November 10, 2006

English Icons

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. No mention of our very own greatest living Englishman.

posted by kitfisto 18 years ago
  • England would be nice, if there weren't so many damn English people there.
  • Is it English Day or something? "The English, the English, the English are best, Why, I wouldn't give tuppence for all of the rest." *Searches frantically for Flanders and Swann CDs*
  • Hello, Darling.
  • Hi, sweetie.
  • +++kitfitso Chy: Why do you think I moved from Bristol to Melbourne? (didn't work - Oz is full of brits).
  • I was asked today if I would move "home". I answered: "No chance".
  • I think we need Basil Drak's take on this one.
  • Oh no.
  • Bill talks about all things English in his new book on identity. So there you are.
  • Interesting, Captain, but I have to say I'm at a loss to know how Bob Dylan can have influenced his sense of Englishness. As for Simon and Garfunkel it must have been: ...each town looks the same to me The movies and the factories And every stranger's face I see Reminds me that I long to be Homeward bound ...which somebody once told me was inspired by being on tour in England (they managed to rip off 'Scarborough Fair' while they were here, so the trip wasn't completely wasted).
  • I have no comment, other than that I enjoyed the link.
  • "You can always tell an Englishman, but you can't tell him much". Also, what Lara said.
  • You forgot Marmite! And Bovril! And Wine Gums!
  • The rain. The rain...
  • The beaches covered in pebbles. Fucking awful. I lived in Whitstable for a while, there was nothing but mud & pebbles & Peter Cushing shopping at Tescos.
  • You saw Peter Cushing?
  • I didn't even know he cushed! *rimshot*
  • And no mention of Benny Hill! (Seriously, when I was growing up there were a good number of people for whom everything they knew about England, they learned from the Benny Hill show.)
  • I saw him regularly, Koko. He was well known in Whitstable. I met him several times. He was extremely nice.
  • Yay!
  • That is so cool. I met Jeff Goldblum at the Y a few years ago ...
  • I saw him regularly, Koko. *bows down low*
  • I couldn't find the entry for God.
  • Peter Cushing married Whoopie Goldberg... Excellent post, kit. Brought a tear to my eye, or was that the interest rate rise?