i'll have to check my Special edition,i have at home,it's got a dvd about the making of the film,as well as the dvd of the film itself
I was born in what was then the Washington Redskins training camp, Carlisle, PA. But I moved to Pittsburgh when I was eight and am a Steelers fan, though I have a soft spot for the Redskins. The other team I'm a big fan of is the Chicago Cubs (long story). They've now played 105 straight years in the National League w/out winning a championship. I've spent most of my life on a series of stupid, pointless and dangerous adventures. Having made it to middle age, much to my surprise, I'm now living a life of conventional virtue, having thoroughly exhausted all possible alternatives to doing so. But I hope to get back to doing really stupid things when I retire from my current job of making robots look good. I'm the website and video guy at a big robot place. I'm also a history buff and despise the way history is tortured in most "historical" films. Mel Gibson's atrocities include "Last of the Mohicans" incidentally. The other thing that gets me is people in great danger in movies who don't act the way people in great danger would. It's annoying and unnecessary. On the other hand, I was watching the orginal "Cape Fear" with a friend who would stop the movie periodically and ask us what we'd do. When we'd reach a consensus, he'd start the movie, and Gregory Peck would proceed to do just what we'd said. Writers have to work harder to create that kind of realism, but it makes all the difference to me. My disbelief is always suspended by a thread.
I visited an exhibition in Brecon Cathederal some years ago of Rourkes Drift memorabilia. It was a very moving display of uniforms, personal effects and even some of the VCs won by these WELSH heroes. My favourite film: Casablanca. (showing my age!) although many other favourites have already been mentioned.
56 years old , 1st game aged about 4 v Burnley but I don't remember the score so i saw the double team play. I went to the European cup s/f v Benfica . HGV mechanic and a union rep. I live in Hertordshire . Married with 2 kids my son is a spurs fan . I spent a lot of the mid 60's going to Joe Kinnears mums house as my uncle married one of his sisters and got to meet Mike England.Pat Jennings Phil Beal Cyril Knowles and Cliff Jones. Fav Films Music Steely Dan Outlaw Josey Wales Joni mitchell Pulp Fiction Eagles Apocalypse Now Early Van Morrison Zulu (without mel gibson) Dr Feelgood Get Carter RnB (old stuff not the new ****e) Dirty Harry ska and Reggae High plains drifter Americana Any Marx Bros film Folk Laurel and Hardy talkies (music box) napoleon dynomite The Jerk Some Like It Hot Great Escape Jackie Brown I once saw Sol Cambell at Heathrow airport and had a call for " mr Spurs Judas " put over the tannoy. Hate reality TV and the Daily Mail. COYS
maggie,only three of them were Welsh. William Jones VC was a Manchester man. John Williams VC and Robert Jones VC were the others. Chard was English and Bromhead was born in India I think. Allen VC was a Geordie and Hook VC was a Gloucester man. Hitch VC was a Londoner and Scheiss VC was Swiss. Reynolds VC was an irishman which leaves Dalton VC who was also a Londoner. Sorry to burst your bubble but at the time the 24th was a Warwickshire regiment. Nothing more as yet on Gibson playing a bit part in one of the Zulu films.
maggie,only two of them were Welsh. William Jones VC was a Manchester man. John Williams VC and Robert Jones VC were the Taffs Chard VC was English and BromheadVC was born in India I think. Allen VC was a Geordie and Hook VC was a Gloucester man. Hitch VC was a Londoner and Scheiss VC was Swiss. Reynolds VC was an Irishman which leaves Dalton VC who was also a Londoner. Sorry to burst your bubble but at the time the 24th was a Warwickshire regiment. Nothing more as yet on Gibson playing a bit part in one of the Zulu films.
maggie,only three of them were Welsh. William Jones VC was a Manchester man. John Williams VC and Robert Jones VC were the others. Chard was English and Bromhead was born in India I think. Allen VC was a Geordie and Hook VC was a Gloucester man. Hitch VC was a Londoner and Scheiss VC was Swiss. Reynolds VC was an irishman which leaves Dalton VC who was also a Londoner. Sorry to burst your bubble but at the time the 24th was a Warwickshire regiment. Nothing more as yet on Gibson playing a bit part in one of the Zulu films.
Empty your inbox sunshine. How am I supposed to update you with a tasty bit of gossip if your inbox is full ?? . .
they might not have been all welsh that won VC's ,but the majorty of the men at Rouke's drift were,they were the South Wales boarderers,not a Warwickshire regiment
TMT the 'English regiment' you refer to was recruited from Wales. In 1873 the Twenty-Fourth Regiment, despite its Warwickshire connection, was allotted a 'brigade depot' at Brecon and henceforward drew increasingly for recruits from the counties of Brecon, Cardigan, Monmouth and Radnor. It is not surprising, therefore, that when the reform of Infantry of the Line on a territorial basis took place in 1881, the title of 'Second Warwickshire', given it in 1782, was replaced by that of 'The South Wales Borderers'. You can argue about numbers but something like 30% of the 24th foot were Welsh and the detachment sent to Rourkes Drift probably was more than 30% Welsh. Which ever way you look at it it's unfair to describe the 24th foot as an English regiment when such a large and increasing number were Welsh. Hence my original comment that it's not surprising or unjustified that Welsh soldiers were depicted in the film. Remember it's not just the VC's who fought there. Sure there are inaccuracies in the film but the presence of Welsh soldiers is not one of them. It's always a problem when Histories are told trying to present an accurate picture of the ordinary folk involved because records are limited. In the case of Armys it's always the officers who figure out of all proportion to the 'ordinary soldiers' who took part.
We can argue all day Spurf and get nowhere. If only 30% were Welsh the other 70% weren't. Colour Sgt Frank Bourne was offered the VC or DCM and promotion and he took the latter. He was a Sussex man. In all the VC's awarded everywhere about half were officers and half other ranks.
We have established the presence of a large number of Welsh and therefore your original comment which I queried in the first place was to ignore that, by describing it as an English regiment. You may get nowhere, but others will.
Spurf,I have the Register of The Victoria Cross. Here's one. Hitch Frederick Private 2nd Bn 24th Regiment of Foot(Later The South Wales Borderers). Date of Gazette 2 May 1879. Born Edmonton London 23/9 1856. Death Ealing London 18/8/1917. Then it tells you what he did. "Later The SWB" appears in all the accounts of the VC holders in the Zulu wars.
