Great stuff Linda!
Now - if you can just account for The Channel Islands and The Isle of
Man.................................!
Having said that - aren't the Channel Islands the one bit of France that the
English Crown managed to retain after Mary got thrown out of Calais?
David Halliday
Bellingen NSW Oz - where the temperature has plummeted to levels
experienced at Ogmore on a summer's day. (and yes - We've been there!)
----- Original Message -----
From: Keep passing the open windows <amonet(a)breathemail.net>
To: <GLAMORGAN-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 5:14 AM
Subject: Perhaps this might help ...
Given the passion displayed over the last day or so regarding this
green
and
pleasant land, perhaps this will clear things up for those both here
and
abroad who have never come across the divisions here. Tracey, I apologise
for the unpleasantness that you received. Rest assured that your innocent
error is a common one, even over here!
Having been asked many times while living all over the world, just what
the
flaming deal with our "countries" is, I get out my passport
and quote:
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island" - that is, the
UK
is everything on the BIG island, plus a bit of the smaller island.
Great Britain is the BIG island and none of the smaller island.
The big island is then divided up into England, Scotland and Wales.
If there is a Great Britain, is there a not-Great Britain then? Yep, it's
in
northern France and is aka Brittany (used to be Lesser Britain).
Consult
your history books for more info about how England and France are related
cos I can't remember the details right now.
What about Ireland? Eire aka Ireland is an independent country, it's own
laws, own government, own currency, just like France or Germany or the US.
Brits need to show a passport to go there.
So while the Scots, the Welsh and the English are all *technically* and
politically (I say technically as not everyone will agree for personal
reasons) British, the Irish (north and south) are not. Additionally, just
because I'm English, it doesn't mean I'm Welsh (although it does a bit in
my
case obviously, otherwise why am I on the Glam list?), and just
because my
friend Maggi is Scottish, it doesn't mean that she's English and she would
be irritated if suggested otherwise. These matters can get quite emotional
at times - how annoying is it for a Canadian to be asked if they are
American?
Still, when all is said and done, we all share the same planet and breath
the same air and it doesn't bother me personally that much ... although I
do
say I'm English first ... anyway ...
Peace among genealogists!
Linda
English, Welsh and looking for some Scottish (and it's Scottish, not
Scotch
as that's food, drink and not people)
PS The only political element in all this that worries me is the Geordie
Freedom Fighter Party.
==== GLAMORGAN Mailing List ====
"Life is what happens when you are making other plans"
John Lennon