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France's Agincourt?; (Battle of Bouvines)
Topic Started: Jul 26 2014, 09:58 AM (186 Views)
Steve K
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Once and future cynic
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One for Montjoie?

Have to confess as per the BBC opening I hadn't heard of it. An interesting read imho

Quote:
 
Exactly 800 years ago on Sunday, in a field next to what is now the airport of Lille, a battle was fought which determined the history of England.

Today few people in the UK have heard of Bouvines. It has none of the ring of an Agincourt or a Crecy. Probably that it is because England lost it. But the battle of 27 July, 1214 was just as significant as England's later victories over the French. Maybe more so. . . .


more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28484146



Edited by Steve K, Jul 26 2014, 10:00 AM.
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Cymru
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Losses tend not to be remembered unless they are heroic.

For all the pee taking of the French by the English it is worth remembering that from a position of controlling about half of modern France in the Middle Ages, the English were ejected from all of it by the sixteenth century.

The beauty of that for England though is losing their continental holdings forced them to look overseas, which of course led to the British Empire.

So those pronouncing doom if Britain left the EU might want to remember that the last time we left Europe we ended up with the largest empire in history. ;)
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Curious Cdn
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Really, England lost the hundred years war and you would likely only want to remember the battles that were successful for you.

Of course, you won the next seven wars against the French after that, though.
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Steve K
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and we've never lost to them at cricket either
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Curious Cdn
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Steve K
Jul 26 2014, 11:54 AM
and we've never lost to them at cricket either
I'm sure that cricket leaves them scratching their heads in wonderment ...
Edited by Curious Cdn, Jul 26 2014, 12:26 PM.
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Steve K
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Curious Cdn
Jul 26 2014, 12:26 PM
Steve K
Jul 26 2014, 11:54 AM
and we've never lost to them at cricket either
I'm sure that cricket leaves them scratching their heads in wonderment ...
I wonder if they play what we call French Cricket?

And if you think cricket is weird try Bat and Trap
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Curious Cdn
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Does it involve rolling wheels of cheese down you trousers?
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Steve K
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Curious Cdn
Jul 26 2014, 12:32 PM
Does it involve rolling wheels of cheese down you trousers?
No

Just for you http://batandtrap.org.uk/?page_id=329

It has the wonderful benefit that you can bat while still holding a pint of beer in the other hand for imbibing between balls. As I have been known to do

(haven't played it for a fair few years though)


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Curious Cdn
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That's kind of cool. May I offer an alternate method? Try bowling with a little trebuchet.
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johnofgwent
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Googling French Military Victories and clicking "I'm feeling lucky" used to take you to a site called albinoblacksheep.com that was good for a laugh as long as your claim to french ancestry was limited - as mine is - to having your ancestors leave the place as military consultants to William the Bastard and not going back.

My daughter HAD heard of it ... but only because she did A level history. I had not. The point was that a subdued (and, well, pretty mortified really) King John was then forced to give in to the barons who held his throne to ransom and the Magna Carta - which actually did absolutely bugger all for the ordinary man in the street - was born.
Edited by johnofgwent, Jul 26 2014, 03:06 PM.
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johnofgwent
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It .. It is GREEN !!
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Curious Cdn
Jul 26 2014, 12:47 PM
That's kind of cool. May I offer an alternate method? Try bowling with a little trebuchet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZxCEkGk6HI

A piano is set on fire and lobbed a significant distance.

Incredibly a bloke stands what seems mere feet from ground zero, wearing only a hard hat for protection.

I saw a full size replica of one of these machines for real, in the grounds of caerphilly castle, lob a decent size rock all the way into the moat a good quarter of a bloody mile away. The phrase "incoming rounds have right of way" was uppermost in my mind.

Having poked round youtube a bit, here is Dan Snow at the very machine I stood fifty yards from - at right angles to the direction of fire - and watched lob the rocks into the moat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR26RMI9T8c
Edited by johnofgwent, Jul 26 2014, 03:15 PM.
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