THE BRITISH THREAD II

Just click on the link, spendius:

Bernard Shaw left a lot of his money in some sort of foundation to extend the alphabet to 42(?) letters.

Maybe these folks are helping to spend it.

They are wasting their time. Mastering English spelling is a "hurdle" in the rat race. Do they want to remove the hurdles?

That would make the Olympic Games look silly in principle.

Spelling changes gradually.



Book 111 of Arthur Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses (1567) on Echo.

And it is hard to think of a phrase more absolutely, unspeakably awful that "absolutely, unspeakably awful".

I would want no English instruction from anyone who goes public with that dire solecism.

I would cancel The Observer.

Sure! That's the meaning of life.

you didnt qualify!! because you're not in Europe....er just like England, but for slightly different reasons

Do you know what, I think that article is a load of bollocks.

Anything worth having is worth the effort of getting. Kids have "difficulty learning" English grammar and spelling because teaching (and school discipline) standards have slipped so far, and because too few parents promote reading with their children.

Hear hear!!

The Observer just wants to be popular with the lazy and help them to justify their uselessness.

It's not your fault my little luvvies, it's the bloody silly language we have inherited type of shite.

I'd cancel it Walt if I was you.

Try VIZ.

And I saw two Croation fans interviewed and they spoke better English than the sodding Observer does.

Just fans. A couple of ordinary lads too. One had a red and white coxcombe on his head and the other had done his teeth in the colours alternately.

Likely prospects, I thought, for the European legislative assembly in about thirty years.

Ovid's Metamorphoses (in translation) and Viz quoted here, on the same page too.
I think this must be some kind of record.

Morning, all.

Yesterday we thought we would like to see the sea and so we went down the Wirral to Hoylake. Now I didn't know whether Hoylake had a promenade but I needn't have worried, it's got miles and bloody miles of promenade and when we got there the good weather had not yet brought many people out- not like in Germany where they start early. So parking was no problen and we walked for ages by the shore towards New Brighton with views of Crosby and Bootle (not too bad at a distance, lending enchantment) and in the other direction, the mountains of North Wales. It was very warm and sunny, balmy breezes, and her indoors got a bit of sunburn on legs and arms.
The tide was fully out so there was an impressive expanse of sand, the sea a distant blue line at first, with some ships going to the port. We spoke to one of the crew of the Hoylake Lifeboat who had seen Ark Royal passing the day before. Dave was very chatty and told us about previous callouts- a record number last year but only one so far this year! Go figure. Maybe it was too windy earlier in the year and deterred frivolous passage attempts.
On the walk back (looking towards Wales) we saw and heard a skylark which was a coincidence because not too long ago her indoors claimed she had never seen one, which surprised me a lot because when I was a lad they were quite a common sight and sound of summertime. Fewer of them about now, apparently. A never-to be forgotten experience, first skylark, an inspirational bird. Hail to thee, blythe spirit.

Then, after lunch in a Hoylake cafe and driving up to see New Brighton and Wallasey, to get a glimse of Liverpool with Ark Royal moored at the Pierhead, we came past a kite festival being held on the front at New Brighton and a very stirring sight it was, with many large and colourful kites aloft. Pictures to follow, perhaps.

New Brighton Kite Festival, yesterday

Very nice McT

Things have changed!

Years ago I remember New Brighton primarily as a decrepit fun fair, wind rain and a beach comprising compacted mud oil sand and sewage.

Yes those were the days.

btw what are all those boats doing parked on the land? If thats the standard of seamanship no wonder the lifeboat's called out so often.

Look again at the pic ...



See that sign?



Some had to park there ...

Thanks to the unflagging efforts of North West Water and United Utilities, prompted by many an EC Directive over the years, the River Mersey has been cleaned up and seldom now deposits sewage (Mersey goldfish) on the beaches of its estuary.

Nice. Thete's trout and salmon in the Mersey and the Thames, now.



Well perhaps not too many salmon, yet.

Right, the sun is splitting the rocks here again. I've done my chores, I'm going out on my bike.

Morning World!

Mac - those pics were fab

Hope all's well with one and all.

Stevie - I'm packing madly - moving on Wed/Thurs - aaaaaaaaaghhhhh - very excited

have a good one izzy.

remember to stay calm.

there's plenty of time to panic later.

McT

remember to drink!!!

Robinsons
Tetleys
Wadworths 6X

or preferably...for the first pint at least unadulterated H2O.

I think the world (okay, maybe only the UK) has gone drinks mad.

In recent years we've been told to drink umpteen pints of water a day (this is now thought to be wrong advice, and your kidneys will go on working perfectly well without) and kids rarely go anywhere without a bottle or a can in their hand, usually opened, frequently being consumed on the move. Looks very sloppy btw as well as unnecessary.
People on walks? carry water. Jogging? Carry water if you're going to be away from the house for more than ten minutes. Football or other sports? Impossible to perform without quantities of water being present or better yet, "performance drinks".

I say, pish-tosh and phooey. How did Thesiger and Lawrence traverse and subdue the desert wastes? With isoponic, pH-balanced dummys within easy reach? A sip from a muddy puddle every three days was enough, preferably if the camels had pissed in it first. Britain did not become great until it was partially dehydrated, spurring it to greater effort, I think I may say without fear of contradiction.

OK?

Attention Steve. Did you see what Holland did to Italy in Bern tonight? In case you missed it, the world champions tasted defeat to the tune of 3-0. "Hup Holland hup".

Hi Dutchy, nice to see you. Trust you are ok mate.


Holland did great mate. Lets hope they keep it up.

Nice one!

Wow Mac, New Brighton has really changed, I've not been there since I was about 10.


Your photographs are good too. I like them mate.


Looks like everybody was having a good old day out.


Keep the bike riding up too Mac, it is meant to be good for you.

What about that first goal Dutch.

I automatically assumed that the Holland players would allow the Italian to whom the resulting kick-off was passed to to carry the ball in a long series of headers, knee-ers and back tricks culminating in him heading into the net whilst everybody laughed and applauded and honour was restored.

That that didn't happen is a black mark. A besmirching of the sporting spirit.

If such a thing ever happens to our gallant England team, whose absence is inexplicable and can only be due to somebody having lost the plot, a henpecked husband probably, I have evey confidence that they will do the decent thing.

You could be looking at stealing candy off a baby whilst its attention had been diverted otherwise.