tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post6296686894569203576..comments2024-03-27T16:39:43.522+00:00Comments on Liberal England: Emperor Haile Selassie visits Bishop's CastleJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-7900531832274284862017-05-15T09:35:55.568+01:002017-05-15T09:35:55.568+01:00While at Walcot Hall, he had an unintentionally hi...While at Walcot Hall, he had an unintentionally hilarious encounter with a writer, Ida Gandy, who had moved to Shropshire and later wrote a book, "An Idler In The Shropshire Borders", in which she related her encounter with the Emperor when invited to dine at Walcot Hall:<br />"He spoke no English and unfortunately my hosts mistakenly credited me with fluent French, and placed me next to him – that is, in an armchair at least a couple of yards away. In spite of my intense admiration and sympathy for him and his country, I found it impossible to proclaim it across this horrid gap, especially as the other guests seemed to be sitting in dead silence. In desperation I told him how I and my family had raced toy ducks down a mountain stream that morning."<br />brandnewguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08456753615182570235noreply@blogger.com