As the world prepares for the Queen’s big party, I thought I would take this opportunity to relate a little of my family history, and also to explain why I love England and the English people.
My family more or less comes from Great Britain. We still have many relatives there. In one of those ironies that I love so much, the spelling of our last name, with the silent ‘e’ on the end, is quintessentially British. Why is that ironic, you are most likely asking? Because when we moved to this country, we didn’t have an ‘e’ on the end of our name. It somehow appeared during the process of becoming citizens of the United States. It may have been a simple typing error. Maybe a clerk just assumed that all English people named Brown must have an ‘e’ on the end of their name. For whatever reason, we decided that it was too much fuss and bother to go to the trouble of fixing it, so there you have it.
I love the British for many reasons. I study military history, and Britain, you may recall, once had a very large empire. They ruled a lot of people. And they don’t like to be pushed around. When you meet the average Englishman, they don’t seem particularly warlike. Quite the opposite, in fact. But just ask Adolf Hitler how tough the British can be when their backs are up against the wall.
The history of our family in England is colorful and varied. We have a great uncle who was mustard gassed in the first world war. He survived, but suffered problems with his lungs for the rest of his life. According to family lore, one of our illustrious ancestors was the next to the last person hung… or hanged(?)… in England for the crime of arson. He wasn’t the last one, or he would have been in the history books. That is just like our family. We participate in history, but we seldom make it. Oh well.
That is a picture of aunt Nora, from Leicester. I wish it was a better picture, but it is a scan of one tiny part of a family photo, and that is the best I could do. Aunt Nora used to come visit us frequently. She was one of the most wonderful women it has ever been my privilege to know. When my brothers and I missbehaved, she always threatened to ‘Starsky and Hutch’ us. She loved that show.
Aunt Nora worked with Missionaries in Africa between world wars. She was in the London underground stations during the Blitz, when Nazi bombers were bombing that city around the clock. I can picture her, sipping tea, and just deciding that she wasn’t going to let Mr. Hitler get in the way of a good cup of tea. You have to love the British! That and the fact that almost one third of my blog’s view hits come from the UK. Bless their hearts.
And they really know how to name their tea! This is an actual postcard I picked up in London. King George V seems to be delighted to endorse this beverage, as well he should be.
So I stand before you, proud of my English heritage… even though I am adopted, so technically I could be from anywhere… and say with honest sincerity, God Bless the Queen! And all of England and the United Kingdom! I apologize for us dragging you along on that miserably misconceived Iraq invasion thing… and Afghanistan… but that was all Dick Cheney’s fault, which is part of the reason I keep doing mean pictures of him. Because he deserves it. And sorry about our whole ‘Revolution’ phase. You know how kids are, allays rebelling against their parents. But you know we had to move out eventually. That is just the way nature works.
If my family had never moved from England, I like to think that I would be suave and debonair, like James Bond…
Or maybe Dr. Who…
Although I suppose it is more likely that I would have ended up as a soccer hooligan or a fishmonger, but whatever.
Please stay tuned for part 2, where I will discuss my three days in London, and give more reasons why we should all love the people of Great Britain. They don’t call it great for nothing.
Pouring My Art Out 
Figured you as Dr Who would wear a bow tie…
And royal guard aren’t allowed to smile… this is the kind of action that will keep you out of the Red Guard when I become Emperor of the Empire and defeat young Skywalker.
Sorry, I wasn’t really smiling… I was, by pure coincidence, saying the word ‘cheese’…
I am also part English. Maybe we can be like Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
Do I want to know which one you get to be?
Well, it was my idea so I get to be the buff black one.
That is how I will always think of you… I guess…
You may not be familiar with it but growing up I always watched the black version. It starred Sher “Pop N Lock” Homes and Tyrell Waton.
Never heard of it. But at least your comment makes some sense now… I guess. Can I talk to the dog again? I think we are bonding. And you might want to be careful about where you sit. Especially when you are naked.
And just so you know, now that the dog has told me that 10% of your views are purposefully over done, I think I like you a lot more. Well, maybe not more, but I do feel safer liking you the amount that I do.
You are on for a knighthood – give the Bearskin a comb though! That or a bit of conditioner next time in the shower.
I am using my bayonet to fluff it up… I thought bigger was better.
A cliffhanger!!! What the crap!? I don’t like cliffhangers so you’d better hurry up. 😉
Who are you talking to Lilly?
Well, since you chimed in, that can be directed to both of you, actually. lol
Lol. Joe is my best thing about the UK.
I think PMAO is just making it all up. Also, he doesn’t like me taking over his comment threads. 😉
He would like it if WE took over his comment threads. Wait, maybe not. His blog is PG. 😉
True…I was just thinking about blog ratings. How are you doing tonight?
Good. Just finished a stupid movie. You?
Just get it all out of your system.
Think of it as anticipation.
You forgot to mention the best thing about the UK, but I’ll let it go. Nice post though. I love the pics!
Dear pmao,
And Cumberland sausages. 🙂
This is the best post you’ve ever done. Ever. I doubt you’ll ever be able to better it. I love it – even though you mentioned HIS name. 🙂
Love Dotty xxx
Whoops… sorry, but I was apologizing for his boorish behavior… I am doing at least one more on ‘Old Blighty’…
I enjoyed reading this despite wishing so often to have been mainland european. But quite right-we do have tea. and Dr Who. Those two things could never be bad.
Yorkshire pudding… good beer… unarmed policemen… oh, I could go on and on.
ok, you did just point out something very important there…No one does beer like the English.
There you go.
And castles. Don’t forget castles.
Oh, I have pictures of castles coming…
And I almost forgot…Monty Python!
Led Zep. The Who.
Beatles. Dave Clark 5.
Fish and chips?
McVitie’s biscuits (covered with chocolate), Harrods, Covent Garden and the London Eye.
And some really hot actresses.
Don’t forget about Sherlock!
Of course not.
Excellent post! Don’t apologize for Afghanistan, the British had round one there during Queen Vicky’s (also a Diamond Jubilee celebrator) reign. They should have known you can’t drag the unwilling from the 7th century. I too have English ancestors and they are a great friend to the USA (maybe our only one).
In a way, the fact that the British suffered one of there few setbacks in that era the first time they went, made the fact that we took them back there more poignant. They must have been thinking about how well things went in the first round.
I can trace my family back to a 1550 London Haberdashery. Earlier than that-nothing.
Before haberdashery, there was nothing. People were so poorly dressed that they didn’t both to chronicle their lives.
Hey! Dr Who looks good on you!
Everybody looks good on me, and I look good on everybody… Ha!