Thought your Anglophiliac readers would appreciate this anecdote from Kevin Walsh:
I saw "The Longest Day" (the invasion of Normandy) on PBS. Peter Lawford plays a character named Lord Lovat.
I kept waiting for someone to yell,
"Lord Lovat! Duck!"
All the best - Dawn [Eden]
Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, DSO, MC, TD, Order of Suvorov (Soviet Union), Légion d'honneur (France), Croix de guerre (France) (9 July 1911 - 16 March 1995) was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War. His friends called him "Shimi" Lovat, his name in the Scottish Gaelic language. His clan referred to him as MacShimidh, his Gaelic patronym. He is commonly known as the 17th Lord Lovat. Lord Lovat eventually became a Brigadier and became the commander of the newly formed 1st Special Service Brigade in 1944. Lord Lovat's brigade was landed at Sword Beach during the invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. Lord Lovat reputedly waded ashore donning a white jumper under his battledress, with "Lovat" inscribed into the collar, while armed with an old Winchester rifle. Lord Lovat instructed his personal piper, Bill Millin, to pipe the commandos ashore, in defiance of specific orders not to allow such an action in battle. During an attack on the village of Bréville on 12 June, Lord Lovat was seriously wounded whilst observing an artillery bombardment by the 51st Highland Division. I guess he forgot to duck.
Posted by: Basil Seal | December 20, 2007 at 03:52 PM
He should have shimi-ed to the side....
Posted by: Mrs. Peperium | December 20, 2007 at 04:13 PM
Your party looks ever so much more respectable than ours. I'll be sure to don a tie before coming over.
Posted by: Robbo the Llama Butcher | December 20, 2007 at 04:45 PM
Good. Make sure you leave your trousers at home.
Posted by: Mrs. Peperium | December 20, 2007 at 05:15 PM
My Dear Robbo, please to remember the tartan waistcoat as well...
Posted by: Basil Seal | December 20, 2007 at 05:17 PM
Do you know I once was invited to a "skating party" in the Boston Public Gardens followed by a party at the Ritz across the street.
When I got to the Boston Gardens, I found the pond drained for the winter...only dirt and snow. Then went across to the Ritz to find a bunch of guys in tartan waistcoats sipping eggnog and munching on sugar cookies with, as my mother would say, a bunch of horse-faced drips.
Then when the waiters left the room for more eggnog, the guys that were throwing the party went around with a bottle of rum tipping it into everyone's eggnog.
I looked at my best friend and said "Let's blow this clam shack" and we went down the street to TGI Fridays to toss a few back. The guys throwing the party were aghast. We returned properly blushed from the scotch and told 2 of our hosts (childhood friends) to come with us. They asked if that would be ok...we told them their reputations would be ruined if they stayed at this cough, cough party. So they signed the tab and left their guests...
We took them over to 7's and told them to never, ever throw a party like that again....
Spiking your own eggnog at the Ritz...my word.
Posted by: Mrs. Peperium | December 20, 2007 at 05:37 PM
These videos are the sort of thing that keep you on the outs with the serious, sourpuss Catholic bloggers...
Posted by: Christine | December 21, 2007 at 07:45 AM
Basil:
I heartily recommend Lord Lovat's memoir "March Past."
Mrs. Peperium:
If I leave my "trews" behind it will be because I am wearing a kilt.
Speaking of kilts and whiskey and Scottish soldiers, the link takes you to the band of the late, great Black Watch, playing a tune called "Scotch on the Rocks." Enjoy!
Posted by: Old Dominion Tory | December 21, 2007 at 10:20 AM
Oops, forgot the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv7p-NjcQNs
Sorry about that! And please pardon the strange graphics that accompany the music.
Posted by: Old Dominion Tory | December 21, 2007 at 10:21 AM