Rooms

I say!

What a delightful time I had in Lisbon. A lovely place, and much cooler than Kalimbuka at this time of year, nevertheless, still quite warm.

I noticed a large police presence everywhere in the city. Perhaps this was to avoid another nasty incidence concerning a famous cricketing personality. Below is a snap of the foyer of the Tivoli Hotel. In the evenings, we were entertained by a pianist.


Here's a snap of my very adequate room.


And here is where I gave my presentation on "Pitches 2.0 - how the Web can assist in the preparation of belters". Of course, the room was packed out for the presentation, which I shall enlarge upon in a future post.


MM III

Lisboa, and thence to Blighty

I say!

Not much time to post. Flights to catch, and all that. However, below is my snap of the hotel's circular pool which was shown towards the left in the previous post's aerial photograph. More snaps shortly.


Toodle-pip for now.

MM III

Blighty, and thence to Lisbon

I say!

Well, I am almost ready for the off. To Lisbon, via dear old Blighty, for some hush hush meetings.

Here is a view, from the air, of my hotel in Lisbon, the 5* Tivoli Lisboa. Nice looking pool. Oh dear, I see they provide mini bars. The last time I stayed in a hotel with a mini bar I got rather disorientated.

I may not be able to post for a while, but will report in due course.

MM III

Preferences

I say!

I found this thing over at Lee Ann's.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

MM III

The results are in!

I say!

Here are the results of the competition.

Just to remind you, the question was, who wrote:

"The winds of wilderness were calling their people, and they tell the tale of Empire, do these winds; wild calling to wild, and the urge and surge of blood which must carry our people willy nilly into the last attainable confines of a finite earth, there to persist, absorb, dictate, boss and impose our Will. Here is no insolence, but the essential Must of things."

The choices were:

a) William Wilberforce
b) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
c) C.L.R. James
d) Lt. Col. Ewart Scott Grogan DSO (Cape to Cairo Grogan)
e) Sir John 'Empire Jack' Norton-Griffiths
f) Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot
g) James Keir Hardie
h) Ricky Ponting
i) Alfred 'Mile-A-Day-Boys' Lawley
j) Cornelius McGillycuddy of the Reeks
k) The Hon Thomas Cholmondeley
l) Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive of Plassey
m) Haidar 'Ali
n) Sir Laurens Jan van der Post
o) Sir Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot

Well, it wasn't Ricky Ponting, who is the Aussie captain, and it wasn't the anti-slaver William Wilberforce, and it wasn't C.L.R. James, who was a superb author from the Caribbean, and it wasn't Cornelius McGillycuddy of the Reeks, and Irish peer.

And it wasn't the wonderfully named Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot, brother of Michael Foot the Labour Leader of the Opposition 1981-1983, or Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, or James Keir Hardie, or Haidar 'Ali, ruler of Mysore, or Clive of India.

Though wonderfully written, it wasn't the work of Sir Laurens Jan van der Post either, and we have already ruled out the short-sighted and unfortunate Hon Thomas Cholmondeley (avoid all trekking adventures on properties adjoining his).

So, it might have been: Lt. Col. Ewart Scott Grogan DSO (Cape to Cairo Grogan), or Sir John 'Empire Jack' Norton-Griffiths, or Alfred 'Mile-A-Day-Boys' Lawley, or Sir Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot.

It might sounds as if it was Sir Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot, a diplomat and colonial administrator who initiated the policy of white supremacy in the British East Africa, but it wasn't. Alfred 'Mile-A-Day-Boys' Lawley built many railways in Africa (progressing at one mile a day), and it wasn't him.

Which leaves Lt. Col. Ewart Scott Grogan DSO (Cape to Cairo Grogan), or Sir John 'Empire Jack' Norton-Griffiths.

Sir John 'Empire Jack' Norton-Griffiths was a renowned engineer, who amongst other things, fought in the Matabele War, (alongside Grogan), but it wasn't him.

Which means that it was Lt. Col. Ewart Scott Grogan DSO (Cape to Cairo Grogan)! A most interesting man, and I invite you all to read Edward Paice's wonderful book about him. Amongst other things, Grogan walked from Cape to Cairo (in two different journeys), during which he had many adventures, some of which involved cannibals. He nearly died of exhaustion in Southern Sudan, so I share that experience with him. He lived until 1967, and for many years was an entrepreneur in Kenya. He built and owned Torr's Hotel, in Nairobi, where according to my dear Paw Paw they used to have lovely parties.

I should add that Grogan visited Kalimbuka in 1898, when there was already a government house, and a tropical garden, in Zomba. This is now transformed as the Hotel Masongola, wher I partake the occasional MGT.

Bonus question answers - which two of the above are still alive? - Ricky Ponting and the Hon Thomas Cholmondeley. Which of the above was a leading authority on nudibranchiata? - Sir Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot.

Which means that Lee Ann has one point (possibly) for naming Sir Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot, but possibly for the wrong question. Others scored nil points.

I say - good game! Well done Lee Ann. Better luck next time, everybody else.

MM III

Who wrote this?

I say,

Two rather artistic snaps below, though I do say so myself. But before that, a quiz question.

Who wrote the following, and before you choose an answer, remember the Swahili proverb: mwenda mbio bujikwaa dole (he who hurries stubs his toe).

"The winds of wilderness were calling their people, and they tell the tale of Empire, do these winds; wild calling to wild, and the urge and surge of blood which must carry our people willy nilly into the last attainable confines of a finite earth, there to persist, absorb, dictate, boss and impose our Will. Here is no insolence, but the essential Must of things."

Was it:

a) William Wilberforce

b) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill

c) C.L.R. James

d) Lt. Col. Ewart Scott Grogan DSO (Cape to Cairo Grogan)

e) Sir John 'Empire Jack' Norton-Griffiths

f) Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot

g) James Keir Hardie

h) Ricky Ponting

i) Alfred 'Mile-A-Day-Boys' Lawley

j) Cornelius McGillycuddy of the Reeks

k) The Hon Thomas Cholmondeley

l) Major-General Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive of Plassey

m) Haidar 'Ali

n) Sir Laurens Jan van der Post

o) Sir Charles Norton Edgecumbe Eliot

Bonus question - which two of the above are still alive?

Bonus bonus question - which of the above was a leading authority on nudibranchiata?

Answers in a Comment, please.

MM III