Glad you had a good trip 

I've never been into Halloween. When I was a kid it was very much a "middle class" thing here in S E London, whilst us "working class" urchins celebrated revolution, blowing up Parliament and then burning the villain of the piece, after trying to kill each other with fireworks on 5th Nov. Much more fun 

Quote from: NARSES2 on November 02, 2024, 06:10:34 AMGlad you had a good trip 

I've never been into Halloween. When I was a kid it was very much a "middle class" thing here in S E London, whilst us "working class" urchins celebrated revolution, blowing up Parliament and then burning the villain of the piece, after trying to kill each other with fireworks on 5th Nov. Much more fun 

Question!  Are we rejoicing at the survival of King James and the discovery of a dastardly plot, or are we actually  celebrating a worthy attempt that nearly worked?   

 When I was but a lad, middle class Carlisle ignored Halloween but went a bundle on 5th November.  Setting fire to things and lots of explosions were much more fun than a dead pumpkin.

Quote from: Rheged on November 02, 2024, 12:46:10 PM

Quote from: NARSES2 on November 02, 2024, 06:10:34 AMGlad you had a good trip 

I've never been into Halloween. When I was a kid it was very much a "middle class" thing here in S E London, whilst us "working class" urchins celebrated revolution, blowing up Parliament and then burning the villain of the piece, after trying to kill each other with fireworks on 5th Nov. Much more fun 

Question!  Are we rejoicing at the survival of King James and the discovery of a dastardly plot, or are we actually  celebrating a worthy attempt that nearly worked? 

 When I was but a lad, middle class Carlisle ignored Halloween but went a bundle on 5th November.  Setting fire to things and lots of explosions were much more fun than a dead pumpkin.

No revolutions in old Scandinavia, I'm afraid. We do celebrate an old king that got himself killed in a foggy field in Germany on November 6^th, but we only do it by eating some ridiculous cookies. Fireworks and bangers would admittedly have been more fun, but then again, fireworks and fog don't really go that well together, do they?

Quote from: Rheged on November 02, 2024, 12:46:10 PMQuestion!  Are we rejoicing at the survival of King James and the discovery of a dastardly plot, or are we actually  celebrating a worthy attempt that nearly worked? 

That's certainly a question I've asked myself more and more over the last few years 

Quote from: Pellson on November 02, 2024, 03:11:53 PMNo revolutions in old Scandinavia, I'm afraid. We do celebrate an old king that got himself killed in a foggy field in Germany on November 6^th,

So Gustavus Adolphus at Lutzen. I thought the battle was mid November ? And yes I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to 17th/18th Century European wars 

Quote from: NARSES2 on November 03, 2024, 01:40:28 AM

Quote from: Pellson on November 02, 2024, 03:11:53 PMNo revolutions in old Scandinavia, I'm afraid. We do celebrate an old king that got himself killed in a foggy field in Germany on November 6^th,

So Gustavus Adolphus at Lutzen. I thought the battle was mid November ? And yes I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to 17th/18th Century European wars 

Indeed. It was a remarkable battle where the Swedish "can do"-spirit threw the on paper superior imperial troops off the field, but, as said, at a cost. But it was a close call, and there has been a lot written about it, and even a board game made, where two opponents can replay the events and see if one can rewrite history. 😌

In my view, however, it is the Swedish aftermath that really is interesting. Learning of the kings death, a council under the kings friend and teacher Axel Oxenstierna assumed power in anticipation of the juvenile crown princess reaching mature age. Oxenstierna not only led Sweden out of the 30-year war, but also thoroughly reformed the entire apparatus of the state, no longer accepting positions within the administration due to social status, but rather enforcing adherence to requirements of competence and dedication as well as a certain independence from outer pressures. This shaped an administrative tradition that only recently seem to have begun to wither away as personal political gain and criminal gang influence is gaining foothold in an increasingly corrupt state apparatus. It is heartbreaking to witness. 

It was probably equally heartbreaking for Mr Oxenstierna to witness the abdication and emigration of the crown princess, turned queen Christina, eloping to Rome of all places, and converting to Catholicism whereas her father had fallen leading the Protestant forces against a catholic league about 20 years earlier.
That said, the memory of the young queen, fiercely defending her own interests and rights has inspired women to this day, and is, possibly together with the even older French memory of Joan of Arc, a rather unique example of where society has gained long term impact from individuals breaking the gender norms.


Stormy weather here today, but nevertheless some outside chores to be taken care of. Well, well. I might get a little time later this evening to have a look at my Lightning. I have discovered that the ailerons actually were slightly clipped at the tip, forming a square angle at the very end. Not so much the Airfix model, though, so some careful filing would most likely be a good idea.

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Quote from: NARSES2 on November 03, 2024, 01:37:05 AM

Quote from: Rheged on November 02, 2024, 12:46:10 PMQuestion!  Are we rejoicing at the survival of King James and the discovery of a dastardly plot, or are we actually  celebrating a worthy attempt that nearly worked? 

That's certainly a question I've asked myself more and more over the last few years 

IMO, it was the right idea for the wrong reason.

Thank you for that piece of Swedish History    I had no knowledge of any of it as post the 30 Years War my brain jumped to The Great Northern War, which shall we say gets slightly complicated 

A quick touchdown at home tonight between travels. It's been a couple of good days at the major Swedish grid conference but it's good to go to sleep in my own bed. Tomorrow's another six hours plus in the car again, however, and Saturday is threatening to be another day on the road, unfortunately. But next week is looking distinctly better, at least from a distance.

Having seen quite a few shots from Telford, I'm as usual not so little jealous. There's one (1) show in my reasonable vicinity (2 hours drive away), and usually, I'm unavailable due to family logistics. Ah, well. One day..

Better off tucking in now, as there's another abominably early morning tomorrow.