Letters To Father Christmas? Here Is The Official Address For Him

Father Christmas, found at: https://thegraphicsfairy.com/100-free-christmas-images/

It's that time of year when children are asking for the latest toys and gadgets for Christmas. It's always a good idea to get them to write to Father Christmas, and there is an official address courtesy of Royal Mail, 

1. Santa/Father Christmas
   Santa's Grotto
   Reindeerland
   XM4 5HQ
    
2. The last posting date is 8th December & don't forget to use a stamp

Rover Scouting

Rover Scouting began in August 1918 when it was mentioned in The Scouting Gazette by Baden Powell, and was properly established by November 1919. Originally catering for older boys, the scheme became defunct in the UK with the Scout Organisation, but carried on with others, such as BP Scouts, and British Boy Scouts. There are also plenty of independent Rover Crews which have no upper age limit, and are not affiliated to the World Scout Organisation or BP Scouts etc.



Traditional Rover Scout badges &shoulder boards

Earlier this year, Richard, a good friend of mine asked me if I would be interested in joining a Rover Crew. 'Rovers?', I said, 'Are they part of BP Scouts?'. 'No', he replied. They were a completely independent unit, that did not belong to any Scout organisation. Also, anyone over the age of 18 can join. There is no upper age limit. Traditional Scouting activities are undertaken, camping, walking, parades on Remembrance Sunday & St George's Day, service in the local community etc. You can even do activity badges, handyman, rambler, 

John Bunting Chapel, North Yorks Moors 

So anyway, I agreed, and with David from Durham we met at the end of August, and had a nice walk in inclement weather to the John Bunting Chapel in the North York Moors. (Click on the link)John Bunting Chapel  North Riding Rover Crew (Captain Allmand's Own) was born. Captain Allmand was a Rover Scout and Scout Master at Ampleforth, N.Yks before he left to join the army in WW2. Tragically he was killed in the Far East, an action in which he earned the VC, the only Rover from North Yorkshire known to have won the VC in that war. More info here: http://www.6thgurkhas.org/website/regiment-victoria-crosses/captain-michael-allmand 

It's early days, we are still few in number but we can only grow. We took part in the Pickering WW2 weekend parade with other independent units, Thane Rovers and British Boy Scouts. Richard had an article published in Best of British magazine which has produced some interest. Hopefully next year my health will have improved somewhat to get some more walking in.

Anyone from North Yorkshire interested in joining North Riding Rovers please contact: jonathansevers@hotmail.com, or richardbowman1@live.co.uk. Richard has a blog with loads of Scouting stuff here: http://1stvofpscoutarchive.blogspot.com/

Carrying Fire: September 3, 1917-2017This date, September 3, 201...

Carrying Fire: September 3, 1917-2017
This date, September 3, 201...: September 3, 1917-2017 This date, September 3, 2017,  marks the 100th birthday of my father, B-17 pilot Lt. Donald R. Christensen.  ...

Carrying Fire: Media coverage

Carrying Fire: Media coverage: My father's story has been carried in Utah's  The Deseret News  as well as  KSL News Radio .

There Is FAR Too Much Sensationalist News Nowadays

Floods In Austria, courtesy of Daily Telegraph

Sensationalist news. It's everywhere. TV, radio, newspapers, internet. The BBC is chockablock with it. Most of us aren't interested in Donald Trump. Quite frankly we're bored with his tweets, and bored hearing his voice. I am sure most people would like to hear more important news. 

I was in a local shop last week and the lady who served me got talking, her family lives in Austria, and Southern Austria has been devastated by floods in August. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-133199/82-die-Europes-worst-floods-decades.html

Austria wasn't the only country hit, Russia, Czech Republic, Croatia and China were all hit leaving 82 dead. The aftermath of these floods is still serious, forests swept away and massive mudslides, thousands of homes without electricity and homes destroyed.  Some come on mainstream media, lets hear some more news that affects ordinary people please.

Tomorrow is November 11th 2018. 100 years since the killing stopped on the Western Front. On a more positive note it is also 100 years since Baden Powell started the Rover Scout movement. I am proud to be part of a new Rover Scout Unit, North Riding Rover Crew, Captain Allmand's Own. Tomorrow, please attend your local Remembrance Service, take part in the silence and remember those who gave their tomorrow for our today. Including Captain Michael Allmand, VC.

'When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.'

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them."

Captain Allmand VC

I am guilty of not blogging for ages. There has been a fair bit of change in life recently, an operation followed by 4 months off work, am still recovering, so hence, no blogging. Watch this space, there will be weekly posts from now until Christmas.

Blame It On Brexit

Brexit 

I know I haven't written here for ages, since 2017, nevermind. I am pleased to see that people still visit this blog, thanks it's great people find it useful as a reference source.

Ducking stool

Nigel Farage

Brexit. Like it or loathe it there's no escaping it. What annoys me about the media and also all the remoaners who didn't like the outcome of the vote back in 2016 is that they have put Brexit on the same level as Witch hunting in the Seventeenth Century. What the hell are you on about? I hear you ask. Think about it. For example you are a dairy farmer, and suddenly one of your cows gives birth to  a three headed calf. Your cockerel stops crowing on a morning. Great Aunt Bertha didn't win on the Premium bonds. You get where I'm going with this? Brexit seems to be the scapegoat for every disaster, price rise and trivial obstruction in life. In reality, we are still part of the E.U, and major companies have not been scared by the thought of Great Britain & Northern Ireland being independent from foreign bureaucratic control from Brussels. Nissan, BMW and Vauxhall have all recently gone public with huge investment plans for expansion and long term investment in British factories. Why can't other companies follow suit instead of panicking, some declaring they are pullng out of Britain altogether? Companies such as Nissan & BMW realise that Britain will still play a huge part in the world's economy, even after Brexit.

Anyway, Please keep checking in every week to Olde Curiosity Blog, this year I am writing about one of my passions, birds.

#WW1 Tanks - A British Invention

Just watching Guy Martin on Channel 4, that man is so enthusiastic about anything, in this programme he is busy making a replica tank. The tank as we know it today is a British invention.

British MkIV tank found at:https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3223/2327945386_3ee6200089_b.jpg

Tanks were first used by the British & Canadian army in September 1916 at the Battle of Flers Courcelette where most of them broke down, but later versions proved more successful. http://www.canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2-McEwen-Tanks-at-Courcelette.pdf

Britain's National Anthem - Or is it the English National Anthem?

I read in one of the papers last week that Britain's national anthem had a line about crushing rebellious Scots. I thought it would not be included nowadays but it appears it still is. There is no wonder the Scottish sing 'Flower of Scotland' and not the national anthem at big events. A national anthem should not be insulting to a country's inhabitants.

first publicly performed in London, 1745

1. 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! 2. 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! 3. 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!

4. Not in this land alone, But be God's mercies known, From shore to shore! Lord make the nations see, That men should brothers be, And form one family, The wide world over. 5. From every latent foe, From the assassins blow, God save the Queen! O'er her thine arm extend, For Britain's sake defend, Our mother, prince, and friend, God save the Queen! 6. 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! Found at http://ingeb.org/songs/godsaveo.html

Personally I think we should have Rule Britannia as a national anthem. It is grander, very patriotic and actually contains the words Great Britain. It is about our country, not a person. 

Rule, Britannia!
Lyrics

Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

When Britain first, at heaven's command,
Arose from out the azure main,
This was the charter of the land,
And Guardian Angels sang this strain:

(Chorus)

The nations not so blest as thee
Must, in their turn, to tyrants fall,
While thou shalt flourish great and free:
The dread and envy of them all.

(Chorus)

Still more majestic shalt thou rise,
More dreadful from each foreign stroke,
As the loud blast that tears the skies
Serves but to root thy native oak.

(Chorus)

Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down
Will but arouse thy generous flame,
But work their woe and thy renown.

(Chorus)

To thee belongs the rural reign;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine;
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles, thine.

(Chorus)

The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coasts repair.
Blest isle! with matchless beauty crowned,
And manly hearts to guard the fair.

(Chorus)
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, rule the waves!
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

Found at:https://www.songandpraise.org/rule-brittania-lyrics.htm