>And now again reminded by David Starkey [his *Monarchy* series DVDs and
books] about the history of GB re DNA of 90% of Brits being Angle-Saxon-Jute
of those [coming up from what's now Germany] slaughtering and/or driving
north the resident Celts and intermarrying with Celt women, I'm fascinated
with the Germanic physiognomies and cultures of Brits.<
Really? I don't know about this: I thought that DNA studies have shown that
about 70% of the DNA profile of the Brits descends from the pre-Saxon
pre-Roman pre-Celtic inhabitants. It is true that on the East going North
side you tend to see a lot of people with sort of Scandinavian looks, and
that is an echo of the Danelaw.
With the 'Anglo-Saxon' stuff I know there are lots of unresolved arguments:
who they were, how many, when? One study I recently read considered that the
main component of the' Anglo-Saxons' was Belgic-Frisian and that they and
their language (what was to be called Englisc) had been settled in the land
since before the Roman takeover and that a later 'Anglian' influx confuses
this.
2009/7/20 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>
> Now you've shown why you need to keep going with that Bircumshaw poetic
> narrative of a young Brum!
> A propos concussion, I was nearly body-squished between shifting-off pole
> and tiller, and later rather forcibly thrown into the cabin door as we
> crashed against a brick wall----and I'd thought narrowboating a gentle
> hobby! 'Twas, on balance, a lunch of tranquil beauty interfed with the
> hard
> work of cranking locks. I'd next hire a narrowboat one-third the size
> [this
> one was 82' x 7'], giving up length and luxury for the ability to do a
> 3-point turn anywhere along the canal. A nother joy was mooring in front
> of
> pubs and restaurants that were super-aged and looked that way, as well!
> [Your Brummies who turn Truly Old into Oddly Fake are a clever crew,
> Dave!]
> <g>
>
> My newest find, as you've no doubt noted, is loving Leicester for its
> gorgeous old buildings [a great canalboat destination, as well] and its
> highest concentration of Asians [Indians] of any city in the UK---as well
> as
> theatre and other cultural venues, not the least your Leicester Poetry
> Society. East Midlands has a deserved reputation for culture power and
> scope. I wonder about Darlington and other northern cities, as well. And
> over on the ocean's east edge, Wells in Norfolk's got some lively, talented
> theatre going on! Londoners have a run for their money now, their accepted
> grip on representing UK slipping. The *Grauniad* online's a wonderful,
> wide
> culture-reporting. Puts NYT to shame.
>
> And now again reminded by David Starkey [his *Monarchy* series DVDs and
> books] about the history of GB re DNA of 90% of Brits being
> Angle-Saxon-Jute
> of those [coming up from what's now Germany] slaughtering and/or driving
> north the resident Celts and intermarrying with Celt women, I'm fascinated
> with the Germanic physiognomies and cultures of Brits.
>
> Also, any of Starkey's presentations and books brilliantly link historical
> facts. He deserves his excellent reputation. *The Six Wives of Henry
> VIII*
> and *Elizabeth*, for example, shove long-held assumptions underground,
> exposing a new crop of analyses for continued research. The DVDs,
> powerfully presented by Starkey, connect with actors' vignettes as well as
> Starkey's showing us relevant documents in the British Library or Spanish
> 'foreign' archives [such as H8's love letters to Anne Boleyn]. All told,
> it's an impressive blend of arts [docu-drama] revealing a magnificent store
> of research and focused analyses.
>
> Best,
>
> Judy
>
>
> 2009/7/19 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
>
> > To ask her the 'skinny', love it. The only problem I have with
> > narrowsboating is called concussion. It's a kinda standing joke.I went
> > around Brummagem with a seasoned inhabitant the other day and was quite
> > shocked at some things: one area had lost almost all facilities: every
> > pub,
> > every shop gone, just a doctor's and a police station left, the area I
> grew
> > up in one the other hand is almost completely Islamicized: the primary
> > school I went to is now a mosque with madrassa, the local library is now
> > the
> > Islamic Community Centre, the parish church demolished (after spending a
> > period as a warehouse, it was only a Grade II listed building). They now
> > call the whole East of the City 'Heartlands' and plan to knock down most
> of
> > several districts to make them an extension to the city centre called
> > 'Eastside'.
> > I still like the place though: it was a psychological relief to hear
> > everyone speaking normal :). Perhaps it can be best summed up in this
> > anecdote: we walking down Solihull High Street. In the 60s this would
> have
> > been hell on ears as Solihull was populated almost exclusively by people
> > who'd attempted to take elocution lessons and sounded like Margaret
> > Thatcher
> > being strangled as a result. Now though they speak like the Brummies they
> > insist they're not. We were looking for a tea stop and I noticed what I
> > thought was a mock tudor tacky pub that advertised teas. We went for
> that.
> > The rub was that it really was an old building (dated 1495) and was an
> arts
> > and crafts centre with a tea room. It is the genius of Brummagem to (for
> > once) preserve such a place but make it look like a fake.
> >
> >
> > 2009/7/19 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > > ;-) Not in the Domesday Book, then, Dave? Ah well, as a Scot might
> say,
> > > "I'm sure yoo're a parfectly good parson nivvertheless."
> > > Narrowboating [yes!] a coupla days ago, I met a woman who'd previously
> > > taught English at a posh B'Ham girls' grammar school. Soooo tempted to
> > ask
> > > her the skinny about such an environment, but I behaved Britishly and
> > > forebore.
> > >
> > > All best,
> > >
> > > Judy
> > >
> > > 2009/7/18 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > > > Why thank you Judy. It has a very vivid cover.
> > > >
> > > > Also to my delight was to discover that the Council flats I grew up
> in
> > > > inner-city Birmingham were noticed and listed (a wee paragraph in
> fact)
> > > by
> > > > Pevsner in The Buildings of England. (Warwickshire volume, as in 1966
> > > > Birmingham was still officially warwicks.)
> > > >
> > > > I'm sure you're well enough aware of the English (british) class
> system
> > > to
> > > > realise the mischief that plays with it: 'well I grew up in in
> > > > Warwickshire,
> > > > you know, yes, the old pile's in Pevsner, don't you know'
> > > >
> > > > 2009/7/17 Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >
> > > > > All congratulations, David and Sheila!
> > > > > Best,
> > > > >
> > > > > Judy
> > > > >
> > > > > 2009/7/16 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > >
> > > > > > Troubles Swapped for Something fresh
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/anth/9781844714711.htm
> > > > > > <http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/anth/9781844714711.htm>now
> > out
> > > > from
> > > > > > Salt, edited by Rupert Loydell, an anthology of 'Manifestos and
> > > > > > Unmanifestos', including the likes of Peter Finch, Jackson
> MacLow,
> > > > Sheila
> > > > > E
> > > > > > Murphy, Scott Thurston, Nick Piombino, Alan Halsey, Gavin
> Selerie,
> > > > Mario
> > > > > > Petrucci and even me. Plus my late friend Brian Fewster who died
> > > > without
> > > > > > knowing of his inclusion.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > David Bircumshaw
> > > > > > "A window./Big enough to hold screams/
> > > > > > You say are poems" - DMeltzer
> > > > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> > > > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> > > > > > The Animal Subsides
> > > http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> > > > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > David Bircumshaw
> > > > "A window./Big enough to hold screams/
> > > > You say are poems" - DMeltzer
> > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> > > > The Animal Subsides
> http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > David Bircumshaw
> > "A window./Big enough to hold screams/
> > You say are poems" - DMeltzer
> > Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> > The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
> >
>
--
David Bircumshaw
"A window./Big enough to hold screams/
You say are poems" - DMeltzer
Website and A Chide's Alphabet
http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
The Animal Subsides http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
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