I celebrated with a full English Breakfast (not eating tomorrow) and a few rousing tracks from my Empire Day CD, you were all so busy worrying about Tenors you all forgot about Empire Day, I mean how could you forget such an important day.... How about joining in in a rousing chorus of:
THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND
There'll always be an England, While there's a country lane, Wherever there's a cottage small Beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England, While there's a busy street, Wherever there's a turning wheel A million marching feet.
Red, white and blue, What does it mean to you? Surely you're proud Shout it aloud.
Britons awake! The Empire too, We can depend on you, Freedom remains These are the chains Nothing can break.
There'll always be an England, And England shall be free, If England means as much to you As England means to me.
"This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in a silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house Against the envy of less happier lands This blessed plot, this earth, this realm This England"
Bergholt said
08:47 PM May 24, 2009
Hmmmm........I was trying to visualize you marching up and down the passageway at home Basil......I'm a bit fond of rousing marching music myself.
Sounds like you enjoyed yourself !
mike and Judy said
01:48 AM May 25, 2009
Its amazing how a picture comes to mind when you read someones writings , I suppose I have a mental picture of all on this forum, and its quite a shock when the real thing is not at all what you expect
Basil Faulty said
10:30 AM May 25, 2009
Bergholt wrote:
Hmmmm........I was trying to visualize you marching up and down the passageway at home Basil......I'm a bit fond of rousing marching music myself.
Sounds like you enjoyed yourself !
I love a full english, this morning I had to swim 10 km to burn some of yesterdays extravagance off, fortunatley one of the other veterans I swim with has an MBE so that made all the difference.... Are you hinting at an other set of CD's "Patriotic Marches for Grey Nomads" could be interesting, I'll have a rummage in the record collection.... Basil wanders off ruminating this project humming the Dambusters March and remembers he has a recording somewhere of a "Mammoth Gavioli" playing marches....
Rolly said
11:26 AM May 25, 2009
I'm Welsh born and, like so many others in the British Isles, take great exception to the perfidious English considering the whole of the country to be their fiefdom.
England is a minor part of the landscape; especially if one excises the the South Western areas of Cornwall and Devon, the inhabitants of which consider themselves to be separate from the mainstream.
Most of the real economic, industrial and social progress emanating from the UK has, in any case, been consequential upon the endeavours of almost everyone except those of anglo-saxon origin.
As for the "Empire" ...................
Redman said
01:21 PM May 25, 2009
My childhood memories of Empire Day in Goulburn NSW where I grew up were marching to the Odean Theatre with every other schoolkid in town ( probably about 2000 kids ) to hear some dignitary give a patriotic speech, singing Rule Britania and There'll Always be an England and then marching back to school.
We were always given the afternoon off. That gave us the opportunity to finish off our bonfires because, as every GN knows, Empire Day was synonymous with CRACKER NIGHT. This was near and dear to every schoolboy's heart and always celebrated with gusto.
Cheers,
Basil Faulty said
03:55 PM May 25, 2009
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes CRACKER NIGHT. The object of which was to get one of your lit bungers into someone elses bag of Crackers and watch the show....Loved the instructions on the crackers, "Light blue touchpaper and retire" "Do not hold in hand" "Emits showers of sparks" etc etc....Roman Candles were always fun because as we discovered you could hold them in your hand and set fire to someone elses clothing with the coloured balls, usually some poor girl you fancied because that was the way pubescent boys showed their affection......
Then of course next morning we would arise early to search for any unexploded fireworks to set off again.....
Leonard Teal used to give us the Empire Day pep talk at school, usually recite some Henry Lawson and yes sing Patriotic ditties.....
Bergholt said
11:38 PM May 25, 2009
Basil Faulty wrote:
Bergholt wrote:
Hmmmm........I was trying to visualize you marching up and down the passageway at home Basil......I'm a bit fond of rousing marching music myself.
Sounds like you enjoyed yourself !
I love a full english, this morning I had to swim 10 km to burn some of yesterdays extravagance off, fortunatley one of the other veterans I swim with has an MBE so that made all the difference.... Are you hinting at an other set of CD's "Patriotic Marches for Grey Nomads" could be interesting, I'll have a rummage in the record collection.... Basil wanders off ruminating this project humming the Dambusters March and remembers he has a recording somewhere of a "Mammoth Gavioli" playing marches....
Can't say I have heard your CD Basil, yes Dambusters among other marches and movie themes are favourites of mine. When at primary School, we learnt such songs as the British Grenadiers (Of all the worlds great heroes etc), and Annie Laurie (Maxwelton Braes are bonnie etc) and of course at the movies had to stand up for God Save the King (later Queen) if you didn't it was seen as unpatriotic and you were yelled at. And this was in Oz.........how things have changed, and the Empire has long ago crumbled, and cracker "Guy Fawkes" night has long gone and the grassed stuff figure representing him on top of the bonfire.
Berg
-- Edited by Bergholt on Monday 25th of May 2009 11:39:31 PM
-- Edited by Bergholt on Monday 25th of May 2009 11:41:51 PM
Bergholt said
12:01 AM May 26, 2009
Rolly wrote:
I'm Welsh born and, like so many others in the British Isles, take great exception to the perfidious English considering the whole of the country to be their fiefdom.
England is a minor part of the landscape; especially if one excises the the South Western areas of Cornwall and Devon, the inhabitants of which consider themselves to be separate from the mainstream.
Most of the real economic, industrial and social progress emanating from the UK has, in any case, been consequential upon the endeavours of almost everyone except those of anglo-saxon origin.
As for the "Empire" ...................
Hi Rolly,
Well, hopefully we are all Aussies now irrespective of our roots or where we were born, with many nationalities having contributed to our way of life wherever they may have hailed from. Who knows, one day we might even become a Republic, LOL!
Berg
Wombat 280 said
10:29 AM May 26, 2009
Australia love it or leave it.
No room for old country views of who was up who and who hasn't paid, without the support each other we are nothing. History teaches us one thing, conflict of ideals proves absolutely nothing in the long run we are all in it together .
-- Edited by Wombat 280 on Tuesday 26th of May 2009 10:33:18 AM
How about joining in in a rousing chorus of:
THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND
There'll always be an England,
While there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small
Beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England,
While there's a busy street,
Wherever there's a turning wheel
A million marching feet.
Red, white and blue,
What does it mean to you?
Surely you're proud
Shout it aloud.
Britons awake!
The Empire too,
We can depend on you,
Freedom remains
These are the chains
Nothing can break.
There'll always be an England,
And England shall be free,
If England means as much to you
As England means to me.
"This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in a silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house
Against the envy of less happier lands
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm
This England"
Are you hinting at an other set of CD's "Patriotic Marches for Grey Nomads" could be interesting, I'll have a rummage in the record collection....
Basil wanders off ruminating this project humming the Dambusters March and remembers he has a recording somewhere of a "Mammoth Gavioli" playing marches....
England is a minor part of the landscape; especially if one excises the the South Western areas of Cornwall and Devon, the inhabitants of which consider themselves to be separate from the mainstream.
Most of the real economic, industrial and social progress emanating from the UK has, in any case, been consequential upon the endeavours of almost everyone except those of anglo-saxon origin.
As for the "Empire" ...................
We were always given the afternoon off. That gave us the opportunity to finish off our bonfires because, as every GN knows, Empire Day was synonymous with CRACKER NIGHT. This was near and dear to every schoolboy's heart and always celebrated with gusto.
Cheers,
Then of course next morning we would arise early to search for any unexploded fireworks to set off again.....
Leonard Teal used to give us the Empire Day pep talk at school, usually recite some Henry Lawson and yes sing Patriotic ditties.....
Berg
-- Edited by Bergholt on Monday 25th of May 2009 11:39:31 PM
-- Edited by Bergholt on Monday 25th of May 2009 11:41:51 PM
Well, hopefully we are all Aussies now irrespective of our roots or where we were born, with many nationalities having contributed to our way of life wherever they may have hailed from. Who knows, one day we might even become a Republic, LOL!
Berg
No room for old country views of who was up who and who hasn't paid, without the support each other we are nothing. History teaches us one thing, conflict of ideals proves absolutely nothing in the long run we are all in it together .
-- Edited by Wombat 280 on Tuesday 26th of May 2009 10:33:18 AM