New Views over Megalithia

[Boreades]

I shall say this only once.

Carlsberg, probably.

[Boreades]

Even if anyone wondering how lager from Denmark would have got to worn-torn Egypt spoils the plot. But probably the same way Celts got to be part of the Egyptian Royal bodyguard a few thousand years earlier. Probably.

[TisILeclerc]

Thanks for the lager Borry. Oh and the photo of the glorious Sylvia.

I was watching John Mills last night playing Willie Mossop in Hobson's Choice. He did well for himself moving up from cobbler to captain a hundred years later.

I would imagine it was the Celts. The Irish were neutral so they were obviously smuggling at no peril to themselves all the Carlsberg Denmark could produce. In exchange for Guinness and a few convivial Irish songs.

[Boreades]

Loath as I am to take a break from discussing family-tree matters, mention of smuggling gives me license to mention a fascinating site:

Explore the amazing story of smuggling in 18th and 19th century Britain, when high taxes led to a massive increase in illegal imports. As the "free trade" grew, smugglers defiantly landed contraband in full view of the customs men: armed thugs protected the cargoes.
History of Smuggling explains how a popular small-scale trade grew into a vast and violent industry. Guide-Book details 850 smugglers’ haunts, with interactive maps to lead you straight to their coves, caves, tunnels and pubs around Britain's coast. Trace Smuggling Roots will help you find out whether your ancestors were smugglers.

http://www.smuggling.co.uk/

For example -

The most extraordinary is probably the practice of rowing cargoes across the channel. This was most popular during the Napoleonic wars, shipping high-value cargoes. The chosen contraband was gold, to pay Napoleon's armies, and the boats were monsters, up to forty feet long, and seven feet wide. The port of Deal specialized in building these boats: a dozen oars each side pulled the boats over to France in less than five hours during calm weather. Even with a head-wind, the Kentish oarsmen were no slouches. On one occasion a rowing boat leaving Dover had difficulty getting out of the harbour because of the wind, and had to hitch a tow from a steamer. Once they had left the cliffs behind, though, the oarsmen overtook the steam ship, and beat it to the French coast.

Pursuit of these galleys in a sailing vessel was futile, as a preventive officer succinctly summed up when he described such a chase as 'sending a cow to catch a hare'. Little wonder that the construction of 'Guinea boats', as they were called, was eventually forbidden in England. Prohibition didn't deter the Guinea smugglers of Deal, Dover and Folkestone. Laughing at the authorities, they simply built their boats across the channel, under the self-interested protection of the French government. The boats were so cheap that they could almost be considered expendable at the end of a trip: building a 24-oared galley cost £40 or so, a small sum compared to the £30,000 worth of gold that the smugglers might be carrying on a single trip.

http://www.smuggling.co.uk/gazetteer_se.html#guinearun

You would have though M'Lady's dear-old-daddy would have disapproved of smuggling, what with him being one of HM's Harbour Masters and all. But he was not adverse to receiving "donations" of seafood from local seaman who were grateful for his help with (cough) bureaucratic nuisances. It must run in the family. Just the other day I caught M'Lady smuggling crates of Carlsberg into the cellars. What on earth are you doing with that? (I asked). She was stocking up in case the duty was increase in the budget. But why Carlsberg? Because (I was firmly told) I can fill the boat to the brim with good wine and brandy next time we go to France, and avoid the import costs and supermarket duties.

Many of the places we've mentioned here on TME appear in the Gazetter.
http://www.smuggling.co.uk/gazetteer.html

[TisILeclerc]

Yo ho ho a smugglers life for me.

I'm with you all the way on that one Borry. When are you setting up in business? Will you be building the boats or smuggling the stuff in?

Where I live they rely on Ford transits to do the work as well as the cross channel ferry. Not much romance in that. Although it's still a profitable enterprise from what I've heard. Most people buy their baccy and cigs from gentlemen sitting quietly in the corners of pubs.

Speaking of which someone's reposted the Brandy for the Parson video. It's worth watching as a bit of nostalgia with Kenneth More etc but also for the use of the 'Roman' roads and pack horses. And the collaboration of the local gentry who can't get enough of the strong stuff. I've downloaded, sorry, smuggled it on to my computer before it disappears again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1jJ2iRGypU

I suggest the establishment of a nautical historical re-enactment society as cover for the operation. If they can redo Waterloo there's no reason why other aspects of the period shouldn't be revived.

I was surprised at the mention of steamboats. In my ignorance I assumed they came later on in the nineteenth century but good ol' wiki came to the rescue.

'The first steam-powered ship Pyroscaphe was a paddle steamer powered by a Newcomen steam engine; it was built in France in 1783 by Marquis Claude de Jouffroy and his colleagues as an improvement of an earlier attempt, the 1776 Palmipède. At its first demonstration on 15 July 1783, Pyroscaphe travelled upstream on the river Saône for some fifteen minutes before the engine failed. Presumably this was easily repaired as the boat is said to have made several such journeys.[2] The idea was not developed any further.'



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboat

This wasn't the first attempt either at making a steam ship. I'll drink to that.

And by the way it puts the sailing exploits of the neolithic and bronze ages into perspective. Getting about in boats would be very easy for experienced sailors.

[Boreades]

I suggest the establishment of a nautical historical re-enactment society as cover for the operation.

The French have beaten us to it, and in rather fine style too!

Hermione

http://www.hermione2015.com/

Nice video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM9QneFnPX0

[TisILeclerc]

Ah but zey are not smuggling cognac for ze parson. Zey are returning to ze ungrateful American colonists who call us ze cheese eating surrender monkeys.

We should not 'ave 'elped zem in zee war against ze British. Vive les smugglers anglais et les men of kent.

[Boreades]

Avez-vous une leecunse pour de monkeey?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoHc6qerUh0

The new plan has been published, with subtitles!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMSBraQKsTA

[TisILeclerc]

minkey?

[TisILeclerc]

Bournemouth, the centre of the universe.

More digs in the Bournemouth area have revealed an iron age town.

'Paul Cheetham, senior lecturer in archaeological sciences and project co-director, said: "It exposes the myth that everyone lived in protected hill forts - these inhabitants lived in this fertile farmland, away from the traditional hill forts we are all used to hearing about."'

They've definitely been reading the works of the supreme leader.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-33492125