Category: History

All Hell Let Loose

I was reading a copy of the BBC History magazine the other day when I came across an article by Max Hastings. He has written a book about the Second World War called, ‘All Hell Let Loose’. He says he was asked how it was possible to write yet another book about that period in history. Surely it had been done to death. He counters by providing a number of facts and statistics that may surprise many. The book is written with ordinary people, soldiers and civilians, at the centre of events, rather than the big-name politicians and generals who usually occupy that ground. Continue reading “All Hell Let Loose”

End of an Era.

Johnny finally acknowledges what we all knew and hangs up his International boots…

To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other setbacks gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfilment.

Not a bad achievement at all, I would hazard to say.

Not just a kicker…

Just to be clear on the pesky Euro…….

“The eurozone faces an imminent, acute funding problem. Member states need to  repay over $1,100bn of debt in 2012, the bulk of it due in the first six   months. On top of that, European banks, heavily dependent on state largesse, have around $665 billion of debt coming due by June next year.” DT today.

And Matt says:

“Does Father Xmas visit countries in the Eurozone that are naughty?”

And all the Europrats have talked about is budgets and fines for malefactors! Good luck if you think the UK should be in there too. In my book it’s better to disembark before the ship sinks – probably next summer.

Curiouser and curiouser

The Independent today reports that when Scotland secedes from the Union, it (no, not she) will align itself with ….. (fanfare)….wait for it, Scandinavia. (Pause while you digest that).

Now that seems to me to make eminently good sense: a clutch of little countries huddling around the Mother Hen (the oil and gas industry), giving each other moral support against the big, bad Euro-lands and the Auld Enemy. So far so guid.

But, but, N, S and DK are all independent monarchies! And Scotland can’t take ours with them, innit? It can co-opt the Princess Royal, I suppose, but can they declare her Queen? OK, why not? Then the Royal Regiment (which they also plan to filch) won’t have to change its insignia.

It will all take some getting used to. Plus ça change…….

For the intrigued…..http://www.independent.co.uk/hei-fi/news/snp-would-join-the-scandinavian-circle-if-country-was-independent-6272464.html?origin=internalSearch

I Am Fed Up!

I have had just about enough of theses endless cries of ‘racism’ that are being bandied around at every opportunity, not just in Britain, but around the world. While some are legitimate and provide cause for concern, others are trivial in the extreme. What they all share in common, however, is that they are white on black attacks, whether verbal or physical and that they are being pursued with unmitigated vigour by the law and the press. The reason I am so angry is that many cases are as I said, trivial in the extreme while at the same time similar as well as much, much worse examples of black on white attacks are ignored. Continue reading “I Am Fed Up!”

Bloomers and Bodices: November Short Story

Bloomers and Bodices: November Short Story

Ambrose had the feeling that the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Board of Grace Emporium was spiralling out of control. In all his years as Chairman, this was a first. Must be getting old, he thought as he listened to the increasingly angry exchanges between his two sons. Miss Phelps had abandoned her scribbles and looked hot and ill at ease as she gazed helplessly in his direction. He mimed raising a cup of tea, and was relieved when she slammed her shorthand pad on the boardroom table and fled the room.

They were still in full flow when Gladys, pushing a trolley through the heavy oak door, shouted “Tea’s up gentlemen, and by the way, Miss Phelps sends ‘er apologies. She’s gone ‘ome, she came over all poorly again.”

Continue reading “Bloomers and Bodices: November Short Story”

A Framework of Thought

There are several vital differences between totalitarianism and all the orthodoxies of the past, either in Europe or in the East. The most important is that the orthodoxies of the past did not change, or at least did not change rapidly. In medieval Europe the Church dictated what you should believe, but at least it allowed you to retain the same beliefs from birth to death. It did not tell you to believe one thing on Monday and another on Tuesday. And the same is more or less true of any orthodox Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim today. In a sense his thoughts are circumscribed, but he passed his whole life within the same framework of thought. His emotions are not tampered with.

Now, with totalitarianism, exactly the opposite is true. The peculiarity of the totalitarian state is that though it controls thought, it does not fix it. It sets up unquestionable dogmas, and it alters them from day to day. It needs the dogmas, because it needs absolute obedience from its subjects, but cannot avoid the changes, which are dictated by the needs of power politics. It declared itself infallible, and at the same time it attacks the very concept of objective truth.
 George Orwell

Continue reading “A Framework of Thought”

All at Sea

I had planned a blog about a local event that is usually well worth a visit and in preparation I moved the boat about 60 miles on Friday, about 30 miles on the Bay and 28 miles up the Chester river to Chestertown, Maryland, an interesting little town of some character. The event is the annual Downrigging Weekend which marks the end of the working season for many sailboats, the event attracts a large number of original and replica sailing craft, ranging in history from The Kalmar Nyckel a replica of the ship that established the first Swedish settlement in what was to become Delaware in 1636 through the Schooner Elf built in the 1880’s and still afloat. My personal favorite and a winter resident of Chestertown is the schooner Sultana a replica of a colonial revenue cutter built ten years ago from original lines taken off the ship when she was bought by the Royal Navy in about 1770.

We got in late on Friday and anchored opposite the Chestertown waterfront in time to see the firework display.  After that things got dark and interesting (well it is close to Halloween). A gale of wind and heavy rain descended, forcing the few of us who were anchored out to seek out the more sheltered local creeks to ride out the storm.  Saturday came slowly, bringing with it gale force winds and driving SNOW.  So far all the Saturday events have been cancelled together with my plan to take lots of good pictures of the various ships under sail.  The forecast looks none too rosy for tomorrow either but we will hang here in this creek and see what happens. More later.