Kevin's Watch

The True Dragon
by Brian Patten

St George was out walking
He met a dragon on a hill,
It was wise and wonderful
Too glorious to kill

It slept amongst the wild thyme
Where the oxlips and violets grow
Its skin was a luminous fire
That made the English landscape glow

Its tears were England’s crystal rivers
Its breath the mist on England’s moors
Its larder was England’s orchards,
Its house was without doors

St George was in awe of it
It was a thing apart
He hid the sleeping dragon
Inside every English heart

So on this day let’s celebrate
England’s valleys full of light,
The green fire of the landscape
Lakes shivering with delight

Let’s celebrate St George’s Day,
The dragon in repose;
The brilliant lark ascending,
The yew, the oak, the rose

Wishing all on the Watch a happy St. Georges Day

What a lovely poem! Happy St. George's Day to our British Watchers!

aliantha wrote:What a lovely poem! Happy St. George's Day to our British Watchers!

English Watchers actually.

St Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland (30th November).

Sorry, Phantasm. I have a hard time keeping it straight...

The only Saint I know and like is Simon Templar.

(Yes, weak joke.)

Happy St. George's Day our English colleagues!

They should color some Boston river red to make it more famous.

matrixman wrote:The only Saint I know and like is Simon Templar.

(Yes, weak joke.)

Happy St. George's Day our English colleagues!

Is this the Saint of the books or the Saint from the TV Series?

Phantasm wrote:

aliantha wrote:What a lovely poem! Happy St. George's Day to our British Watchers!

English Watchers actually.

One of the rare times someone makes that mistake. It's usually the other way round (calling us all English, as I'm sure you've found, being a Scot). This isn't relevant; it just amused me that the poor mites try so hard and never get it right.

Anyway, I'm English and avoid being in town on St George's Day like the plague. It's basically just another exercise in maximum alcohol. Asinine. Thanks for the wishes anyway.

Another bloody excuse to drink? Like Cinco de Mayo here? Where's my wine? (hic)

danlo wrote:Another bloody excuse to drink? Like Cinco de Mayo here? Where's my wine? (hic)

Agreed! We must go forth and slay a dragon...................'s share of booze!


*silly middle guy... can't hold is liquer, he can't!

Makes me think of the Tom Holt book, Paint your Dragon.

The dragon is a kind and noble beast, while George is a slimy conman.

--A

danlo wrote:Another bloody excuse to drink? Like Cinco de Mayo here? Where's my wine? (hic)

Cinco de Mayo is an excuse to drink made up by the beer distributors to increase sales between St. Patrick's Day and summer. The closest comparison to it in U.S. history would be the Battle of New Orleans, interesting, but not a reason to get blasted.

And, I wouldn't make the mistake of congratulating all my British friends on St. George's day. My ancestors came over from Aberdeen.

Well, and mine came from Kilkenny via Connaught, I think. So maybe I should retract my well-wishes? Or should I just get wasted?

hue of bone wrote:

matrixman wrote:The only Saint I know and like is Simon Templar.

(Yes, weak joke.)

Happy St. George's Day our English colleagues!

Is this the Saint of the books or the Saint from the TV Series?

I like both. (Didn't read all the books, mind you, but I did like Leslie Charteris's writing.)

The real question might be: are you partial to Roger Moore's Saint or Ian Ogilvy's? I prefer Ogilvy myself.

I am afraid to say it will have to be Roger Moore. Mr Ogilvy's depiction came

a little late for me.

I have various copies of the Saint's books in an assortment of editions

(mostly 1960's printings). Must say that The Saint in New York is the

one I go back to the most.

The story of St George and the Dragon was based upon the fight between the Emperor and a C'Tan Star God - the Void Dragon. The Emperor defeated the Void Dragon and placed him in a special vault on Mars, so that in the 30th Millennium the Necron god would grant technology to the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Emperor could also claim that the Dragon was an aspect of himself, the Omnissiah.

An appropriate thread for this, perhaps.....



Earlier this year, organisers came up with a plan for this GIGANTIC dragon to be built in Wales, near the border with England, to celebrate Welsh heritage. Can we expect to see a giant St George facing it, do you think?

Waking the Dragon would stand at 210ft, incorporate a culture complex and raise money for a cancer charity, it was revealed.

The bronze beast will sit on a gleaming 130ft tower and will symbolise the heritage and culture of the Welsh people.

The dragon tower would be approximately 100ft smaller than the Statue of Liberty but would overshadow the Angel of the North which is 65ft. The dragon’s wingspan would spread 170ft.

Stonemaybe wrote:An appropriate thread for this, perhaps.....



Earlier this year, organisers came up with a plan for this GIGANTIC dragon to be built in Wales, near the border with England, to celebrate Welsh heritage. Can we expect to see a giant St George facing it, do you think?

Waking the Dragon would stand at 210ft, incorporate a culture complex and raise money for a cancer charity, it was revealed.

The bronze beast will sit on a gleaming 130ft tower and will symbolise the heritage and culture of the Welsh people.

The dragon tower would be approximately 100ft smaller than the Statue of Liberty but would overshadow the Angel of the North which is 65ft. The dragon’s wingspan would spread 170ft.

I have this thing for bronze dragons, you see...

Thought you might like that idea!