Thursday, 5 April 2007
WooHoo !
5 whole days off work - been pretty hectic lately, so some time to re-charge the old batteries . Maybe I'll even get myself organised to update the old blog as well !
Sunday, 4 March 2007
KILLED TO BE EATEN !
This is the story of Richard Parker, a young lad who's unfortunate claim to fame was being killed in order to save others when shipwrecked in the tropics. I've always had an interest in the story as my first serious girlfriend was distantly related to him, but had forgotten all about it until recently coming across his gravestone.
Richard was, like me, a Woolston boy, or to be more precise an Itchen Ferry boy. On the 19th May 1884 he set sail from Southampton as a cabin boy on the yacht Mignonette, bound for Australia. The yacht was captained by Thomas Dudley, with Edward Brooks and Edwin Stephens completing the crew of four.
The journey was pretty uneventful until disaster struck on 3rd July, with a heavy sea breaking right over the yacht. Captain Dudley soon gave the order to abandon ship and Richard helped the captain and three other crew members to quickly throw provisions overboard for later retrieval before launching their dinghy. Unfortunately Richards assumption that the cask of drinking water would float was incorrect and it quickly sank to the bottom along with the yacht.
Their first job was to patch up the leaking dinghy, having done this the only provisions they could still find was a tin of parsnips. They did manage to collect rainwater and catch a turtle but after nineteen days adrift their situation was critical. Richard, despite all advise, had succumberd to temptation and drank seawater. All of the crew were now starving and near death from thirst, and two of them took the incredibly hard decision to sacrifice one to save the rest. With Richard clearly the weakest, being delirious from the drunken sea-water, he was the obvious choice. Brooks would have nothing to do with the killing but Captain Dudley eventually took out his knife and slashed the boys throat. The others relieved their thirst by drinking his blood, also eating his heart and other body parts.
Four days later they were picked up by a passing German ship. They survivors where eventually landed at Falmouth where they openly admitted to their "crime". A famous legal case followed, with the defendants claiming that the murder was justified as it was necessary in order to save other lives. The were found guilty and sentenced to death, but in view of the incredible suffering they had already endured this was reduced to a short imprisonment.
Richard was, like me, a Woolston boy, or to be more precise an Itchen Ferry boy. On the 19th May 1884 he set sail from Southampton as a cabin boy on the yacht Mignonette, bound for Australia. The yacht was captained by Thomas Dudley, with Edward Brooks and Edwin Stephens completing the crew of four.
The journey was pretty uneventful until disaster struck on 3rd July, with a heavy sea breaking right over the yacht. Captain Dudley soon gave the order to abandon ship and Richard helped the captain and three other crew members to quickly throw provisions overboard for later retrieval before launching their dinghy. Unfortunately Richards assumption that the cask of drinking water would float was incorrect and it quickly sank to the bottom along with the yacht.
Their first job was to patch up the leaking dinghy, having done this the only provisions they could still find was a tin of parsnips. They did manage to collect rainwater and catch a turtle but after nineteen days adrift their situation was critical. Richard, despite all advise, had succumberd to temptation and drank seawater. All of the crew were now starving and near death from thirst, and two of them took the incredibly hard decision to sacrifice one to save the rest. With Richard clearly the weakest, being delirious from the drunken sea-water, he was the obvious choice. Brooks would have nothing to do with the killing but Captain Dudley eventually took out his knife and slashed the boys throat. The others relieved their thirst by drinking his blood, also eating his heart and other body parts.
Four days later they were picked up by a passing German ship. They survivors where eventually landed at Falmouth where they openly admitted to their "crime". A famous legal case followed, with the defendants claiming that the murder was justified as it was necessary in order to save other lives. The were found guilty and sentenced to death, but in view of the incredible suffering they had already endured this was reduced to a short imprisonment.
Richard was buried at sea but a memorial headstone to him was erected in Peartree Church, Southampton on his mother's grave. The inscription (unfortunately no longer clear enough to photograph well) reads as follows:
SACRED to the memory of
RICHARD PARKER
AGED 17,
who died at sea
July 25th 1884 after
nineteen days
dreadful suffering in an open
boat in the tropics,
having been wrecked in
the yacht 'Mignonette"
"Though he slay me, yet will
I trust in him" Job XIII 15
"Lay not this sin to
their charge" Acts VII 60
It would appear from this that the family bore the "murderers" no ill will.
Captain Dudley later emigrated to Australia but before he leaving he left a legacy to pay a local family to tend to Richard's grave (presumably in an effort to alleviate his guilt). The local family were so ashamed to accept money from "Cannibal Tom" as he was known that they only ever cleaned the stone at night to avoid being seen. And just to prove that what goes around comes around, Captain Dudley had a second claim to fame, becoming the first man in Australia to die of the bubonic plague.
Captain Dudley later emigrated to Australia but before he leaving he left a legacy to pay a local family to tend to Richard's grave (presumably in an effort to alleviate his guilt). The local family were so ashamed to accept money from "Cannibal Tom" as he was known that they only ever cleaned the stone at night to avoid being seen. And just to prove that what goes around comes around, Captain Dudley had a second claim to fame, becoming the first man in Australia to die of the bubonic plague.
Apologies To My Regular Reader *
My lack of posting over the last few weeks is down to a new "hobby" taking up more of my "computer time". Having discovered Flickr.com I now have the ability to bore the pants of people both in writing AND pictures.
For those who have lost the will to live or simply have nothing better to do (if it's raining there as hard as it is here today then the chances are you haven't), some of my photos can be found HERE.
*(I'll add the s when applicable)
For those who have lost the will to live or simply have nothing better to do (if it's raining there as hard as it is here today then the chances are you haven't), some of my photos can be found HERE.
*(I'll add the s when applicable)
Saturday, 17 February 2007
Scandalous Football Ticket Prices - Please Sign The Petition
Football Ticket Prices.
Are they too high?
They are for me and they are for thousands of others who are now staying away from grounds all over the country. And no longer being a regular away fan I didn't realise that many clubs charge fans of clubs with large away followings MORE than both their own fans and fans of clubs with small followings to subsidise their own drop in attendances.. Families are being priced out of the game, and without the youngsters being brought to games now, the "fans" of the future are going to be watching from their armchairs only and never venturing near a real match
It's time something was done about prices before the football "bubble" bursts. In my opinion it is already stretched to popping point (see my earlier post ), when it does finally burst, which I think will be as early as when clubs announce their season ticket prices for next season, it will burst big time. The game I once loved has already changed almost beyond recognition, it could be lost for ever.
The Football Supporters' Federation have arranged a petition protesting about scandalous ticket prices, I urge anyone that cares about the game to read it and sign it HERE
Are they too high?
They are for me and they are for thousands of others who are now staying away from grounds all over the country. And no longer being a regular away fan I didn't realise that many clubs charge fans of clubs with large away followings MORE than both their own fans and fans of clubs with small followings to subsidise their own drop in attendances.. Families are being priced out of the game, and without the youngsters being brought to games now, the "fans" of the future are going to be watching from their armchairs only and never venturing near a real match
It's time something was done about prices before the football "bubble" bursts. In my opinion it is already stretched to popping point (see my earlier post ), when it does finally burst, which I think will be as early as when clubs announce their season ticket prices for next season, it will burst big time. The game I once loved has already changed almost beyond recognition, it could be lost for ever.
The Football Supporters' Federation have arranged a petition protesting about scandalous ticket prices, I urge anyone that cares about the game to read it and sign it HERE
Thursday, 8 February 2007
A Trip Down Memory Lane - Who Are We ?
My daughter yesterday presented me with the following, which she found whilst tidying her room.
It brought back memories, I had forgotten all about them.
"What is it?" I hear you ask, - well when I say "hear" I am speaking metaphorically, obviously you are miles away (unless you are the so far unlocated neighbour who keeps logging in to my unsecured wireless connection) - or unless of course you manage to say "What is it?" very very loudly.
It's an Old Codgers calling card.
Calling cards were very fashionable amongst "crews" with a passion for football violence, often left on the prostrate body of a victim so that he had the small satisfaction of knowing who it was that jumped him unexpectedly and beat the living daylights out of him.
But the Old Codgers were different.
They were not interested in violence, ( actually it was discussed regularly, I guess for "not interested" read "no longer capable"). Eating cakes was more their style. And although a few members were happy to indulge in a pint or two (or seven) to give them dutch courage before a "meet" (and scarily enough most of those were the women), most were happy with a good old cup of tea.
Most of the arrangements took place on that new fangled interweb thing. Unbeknown to them these discussions had been infiltrated by the Old Bill (or Young Bill as most referred to them). After one particular session of pre-match online bravado before a home tie against their biggest enemy P****mouth (well second biggest enemy, incontinence being the first), half of Hampshire Constabulary stood by red faced, realising that this time the Football Intelligence Unit had belied it's middle name as they watched a couple of dozen old ( and not so old) men and women tucking into croissants and cream cakes at a local patisserie.
They were very vocal at games, with a great repertoire of songs, which unfortunately tended to fade away early as few could remember all the words. They loved a good old knees up as well, although bringing the knees back down again proved difficult for some.
They often travelled to away games en masse , OAP Rail Cards and/or bus passes enabling cheap travel. They showed no fear of being in a strange town, their breakfast time "taking" of Debenhams Cafeteria in Manchester City Centre back innJanuary 2004 is still discussed in hushed tones today.
Calling cards were left in numerous locations, if anyone has found one I hope it has been treasured, these will be worth a fortune on the Antiques Roadshow one day. They also had a flag to rally behind, although that was last seen on the platform of Southampton Central as their train headed for P****mouth - remembering which train to catch and and to collect all ones belongings proved simply too difficult for some.
Nowadays the Old Codgers are like a sleeping giant, keeping their heads down and resting to avoid any further Police interest in their activities (being very easy to catch nowadays with a likelihood that any resulting sentence would effectively mean a life sentence), but eagerly awaiting the call. And with the "Yoof" currently filling their void, showing respect for no-one and being unable to sing a song with a proper tune, the Phoenix may be rising from the ashes sooner than expected.
Hello, Hello we are the Codgers Crew .........
It brought back memories, I had forgotten all about them.
"What is it?" I hear you ask, - well when I say "hear" I am speaking metaphorically, obviously you are miles away (unless you are the so far unlocated neighbour who keeps logging in to my unsecured wireless connection) - or unless of course you manage to say "What is it?" very very loudly.
It's an Old Codgers calling card.
Calling cards were very fashionable amongst "crews" with a passion for football violence, often left on the prostrate body of a victim so that he had the small satisfaction of knowing who it was that jumped him unexpectedly and beat the living daylights out of him.
But the Old Codgers were different.
They were not interested in violence, ( actually it was discussed regularly, I guess for "not interested" read "no longer capable"). Eating cakes was more their style. And although a few members were happy to indulge in a pint or two (or seven) to give them dutch courage before a "meet" (and scarily enough most of those were the women), most were happy with a good old cup of tea.
Most of the arrangements took place on that new fangled interweb thing. Unbeknown to them these discussions had been infiltrated by the Old Bill (or Young Bill as most referred to them). After one particular session of pre-match online bravado before a home tie against their biggest enemy P****mouth (well second biggest enemy, incontinence being the first), half of Hampshire Constabulary stood by red faced, realising that this time the Football Intelligence Unit had belied it's middle name as they watched a couple of dozen old ( and not so old) men and women tucking into croissants and cream cakes at a local patisserie.
They were very vocal at games, with a great repertoire of songs, which unfortunately tended to fade away early as few could remember all the words. They loved a good old knees up as well, although bringing the knees back down again proved difficult for some.
They often travelled to away games en masse , OAP Rail Cards and/or bus passes enabling cheap travel. They showed no fear of being in a strange town, their breakfast time "taking" of Debenhams Cafeteria in Manchester City Centre back innJanuary 2004 is still discussed in hushed tones today.
Calling cards were left in numerous locations, if anyone has found one I hope it has been treasured, these will be worth a fortune on the Antiques Roadshow one day. They also had a flag to rally behind, although that was last seen on the platform of Southampton Central as their train headed for P****mouth - remembering which train to catch and and to collect all ones belongings proved simply too difficult for some.
Nowadays the Old Codgers are like a sleeping giant, keeping their heads down and resting to avoid any further Police interest in their activities (being very easy to catch nowadays with a likelihood that any resulting sentence would effectively mean a life sentence), but eagerly awaiting the call. And with the "Yoof" currently filling their void, showing respect for no-one and being unable to sing a song with a proper tune, the Phoenix may be rising from the ashes sooner than expected.
Hello, Hello we are the Codgers Crew .........
Sunday, 4 February 2007
My New Money Making Idea
We were out in the New Forest today and in a pub was one of those dispensers full of leaflets for tourists. One particularly caught my eye, the headline of which was
Ride an old girl for fifty quid a day !
I am trying to persuade Mrs W that this could be an ideal part-time earner for her. ;-)
It was actually an ad for these people, but why let the facts get in the way of a good story
Saturday, 3 February 2007
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