Re: Happy St George's Day

by Guest Thu 23 Apr 2009, 13:28

We've got loads of Saints in Cornwall. Everywhere begins with St . . .

Why was George beheaded?

by ten years after Thu 23 Apr 2009, 13:31

He refused Emperor Diocletian's command to renounce Christianity. Dio was not a man to mess with.

by Guest Thu 23 Apr 2009, 13:36

Makes you wonder how all these legends spring up. I guess it's cos they didn't have TV back then.

by Bradman Thu 23 Apr 2009, 14:23

ten years after wrote:
Demelza wrote:I'm not sure George ever went to Hungary.

Just checked Wikipedia. He was born in Turkey and became a prominent soldier in the Roman army which means he probably travelled around a lot. It seems he is the patron saint of various places in Eastern and Southern Europe including Ljubliana which is not far from Hungary. He is also the patron saint of Herpes, Syphillis, sheep, skin diseases and the Portuguese Navy among about 50 other things.

I'm not sure how much we can trust the Wikipedia article though. It tells us that he died in Israel but also that he was beheaded in Turkey. It also states quite solemnly that him slaying a dragon was actually a myth and that many bays in Lebanon are named after Saint George, particularly St George Bay.

I'm going out on a limb and suggesting he didn't die in Israel.

by JKLever Thu 23 Apr 2009, 14:32

by taipan Thu 23 Apr 2009, 14:34

Bradman wrote:
ten years after wrote:
Demelza wrote:I'm not sure George ever went to Hungary.

Just checked Wikipedia. He was born in Turkey and became a prominent soldier in the Roman army which means he probably travelled around a lot. It seems he is the patron saint of various places in Eastern and Southern Europe including Ljubliana which is not far from Hungary. He is also the patron saint of Herpes, Syphillis, sheep, skin diseases and the Portuguese Navy among about 50 other things.

I'm not sure how much we can trust the Wikipedia article though. It tells us that he died in Israel but also that he was beheaded in Turkey. It also states quite solemnly that him slaying a dragon was actually a myth and that many bays in Lebanon are named after Saint George, particularly St George Bay.

I'm going out on a limb and suggesting he didn't die in Israel.

wasn't Israel part of the Ottoman Empire?

by Bradman Thu 23 Apr 2009, 14:39

A land mass of sorts we now know as Israel might have been.

What's with the pics?

by spangler Thu 23 Apr 2009, 14:47

Bradman wrote:

What's with the pics?

Just lie back and think of England

by Bradman Thu 23 Apr 2009, 15:08

Well I think he missed Cook, a reference to the 1832 reform act may have helped, there was an Irishman, but the pic of the model for the coat-hanger suggests he might be a closet Aussie.

by JKLever Thu 23 Apr 2009, 15:11

spangler wrote:
Bradman wrote:

What's with the pics?

Just lie back and think of England

Quite right...

by holcs Thu 23 Apr 2009, 16:32

Great set of pics there JK.

I shall certainly be celebrating it tonight. Abbot Ale and Bombadier on as special beers just for tonight!

I've heard all this carp about it being nationalistic to celebrate today, phuck that, I'm just going out and getting pished the same as I would with my old man on Independance day!

by Yorkie Jill Thu 23 Apr 2009, 16:49

yay, George Stephenson. Go, Rocket, Go.

I preferred the Locomotion myself, but only on account of which line it ran on.

by Sasha Thu 23 Apr 2009, 17:04

Happy St George's Day! hello

by Guest Thu 23 Apr 2009, 19:05

There's some lovely scenic pics there JKL, and of course the cricket on the village green one is perfectly English. Nice one.

by Guest Thu 23 Apr 2009, 20:26

Yeah, brilliant montage there JK! Cool

by PeterCS Thu 23 Apr 2009, 20:46

spangler wrote:
Bradman wrote:

What's with Lever's narathon of pics?

Just lie back and think of England

What's that Ian Dury song again?

by PeterCS Thu 23 Apr 2009, 20:52

Well, let's see ...

Gunn
Geary
Mann
Statham
Sharp (for Danny)

Though there seem at least as many Aussies

Giffen
Coulthard
Bonnor
Tribe aye-aye

to Dan again
Bailey <- and minor as he is, a rare case in international cricket of what seems to have become an old name nowadays

And Headley.

Reasons to be cheerful. Glory lightly worn.

by tac Thu 23 Apr 2009, 23:01

Brass Monkey wrote:
Rob I wrote:Time to take back our flag from the fascist morons!

I have my Flag of St George cufflinks on today, and will raise a pint of Spitfire this evening.

Agreed Rob, it has many bad connotations - though I appear glib in my first posting, I can think of few patron saints I'd rather be attached to.

I personally loathe how many plastic Irish come out of the woodwork for St. Patrick's day. That's just as an aside.

No doubts I'll drink a pint of Strongbow later in honour of the English archers who precipitated our military strength being thrust to the fore. Never again would we take shit.

Saying all of this, the way we abused it has probably caused the malaise behind what should be a day of celebration.

It's doubtful that many Englishman could state the date of St. Georges Day.

Geez Dan, there were many a debacle between Agincourt and Talavera and much shit eaten . . . I think you best lift a pint to Sir John Moore and his Light Divisions . . .

by PeterCS Fri 24 Apr 2009, 01:13

The slight irony is that the historical (Norman aristoctrat) Strongbow spent rather more time quelling the Irish than the rebellious French.

by Zat Fri 24 Apr 2009, 01:37

It's a shame Mark Cosgrove scored his century a day too early for St Gorge's Day.
Happy St George's Day - Page 2 102629

by horace Fri 24 Apr 2009, 01:38

JKLever wrote:Absolutely, I've been practising my sieg heil all morning!

***hold the presses***

JKL in amazing I really am prince phil admission shocker

by Guest Fri 24 Apr 2009, 06:12

[quote="tac"]

Brass Monkey wrote:No doubts I'll drink a pint of Strongbow later in honour of the English archers who precipitated our military strength being thrust to the fore. Never again would we take shit.
Geez Dan, there were many a debacle between Agincourt and Talavera and much shit eaten . . . I think you best lift a pint to Sir John Moore and his Light Divisions . . .

He has a point Danny - we lost the Hundred year's War, and by the time of Bloody Mary had been reduced to the status of a Hapsburg province. There was a recovery when Elizabeth was Queen, putting us on the road to Empire.

by Brass Monkey Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:12

Rob I wrote:
He has a point Danny - we lost the Hundred year's War, and by the time of Bloody Mary had been reduced to the status of a Hapsburg province. There was a recovery when Elizabeth was Queen, putting us on the road to Empire.

Yeah, I made it sound like we were a superpower. What I meant was that, usually outnumbered, we were able to hold our own. We lost the 100 years war, but considering the population discrepancy (17 million to 4 million) we more than held our own. Crecy, Caen, Neville's Cross(against Scotland), La Roche-Derrien - we were immensely outnumbered. Check it yourself. The leveller was our great-bowmen.

by Brass Monkey Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:15

Oh, and the only reason I really brought it up is because I don't drink beer, hence the most St. Georgey one I could come up with is Strongbow. Which as Peter laid out, wasn't really used by the English. Who used 'war bows' as they were known.

Jeez, that's the last time I let my meagre amount of patriotism get the better of me.

by Guest Fri 24 Apr 2009, 12:21

Hmmm. In Henry II's and Richard I's time we had half of France as well as the whole of the British Isles plus Ireland. Henry VI lost all our territories in France. He wasn't a patch on his dad (a bit like Richard Hutton in that regard).

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