why am I the most pro english person?

Great lyrics!!


In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire,
to tear their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of those rules that the biggest fools obey,
Because the sun is much too sultry and one must avoid
its ultry-violet ray --
Papalaka-papalaka-papalaka-boo. (Repeat)
Digariga-digariga-digariga-doo. (Repeat)
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts,
Because they're obviously, absolutely nuts --

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen detest a siesta,
In the Philippines there are lovely screens,
to protect you from the glare,
In the Malay states there are hats like plates,
which the Britishers won't wear,
At twelve noon the natives swoon, and
no further work is done -
But Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see,
That though the British are effete,
they're quite impervious to heat,
When the white man rides, every native hides in glee,
Because the simple creatures hope he will
impale his solar topee on a tree.
Bolyboly-bolyboly-bolyboly-baa. (Repeat)
Habaninny-habaninny-habaninny-haa. (Repeat)
It seems such a shame that when the English claim the earth
That they give rise to such hilarity and mirth -

Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun.
They put their scotch or rye down, and lie down.
In the jungle town where the sun beats down,
to the rage of man or beast,
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok, at twelve o'clock, they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this stupid habit.
In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun.
To reprimand each inmate, who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie down and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal, to move at all, is seldom if ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

I love the English.

We need them to be strong again.

Just who were those chaps at Rorke's Drift again, Kit? English, or Stanley Baker's Welsh?

Bert wrote:Just who were those chaps at Rorke's Drift again, Kit? English, or Stanley Baker's Welsh?

a mix of irish , scots, welsh, and english

Bert wrote:Just who were those chaps at Rorke's Drift again, Kit? English, or Stanley Baker's Welsh?

I'm really a bit gutted that you asked bert

I'd say you're skinning the Welsh a bit there...

Bert wrote:I'd say you're skinning the Welsh a bit there...

no, it was a welsh/ English thing (and Scots and Irish)

Stanley Baker didn't make that film for the English, Kit...

front rank FIRE!

Bert wrote:Stanley Baker didn't make that film for the English, Kit...

who was it for bert?

I already have 7 unread wikis open in my browser about architecture , so something simple plz

For himself. He effectively funded it, as far as I am aware - I know it was his own production company behind it. It was, however, the film he wanted to make as he wanted a record of what was an awful lot of VCs on one day. I don't think he was a particular Welsh nationalist, but he did want credit where it was due. They were an English named regiment, IIRC, but recruited out of Wales.

Bert wrote:For himself. He effectively funded it, as far as I am aware - I know it was his own production company behind it. It was, however, the film he wanted to make as he wanted a record of what was an awful lot of VCs on one day. I don't think he was a particular Welsh nationalist, but he did want credit where it was due. They were an English named regiment, IIRC, but recruited out of Wales.

right, that makes sense then, he was Welsh , but not a "Welshie"

I did realise they were not the welsh borderer's till after the event , they were warikshires or something

The mystery of Sir Stanley and a ‘fake’ VC medal:

It was sold for just £5,000 by Sir Stanley Baker’s wife after his death.

But now, the Victoria Cross awarded to John Chard for his heroic defence of Rorke’s Drift in 1879 is at the centre of a bizarre mystery after it emerged it is really worth up to £500,000.

Rhondda-born Sir Stanley portrayed Chard in the 1964 film Zulu, which he also produced. In 1972, at the height of his fame, he bought the VC awarded to Chard for the British success in holding the tiny garrison against the overwhelming Zulu attack, cited by experts as one of history’s finest military defence operations.

It was sold by his family, who believed it was merely a copy, shortly after his death in 1976 but his family now want to know why they received just £5,000 for the medal.

It emerged yesterday that the VC is now owned by Tory donor and billionaire Lord Ashcroft and one of Chard’s relatives asked for a meeting with the peer.

Lord Ashcroft, who has the world’s largest collection of VCs, did not say when he purchased the Chard medal or how much he paid for it. There is no suggestion he has acted improperly and his spokesman said he bought it after it was revealed to be genuine.

Sir Stanley’s son, Glyn, said: “The Zulu film was a huge part of my father’s life, and it is all extremely intriguing – particularly the issue of when Lord Ashcroft bought the medal. My mother had to sell it to pay off my father’s debts, so obviously it would have helped if we had known that it was genuine.”

During the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, Chard and the 149 men under his command successfully defended a supply base in South Africa from a Zulu army of 4,000 warriors, repulsing wave after wave of attacks and engaging in fierce hand-to-hand fighting.

At the end of 12 hours of fighting, the Zulus had lost 350 men and the British 15, although most soldiers suffered some form of wound.

Eleven VCs were awarded for the battle – the largest number ever given for a single action by the British Army – including one to Gonville Bromhead, who was played in the film by Michael Caine.

Chard’s actions made him a household name and he was a regular guest of Queen Victoria.

He died in 1897 and the VC remained in his family until 1972 when Baker bought it, as part of a collection including Chard’s campaign medal, from Glendining’s auctioneers for £2,700.

Glyn Baker said his father took the VC home but was horrified to then notice in the Glendining’s auction catalogue that it was described as a “cast copy”, worth about £15, and “flung it into a drawer and forgot about it”.

When the actor died four years later, his wife sold the collection through to an unknown purchaser for £5,000.

Two decades later, in 1996, it was discovered the VC was an original.

That year, the medal passed to another unknown owner who asked for the metal to be tested as all VCs are struck from the same block of bronze. Tests confirmed its metallic bronze character was identical to genuine VCs and sent its values soaring.

Glyn Baker said he recently learned Lord Ashcroft is planning to put his entire collection of medals on display at the Imperial War Museum and is writing to the peer asking why it took so long to establish the medal’s authenticity.

“These issues need to be resolved,” said Mr Baker, a former actor who now works as a designer.

Peter Booth, 62, Chard’s great-great- nephew, told the Mail On Sunday he remembers seeing the VC pinned to the wall in his grandfather’s dining room as a child and said the family were “a little bit uptight” about the medal’s delayed valuation. “The whole thing fascinates me. I would very much like to meet Lord Ashcroft, to see the medal and discuss it all with him,” he said.

A spokesman for Lord Ashcroft told the Mail On Sunday: “I can confirm Lord Ashcroft purchased the Chard VC after it was declared authentic. He would not wish to get involved in this.”

Bert wrote:For himself. He effectively funded it, as far as I am aware - I know it was his own production company behind it. It was, however, the film he wanted to make as he wanted a record of what was an awful lot of VCs on one day. I don't think he was a particular Welsh nationalist, but he did want credit where it was due. They were an English named regiment, IIRC, but recruited out of Wales.

quite funny really in retrospect , probably one of the only mainsteam media modern deceptions carried out by a Welsh man in modern history

(assuming you count out anything related to David Lloyd George)

No wonder there are so many people posting anti welsh youtube comments on the film lol.

"Ashcroft" and "authentic". I can see the conflict.

Can't understand why the medal was never verified before myself - can't be difficult, the Sebastopol bronze must be particularly distinct and is a discrete sample.

No, I think they were named the Warwickshires but if you wanted to sign up from Warwickshire, you had to go to Wales, Kit. So there was next to no-one in the regiment who was from Warwickshire but a fair few Welsh

Bert wrote:No, I think they were named the Warwickshires but if you wanted to sign up from Warwickshire, you had to go to Wales, Kit. So there was next to no-one in the regiment who was from Warwickshire but a fair few Welsh

Its very interesting though bert , I guess he was just like most welsh people. Unionist , but wanting his own recognised in the face of a big neighbour.

Pretty much.

One other aside about the film -

It directly inspired the creation of hip hop - Afrika Bambaataa deliberately named his gang the Zulu Nation in opposition to the prevailing violent gang culture.

ashcroft should make a gesture to the chard and baker family.But then again hes a Tory.