Becks appeal is bang out of order for army

MY CHAMPAGNE GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL

- VIRGINIA BLACKBURN

A LITTLE while back I had the pleasure and honour of working with an ex-military man and in doing so learned far more about the armed forces than I ever had done in my life.

In a nutshell: it's brutal. He fought in the Falklands and told me that he saw men turn into animals in a second (he never did a Prince Harry and revealed details.).

The whole life is one most people couldn't endure: up at the crack of dawn to take part in extreme exercise in everything from Arctic weather conditions to tropical heat: he loved it. He was brilliant at it. He is also one of the toughest men I've ever met.