This was played at a recent family funeral I attended
Very apt
In the good old days, England used to play regular soccer fixtures against Scotland, usually during May as part of the Home International Series involving England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. I vividly remember Scottish supporters displaying banners with the motif “Remember Prestonpans”.
Prestonpans is situated to the east of Edinburgh and was the scene of a landmark battle in Scottish history. In 1745, the Jacobite forces under Charles Edward Stuart (or Bonnie Prince Charlie as he is usually known) defeated the English at Prestonpans as part of his campaign to regain the English throne for his father. Encouraged by this, the Jacobites ventured as a far south as Derby causing panic in London which was virtually unprotected at the time. The Prince was persuaded by his advisers to retreat due to a their failure to gain the expected levels of support and the opportunity was lost. Eventually the Jacobite forces were massacred by the English under the Duke of Cumberland at Culloden Moor near Inverness in 1746. The Prince went on the run and escaped to France where he spent the rest of his life in exile.
During a recent trip to Edinburgh, I decided to pay a brief visit to Prestonpans to satisfy my curiosity. I found a quiet, pleasant bay with excellent sea views and a yacht club but few facilities. The nearby Cockenzie Power Station dominated the skyline although the numerous new housing developments inland indicated that other people shared my opinion about unrealised potential.
I was particularly disappointed to find no mention of the Battle of Prestonpans. There were no sign posts, no visitor centre and no pubs with historically accurate names.
There was a Museum of Industrial Heritage which looked interesting as were various unusual murals and I later found out that Prestonpans is a mural village with a mural trail. Musselburgh Racecourse was nearby as were the varied attractions of Scotland’s capital but there was nothing concerning the Jacobite rebellion. What a shame!
Eventually, I managed to track down a small information board about Prestonpans with some historical information about Bonnie Prince Charlie, the battle and other relevant facts about the area. I saw a signpost for a cairn commemorating the battle but after a brief search I couldn’t find anything obvious.
Modern day Scots are toying with the idea of independence but are they actually aware of the exploits of perhaps the greatest Scottish Nationalist of them all?
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A famous chant involves supporters singing the praises of their star player to the tune of “Guantanamera.” My first memory of it involved the Manchester City supporters in the late Seventies singing “there’s only one Kazy Deyna” about a Polish international player who played for them briefly.
Most people have a namesake and most people can describe the good and bad antics of somebody with the same name as them. A few people liven up the lives of their contemporaries with tales of a famous namesake and some actually change their name by deed poll to do this. Very few celebrities actually share the same name as each other because prospective candidates rightly don’t want to limit their career chances and usually adopt a suitable stage name at the earliest opportunity. Richard Burton is an exception to this rule.
Chronologically the second but probably the most famous Richard Burton was a Welsh actor who was nominated for an Oscar seven times without ever winning. His film roles included The Robe, The Spy who Came in from the Cold, Look Back in Anger, Becket and 1984. He also starred in Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolfe with Elizabeth Taylor and they were married on two separate occasions. This Richard Burton is probably best known for his heavy drinking, his womanising and his tempestuous, on-off relationship with Ms. Taylor who he met on the set of Cleopatra. He also had a successful stage career on both sides of the Atlantic and died in 1985 aged 58.
The other Richard Burton was far more interesting. He was a Victorian explorer who led a life that made Indiana Jones seem like a quiet and retiring chap. Richard Francis Burton travelled in disguise to Mecca and Medina to become one of the first non-Muslim Europeans to make and give a detailed description of the pilgrimage known as the Hajj. He led various expeditions to Africa on behalf of the Royal Geographical Society, explored the Great Lakes and attempted to locate the source of the River Nile. In 1858, this Richard Burton and his partner John Hanning Speke, discovered both Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria and the subsequent public quarrel about their adventures entertained Victorian society. Burton and Speke were due to publicly debate the subject but unfortunately Speke was killed in a tragic accident the day before.
This Richard Burton was a prodigious and erudite author who wrote articles and books on a wide range of diverse topics including travel, human behavior, falconry, fencing and ethnography. He was a renowned linguist who spoke approximately thirty European, Asian and African languages. This Richard Burton was responsible for the first full translations of both the “The Arabian Nights” and “The Karma Sutra” into English.
Richard Francis Burton served as British Consul to Fernando Po, Damascus, Santos and Triesteand was awarded a Knighthood in 1886. He died of a heart attack aged 69 in 1890 and is buried alongside his devoted wife Isabel at St Mary Magdalen’s Church in Mortlake near London. His remarkable tomb is the shape of a Bedouin tent and is a fitting tribute to his extraordinary life. It is well worth a visit.
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This famous book was written by George Orwell and was first published in 1949. It describes a totalitarian society of the future where everything and everybody is controlled by Big Brother and the Party. Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth rewriting old newspaper stories written mainly about people involved in the continual war being fought. When he embarks on a brief affair with fellow Party member Julia, Winston discovers that life might have a purpose after all and it opens his eyes to various new possibilities. Despite overwhelming odds and constant danger, Winston and Julia continue their affair, they begin to form their own views, begin to question the Party and are subsequently made aware of a conspiracy called The Brotherhood. Unfortunately for them, Big Brother will not tolerate any dissent even in the mind and anybody guilty of Thought Crime must enter Room 101.
In the book, Orwell introduced concepts and phrases which have become widely recognised and widely used today such as Big Brother, Room 101 and even Thought Crime. He predicted the National Lottery too.
All books are open to personal interpretation but most readers will recognise, amongst other things his prediction of political correctness, the war on terror and the influence of a large screen in each room.
I have read and re-read this book many times, it works on many different levels and can be interpreted in so many different ways. It is a fascinating story of an individual and his relationship with a large organisation and each time I read it I discover something new. It’s just as relevant today as on the day it was published
Obviously, a film version was always going to be released in 1984 and it starred John Hurt at the height of his fame and Richard Burton in his last role. Some familiar faces from TV also appear including Gregor Fisher later to star in Rab C Nesbit and Roger Lloyd Pack from Only Fools and Horses. Like most films of books it struggles to convey some of the subtleties of the original although the producers avoid the temptation to rewrite a revered text for the sake of convenience. The subject matter dealt with is hardly a laugh a minute and the film version is pretty grim fare but it tells the story of Winston Smith in a reasonable way and makes most of the important points.
Maybe an appearance by Mary Nesbit or Del Boy might’ve livened up proceedings. Probably not.
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In 1915, fighting during World War I had reached an obvious stalemate in Northern France. The Allied governments were looking for a way forward and noticed that in parts of southern Europe there were long stretches of coastline with difficult terrain, defended by Austrian and Turkish forces who were perceived to be weak. Germany seemed to have a “soft underbelly” and if a bridgehead could be established it would be relatively easily link up with Russia and drive straight into the heart of Europe.
The Gallipolli peninsula in present day Turkey was chosen as a point of attack but it proved to be much more difficult than expected. The coasts were windswept and bare with few bays and many steep cliffs. The land was well defended by 84 000 troops, the sea was heavily mined and attempts to use naval strength failed with the loss of two battleships.
Despite this, on 25th April 1915, an Allied army containing a large number of Australians and New Zealanders (ANZACs) landed at Gallipoli. Some attacks were successful because the Turks were unprepared but others were fiercely defended. At one beach, Allied troops were massacred and a British pilot reported that the sea was “absolutely red with blood”
The survivors fought their way in land to drive the Turks back and numerous footholds were gained. The Turks, under the determined leadership of a local commander called Kemal, continually prevented the Allied troops from capturing their real objective which was the hills above the beach which run along the whole length of the peninsula. Unfortunately for them, the Allied troops became trapped between the steep hills and the open beaches and repeated attacks led to awful losses with thousands dying to capture a few hundred yards.
They had no choice other than to dig in as the fighting continued and increased in intensity as the summer approached. In August, a second landing was made at the nearby Suvla Bay where 5 000 Turks were killed in one morning.
Between offensives, the men lived in awful conditions, sweating in the heat, surrounded by their dead with disease spreading like wildfire. Even so, a friendly respect grew between the opposing armies such that Allied troops threw tinned beef to the Turks who threw fruit and sweets back.
The Allied Generals in London began to have doubts about the operation and in November 1915, Lord Kitchener was sent to investigate. He soon realised it was hopeless to fight on, ordered a withdrawal and by January 1916, no Allied Troops were left at Gallipolli.
Every year, the 25th April is celebrated as ANZAC Day and it is commemorated throughout Australia and New Zealand. An annual Rugby League Test Match is staged between the two countries on or near to ANZAC Day and is called the ANZAC Test.
In 2015, to celebrate the centenary of Gallipoli and the ANZACs it is proposed that the ANZAC Test Match will take place in Turkey, possible at a large soccer stadium in Istanbul. This will be fitting tribute.
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I was born in Salford and worked for many years within the City but after a long absence I returned there recently for a brief visit. In reality, I visited Swinton which is a separate location within the City of Salford and is home to a small but busy shopping centre and the administrative offices of Salford council.
Famous Salford resident LS Lowry, who painted famous pictures of “match stalk men and match stalk cats and dogs” was actually a life long resident of Swinton and lived on Station Road nearby.
Swinton, and particularly Station road, are also famous for a Rugby League team who were once one of the biggest names in the game and in 1927/28 were one of only three clubs to win all four cups played for in one season. Their successful team of the 1960′s won the Championship twice with stars such as Alan Buckley, John Stopford and Ken Gowers.
Station Road was the venue for numerous international matches between Great Britain and other nations in particular Australia for the Rugby League Ashes. It was once called the “Aussie graveyard” because for many years Australia were unable to win there.
In 1930 at Swinton, in the third and deciding Test with the score standing at a very unusual 0-0 and time running out, Australia’s half-back Joe “Chimpy” Busch picked the scored what seemed like a match winning and Ashes winning try. Busch and his team were jubilant but the referee consulted the touch judge and over-turned his original decision.
In 1948, the Second Test match was played at Station Road and before the game, the Australian players paid homage in the corner where “Chimpy” Busch had been denied but they lost the match 17-6 and The Ashes with it. Station Road, once again proved to be the graveyard of the Aussies.
In 1950, Australia won the Ashes for the first time since 1920 when they won a series 2-1 on home soil but Great Britain regained them in 1952 at Station Road.
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In 1963, the Australians finally won at Station Road and became the first Australian team to win an Ashes series way from home. The result was a 50-12 massacre which was a record score at the time. Station Road was no longer an “Aussie graveyard”.
In 1992, the famous Swinton club had fallen upon hard times and the then directors decided to sell the ground to a housing company to clear debts. No consultation process was carried out with the supporters, the local council or the Rugby League authorities. It was an act of treachery and betrayal.
The Rugby League team are still called Swinton but have since played their matches at various locations including Bury FC and Sedgeley Park RU and have struggled ever since. They are currently enjoying their best season for many years and stand top of Championship 2. They play their games at The Willows which is the home of fierce rivals Salford but at least it is close to their traditional home. There is talk of them moving to a new purpose built stadium nearby. Let’s hope so
Station Road is a now a nondescript housing estate and when I visited I saw no mention made of it’s significance in Rugby League history. There was no signpost, no commemorative plaque or even roads named after famous Swinton, Great Britain or Australian players. It really is a great shame.
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If the potential to generate wealth exists everywhere why is it that relatively few people control almost all the riches? Why have some individuals and nations developed and prospered while others have languished and suffered in poverty? What is the difference between the “haves” and the “have nots”?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measure of the cumulative “value” of goods and services produced in an economy, that is the “value added” by human ingenuity and labor. GDP is an indicator of wealth. A cursory survey of countries and regions around the globe demonstrates a wide disparity in GDP and in the accumulation of wealth. Production, as measured through GDP, or prosperity, as measured in accumulated wealth, is not evenly distributed around the world, around a country, around a town, or around a neighborhood for that matter.
While the potential to contribute to GDP or accumulate wealth is virtually limitless, not all individuals and not all economic systems manifest that potential with the same efficiency.
Wealth is a function of the synthesis of motivation, ingenuity, and resources. Trade or economic activity is the catalyst. Wealth is built on three components: desire (wants or needs to satisfy); means (to produce or provide a product or service); and medium of exchange (system). In traditional economic parlance, money-making activity is a system of supply meeting demand.
To create anything of value people apply energy and talent manipulating elements of the environment. People act toward an end; that is employ knowledge, labor and resources to produce a product or service that is of use to others – adds value; satisfies wants or needs. Desire is the engine that drives the process while ideas are the creative spark that ignite and fuel the engine.
Ideas are accessible to everyone, free and abundant. Ideas only require preparation, focus and openness. An individual must be willing to think – question, imagine – and then receive. While the supply of ideas is inexhaustible, some people exploit the potential of ideas to create, some do not. In the same way, some people control wealth, most people do not.
In a world of limitless bounty the difference between “haves” and “have nots” can be found in each of the elements of building wealth: desire, means or medium. The wealthy are motivated by a base desire – they act; they acquire the means to produce; and they dominate, or are supported by, a system. The wealthy differentiate themselves from the masses by satisfying desires at a far greater rate than the rest of us.
The wealthy leverage assets to achieve definite ends. Most people, on the other hand, do not define ends but rather drift aimlessly about. Success does beget success. But essentially the difference between “haves” and “have nots”, the difference that matters, is the willingness to act.
Achievers are those bold enough to act. The wealthy exploit what is abundant, what is accessible to all of us – ideas. Ideas fuel progress and prosperity. Desire is the discriminator; as desire fuels action. In a reality of unlimited opportunities the difference between the “haves” and “have nots” is the motivation to act.
If you want to be wealthy focus on what motivates you. Your passion, your desire will drive your success.
Copyright (c) 2010 Scott F Paradis
Scott F. Paradis, author of “Promise and Potential: A Life of Wisdom, Courage, Strength and Will” http://www.promiseandpotential.com publishes “Insights” and a free weekly ezine, “Money, Power and the True Path to Prosperity”. Subscribe now at http://www.c-achieve.com
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In the past, electricity has usually been generated used fossil fuels such as coal but unfortunately these resources are finite and supplies have almost run out. In addition, their use has damaged the environment due to the large amount of carbon dioxide these generation methods produce and this contributes to the greenhouse effect and causes global warming.
We need to find some alternative energy sources quickly.
Possible sources of alternative energy include solar power, wind power, energy from the sea and biomass although there is no doubt that other possibilities exist and may become significant
Fossil fuels are so called because they were formed from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals.
Examples of fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas and they provide approximately 95% of the worlds energy needs.
When used to produce electricity coal is crushed then burned, used to heat water, the steam produced is used to turn turbines, the turbines turn generators and this generates electricity. Burning coal produces sulphur dioxide which causes acid rain. It also produces carbon dioxide which is the cause of the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Coal and other fossil fuels are finite resources and have almost run out. They will not last much longer.
We need to develop some alternative energy sources quickly
One possibility is nuclear power which produces approximately 11% of the worlds energy needs.
Nuclear fission is used to split uranium atoms and this produces energy in the form of heat.
This is used to heat water, the steam produced is used to turn turbines, the turbines turn generators which generate electricity.
It is not expensive, very reliable, very efficient and does not cause acid rain or global warming.
However, the small amount of waste produced is extremely dangerous and must be supervised and controlled for thousands of years. It must be protected from natural disasters and any other threats and the processes involved will be difficult and expensive.
If anything goes wrong, a major disaster will occur affecting millions of people e.g. Chernobyl.
Do we really want to leave such a legacy for our children?
During the next century, fuel will become increasingly scarce.
We will need to generate electricity to keep the lights on and keep our computers running.
Maybe we have no choice.
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In rugby strength and conditioning is vital, more so than in many other sports. The relentless physical contact, the aggression and energy required make it pretty sapping.
Despite these facts, you might be surprised to know that many amateur players don’t show up well in rugby strength and conditioning tests, according to research done for Sports Medicine journals. So even a once a week training programe is going to give you a good chance of doing well.
When thinking about rugby strength and conditioning you need to bear in mind the following target areas – you need to think about speed AND power, plus quick recovery as who knows when the ball is heading your way next in the backs, or as a forward there is that need to get to the breakdown quickly. Power is also needed to make solid tackles, or even better, bone-crunching ones.
Interval training is one way for a rugby strength and conditioning regime to produce results. It’s pretty simple in that periods of exercise are followed by periods of rest. If you think about it it does simulate the game, when there are frantic spells followed by pauses. It also means that there is less lactic acid in the system. 400 metre laps followed by rest would be one example.
Lower body exercises are also effective. They will help with power, whether it’s for jumping to grab the ball in the line-out, to holding your own in the scrum, or to get motoring when you receive the ball in the back.
To learn some of the inside secrets atheletes use to give them that edge head to strength training and conditioning plus you can find out how the two for two rule will transform your strength and conditioning workouts.
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Peter Hitchens Blog
