54 Comments

I had no idea. Thanks for that history lesson. Happy we still drink tea here-- tho reasonably taxed.

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Jul 4·edited Jul 4Liked by Mike Sowden

Always a fun trip Michael. My eldest son is a US Navy ex-pat. JPJ is the father of the US Navy in lore. A fun tale to remember. For me, a food lover, I am so thankful we went our own way. Nearly 250 years later we ended up with so much including tons of great fusion cooking styles and we still seem to get on pretty well. I gladly forego beans on toast and embrace the Banh Mi & Cajun food. Now in my 60s, I've managed to avoid black pudding also. Thanks for surrendering at Yorktown. I have great respect for our British legacy since you invented the sandwich and named it after a Lord. What is the best sandwich in Britain (let's exclude organ meats)? We offer the Beef on Weck, the Muffaletta and the Banh Mi. American fusion cuisine at its best. Immigration and its nurturing is our best invention. As according to CK Steefel in the comments, the tea was a good thing too we decided to keep. Thanks.

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I have the privilege of living in Yorkshire. With a population of roughly the same as Scotland, and about as many MPs you would think it would be agitating for independence. But it isn't, because it is! Try getting a Yorkshireman to do anything they don't want to do. I was not born here (Lincolnshire) unfortunately, but I intend to die here, so I might make it to the heavenly cricket team. Every day is a nice surprise here.

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Jul 4Liked by Mike Sowden

As a Yorkshireman this post was enlightening. If you do get the change to visit Flambrough Head I would recommend a trip up the lighthouse. It’s a starter of bonkers with a main of scary.

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We celebrate this victory every year by eating red, white, and skwoooons.

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Sounds like a fascinating place! I didn’t know that bit of history either...but then again, how little we are taught of our own history. Lol, and I bet less than .1% of Americans have thought of King George today.

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I had forgotten this battle, shameful for a US historian, so thanks for the reminder!

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I had no idea about the history of the place and I was there! Back in 2014 as it happens, as I caught a pic of one of those gannets.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/safarfiertze/13930357161/in/datetaken/

Thank you for bringing back the memory :)

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Jul 5Liked by Mike Sowden

John Paul Jones is a fascinating Scotsman born near my home of Dumfries. The did quite a bit of raiding on the Solway coast as well kidnapping various gentry to raise funds and get supplies.

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Jul 5Liked by Mike Sowden

Im from East Yorkshire and have lived in the US for 10 years. This is the first I have ever heard of this battle and I am flabbergasted! thanks

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Excellent stuff as always. The cliffs at Bempton are indeed high and terrifying and spectacular, and are also home to thousands of magnificent seabirds – puffins, gannets. guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, kittiwakes and of course loads of much maligned gulls. There’s also been an albatross there for the last few summers, which is a distinctly unusual thing because they are overwhelmingly birds of the southern hemisphere, where Bempton (you may have noticed) isn’t. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have been there this year, so either it died or (*enable ‘provocative’ mode*) it’s had enough of Yorkshire.

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Jul 5Liked by Mike Sowden

"Down here on the beach, you hear everything at least twice" - what a line!

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Celebrating America's Independence Day by watching "Scott & Bailey" on BritBox -- it's an utter delight, BTW. (See my post tomorrow on how I feel about today.) Love this post, Mike. And here was me thinking John Paul Jones was just a member of Led Zep. Cheers. xo

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Well, that was damn delightful.

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Wonderful. Someday I will visit Yorkshire (home to my Barraclough ancestors) but for now, I rely on you!

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Ah, Yorkshire being important never surprises me

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