10 People with a Surname that is an English County

1. Sarah Lancashire, Actor
2. Susan Hampshire, Actor
3. Victoria Derbyshire, TV and Radio Journalist
4. Natasha Devon, Radio Journalist
5. David Essex, Musician
6. Judith Durham, Musician
7. Jack Wiltshire, Sportsman
8. Peter Norfolk, Sportsman
9. Bruce Kent, Political Activist
10. G Leonard Cheshire, Pilot and Philanthropist

Day off week 27 2019

I made the mistake last Tuesday of not having much of a plan for the day. As I think I've mentioned before, even free time needs to be organised for it to work. I had planned to read a book but it was not quite what I thought it was so that did not work out. I did go out fora coffee and back here I did some blogging on the various blogs and some tidying and one or two jobs that needed doing. In the afternoon my friend Chris phoned and we had a good chat. I was able to put his mind to rest regarding two songs going round his head (There is a mountain by Donovan and Joy to the world by Three dog night so I'm useful for something). He also had bad news,which coupled with other recent bad news regarding Christian ministers was rather depressing to hear. In the evening I watched England USA  in the women's world cup.It was disappointing to see England lose, especially with a missed penalty (their disallowed goal was clearly offside).

Almost the icing on the cake

Scotland made an amazing come back from 31-7 to almost beat England. It was a 38-38 draw. Extraordinary game. (Strangely more exiciting than the Wales win). Highest scoring draw in international rugby history.

Wales beat England 21-13

So good!

Gordon Banks

Gordon Banks of 1966 fame, the third to go now (after Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson and Alan Ball) was a minor boyhood hero of mine. He played for unfashionable clubs (Leicester and Stoke) and was a very sober and unflashy player, the sort that Alf Ramsey went for that fooled me a bit so that I was more impressed by Peter Shilton. I remember a comic including a series of pics showing that amazing save against Pele in 1970. I was on a train once and Gordon Banks happened to be on it too for some reason as we pulled into Paddington. Today the media are saying that he would have been knighted but for an admin error. I wonder how often that happens. It's odd the way we treat our heroes.

Quotation about the British

In the Gimson book I read recently I came across this description of the attitude of most British people given in a  book on Queen Victoria by the historian Cecil Woodham-Smith (who turns out to be a woman born in Tenby and writing in the seventies).

British belief in the superiority of the British nation knew no bounds. It was an article of faith that one Englishman could beat six Frenchmen, more than six of any other foreign nation, and it was an almost religious conviction that the British possessed a sense of justice and fair play to be found nowhere else. An Englishman stood up for the weak, faced disaster without losing his head, kept his word and never kicked a man when he was down.

My grandfather was a Victorian and even in the seventies when I grew up this attitude was sometimes in the air. it is not hoow people think today.

10 things about Sir Alf Ramsey

With football in the news I have recently read Leo McKinstry's biography of Sir Alf Ramsey. The biography is not without faults but gives you a good idea of the man, I would guess. There are some differences of opinion, eg on whether he was withour a sense of humour or very dry. He certainly was not without humour. Here are ten things I learned about him

1. He is the only manager to take England to a World Cup final and to win the World Cup
2. He is the only manager to take a side (Ipswich) and win the top division the year they came up.
3. He was an essentially shy man
4. He was a man obsessed with football
5. He was a man who saw that it is teams that win football matches not individuals
6. He is one of only 15 football knights
7. He ws a man who generally did not swear but who could use some very ripe language at times
8. He was an Englishman who hated the Scots
9. He did not have a very good relatioship with the press
10. he was the first England manager to select the team himself, something he insisted on

Mixed Day rugby wise

The bad news, of course, is that Wales lost to Ireland (37-27) in Dublin.

At least England lost to Scotland (25-13) at Murrayfield.

England lose to supermarket chain

In a new low for English football, the England team lost 2-1 to Iceland. Their manager has understandably resigned. That leaves Wales to carry the flag for these islands. We'll see.

It was not to be

So we lost in the end. England were the better side but they stole it only in injury time. I guessed we'd had it once they brought on Vardy. (Why they hadn't brought him on until then I cannot imagine). We are at least still in it and the man who scored the winner reads his Bible every day. It is the first time England have come back after going behind in major championship. Paradoxically, it would be great to see England win the competition. I can't really see how Wales can. We'll see.

Six nations finale

Not the end I would have scripted for the championship but it's been a good one, I guess. Wales walloped Italy and England eventually burnt off France, sadly.

10 Continental Reformed Pastors/Theologians who lived in England

1. Martin Bucer, German Reformer 1491-1551 (1549-1551)
2. Peter Martyr Vermigli, Italian Reformer 1499-1562 (1547-1553)
3. John Laski, Polish Reformer 1499-1560 (1550-1556)
4. Paul Fagius, German Hebraist 1504-1549 (1549)
5. Valerand Poullain, French Calvinist minister 1509?-1557 (1547-1553)
6. Immanuel Tremellius, Italian Jewish Hebraist 1510-1580 (1547-1553)
7. Francisco de Enzinas, Spanish scholar and apologist 1518?-1552 (1548, 1549)
8. Casiodoro de Reina,  Spanish Lutheran Theologian 1520-1594 (1533-1563)
9. Robert La Fontaine, French Calvinist minister 1535-1611 1572-1611
10. Pierre Alexandre, French Calvinist minister Dates unknown (1548-1553, 1559-1563)

More Definite Article Placenames

England - there are hundreds of these, surprisingly. See here.

 

1. The Arms (Norfolk)

2. The Barony (Cheshire and OY Gurnosrkney)

3. The Bog (Shropshire)

4. The Marsh (at least seven in various counties)

5. The Pitts (Wiltshire)

6. The Rocks (Kent and Gloucestershire)

7. The Stoops (Lancashire)

8. The Throat (Berkshire)

9. The Twittocks (Gloucestershire)

10. The Yeld (Shropshire)

Wales - there are over 90 of these. See here. (Also here). Besides Y Bala we have

 

1. Y Barri

2. Y Crwys

3. Y Dref

4. Y Fenni (Abergavenny)

5. Y Gurnos

6. Y Hendy

7. Y Mot

8. Y Rhws

9. Y Waun

10. Yr Wyddgrug (Mold)

10 Great English Classical Composers

1. John Dowland
2. William Byrd
3. Henry Purcell
4. George Frederic Handel (actually a German, but resided in England for a large portion of his life)
5. Edward Elgar
6. Frederick Delius
7. Gustav Holst
8. Ralph Vaughan Williams
9. Benjamin Britten
10. Malcolm Arnold

10 Football Knights

1. Trevor Brooking Jun-2004 For services to sport; also received CBE 1999 and MBE 1981

2. Matt Busby Jun-1969 After guiding Manchester United to the European Cup title

3. Bobby Charlton Jun-1994 For services to football; regarded as second footballer to be knighted; also received CBE 1974 and OBE 1969

4. Alex Ferguson Jun-1999 Only the eighth football manager or player to be knighted; was also awarded an OBE 1984 and a CBE 1995

5. Tom Finney Jan-1998 For services to football; regarded as third footballer to be knighted; also received CBE 1992 and OBE 1961

6. Geoff Hurst Jun-1998 For services to football; regarded as fourth footballer to be knighted; also received MBE 1975

7. Stanley Matthews Jan-1965 For services to football; regarded as first footballer to be knighted; also received CBE 1957 (the only footballer knighted whilst still playing - people feared the Queen would stab the ball by mistake ;-))

8. Alf Ramsey Jan-1967 For services to football (following England's 1966 World Cup triumph)

9. Bobby Robson Jun-2002 For services to football; also received CBE 1990

10. Walter Winterbottom 1978 For services to sport; also received CBE in 1972 and OBE in 1963 (first England manager)

10 countries that end with the word land in English

1. England
2. Scotland
3. Ireland
4. Switzerland
5. Poland 
6. Finland
7. Iceland
8. Greenland
9. Swaziland
10. Thailand

Hoghton Tower

On the last day of October I made a trip up country to visit Hoghton Tower. My initial interest was sparked by studies I am conducting at present into the life of Isaac Ambrose. It was worth seeing anyway, although it is very much a 19th century building now, though still keeping to the Tudor style. The guide to the house was okay but not really looking at it from the angle I wanted. James I slept there once and they claim a Shakespeare connection though it looked unlikely to me on the face of it. Well worth seeing if you are in that part of the world. For more on Isaac Ambrose see here.

England do it again

This was a little like the old England in places but not enough to throw it away and so a win over Sweden leaves them sitting pretty. Don't blow it!

Well done, England!

Many will be surprised at that heading but the truth is that again and again over the years I have sat down hoping England will do well only to give up at some point because of the disappointing attitude of the primadonnas that usually play. Well, this time it wasn't like that at all. How refreshing. Let's hope it stays that way.