Thursday, December 24, 2009

Top of the Day, Chaps


An article that gives a survey of the history of drinking in Britain:
http://www.historytoday.com/MainArticle.aspx?m=33784&amid=30297900. Sadly, it left out my favorite anecdote that captures the Englishman's fascination with getting drunk off his ass; the Lord Nelson episode. Essentially, after Nelson was famously slain at Trafalgar while once again putting the bull cock to the Frogs, his body was ceremoniously carried aboard a warship up the Thames to London for the huge funeral service and his subsequent entombment at St. Paul's (or Westminster?). Anyway, the funeralists (is that a word?) were somewhat aghast at the condition of his body upon arrival, especially since he had been embalmed with state of the art methodology. "What gives?" or words to that effect sayeth the good yeomen charged with gussying up the still quite dead Nelson. Well, it seems that at some point or points along the gentle voyage, a couple of prime specimens of English seamanship seized the opportunity to not only view the departed Lord Nelson but to also subsequently sample and then guzzle down the fluid in which the dear admiral was floating about. Apparently, an interview of the seamen was not conducted to get their take on how the stuff went down. Anyway, it's still dangerous to get between a limey and his drink. Cheers.

No comments: