What are you doing today?

[Grandad]

@Mad Dilys MD, did you see the end of the France v Ireland game? I thought that was 'down to the wire' drama and I was very pleased that Ireland just made it.
I agree, Wales did so well with all their injury problems, and Italy is now a team to reckon with. That wasn't the case when they enterred the competition to make it the 6 nations from the old 5.
Great stuff

[Mad Dilys]

Ah, I was saving the Ireland game for today - don't mind knowing the result, I shall still enjoy it.

I've always been a rugby fan since I was at Primary School and used to watch the Cranbrook School boys play after giving them back their ball, which my dog would steal after joining the game!

Robbie the dog was a Rhodesian Ridgeback cross Border Collie, the toughest, most intelligent dog I've known. He used to catch the cricket balls during games and could keep up with young greyhounds in training - mainly due to his killer instinct being more intense. The trainer said to me the first time we let him do it "I'll back Robbie when he's in trap one!"

[Grandad]

Oh I am so sorry to have mentioned the other game MD. Hope I have not spoiled your enjoyment.

[Mad Dilys]

Really no problem Grandad as I might have read it in the paper or seen it on the news. I'm sure I will enjoy it. Even if Ireland don't win.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Yesterday I watched the American NFL playoffs in the hotel streamed in, probably via Telemundo so all in Spanish. Definitely a different announcing style. Was with 2 other Canadian guys I met here after one of them clocked me a good one in the shoulder ....and will expand on the characters they are once I am back on laptop and can explain and elaborate.

Philadelphia Eagles won against the New England Patriots.

Today is a beach day and tonight am off on a cruise across Banderas Bay to see a show, akin to Cirque d'Soleil style show called "Savia" (used to be called Rhythms of the Night). Googling will give you the show and all the gorgeous costumes. The acrobatics, music and drumming are phenomenal.

[Horus]

Enjoy your evening out

[LovelyLadyLux]

Yup it was a 6.1 earthquake this morning, yup I was eating breakfast down by the beach and definitely felt it and yup just allowed back into my room (but one of the two elevators still broke)

Am waiting now for a delayed tsunami or something else this trip.

[Horus]

You don't seem to having much luck on this vacation LLL

[Grandad]

Not a bad day today, cold but fairly bright.

Seafood lunch at Chapmans with #2 son and his wife and Louis. Their work patterns and Louis' Saturday football means we seldom have an opportunity to get together for lunch. No prizes for guessing what Louis will have. It's moules frittes every time.

[Mad Dilys]

Well, what a feast of Rugby today for me.

Just watched Ireland v Italy recording it for later -but Having watched the first few minutes I watched the whole thing. Fantastic.

In about 20 minutes it's England v Wales, so I shall cheer both sides, but I secretly want Wales to win.

Cardiff is definitely a rugby town - there's a lovely bronze statue of a player in the concourse of the St. David's shopping centre and even more than one shops offering kit and memorabilia. I think the number of middle aged men who are needing knee replacements is remarkable but understandable.

[Grandad]

@Mad Dilys That was a close thing MD but the best team won.......but only just.

[Mad Dilys]

Afraid so Grandad I must say the English team looked very different from last year when they were mauled by the Italians, however I like the current Welsh tactics. They are quick, very fit ( no spare tyres like the Italians who didn't jump once for a throw in in the first half of their match - quite an effort in the second half too )

The English were better, if heavier more organised than the Welsh on the day and deserved their win.

So this afternoon it's Scotland v France

My money is on France for this match. Predicted score Scotland 7 to France 18

[Grandad]

Wow MD, you really do FOLLOW this REAL MANS game.

[Horus]

I am quite busy at the moment as I have been temporarily called out of retirement by a company that makes beauty products in order to do them some equipment design drawings for an injection moulding project they are planning to have made. I must confess to actually enjoying it, especially as a lot of it requires 3 Dimensional work which I like and with the weather so miserable I can’t really get out very much with Annie. I always have either a TV or a radio on when I am on my PC (which is most of my free time) so I have been half watching the Winter Olympics as I beaver away and cannot express how much I am impressed by all these young participants in the snow-boarding and skiing events, they are all fantastic. What a wonderful example of our young people all over the world who can still amaze us oldies with their skill, I feel so happy on their behalf to see them doing so well and maybe, just maybe, the world is not such a bad place after all.

[Mad Dilys]

Absolutely agree about the inspiration Horus - have you seen the young paralypian who has neither hands nor feet, but studied ballet and skis? She is on a lovely new advert on BBC to inspire individuals to tackle their own goals whatever their age or ability.

[Mad Dilys]

Wow MD, you really do FOLLOW this REAL MANS game.

I beg your pardon Grandad, surely you mean People's game - how very non-PC of you.

Women play it too you know!

But I've never watched women play.

PS About 30 years ago I suggested to my DH from Luxor that he would look great in a number 3 shirt make a good prop forward and built to run. He was horrified, hates exercise.

[Horus]

On the subject of being none PC, I have never been one for people being offended by some silly PC correctness or someone’s insistence that they find this or that offensive. I for one always refuse to apologise for any past transgressions by my own country whether that be slavery, colonialism or some other ism that I had nothing to do with. Basically I adopt a live and let live attitude just so long a sit does not impinge upon my own life in some way, so what is the point of this thread? Well whilst watching the TV this afternoon the Scotland versus France rugby match was on and as is often the case the Scottish team and it’s supporters sang Flower of Scotland considered by many Scots to be their national anthem, now I quite like the melody and like to hear it being sung, but it got me thinking.

It contains the words:

Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
To think again.

The Hills are bare now,
And Autumn leaves
lie thick and still,
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
To think again.

Those days are past now,
And in the past
they must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
To think again.
All in all quite grandiose claims when you consider the historic results of battles between the English and the Scots especially during the reign of Edward I (A.K.A. Edward Long-shanks, ‘Hammer of the Scots’) However my point is the words which by any measure are directed against the English and in a PC world would be deemed as unsuitable, especially at a sporting event.

Now contrast that with the English National anthem which contains the words:
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen!

O Lord our God arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall:
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen!

Fairly general sentiments of blessing the monarch and hoping they live forever with a plea that god will save us from our enemies. So far so good, but there is another verse that goes:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King

Marshal Wade being the man who constructed the military road the B6318 that passes close to Hadrian’s Wall and heads towards Scotland with the express intent of moving his army Northwards from Carlisle to ‘crush’ the Scots during the Jacobite Rebellion.
So on a point of order only I ask, “why is it considered OK for those words to be used in the Flower of Scotland song aimed towards the English at a sporting event, whereas if the English were to start singing the 4th verse at a sporting event there would be an uproar”? Food for thought.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Our national anthem was just officially changed last week from ''in all thy sons command" to something like "to all of US command" as apparently now any reference to us using anything other than gender neutral words is taboo.

Our PM just corrected a questioner who said "mankind" and told her the word was now "peoplekind" !!! We can't have gender words controlling us.

This present PM is quite a piece of work in so very many ways.

[Mad Dilys]

Well, my forecast was slightly wrong Grandad, good job I had no money on it!

I was so entranced by the match I fell asleep after about 25 minutes and woke up half an hour after it had finished!

[Mad Dilys]

Apart from anything else the "Poetry" of the two Anthems is pretty awful though I think the English one is slightly worse.

When it comes to the music I think the Scots and the Welsh beat us hands down - beautiful, never mind the words.