I posted this in the media thread, but should probably go in here under our History. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8775410.stm Fascinating stuff.
Being a historian myself, maybe I appreciated it more than others. I knew about the Boer war stuff but hadn't made the Preston North End connection nor the stuff about Churchill and Ghandi.
That was a good presentation, first time I've had a chance to look at it. I've read and still have several books on the Boer Wars and the Zulu wars in South Africa. So in 1979 I got with my brother and flew over from LA, I met him in London and we flew down to J'burg, rented a car and drove down to Natal. He lived in J'burg for several years and had friends who had a sugar plantation in Natal, so we ended up staying in a rondaval on their property. We visited most of the battlefields and made the two main objectives first was to be on Isandwana Mountain at dawn on Jan 21st 1979 (The centenial) and then walk down to Rorkes Drift. Isandwana was were the Zulu army overwhelmed the 24 regiment of foot and killed all of B battalion. Then Rorkes Drift was where the sick and wounded held off 5 thousand Zulus. Before I went, I visited the Museum in Brecon where most of the men were from and made friend with the staff there. The other objective was to walk up to the top of Spion Kop. Both sad places both with a real sense of history. I've visited a lot of places like that, Arnhem (the bridge too far) Ranville in Normandy, the Omaha Beach and American cemetery. All filled with young men as the result of politics and foolish decisions. Spion Kop is special, a lonely place where a lot of scousers and men of Lancashire were lost, forever.
Ta! KIKC Interesting I was going through some pics for my daughter and found this. My brother is the one in the short, shorts. Hey, it was '79. A group of guys came marching up the road in order wearing, we found out later, uniforms from the movie "Zulu Dawn" They had brought their families up for the day for a fun re-enactment and a picnic. They invited us of course.
Spion Kop is an incredible place to visit. We live about 200KM from there and drive past it regularly on our way to Bloemfontein where I have a business. It's a small detour but worth it. There is as USScouse says a special feeling there that puts me at a loss for words every time I visit. Whenever I hear Anfield singing 'You'll never walk alone' it makes me think of those soldiers were were so lonely on that hill. Talking to the guides there is very informative, especially if you geta Zulu guide. The Zulu people have such a respect for the British soldier, they admire them greatly. Well worth a specific visit I think.
24 Jan 1900. 322 British soldiers lost their lives at Battle of SPION KOP (Boer War), nr Ladysmith S Africa.