols said they had no problem with service personnel entering their stores in uniform.

 

[FPrice]

Rudyard Kipling had the words,

TOMMY

I WENT into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, " We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, go away " ;
But it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, wait outside ";
But it's " Special train for Atkins " when the trooper's on the tide
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's " Special train for Atkins " when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap.
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, 'ow's yer soul? "
But it's " Thin red line of 'eroes " when the drums begin to roll
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes, " when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's " Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's " Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an` Chuck him out, the brute! "
But it's " Saviour of 'is country " when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An 'Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

 

[Twigg]

England, isn't that where Great Britan used to be ?

 

[Len-2A Training]

All military and family should boycott Harrods and let them die a natural and painful death.

Best way to deal with such turds.

 

[MarkM]

I was planning on going to Harrods in just over a week when I am back in the UK visiting family...... my plans just changed because of that story.

 

[Arioch]

The only way to realy make the point is to let Harrods, and their competitors know why Harrods is being boycotted.

 

[dwarven1]

I was planning on going to Harrods in just over a week when I am back in the UK visiting family...... my plans just changed because of that story.

Yeah, SWMBO & I are planning a trip to England, Scotland & Wales in the future (probably '08) and unless they change their attitude, Harrods will NOT be list of places to visit...

 

[dreppucci007]

What a shame...Very sad

 

[JellyFish]

Perhaps you should drop by Harrod's when you are in England and tell them off? Let them know you would have bought something but won't be because of their bigoted policy?

 

[Jose]

The only way to realy make the point is to let Harrods, and their competitors know why Harrods is being boycotted.

+1

"cause alarm"?!? What a load of horse shit......

 

[calsdad]

Not really very surprising. Disrespect for "commoners" and rank and file soldiers
is a long standing British tradition. After all it was the English who pretty much killed off an entire generation of young men with their tactics during WWI. This kind of disrespect by the upper classes of the "lower" classes is one of the things that prompted such an exodus to the Americas' and later prompted the American Revolution. Some things never change.

 

[News Shooter]

Tell them what you think

https://www.harrods.com/msib21/Harr...-9526-812824978CAB}&NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest

 

[Lynne]

<gag>

Ya know what's really upsetting to me after reading this??? The owner of Harrod's .... Al Faid?? (sp?) (Doddy's dad - the guy who died with Princess Di) owns my ancestral home in Scotland. Balnagown Castle. He's pretty decent about letting us Ross's (not to be confused with dwarven1) see the castle. He completely restored the entire first floor of the castle to what it was when it was under Ross control, and he let's us go and see it and the grounds. I thought he was a decent guy for doing that, but now I'm DEFINATELY upset with him.

 

[Thor67]

Their competitors should offer military people 20% off through the holidays.

 

[Jose]

Their competitors should offer military people 20% off through the holidays.

And to show up in uniform to get it.

 

[rbert0005]

So what's new about that?

I was stationed in London in 71-72 and we were not allowed to be seen off base in uniform. Period...

Bob

 

[Jose]

So what's new about that?

I was stationed in London in 71-72 and we were not allowed to be seen off base in uniform. Period...

Bob

The reason why you were not allowed off base in uniform has nothing to do with what happened at Harrod's.