BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 12:31 PM

I make no comment, but simply direct you to this article. In case it evaporates, here is the relevant bit (right at the bottom):
Today is July 14 when those dreadful people south of Dover celebrate the start of the French Revolution in 1789.

We Brits, too, are entitled to cheer.

A few years before the Revolution, the French king and his trendy, right-on aristocrat pals decided that liberty was very chic.

So they supported the Americans in their War of Independence and played a big part in kicking the Brits out of America.

A little later, however, the French peasants also discovered liberty and celebrated by chopping the heads off their king and his aristocratic pals.

Excellent.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 02:38 PM

it wasnt the brits it was the english not the brits cos the welsh didnt want that shitty country anyway and only went over for the rape and pilliage.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Gareth
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 04:48 PM

Actually Anon Guest, we Welsh, would go anyware for the pillage !!!

Hmmmm ! The 200th aniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar comes in about 2 years. Perhaps we should dig HMS Victory out of the Dock in Pompey ( Portsmouth ) refit her and sail her round to Chatham (where she was built) bombarding the French Coast en-route.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 05:48 PM

Meself I think that being in the European Union should mean that we all celebrate each others national days as holidays. And why stop there? Here's a site with a calendar of national days.

Mind it doesn't include the English one, but I suppose that's fair enough, since the English don't celebrate it anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 05:53 PM

We don't have a national day and everyone who is celebrating independence is usually celebrating it FROM us!1

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 05:56 PM

There are countries south of Dover???????

Libertie, Fraternitie et Legalite..... well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Gareth
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 07:07 PM

Well, the battle of Agincourt aniversery is on the 25th October.

Could I suggest that all Brits and Welsh give the Monsewers a traditional Archers Salute, with both fingers.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 07:28 PM

But don't forget 14th October - Battle of Hastings, 1066.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Gareth
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 07:33 PM

No problems there - The Saxons got shafted by the French.

Now if Harold had had some Welsh Archers, or if his own troops had been disciplined ??????

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 07:54 PM

The nearest approximation to Welsh at Hastings, of course, were the Bretons.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: The Walrus
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 07:55 PM

Ah yes, 14th July.

Maybe I'm just an old fart (all right! own up, who said "What do you mean 'maybe'"?), but every time I hear La Marseillaise (sp?), I always feel that I want to join in with the Vendeén version, it's almost the same as the 'standard' version except the last lines translates as:
"March, march,
"The blood of 'the blues'¹
"Shall redden our furrows"
Followed by a cry of "Vive Libertie, Vive La Vendeé"(and sometimes "A bas La Republique")

All right, I'll admit it - I'm a sad git.

Walrus

¹ 'The bules'- Republican troops (sent to crush the couter revolution in the Vendeé)
ps. Apologies for the excrable French.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 03:11 AM

LtS - contri to your query, there's a couple of countries south of Dover, tho' I can't remember which one I live in. Just follow the blues-birds, birdie....

"All-on you infants of pastrycooks"

One French Bastille Cerebration in NZ, was announcing the names of two Kiwi-Kids they are sending to France, for a 'cultural experience'. Apart from 'Parlez vous Francais', it seems the basic criterion for selection was knowledge of sport in France. Ummm...

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 03:19 AM

For shame, Gareth! Harold had the finest fighting force in Europe, but they'd just been up to Stamford Bridge and chucked the Danes out of England. Some historians out that battle on a par with Trafalgar: if William hadn't shown up, Harold would have had a large and very stabe kingdom, having united the whoe country. William was lucky theSaxons were all knackered from the long march up and back again, not to mention the battle.

And to al you Welsh, Scots, Irish and anyone else: yes, I know he said "Brits"; that's journos for you. I'd have said "English", ad out the credit/blame where it belongs.

Steve (in Britain, but not part of Britain!)

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 05:01 AM

Why would the Poms celebrate Bastille day? All they got out of it was another tewnty years of war, because the revolutionaries needed an external war to unite the country. Then, of course, Napoleon Bonaparte shafted the Revolution, and had his own war to rule the world (backstabbing, treacherous little turd that he was!).

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Teribus
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 07:47 AM

Kevin - Battle of Hastings - Norman Conquest - Not French

It had a lot to do with the Norsemen though and Duke William should have landed on English soil at the same time as Harold Hardrada of Norway, both laid claim to the Saxon throne. Unfortunately for both Harold's, Williams ships were delayed in sailing and he (William) managed to benefit from the outcome of Stamford Bridge and the exhaustion of Saxon Harold's troops. Harold Godwinson would have been better advised to remain north of the Thames and make William come to him - he more than likely would have won - still that's the way it goes.

Hrothgar - love the description of Napoleon.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 10:15 AM

Normans, like General de Gaulle.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 03:51 PM

Re your earlier post, McGrath. Of course the English dont celebrate a National Day. National Days are for foreigners, who need that sort of thing. The only English nation wide celebration is November 5: though nobody is clear what the celebration is about. Guy Fawkes' brave attempt, or the people who stopped him? Or maybe a bit of both.
   I celebrated Bastille day by eating some camembert, French bread(made in Stoke) and drinking wine. Well, the wine was Australian actually, but we mustnt be too parochial.
Those Rowntree Fruit Bastilles are good, I like the orange ones.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 05:36 PM

Ah, but according to Les Barker, too many died upon the Guillemot....

Incidentally, nice timing by Anadin, who revealed a new advert yesterday - Marie Antionette in her cell, asked to approach Mme La Guillotine, says 'non, j'avez un (pain) dans ma tete' (no, I have a headache, in schoolgirl French, bearing in mind I've not been a school girl for 22 years)... maid hands her a packet of Anadin pain relied and looks sheepish!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Teribus
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 02:57 AM

Kevin,

General Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille, capital city of the department du Nord, way up there by the Belgian border. He was not, nor, ever could be described as Norman.

The province received its historical identity during the invasions of the Normans (Danish, Norwegians), that gave it their name. In 911, by the treaty of Saint-Clair sur Epte, the king of France Charles the Simple, to avoid almost continual raids, disturbances and destruction (Rouen was sacked umpteen times), decided to give them the country, in exchange for a form of peaceful co-existence (this was the French equivalent of the English paying Danegelt). Normandy then constituted a dukedom owing allegiance to the throne of France.

Duke William of Normandy conspired with Harald Hardrada, King of Norway and Earl Tostig regarding the invasion, knowing that, if handled correctly, one of them would secure the crown of Harold Godwinson. Norman Conquest, Kevin, not French Conquest, the King of France played no part in it.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 03:24 AM

Earl Tostig -- wasn't he a jazz musician?

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Teribus
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 04:07 AM

Well Steve he appears to have had a formidable reputation with an axe.

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 06:49 AM

Now we've got this thread onto a musical basis, can we remove the BS' tag?

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Jul 03 - 01:29 PM

Aw, leave the French alone - the only war the French have ever won was their own Revolution, which even THEY couldn't screw up...... (although there are other countries that have managed it......)

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 03:38 AM

Yes, it's a shame, isn't it? The revolution must have been a real morale-booster (except for the aristos); but every time they tried it again, it went pear-shaped.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: The Walrus
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 08:05 AM

"...but every time they tried it again, it went pear-shaped..."

But pear shaped runs both ways... there is the story of the end of the end the Paris Commune, A batch of prisoners were to be shot in one of the public gardens - The firing squad formed a ring.....

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: Bastille Day: celebrating in England?
From: Steve Benbows protege
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 01:39 PM

Well to swing this conversation back to music, I played a hotclub/ Gypsy jazz gig for "Le Circle Francaise" which is for ex-pats living in Richmond (London.) A good time was had by all!!