I can't believe that nobody has mentioned that today is the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar.

Well, there goes one of my personal goals, to be on board the HMS Victory on this very special day. I've been on her, back in 1976, but always wanted to return on this glorious day.

Now I've got until June 2015 to try to make the other goal, to be at Mont St Jean for the anniversary of Waterloo.

Here's to "the glorious memory" of Nelson and all the others.

Come cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year,
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?

Chorus
Heart of oak are our ships,
Jolly tars are our men,
We always are ready,
Steady, boys, steady,
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.

We ne'er see our foes but we will them to stay,
They never see us but they will use away,
If they run, why we follow, and run them ashore,
And if they won't fight us, we cannot do more.

Chorus

They swear they'll invade us, these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children and beaus,
But should their flat bottoms in darkness get o'er,
Still Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.

Chorus

Thought about it, but didn't have time before going to work this morning!! Trafalgar was the beginning of the end for Napoleon's european domination so it was important for more than just us Brits.Actually only 62% of HMS Victory's crew was English, there were Scots, Welsh and a small number of West Indians, Italians and Danes that had joined the ship at various ports of call on it's travels around the Atlantic & Mediteranean - an international bunch of tars.

I did have a gallon jar of genuine Navy rum that I was saving for this occasion but finances forced it's sale when I was last redundant (paid £1 for a raffle ticket and sold for £250 at auction!!) - pity as I was looking forward to that hangover.................

Hey,

do u guys know anything about the proposed idea of putting a statue of mandela in trafalgar square. read about it the newspapers here the otherday, and it is absurd to say the least.

I would hate to see, wooo best be careful with my wording here... Horatio have ol madiba for company. what are they thinking?? well then again the press here like to trump up stories and create a sense of national self-importance and false hero claims.

hope i handled this delicatly otherwise Jimbrae please delete it if this is a rant.

Regards,

ERik

It (sadly) wouldn't surprise me in the least....Jim

To Lord Nelson and the Sons of the Waves.

Bit late on this one, The so calles mayor of London Ken Livingstone has tried to have a statue of Mandela erected in Trafalger Square, but there was a lot of oppostion, whats he got to do with britains greatest hero, he was told not too politely to stick his statue outside Sth Africa house where it belongs .For any of you guys overseas when they mention that battle now it is advised that the French and spanish fleets be called the red team so no one gets upset

While I have absolutely no desire to get into a political debate, I would hardly say Mr Mandela falls into the "false hero" category.

Also, Erik, if anything the press in SA is persecuted by which ever party is is power... the only difference is that now everything is out in the open....


Sorry, Jim, I know it's off-topic...

Somewhat related - National Geographic had a great article on Nelson at Trafalgar in the October issue.

Worth a look.