Stonehenge

Ishtar · Post by **Ishtar** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:27 am

kbs2244 wrote:So is that bad?

Even the Pope is German.

No - it was just a bit awkward during World Wars 1 and 2 when we were fighting the Germans.

kbs2244 · Post by **kbs2244** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:36 am

I recall a quote by a sports reporter talking about one of your soccer matches (a sport I do not pretend to know much about.)
It was concerning the German team coming to Britain.
It went something like:
“The German team has come to Britain to try and beat the British at their national sport. This seems only fair, since the British have twice beaten the Germans at theirs.”

Ishtar · Post by **Ishtar** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:44 am

LOL! Actually, we only beat them twice because of help from our allies, the Americans. Without that, by now the UK would be the Fourth Reich!

(I know a little bit about this because my father was a German PoW for five years during World War 2. I edited his book, Sojourn in Silesia, about it and also did this website for him: http://www.lamsdorfreunited.co.uk/ )

Every time we play the Germans at football, the commentators wade in with all their war jokes, to drum up the old tribal antagonisms. The last time England won the World Cup (1966), they had to beat the Germans to do it and British football has been reliving the event ever since.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:49 am

True KB, but a German relationship is a bit tenuous Ish, his maternal grandfather was German.
Victoria married a German, Albert, and some of her antecedents were German but to save red faces the family changed its name during WW1 from Sax Coberg Gotha to Windsor KB.

Ishtar · Post by **Ishtar** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:52 am

Yes, that's right Digit.

Of course, we are all part German anyway - in that we are partly Anglo Saxon and partly Celt!

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:57 am

Actually, we only beat them twice because of help from our allies, the Americans. Without that, by now the UK would be the Fourth Reich!

I am glad you said that Ish, far too many people flatly refuse to recognise that reality. Mrs Thatcher commented that everything that was bad in the 20 C came out of Europe and everything that was good came from America and Britain, and the French hated it!

Ishtar · Post by **Ishtar** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:04 am

I wouldn't be here, Digit, if it wasn't for the Americans. When they rescued my starved and emaciated father from a prisoner of war camp in Poland, he looked like a skeleton. He wouldn't have survived much longer ... let alone go on to meet my mother at a demob dance at Luton Hoo. They have just celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary!

Post by **Minimalist** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:26 am

dannan14 wrote:
Digit wrote:After all, the family were French!
Weren't all the Normans French?

Technically, they were Vikings.

Post by **Minimalist** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:31 am

“The German team has come to Britain to try and beat the British at their national sport. This seems only fair, since the British have twice beaten the Germans at theirs.”

Along those lines.....

"Why are the streets of Paris lined with trees?"

"The German Army likes to march in the shade."

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:32 am

Ditto Ish! My mother was Jewish, what chance would I have had? Damn little I think.

Ishtar · Post by **Ishtar** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:32 am

Minimalist wrote:
dannan14 wrote:
Digit wrote:After all, the family were French!
Weren't all the Normans French?

Technically, they were Vikings.

#

Vikings!

I thought they were from Normandy ....?

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:34 am

The Norman French were were descendents of Viking settlers Ish.

Post by **Minimalist** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:35 am

Vikings invaded and settled Normandy. They quickly absorbed French ways but the name "Norman" is derived from "Norseman."

History 101's lesson for today.

Ishtar · Post by **Ishtar** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:36 am

Gosh ... they didn't teach us that at school. Mind you, if they had, I wouldn't have been paying attention...

Post by **Minimalist** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:40 am