Muslim asks about discrimination, gets awesome answer!

This lady is so right. I wish we had a politician like her in the UK. She is not being wicked or bad to the young Muslim lady, but she is pointing out episodes from history from many ideologies that made peaceful majorities irrelevent. How very right she is.

Red Baron (Manfred Von Richofen) Replica Fokker Dr1 Dreidecker

An aviation enthusiast named Paul Ford has spent £180,000 building an exact replica of Manfred Von Richtofen's Fokker Dr1 Dreidecker. This was the deadly German WWI fighter plane that Richtofen used among the 70 allied pilots he shot down. He was nicknamed; The Red Baron.

Now Paul Ford intends to take people up in his replica of the original WWI plane to indulge in mock dogfights.

Did Boudicca - The Iceni Warrior Queen Meet Queen Caritmandua of Brigantes

Queen Cartimandua of Brigantes

Ancient Britons fought the Romans for a number of decades from 44 AD to 120 AD. There continued to be tribal unrest in Caledonia (Scotland) but much of the rest of Britain gradually became Romanised. 

For 300 more years Britain became a settled area of the world and when it finally fell apart due to Eastern European migration from today's Russia area; the Roman administration packed up and abandoned the Isle in about 408 AD.

The Isle witnessed a kind of dystopia for some years. The Dark Ages came and there followed many centuries of uncertainty.

It is so strange because the Britons were not the most welcoming of people towards the Romans at first. There were a number of wars in the beginning, but the might of Rome prevailed and Britain prospered under her rule.

In the early decades of Roman rule, Britain was known to have 2 queens. Boudicca of the Iceni (The Warrior Queen) is known for her bloody rebellion. The Warrior Queen’s rampage burnt her name into the history books and she echoes through eternity. She lasted but a year, yet her legacy lingers to this day.

The other queen is Cartimandua of the Brigantes. She is less well known, yet she was more successful in ruling her rebellious Brigante and got on well with Rome.

Historians say that Boudicca fell out with Rome because the Roman Empire would not recognise a woman’s rule. I think this is hogwash because Queen Cartimandua was recognised and supported against her divorced and exiled husband Venutius. Also Cleopatra - Queen of Egypt was another who enjoyed Roman support until she challenged it.

Cartimandua ruled from the year the Romans invaded Briton in 44 AD or close to this time. Her rule ended in 69 AD during the year of the Four Emperors. Her divorced husband came back and usurped her from the Brigante throne, though Cartimandua managed to escape and went into exile and vanished from historical records. No one knows when she died. Although she ruled for around twenty five years, virtually nothing is known of her, save that she got on well with the Roman Empire. This is a great shame because to last so long under such dire conditions says something about this queen.

Many regard her as a traitor because of her friendship with Rome. But some people believe there was more to Cartimandua then this. She must have had some ability and somehow she contained her Brigante from joining Boudicca’s rebellion.

When Boudicca of Iceni lost her final battle against the Roman army, her forces were in the midland area of today’s England. Cartimandua’s boarders would have been close to where Manchester is.

Suppose when Boudicca fled the battle field, after defeat, as some historians believe, she went north to commit suicide. Even if Rome had her rotting corpse they would have displayed it and recorded such an event. It is safe to say the Romans did not find the corpse of the warrior queen. Suppose Boudicca took a poison elixir and was buried in a sacred place? Suppose Cartimandua had some reason to meet the warrior queen in secret? Could the British queens have met?

Giving You Roman Britain during Boudicca's Rebellion in 61 AD

Queen Boudicca left a lasting legacy after but a year of rule. Her Iceni murdered and burnt their way into the history books that left a forever echo.

At the same time as Boudicca's rebellion, Queen Carimandua ruled her Brigante and was supported by Rome. She never joined Boudicca. She had been ruling for around fifteen years before the Iceni Warrior queen and would rule for another eight years after the warrior queen was gone. Even then she lived after being usurped from her Brigante throne.

Cartimandua just vanished from history after going into exile. What became of her; no one knows. She did tell a story of a brief meeting with Boudicca. After the Iceni warrior queen was defeated and prior to Boudicca's suicide.

Presenting You with a meeting of both queens in a novel by C.A. Powell: Meeting Boudicca.

In paperback or Kindle.

England 3 Slovenia 1 - Euro Qualifers

I sat down on the Saturday night to watch England play against Slovenia. In European football, there are not many easy games anymore and Slovenia are worthy opponents in this day and age. They have a good side with some high quality players. 

The game started and Slovenia packed out the defence and managed to frustrate England all through the first half, denying England a shot on target. I have to say that Slovenia looked like a side waiting for an opportunity to exploit - not some low grade side playing on chance. They seemed like they had a game plan, which appeared could work. The longer England came up against that brick wall, the more frustrated they would get. However, England remained calm and plugged away doggedly to the first half whistle. Both sides left for the dressing room at 0-0.

The football panel had Ian Wright, Lee Dixon (former England players) Also Glen Hoddle - a former England manager. They spoke of the lacklustre first half and Lee Dixon gave due credit to Slovenia for the defencive way they contained England. Glen Hoddle rightly pointed out that England would have to become more creative because Slovenia would get at least one chance in the game - maybe more. We could get caught on a counter and Slovenia looked like a side with that skill.

The second half started with a little more positive assertiveness from England and the began to get closer to testing Slovenia's goalkeeper. However, Slovenia also looked more adventurous and seemed to have a different outlook for the second half too. They managed an attack and caught England when England defender, Jorden Henderson deflected the ball into his own net giving Slovenia a 1-0 lead. It was as Glen Hoddle predicted. The law of averages decreed that a side of Slovenia's worth would create chances. They did and capitalised on some sloppy England defending.

Fortunately, almost straight away from the centre kick, England's Wayne Rooney got the ball and dribbled into the Slovenian penalty box and was brought down. The skipper scored from the spot kick and levelled at 1-1. Slovenia's lead had lasted less then two minuets. Suddenly England looked more invigorated and they began to pile pressure upon the deflated Slovenia side. What followed were more chances from which, came two more goals, from Danny Wellbeck.

I thought the result was a good one and it did take the goal to liven England up. However, I think the lacklustre first half was also due to Slovenia packing out the defence. Other opponents in this group have tried the same thing. To Slovenia's credit, they did well in the first half, but in the second they tried to come out and be more creative. They managed to steal a goal, but lost the opportunity to stay ahead very quickly. It was certainly that old cliche about a game of two halves.

Wildtrack - My Goodreads Review

Nick Sandman is an ex-soldier wounded in the Falklands war and owner of the VC. He has lost all his wealth and has an ex-wife who is constantly after more maintenance. His shattered spine makes walking about difficult, but he gets through the grinding day, willing himself on. He has a boat called Sycorax – a yacht that is his prized possession. In this meagre possession Nick harbours his hopes of sailing away from all his troubles in Britain, like a sea gypsy, to New Zealand. However, while in port, Nick finds out that the hull of his yacht needs extensive and costly repairs. In order to find the money to complete the necessary repairs, Nick decides to take employment from a media star named Tony Bannister. The celebrity wants Nick to captain his yacht Wildtrack in a transatlantic race. That’s when Nick’s troubles really begin as he is dragged in to Tony Bannister’s more seedy side of life. A great thriller and fabulous page turner. 

Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes and Roman Britain.

No one knows if Cartimandua and Boudicca ever met. However, when Boudicca was defeated in battle, it was in the midlands of Britain and not too far from the southern boarders of Queen Cartimandua's Brigantes.

In the story; Meeting Boudicca, Queen Cartimandua tells three Roman guards a bizarre story of a meeting that took place between herself and the defeated warrior queen after the final battle against Rome's Suetonius - governor of Roman Britain.

Cartimandua and Boudicca are pawns in a divorced husband's plan to rid the Brigantes of Cartimandua. During the intrigue, Cartimandua can't resist the chance to meet the Iceni Warrior Queen.

So the story begins as Cartimandua indulges the curiosity of three Roman guards, telling the story while reminiscing back to the year it all happened.