This thread starts with an ambiguity.

Are you talking about the history of your country - conceived of as a geographic entity - or of your nation - conceived of as a political &/or social entity.

For the USA, the nation pretty clearly started with Washington and friends in 1776. The (human) history of the country is at least 11,000 years.

For The Poms, it is much more complicated. The human history of the British Isles is much longer - so long that the question of what actually counts as human arises. The nation of "England" might go back to Alfred the Great, or perhaps to William the Conqueror, or even - if nations are truly united by a shared language and body of cultural literature - to Chaucer.
Britain, a strange grouping of different peoples, formed politically after Elizabeth I, and really only formed culturally in the 1800s with the romantic movement who largely invented a shared mythology.

Australia? Humans for at least 40,000 years, European settlement in Sydney in 1788; six states federated in 1901 with the guidance of some chap named Parkes who had a very impressive beard. We had a national cricket team by 1877, though. And they beat the poms. :D

Everyone had an impressive beard in 1901. Even the women.
Don't you be getting all uppity.

The first time I'd ever heard of the Norman Conquest was in a Monty Python song. I was a teenager.

Only three years you really need to know.

1066
1666
1966

Easy.

found it.

Not so much a geographic entity, I think. I was thinking the entity that you consider to be your nation.

Ah, but if you want real historical data, you have to look to Newman and Baddiel.

I think we're straying off the topic a little though.

Oh that's fucking bizarre. I was watching the History Today skits this morning!

(This post was brought to you by Lazy-Arse Procrastination Inc. and the letter Tea)


One of my professors during my undergrad course reminde dme of these two. He pronounced 'questionnaire' as 'kestionaire'


Rob Newman was on my list of allowed celeb affairs when I was with J :p Such a shame they couldn't get on.



[eta] 'and that's your bedtime that is. That's your bedtime on a Friday night'

Heard DB on Richard Bacon just the other day.
To compensate for my problem with faces, I do have an excellent ear for voices. Even if I say so myself.

I only put the radio on because I was having a poo and it serves the dual purpose of masking the noise and alerting the 'rents that the toilet is occupied. I realised who it was immediately (see above) and retired to my room to listen to the rest of the interview. I love 5 Live for everything except sport :)

He is back in contact with Rob and they get on well these days. Not best buds. Probably not as close as Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams. But getting on when they meet up. No plans to work together though. At all.

Oh and DB was on Bacon to promote his new book, which I will definitely read at some point. But he spoke about everything but. I find this is generally the case with his really good guests (by which I mean the ones I really like). Excellent radio. Rubbish promotion.

Excellent thread! Thanks Dana, Sundae & the others. I'm trying to take in as much info about Britain as I can although sadly I forget most of it. I remember though reading a book about British furniture (and fringing on architecture too) about 30 years ago. Starting from wattle and daub and ending, I think, in the 19th century. It's the small things that give you an idea of the life and culture.
Just on the finishing pages of this from an earlier trawl through Oxfams

Attachment 32618

(short stories about people, not about London landmarks).

And started on these from this week's Oxfam booty:

Attachment 32619 Attachment 32620

I love the English language (BE) and learning about its etymology :)

Classes 3 and 4 made wattle and daub fences last term. They looked marvellous. To start with. But they took a heck of a lot of work. Which was part of the point of the lessons of course.

I think it's a great way to connect children to history. I want them to build a Wicker Man next year :)

PS - cool books! My local Oxfam only tends to have bestsellers people want to discard; Jodi Picault et al. Although when I volunteered at Save the Children I admit I skimmed the best ones before they reached the shelves. I paid the going price for them though! Trust me, no child starved through my actions.