British is a collection of nationalities i.e. English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish so which are you?

I disagree, Britain is a nation. In fact; and in the heart, if you want it to be. I want it to be and British it is what I call myself, I am a Briton and I am very proud of it. My parents and grandparents come from all over, I have friends and family from all over. I am Celtic, Saxon, Viking (possibly a bit Roman too.) I’ve probably got some European, African, Asian and many others in there somewhere along the road which would not worry me much. But Britain is a nation and British is what I am.

I was nearly Australian though but don’t know what happened to that idea. My parents must’ve changed their minds I suppose.

I have got a doorknob off Oliver Cromwells Learjet and you don’t get rarer than that.

Ah yes…. the old ones are indeed the best ones, although it’s widely believed to be the case that the “multi barrelled machine gun” you refer to was invented elsewhere.

True. There are also ‘English’ pipes and they may have been introduced by none other than the Romans. However, its interesting that they never ‘kicked off’ elsewhere in Europe. At least not to my knowledge though I’m sure somebody will inform me otherwise.

I don’t know about John Peters. I’ve read some of his books and they are quite good though he comes across as a bit of an appologist. I was watching him on Discovery last night presenting from RAF Cottesmore as the TTTE was drawing down (a few years ago now) and all we got was ‘when I was training here’ and ‘I did this’ and ‘I did that’ and ‘when I was shot down over Iraq in 1991.’ It seemed like the article was about him more than anything. On the other hand, he made no bones about the fact he was a navigator and not a pilot. One programme I saw him present was exceptionally good though about the SAAB JAS39 Gripen. He went up in the back seat of a trainer and was understandably impressed. I don’t think I’ve got anything against the bloke really.

Hang about a mo. No. ‘Disable smilies’ is not checked.

Oh, did I mention, Billy is writing a book? Clever bugger him. Mind you, being an Air Commodore, I suppose he has the time.

About goat worrying? (another smilie please.) Look chaps can we just take it as read I am posting here toungue in cheek ‘cos my smilies don’t work at work. Mind you I really ought to be working ought’nt I?

Rant mode on.

One more thing about Brave heart with an historical bent. Edward the first did not like to take English or Welsh troops on campaign because they had a nasty streak about them. They disobeyed orders and very often defected to the other side. Why? Old Eddy regarded everybody on this island as his slave type subjects because he was a Plantagenet and to the early Plantagenets England was under occupation. Which is okay because thats the way the English of the time felt. Eddy didn’t know the first word of English because he was French and so too was most of his army (ironic isn’t it?).

The only English and recently invaded Welsh troops he used were slave soldiers who fought hard because if they didn’t their families had a tendency to die horribly if they didn’t (at the hands of Eddy’s hired European mercenaries.) Eddy would march the English soldiers families along with the rest of the army for this very purpose. It is ‘rumoured’ that after the battle of Sterling Bridge, the families of the dead English and Welsh soldiers were slaughtered not because their menfolk didn’t fight but because William Wallace won the battle. 1) He (Eddy) was feeling brutally annoyed and wanted to take it out on somebody 2) He couldn’t afford to ‘keep’ them. So He ordered his rather camp son who was leading the army at the time, to have them killed before the return ‘journey’ or more accurately the retreat home was completed.

1066 was a bad day for the whole of Britain not just for England and it left open the French ability to do an awful lot of invading, killing, enslaving and general piracy in the name of the English. To this day this crime has never been accurately reported but what I find most ironic is the way that France regards Scotland as an old ally when they had caused the animosity between the English and the Scots in the first place (and the Irish and Welsh for that matter). IMO they put back ‘Inter-British’ relations a thousand years in 1066 and we are only now beginning to sort it all out.

Rant mode off.

Rant mode on.

Just for the record it can be assumed that my family were fighting for Wallace.

Rant mode off.

No sorry I’m a bit new to the forum.