Menorca ................. My second home.

Menorca

Child labourers in 1880.

Who is in this picture ?

Menorca ........ Here I come ...............

Boxing match on board the USS Oregon in 1897

Photo's from the past .........

The pharmacist .................

A nice, calm and respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked up to the pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, "I'd like to buy some cyanide". The pharmacist asked, "Why in the world do you need cyanide?" The lady replied, "I need it to poison my husband." The pharmacist's eyes got big and he exclaimed, "Lord have mercy! I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband, that's against the law! I'll lose my license! They'll throw both of us in jail! All kinds of bad things will happen. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!" The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife. The pharmacist looked at the picture and said, "You didn't tell me you had a prescription."

Money Money ..............

There was a very rich Irishman who had a little dog. It meant the world to him. When the dog died, he went to the priest. “Father Murphy, my little dog is dead. I’d sure enough appreciate it if ye’d say a public mass fer ‘im.” “Sorry, Patrick,” said the priest,“We don’t say mass fer dogs ‘n’ the like. But you go on down there to the Protestant church.With their progressive thinking,who knows what they’ll do.” “Well, Father, I wouldn’t want to offend them. Do ya think a donation of a 100,000 pounds would be fitting fer such a service?” Patrick asked. “Now, Patrick, why didn’t ye tell me that there little dog was a Catholic in the first place!!!”

Xmas Picture

Early Xmas Picture

Funny Cats ....................

The County of London ..........

The County Of London was created in 1889. It consisted of the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Wandsworth, Poplar, Hackney, Bethnal Green, City Of London, Tower Hamlets, Islington, Holborn, Westminster, Marylebone, Paddington, Kensington & Chelsea and Stoke Newington. Outer boroughs such as Edmonton, Willesden and Newham did not become part of London until 1965. But, those areas were so built up they were probably described as London from around 1900 onwards. Pedantically your great grandmother born 1895 was born in Newham in Essex, but she was still maybe a Greater Londoner. The areas of London that were outside the Square Mile and that were formed into the new 1889 county were always considered London ie Soho, Islington etc.

Enjoy the good times .................

Another Picture of Lou Lou .........

Lou Lou .............

Before they became famous ...........

Actors and Actresses who changed thier name and became famous .... 1. Alphonso D'Abruzzo - Alan Alda 2. David Tynan O'Mahoney - Dave Allen 3. Julia Elizabeth Wells - Julie Andrews 4. Frederick Austerlitz - Fred Astaire

Menorca ........... Here we come ...........

Don't worry .......

Don't worry, the police are on their way and will be with you shortly...

Family History Poem ....

Days Gone By. Author: Unknown The special book upon the shelf, Was made with many hands. Our ancestors who posed back then, All came from different lands. Their pictures were all tucked away, And rarely did we see, The importance of these treasures- The start of you and me. The history of our families, Now here in black and white. Preserved with special care and time, Each page is done just right. When time permits, we take it down, And think of days long past. Our hopes, our dreams, our heritage, All safe and made to last.

The Doctor Addressing a Large Audience ...

A Doctor was addressing a large audience in Tampa.. 'The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining.. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. However, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we all have eaten, or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?' After several seconds of quiet, a 75-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said, 'Wedding Cake.'

Operation Mincemeat by Ben Mcintyre

I got this book as a xmas present from my wife. I knew the story of Operaton Mincemeat from the film and articles i had read in magazines, but this book is a must read. The deception involved getting a corpse with no family and dressing it up as an officer and floating it off to the Spanish shores with planted intelligence documents to fool the Germans about the Allieds' invasion plans.

Yellow 14 !!!

A man goes into the doctors feeling a little ill. The doctor checks him over and says, 'Sorry, I have some bad news, you have Yellow 24, a really nasty virus. It's called Yellow 24 because it turns your blood yellow and you usually only have 24 hours to live. There's no known cure so just go home and enjoy your final precious moments on earth..' So he trudges home to his wife and breaks the news. Distraught, she asks him to go to the bingo with her that evening as he's never been there with her before. They arrive at the bingo and with his first card he gets four corners and wins £35. Then, with the same card, he gets a line and wins £320 Then he gets the full house and wins £1000. Then the National Game comes up and he wins that too getting £380,000. The bingo caller gets him up on stage and says, 'Son, I've been here 20 years and I've never seen anyone win four corners, a line, the full-house and the national game on the same card. You must be the luckiest man on Earth!' 'Lucky?' he screamed. 'Lucky? I'll have you know I've got Yellow 24 .' 'OMG,' says the bingo caller. 'You've won the raffle as well !!

ONIONS !

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu... Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died. The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Snowman .................

A Friend ...........

Has it come to this in 2012?

Another two weeks in Menorca comes to an end ..

Menorca Here I come .....................

DEAR ANCESTOR ...........

Your tombstone stands among the rest;
Neglected and alone.
The name and date are chiseled out
On polished, marbled stone.
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn.
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh, in blood, in bone.
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own.
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so.
I wonder if you lived and loved,
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot,
And come to visit you.

Olympics .....

We had a great day at the Olympic Shooting event ....

“BEETHOVEN'S NINTH"

A tourist in Vienna is going through a graveyard and all of a sudden he hears some music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source. He finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: Ludwig Van Beethoven, 1770-1827. Then he realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades a friend to return with him. By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th. By the next day the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave. They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward. Just then the graveyard's caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the crowd asks him if he has an explanation for the music. "Don't you get it?" the caretaker said. "He's decomposing!"

Menorca ...

The place my wife and I adore. We be unable to go this year, but we will be thinking of the place and all the friends we may not see...

Long Time ...

It has been a while since I posted here. I must try to find time to keep this Blog upto date.

Email Scam ..............

Statement from Director of the 2011 Census, Glen Watson, Friday 27 January 2012

Email Scam

Issue date: 27 January 2012
Type: Statement

"We are aware that an email entitled 'Population Census: a message to everyone - act now' is being circulated, allegedly in the name of National Statistician, Jil Matheson. This email demands individuals provide further personal information, supposedly for the Census and threatens fines for non-compliance.

This email is a scam and a hoax. It has no connection whatsoever with the National Statistician, the 2011 Census or the Office for National Statistics.

We believe the links in the e-mail could download malware to any computer where the user clicks on the links. This could put your personal data, including financial information, at risk.

Anyone receiving this, or similar emails, should delete them, not open any links and certainly not provide any information.

For more information on how to protect yourself from this type of threat, please see www.getsafeonline.org

If you wish to, please report receipt of any such suspicious emails to www.actionfraud.org.uk

ONS takes the protection of personal census information extremely seriously. Collection of census data was completed last year and no further requests will be forthcoming from the Office for National Statistics relating to the 2011 Census."

Samsung Tablet 10.1

Cristmas was good to me this year lots of nice things including a Samsung Tablet. It is great fun and I am still learning.

Anyine know of the best apps ?

11-11-11

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

Author Unknown~

A Nice Picture ....

Man Flu !!!

1. Man-Flu is more painful than childbirth. This is an irrefutable scientific fact*.*(Based on a survey of over 100,000 men.)

2. Man-Flu is not 'just a cold'. It is a condition so severe that the germs from a single Man-Flu sneeze could wipe out entire tribes of people living in the rainforest. And probably loads of monkeys too.

3. Women do not contract Man-Flu. At worst they suffer from what is medically recognised as a 'Mild Girly Sniffle' - which, if a man caught, he would still be able to run, throw a ball, tear the phone book in half and compete in all other kinds of manly activities.

4. Men do not 'moan' when they have Man-Flu. They emit involuntary groans of agony that are entirely in proportion to the unbearable pain they are in.

5. Full recovery from Man-Flu will take place much quicker if their simple requests for care, sympathy, soup and regular exposure of womanly parts are met. Is that really so much to ask? Florence Nightingale would have done it.

6. More men die each year from MFN (Man-Flu Neglect) than lots and lots of other things. (Like rabbit attacks or choking on toast).

7. Men suffering from Man-Flu want nothing more than to get out of bed and come to work, but they are too selfless to risk spreading this awful condition amongst their friends and colleagues. In this sense, they are the greatest heroes this country has ever known.

8. In 1982 scientists managed to simulate the agonising symptoms of full blown Man-Flu in a female chimp. She became so ill that her head literally fell off.

9. Man-Flu germs are more powerful than He-Man, The Thundercats and The A-Team combined. They are too strong for weak, nasty tasting 'lady medicines' like Lemsip, so don't bother trying to force them on a victim of Man-Flu.

10. While it may seem like a Man-Flu sufferer is just lying around enjoying a football show on television, it is a commonly recognised medical fact that the exact pitch and frequency of the commentator’s voice has remarkable soothing powers.

Every minute in this country one man is struck down by Man-Flu. Women, all we ask is that each of you offers them soup, some kind words and your undivided attention and care. Then maybe, just maybe, we'll beat this monstrous disease together.

Time to give up driving ?

Family History Resource Disk ...

I am at present producing a disk of all my family history links which I have gathered over the last ten years.


I am also putting in information on how to go about your search for ralatives.


Hopefully, it will be finished in the next month.

Jay and the Americans ....

Those were the days .....

Menorca ...

The Fureys - Green Fields of France

We said a little prayer today.

We said a little prayer today
A prayer for mates who died
And no one here’s ashamed to say
There’s been some tears we’ve cried
For good mates full of zest for life
Cut down while in their prime
Amid the war’s furore and strife
Now gone before their time
We said a little prayer today
For all their families
And asking Lord for strength that they
Can bear their sadness, please!
For Parents who have lost a son
And Kids who lost their dad
And wives who’ve lost beloved ones
So tragic Lord, so sad.
We said a little prayer today
For strength and courage for
The mates and colleagues who must stay
Away to fight this war
We’re sure they’re sad to lose their friends
So help them bear the strain
That when one day this fighting ends
This cost won’t be in vain
We said a little prayer today
For those who sacrifice
Their lives in service in the fray
To pay our freedom’s price
O help us God to realise
As tears flow for the lost
Our Peace and freedom is the prize
That’s won at such a cost


Jim Cosgrove 2010

TEN REASONS WHY WE KNOW SANTA IS A MAN.

1. No dress sense.
2. Never replies t...o your letters.
3. The chances of getting what you ask for are NIL.
4. Beer belly.
5. Will only commit to one day a year.
6. Obsessed with stockings.
7. He never stops to ask for directions.
8. Too lazy to shave.
9. He always wears the same clothes.
10. Only willing to do a job where people leave food and booze out for him ... and he doesn't wash the plate up after himself!!!

For the comming cold winter days ...

Male or Female ....

FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in...
but you can see right through them.



PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off...
it takes a while to warm them up again.
They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons
are pushed...but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong Buttons.




TYRES: Tyres are male, because they go bald easily
and are often over inflated




HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object...
because to get them to go anywhere.....
you have to light a fire under them.




SPONGES: These are female...because they are soft.......
squeezable and retain water.




WEB PAGES:
Female...because they're constantly being looked at
and frequently getting hit on.



TRAINS: Definitely male...
because they always use the same old lines for
picking up people.



EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because....
over time...all the weight shifts to the bottom.



HAMMERS: Male... because in the last 5000 years......
they've hardly changed
at all...and are occasionally handy to have around.


THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male...
but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure,
he'd be lost without it...
and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push...
he just keeps trying

Another Rorke's Drift Poem ...

The Hero of Rorke's Drift

Twas at the camp of Rorke's Drift, and at tea-time,
And busily engaged in culinary operations was a private of the line;
But suddenly he paused, for he heard a clattering din,
When instantly two men on horseback drew rein beside him.

"News from the front!" said one, "Awful news!" said the other,
"Of which, we are afraid, will put us to great bother,
For the black Zulus are coming, and for our blood doth thirst,"
"And the force is cut up to pieces!" shouted the first.

"We're dead beat," said both, "but we've got to go on,"
And on they rode both, looking very woebegone;
Then Henry Hook put all thought of cooking out of his mind,
For he was surrounded with danger on every side he did find.

He was a private of the South Wales Borderers, Henry Hook,
Also a brave soldier, and an hospital cook;
A soldier of the Queen, who was always ready to obey,
And willing to serve God by night and day.

Then away to the Camp he ran, with his mind all in a shiver,
Shouting, "The force is cut up, sir, on the other side of the river!"
Which caused the officer in command with fear to quiver,
When Henry Hook the news to him did deliver.

Then Henry Hook saluted, and immediately retired,
And with courage undaunted his soul was fired,
And the cry rang out wildly, "The Zulus are coming!"
Then the alarm drums were instantly set a-drumming.

Then "Fall in! Fall in!" the commanders did cry,
And the men mustered out, ready to do and to die,
As British soldiers are always ready to do,
But, alas, on this occasion their numbers were but few.

They were only eighty in number, that brave British band,
And brave Lieutenant Broomhead did them command;
He gave orders to erect barricades without delay,
"It's the only plan I can see, men, to drive four thousand savages away."

Then the mealie bags and biscuit boxes were brought out,
And the breastwork was made quickly without fear or doubt,
And barely was it finished when some one cried in dismay,
"There's the Zulus coming just about twelve hundred yards away."

Methinks I see the noble hero, Henry Hook,
Because like a destroying angel he did look,
As he stood at the hospital entrance defending the patients there,
Bayoneting the Zulus, while their cries rent the air,
As they strove hard the hospital to enter in,
But he murdered them in scores, and thought it no sin.

In one of the hospital rooms was stationed Henry Hook,
And every inch a hero he did look,
Standing at his loophole he watched the Zulus come,
All shouting, and yelling, and at a quick run.

On they came, a countless host of savages with a rush,
But the gallant little band soon did their courage crush,
But the cool man Henry Hook at his post began to fire,
And in a short time those maddened brutes were forced to retire.

Still on came the savages into the barricade,
And still they were driven back, but undismayed.
Again they came into the barricade, yet they were driven back,
While darkness fell swift across the sun, dismal and black.

Then into the hospital the savages forced their way,
And in a moment they set fire to it without dismay,
Then Henry Hook flew" to assist the patients in the ward,
And the fighting there was fearful and hard.

With yell and shriek the Zulus rushed to the attack,
But for the sixth time they were driven back
By the brave British band, and Henry Hook,
Who was a brave soldier, surgeon, and hospital cook.

And when Lord Chelmsford heard of the victory that day,
He sent for Henry Hook without delay,
And they took the private before the commander,
And with his braces down, and without his coat, in battle array grandeur.

Then Lord Chelmsford said, "Henry Hook, give me your hand,
For your conduct to day has been hereoic and grand,
And without your assistance to-day we'd been at a loss,
And for your heroic behaviour you shall receive the Victoria Cross."

William Topaz McGonagall

Rorke's Drift By Arthur WALTERS.

Rorke's Drift

By Arthur WALTERS.

In the hush that was the dawning of a sultry tropic morning
Came suggestion of a rumble far away
We could not say from where, was it here or was it there?
To trace the sound was really hard to say.

As the mist rose from the grasses over hills and mountain passes
The rumble came more clearly to the ear.
As it echoed through the hills down the gullies and the rills,
The suspense filled mortal man with fear.

The rumble came on stronger, sometimes fading sometimes longer,
Looming nearer as each moment passed us by.
Chilling reason now was dawning, urgent bugles tuned a warning
And vultures circled slowly in the sky.

Now the din akin to thunder, made us scan the hills in wonder
The menace froze us solid to the core.
So with ammunition ready, we held our rifles steady,
A thin red line of soldiers braced for war.

We turned wagons on their backs, piled-up rows of mealie sacks,
Sturdy boxes... And all that lay to hand.
Now the heat was so intense, as we built up our defence,
T'was not our choice but we must make a stand.

Then suddenly against the sky, across the ridge, as thick as rye,
We saw a host and heard the stamping feet.
The mountainside became a mass of waving spears like ebon grass,
T'was do-or-die for us... With no retreat.

Four Thousand war-cries thundered as they came against our hundred,
Pouring down the hillsides and the slopes,
A solid wall, of shields, as they raced across the fields,
And encircling 'horns' were closing on our hopes.

We braced ourselves against the shock, our rifles ready at the 'cock'
The mighty Zulu impi now so near.
Our sergeant seeming very calm stood out front with lifted arm,
The sight of him dispelled a little fear.

He firmly ordered, Fire me boys them spears are sharp not toys!
And with those words we sent a hail of lead.
Mid bayonet thrust and cordite fumes, the stabbing spears and ostrich plumes,
The struggles raged around the mounting dead.

With savage conflict through the night our ranks were closed and sorely tight,
They pressed us to the buildings at our rear.
The battle now in Hellish glow from leaping flames set by the foe,
Our weapons red with heat, and hands to sear.

Inside we made a desperate stand, from room to room fought hand-to-hand,
With rifle butt we parried bloodied spear.
Companions falling all around, the Zulus slowly gave their ground.
Until at last the mission house was clear.

We chased them through the smoky pall, o'er the fence and mealie wall,
The rising sun proclaimed the break of day.
Wearily we turned aside to count the gallant men who died.
This carnage was a bitter price to pay.

Men in red coats, pallors white, once proud warriors, black as night,
Mingled where they'd fallen in their gore.
And around the gutted Mission station lay the bravest of the Zulu nation,
To never rise again for evermore...

All you need to know about Rorkes Drift ..

Courtesy Sal2009.com

Caravan for rent .......................

Lou Lou

This was a photo of Our little Kitten Lou Lou, and I used a drawing program called FotoSketcher.

It works well, but other photo's may have a different effect, but well worth a try.

Cell phone for Seniors ...

Annie Oakley 1894

Song of the Moment ....

"">

A Poem.

Long Tom O’ Pepworth’s Hill
(Anonymous)



He doth not speak in parable
Or whisper soft and low,
So all the folk of Ladysmith
His ever every accent know;
For he can bend the stiffest back
And mould the strongest will,
He’s quite a little autocrat,
Long Tom o’ Pepworth’s Hill.
We listen when he speaks in wrath,
We’re braver when he cools,
Yet he is very kind to men
If somewhat rough on mules.
He brings us bounding out of bed
When we would fain lie still,
We grumble but we all obey
Long Tom o’ Pepworth’s Hill.
A breezy bluff intrusive sort,
He visits everywhere,
Sometimes he seeks your cellar cool,
Sometimes your easy chair.
Sometimes he enters by the roof,
Sometimes the window sill,
It’s vain to say you’re not at home
To Tom o’ Pepworth’s Hill.

The Borough of Ladysmith.

The Borough of Ladysmith was Shelled on November 2, 1899.(Anonymous)


All within the leagured Bobs,
Calm and peaceful as of yore,
Sat the people silently waiting
The dread cannon’s awful roar.
Overhead the sun was shining,
All serene the landscape lay.
Waiting for the great disturbance
All expected on that day.
Then broke forth a voice of thunder -
With the shock the air was rent -
Overhead there came a something -
Instantly every head was bent.
Part a whistle – part a howling -
Part a scream. And part a yell –
Then a shock – a noise of bursting.
’Twas the “murmur of the shell”.

Printer help !

This is funny ....

A New Year !!!

Well, I have decided, that I must keep this blog upto date.


I will (I hope) post atleast once a week.



See you all soon.





Click on Image to enlarge.

I like this .............................

Just for Fun ....................

Night falls on Hong Kong.

Holidays

Well, its that of year again. I am on holiday in Menorca and I love the place.


Time to relax and forget about everything,

Mobile Phones

A GRISLY low budget public information film warning kids not to text while driving has become an international internet sensation with FIVE MILLION hits.

The 30-minute movie was made in a day by a former BBC producer using school kids as actors. It cost £10,000 to make, paid for by a local council and donations.



Warning - contains graphic scenes

Swine Flu update ...the panic spreads...

Update.

Things have been a little busy here, but I am starting to get my tasks sorted out.


I am still researching John Norwood VC, but things are going a little slow. I need help, In Ladysmith, there was a fellow office by the name of Ralph Legge Pomeroy, who was also at Oxford University with John, and I am trying to find more information on him. His family history may provide valueable info.


I am also rewriting my web pages. It's time for a change, but it will take time. I have the template and have finished the basic design of the Index Page, but still lots of work.

Michael - A Poem.

"There's something in your face, Michael, I've seen it all the day;
There's something quare that wasn't there when first ye wint away. . . ."

"It's just the Army life, mother, the drill, the left and right,
That puts the stiffinin' in yer spine and locks yer jaw up tight. . . ."

"There's something in your eyes, Michael, an' how they stare and stare --
You're lookin' at me now, me boy, as if I wasn't there. . . ."

"It's just the things I've seen, mother, the sights that come and come,
A bit o' broken, bloody pulp that used to be a chum. . . ."

"There's something on your heart, Michael, that makes ye wake at night,
And often when I hear ye moan, I trimble in me fright. . . ."

"It's just a man I killed, mother, a mother's son like me;
It seems he's always hauntin' me, he'll never let me be. . . ."

"But maybe he was bad, Michael, maybe it was right
To kill the inimy you hate in fair and honest fight. . . ."

"I did not hate at all, mother; he never did me harm;
I think he was a lad like me, who worked upon a farm. . . ."

"And what's it all about, Michael; why did you have to go,
A quiet, peaceful lad like you, and we were happy so? . . ."

"It's thim that's up above, mother, it's thim that sits an' rules;
We've got to fight the wars they make, it's us as are the fools. . . ."

"And what will be the end, Michael, and what's the use, I say,
Of fightin' if whoever wins it's us that's got to pay? . . ."

"Oh, it will be the end, mother, when lads like him and me,
That sweat to feed the ones above, decide that we'll be free. . . ."

"And when will that day come, Michael, and when will fightin' cease,
And simple folks may till their soil and live and love in peace? . . ."

"It's coming soon and soon, mother, it's nearer every day,
When only men who work and sweat will have a word to say;
When all who earn their honest bread in every land and soil
Will claim the Brotherhood of Man, the Comradeship of Toil;
When we, the Workers, all demand: `What are we fighting for?' . . .
Then, then we'll end that stupid crime, that devil's madness -- War."

By Robert W. Service




PS Thank you to BillyBoy for sending it to me.

Britains Got Talent 2009.

I have never watched this program .............. But last night I did watch the final and these guys were brill.

Picture of the Week.

They walk amongst us !!

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: 'Free to good home. You want it, you take it.' For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal.
It looked too good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: 'Fridge for sale £50.'

The next day someone stole it!

Lot's of things to do ....

The Father in Law came home after spending over 4 months in hospital.

This has been a busy time , but hopefully things can get back to normal. He needs to practice a little so he can get around , but he is getting there.


Have changed my Web Page hosts, I got fed up with Web Mania, always something going wrong and it was always my fault.


Here is the new link to my new host :


Sheptess


I hope to be post more often in the future.

The Smell of Battle.

Boer War 1899 to 1902

This site has lots of information.



This little video shows pictures of Cape Town and some of the soldiers who served there.

Thought for the day.

Handle every situation like a dog.

If you can't eat it or hump it.
Piss on it and walk away.

Tennyson of the Transvaal.

Oh those rides across the river
where the shallow stream runs wide
And a sunset’s beams were glossing
strips of sand on either side.
They would cross the sparkling river
on the brown horse and the bay,
Watch the willows sway and shiver
and the trembling shadows play.
'Tis a memory to be hoarded
of a foolish tale and fond,
Till another stream be forded
and they reach the great beyond.


Harry ‘Breaker’ Morant

WW1 War Poem.

In the Trenches.

I snatched two poppies
From the parapet’s ledge,
Two bright red poppies
That winked on the ledge.
Behind my ear
I stuck one through,
One blood red poppy
I gave to you.

The sandbags narrowed
And screwed out our jest,
And tore the poppy
You had on your breast ...
Down - a shell - O! Christ,
I am choked ... safe ... dust blind, I
See trench floor poppies
Strewn. Smashed you lie.

Anonymous Poem.

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.






But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear..
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

Author Unknown~

Another Great Picture.

If you are looking into your family tree (even though there is no Scottish interest) then this is the best forum around.


Scotlands Family Tree

Picture of the Week.

What a Picture ...

A Christmas Picture !!

It's that time of year again.....

Christmas will soon be here. I have already bought all of my wife's presents, so I dont have to worry.




I hope you are not too far behind, Never leave it to the last minute. Something always goes wrong.



Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day is here again,
On this day we remember all those who were slain.
The ones they left behind have endured much sorrow and pain.
But rest assured,
the whole world knows those brave ones didn't die in vain.

The poppies that you see people wear,
Are there to show you they still care.
We open our hearts so that we can share,
A moment of silence, and offer a prayer.

To all the soldiers who died saving our country.


~~By Patti Joyce.~~


Elaine's remembrance Day Poem Page

View my friends (Bill Norwood) Special Page.

Christmas in Ladysmith 1899

Christmas Day in South Africa falls almost at midsummer and the sun rises early, as did the Boers in 1899, immediately sniping at the town and sending over their big shells. Later in the day two of these shells land in the town but failed to detonate. On being opened, the engineers found that the detonators had been removed and the space filled with Christmas pudding. Written on the outside was the message "With the compliments of the season".

Read the rest of this story at ladysmithhistory.com


Read about Captain John Norwood VC Here. He served in the 5th Dragoon Guards at ladysmith.

Trick or Treat.

Every year before this one, we would draw the blinds and not take any notice of the door bell, and it worked.


This year, I bought sweets and waited ................... and waited .................. and guess what ....... No one come and knocked on our door.


Oh well, not to worry, there is always next year.

Norwood Family History Slide Show

Well, I have completed my friends web pages (for now, he will without doubt what something new).

If you Click Here, you will be able to see his slide show.


It shows quite a few members of his family.

Please let me know if you have any comments.

Oh Dear !

I have not been updating my blog, well, I have been busy designing a new web site.

Below is a preview of what I hope will be my best yet.




If you have any comments, I would pleased to hear from you.

Another Year's Holiday's Finished !

Well, I have just had my two weeks holidays. My wife and I went to Menorca, that's five times in the last six years , I think we like the place.


My Laptop cashed and so after four days, I was left with no option but to talk to the wife ! Ah well, there are worse things in life.

Norwood ...

Having helped my mate to compile his family history, (he has only just started, so there is a long way to go), he came across a relative who fought in the Boer War.


His name was John Norwood. This a an account of him : He died in the early month's of World War One.

My friend is enjoying his research with the ups,downs of researching the generations from the past.

What's New.

Well, I have been really busy the last few weeks. Work can get on top of you and you dont know which way to turn.




I have decided, to change this blog and let it become a outlet for information on Genealogy. I hope to add little bits of my Family Tree and any other little pieces of interesting things I pick up on the way.



Keep looking here, I hope the time will be available for me to add some comments very soon.

What's New.