El Alamein museum and cemetery - more to this story - Churchill's quotation

 

El Alamein in Egypt

Curiosity Satisfied

El Alamein like so many battlefields is a mixture of facts, sadness and happiness. The facts are how the place operated before during and after battles. Facts - The big things such as the tanks. The small things such as the badges.  

Emotional Experience

Sadness - people who died. Especially in tragic circumstances. Or if they were your family members. 

Happiness, satisfaction, the safety precautions, the ingenuity, that a victory brought an end to the conflict, in that place, for the living, and the dead, on both sides. 

Sometimes, reconciliation,  between descendants on both sides, or veterans - especially between those who really did not want to be there! Some did not want to kill, some did not want to be killed, some did not understand what they were fighting for, some were homesick.

Sources Of Stories And Quotations

Wikipedia is a wonderful source, a wonderful resource. It started out using and combining the out of date Encyclopedias such as Brittanica, and the Catholic Encyclopaedia and Jewish Encyclopaedia, for all the historical stuff, and early science and culture, gradually adding updates from experts and individuals.

 Photo sources

Plus the photos. Now Flickr is just one source of photos. More photos are added directly to Wikipedia by authorities and by members of the public. 

El Alamein's Pivotal Part in WW2

My Interest

 

Wikipedia gave me a succinct guide to El Alamein, updated from when I last looked, with links to all sorts of outside sources. My late mother's first husband was killed at El Alamein which is what sparked my interest in a place I have not yet visited. However, I have visited many WWI and WW2 sites in Europe and the USA's civil war sites. Stalin said, one death is a tragedy, many is a statistic. Often one family member's involvement can inspire a lifelong fascination with everything to do with the whole of WWI, WW2 and wars any time and everywhere. As if somehow, some clue as to how those involved lived and died, how others traced ancestors, it all adds up. We cannot turn back the clock. But we can turn on the clock and create memorials and solve puzzles and mysteries. The past is a jigsaw. Sometimes one piece in the jigsaw is a date, death certificate, or photo, which sends you on a quest to find more pieces to create the full picture. 

The two exciting revelations on El Alamein - it was a turning point in the tide of WW2.

Churchill said, 'Before El Alamein, we never had a victory. After El Alamein, we never had a loss.'

Listen to the language. What makes it so memorable. Firstly the positive message. Secondly the actual language. Contrast, 'before, after'. Contrast, 'victory, loss'. Repetition, 'El Alamein, we never had'. 

For lovers of quotations, another famous quotation which I have often heard at meetings of Toastmasters International speakers' training clubs, and seen on the web is.

This is not the end. It is not the beginning of the end. But it is the end of the beginning.

We use this quotation to inspire ourselves and others to continue on with any venture. But churchill was referring to one particular incident. The battle of El Alamein.

After  the allied  

HM Queen Elizabeth II died Sept 8 2022. What changes does this mean for you and the world?

Queen's Christmas message. (The Queen's Speech is what she gives to the opening of Parliament.)

'The queen is dead. (1926-2022) Long live the king.' TV programmes had already been cancelled in the afternoon of Thursday September 8th 2022 when the family were summoned to Scotland. She died at Balmoral in Scotland. 

Balmoral, Scotland, privately owned.

Who Heard?

The members of the royal family were told she was failing fast and were called to Scotland.

A TV presenter was already wearing a black tie. In fact, all the BBC presenters were in black from the time of the announcement about the queen being under medical supervision.

The flag, the Union Jack, on Buckingham Palace, was lowered to half mast. Phones began pinging with alerts about the news.

A back-edged announcement appeared on the gate.

Notice on Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland, the queen's - now the king's, official residence.

Holyrood Palace.

What Next?

Next will be the funeral. In London, England, UK. 

But for everyday life in the UK, and overseas, what does this mean?

1 UK passports will change. Anything with the words queen will change to king. This means

2 Notes and coins.

3 Postage stamps.

4 Pillar boxes. (Post boxes. Americans say mail boxes.)

5 Magazines, newspapers and books and postcards with stories and photos about the queen and her era.

6 TV programmes on history.

7 Uniforms of the military.

8 Stamps around the world.

9 Souvenirs - postcards, tee-shirts, mugs. 

10 Next Christmas we will have the king's message.r countries around the world will be making changes to stamps - as well as souvenir shops.

In addition to postage stamps and regalia in the UK, 

Why so many changes? All so costly. Unnecessary. We have always been the UK, not the UQ.

The Queen's body will be displayed in Scotland, where she died, displayed at a religious building, then moved to London. 

In London the coffin will move from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in Westminster Palace (which is across the road from Westminster Abbey) where she will lie in state so that the public can file past and see her for the last time.

On the day of the funeral members of the royal family will follow the slow transfer of the coffin down The Mall.

The funeral service will take place in Westminster Abbey, with former Prime Ministers of the UK and heads of state from overseas. Expect security to be tight.

Afterwards, the coffin will be taken in a hearse (carriage for the coffin) to Windsor. 

The final place will be St George's chapel. The royal family, guests will observe a choir singing hymns. The body will be lowered into the vault below the quire. (Centre or crossing point of the arms of the cross shape of the building.)

On the day of the funeral any sports events previously planned for that day will be cancelled. So will strikes. It will be a bank holiday and schools will be closed. 

Who will be affected? 

Cancellations

Horse racing, cycling, golf, football. The Last Night of the Proms, an evening of patriotic and jolly music, cancelled. the good news is that strikes will be cancelled.

Certain flags will fly at half mast for a brief period (quite complicated as to which flags and how they are raised when the new king Charles III is being proclaimed - sworn in?), and events will be televised around the world.

Additions

Bells will be tolled. Canons will be fired (in Wales).

Glossary

casket - American term for the box for a dead body, strictly speaking a basic four-sided rectangle

catafalque - platform for a coffin

coffin - a fancy six-sided box for a dead body (the term coffin is the most usual one used in the UK)

quire - area where the choir (or group of singers) is seated (also a sheaf of paper) 

King Charles III

King Charles III.

Queen Consort Camilla

Places To Visit

UK

London

Buckingham Palace, London, England

Flowers from members of the public.

The Mall

(Black taxi cabs gathered with lights on.)

Piccadilly - pictures of the queen

Scotland

Edinburgh

USA

Times Square

Paris, France - Eiffel Tower

Tel Aviv

Australia - Sydney Opera House picture of queen on the sails, Friday 10th Sept and Saturday 11th Sept nights.

Useful Websites

On You Tube I was offered links to subscribe to the UKs BBC news and America's NBC news.

Plans for the funeral, from the BBC

Map of St George's Chapel, Windsor

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60617519

Changes

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11195633/Cash-stamps-police-helmets-passports-different-King-Charles-III.html#comments

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Elizabeth_II

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/death-queen-elizabeth-marked-around-world-with-tributes-flowers-2022-09-08/

Sights

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11196967/Sydney-Opera-House-lit-image-Queen-honour-late-monarch.html

Angela Lansbury, English language expert and speaking and language trainer, travel writer specialising in places: countries, museums, restaurants (wine and dine), romantic destinations, people (famous), and events. Practical, amusing and entertaining books, articles and blogs.

Night train service at weekends in London from September 12th 2015

To misquote somebody (Disraeli or Mark Twain): you can run some of the train lines all of the time, and all of the train lines some of the time, but you can't run all of the train lines all of the time. The new night services start in London from September 12th 2015.

So the plan is that the entire Victoria and Jubilee lines will run for 24 hours, covering Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. other lines the busiest parts of the lines may operate, but not necessarily further stations and branches of the line.

If you previously used late night buses, you now have an alternative route, and also in some places and times the train route can cut your journey time by up to twenty minutes.

If you still need to take a taxi part of the way, your taxi fare could be cheaper.

That's good news if you are at a conference such as the World Travel Market and want to attend a weekend dinner or stay in London for a late meeting the weekend before or the weekend after the midweek conference and still have time to get home to the suburbs.

If you plan to come to London over Christmas and New Year, the late night buses and trains could also be useful to you. The bus map is already online. You could print out your own copy. Nearer the time I expect they will print out the maps and distribute them at the relevant stations, or at all stations so that you can plan your travel and also restaurant and hotel bookings which will be near the lat night lines, to be sure your meeting venues and sleeping venues are either your starting point or ending point.

If you are arranging a conference, restaurant meal, or accommodation for staff, guests, friends or family, you might wish to pick a venue on the line or to give your guests the information.

If you are looking for a job such as in a hotel or restaurant and willing to work late you might find opportunities. If you a hotel or restaurant owner, or are in marketing, advertising or web design you might need to update your existing ads and websites, or to use the new line as a selling point or excuse for a seasonal offer or celebration.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/first-look-at-the-official-map-for-londons-night-tube--due-to-launch-in-september-10335452.html

You might also like to note the new uniforms:
I shall have to see them to form an opinion. I like blue. I also like the jolly red and orange ties, and the more discreet and elegant blue ties.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/tfl-uniform-redesign-unveiled-in-first-update-for-decade-10283336.html