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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Trafalgar Day Lolcat
We all agree it is a long haul from the end of August to Christmas and an extra autumn bank holiday is needed.
Today is Trafalgar Day, one of the best candiates for that holiday. So here is a Lolcat.
In 2005 the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar happened to coincide with the day on which a group of friends here in Barcelona have our monthly lunch. One British patriot decided to start the proceedings off with a long-winded speech about the glorious day and ended up proposing a toast to the Immortal Memory -- before we had even started on the nibbles!
The Spanish people present were somewhat taken aback by this. They treated this old fellow with indulgence, but were really a bit reluctant when it came to drinking a toast to the day that saw the wholesale destruction of the Spanish navy and the end of Spain as a maritime power. Moreover, this state of affairs led in turn to the loss of the South American empire, where communications with Spain were inevitably neither as frequent nor as secure as they had been before Trafalgar.
It is true that Britain's main enemy at Trafalgar was France, but the Spanish navy was engaged as well. Spain was occupied and the navy was under French command, but the officers knew what was at stake for their own futures, assuming that the French would go away some day. The Spanish navy's anthem sings of the days from the glory of Lepanto to the disaster of Trafalgar.
British policy towards Spain was decidedly ambiguous. They wanted to stop Bonaparte and keep the Modern Age firmly south of the Channel, but they didn't really want a resurgent and very Catholic Spain either. So they blew the Spanish navy out of the water, then sent Wellington in to kick the French out.
In the ensuing civil wars the English sort of supported the Liberal faction and regional separatists against the Conservatives and centralists. But not so much that they could win convincingly you understand. Nobody wnated a reconstituted and strong Spain.
Why Trafalgar Day?
ReplyDeleteArmistice Day (November 11th) - a day of sober reflection rather than militaristic celebration - is the obvious candidate.
A Bank Holiday after the clocks go back would not be so much fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have never thought of them as being intended for sober reflection.
In 2005 the 200th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar happened to coincide with the day on which a group of friends here in Barcelona have our monthly lunch. One British patriot decided to start the proceedings off with a long-winded speech about the glorious day and ended up proposing a toast to the Immortal Memory -- before we had even started on the nibbles!
ReplyDeleteThe Spanish people present were somewhat taken aback by this. They treated this old fellow with indulgence, but were really a bit reluctant when it came to drinking a toast to the day that saw the wholesale destruction of the Spanish navy and the end of Spain as a maritime power. Moreover, this state of affairs led in turn to the loss of the South American empire, where communications with Spain were inevitably neither as frequent nor as secure as they had been before Trafalgar.
Alright then , Jonathan. How about Guy Fawkes on 5th November?
ReplyDeleteThis day is in danger of being swamped by the commercial intrusion of American Halloween tat.
Also, if we're going to attack Catholics, let's do it properly.
Lavengro: I suspect that went down as well as I did in a fishermen's pub in Devon when I mentioned how good the seafood is in Spain.
ReplyDeleteSimon: No, no. Traflagar was a victory over Godless Bonapartism.
And today at my local Farmers Market was also Apple Day.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that Britain's main enemy at Trafalgar was France, but the Spanish navy was engaged as well. Spain was occupied and the navy was under French command, but the officers knew what was at stake for their own futures, assuming that the French would go away some day. The Spanish navy's anthem sings of the days from the glory of Lepanto to the disaster of Trafalgar.
ReplyDeleteBritish policy towards Spain was decidedly ambiguous. They wanted to stop Bonaparte and keep the Modern Age firmly south of the Channel, but they didn't really want a resurgent and very Catholic Spain either. So they blew the Spanish navy out of the water, then sent Wellington in to kick the French out.
In the ensuing civil wars the English sort of supported the Liberal faction and regional separatists against the Conservatives and centralists. But not so much that they could win convincingly you understand. Nobody wnated a reconstituted and strong Spain.