#patron saint of Wales

[eynsavalow]

.

[fayrobertsuk]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Hapus, pawb! Cofiwch: wnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd.

[invisible-goats]

hell I'm English and have done none of these

Didn’t know it was possible for me to feel less British.

In seriousness though, this is a fascinating insight into how ‘English’ and ‘British’ is synonymous even within the UK.

[youvebeengreeked]

HAPPY St. DAVID'S DAY, Cymrades.

[gingersnaptaff]

who are the main characters in welsh arthurian mythos?

Hi anon! You know, I looked at this question and just fuckin DIED with GLEE! Ehdhdjdhdjd I LOVE SHIT LIKE THIS!!!!! SHDJDJDH

First off, Arthur is pretty big. He's less a king and more of a warlord, but there's still a lot of cultural reverence for him in Welsh things. Seriously, Henry VII - a notable faux-Welshman - named his firstborn son Arthur purely because he was going to be Prince of Wales. Also, in Culhwch and Olwen his retinue has TWO Welsh GODS in it - Manawydan and Pryderi (my beloveds.) Idk what they're doing in it but I am inordinately pleased that they are there.

Also, Uther Pendragon / Uther Ben. Taliesin wrote a poem about him which is super fun. (Also, oddly enough Taliesin himself HAS been linked into Arthurian legends on multiple occasions. He's also another Arthur-type in that he's still regarded as tooling the line between mythical and real.)

Gwenhwyfar is also important even though she takes a back seat. Speculation is rife about whether she had a quest/myth about her (sorta like Culhwch and Olwen) and also her name means 'white phantom!' BRING IT BACK. I, for one, think she definitely did have a quest attributed to her in which Arthur had to do something to get her hand in marriage but idk WHAT.

Also, she's a GIANT!!!!!!!! EJDJDKDKDKD

Gwalchmai is also Super Important. There's speculation as to whether he was a mythical character who got implanted into the mythos or if he was always Atthur's nephew. Basically, he's a giant and he kills giants. Seriously, he's CONSTANTLY killing giants in the mythos. Plus he is called 'Gwalchmai Golden / Silver-tongued' in poetry too. In the Mabinogion, he's very often the one to soothe discord between the other knights so he's very diplomatic too.

Cai and Bedwyr, obviously! They come as a pair. Do Not Separate. Now, Cai is sometimes also seen to be a giant but his dad is Cynyr Ceinfarfog who was a real king. He ruled Dyfed and was the dad of Saint Non and, therefore, grandad to SAINT DAVID. (Wales' patron saint!) So Cai, like Arthur, has a saintly lineage. Before the French Romances shifted his character into the more recognisable Kay, Arthur's grumpy seneschal, Cai was a warrior of great renown. And literally superhuman. Like, nobody would received from.a blow from his sword, he could brave fire and water like nobody else, he has the ability to go nine nights and days without sleep or the need to breathe. He's a ledge.

Now, Bedwyr! Again he's a great warrior and ONE-ARMED. He's called Bedwyr Bedrydant (Bedwyr of the Perfect Sinew) and he's HOT SHIT. Seriously, he's like the most beautiful Knight in Arthur's court. The 10th-century poem 'pa gur' says that assailants 'fell by the hundred / before Bedwyr of the Perfect sinew ... fighting with Garwlwyd/ furious with sword and shield.' (Also, BTW Garwlwyd is possibly a werewolf.)

They have to put up with SO MUCH SHIT from Arthur's escapades it's ridiculous. They had to convince Arthur not to intervene in a King abducting a princess and carrying her back to his court, ffs. Give them a HOLIDAY. WITH SALMON TAXIS.

Now, I would say Merlin BUT he is added later into the mythology. He isn't there straight off. But he is Welsh. He's FUN. He was apparently based on Myrddin Wyllt. He went mad, and lived in a forest. His bestie was a king who died.

Now, I also think Owain, and Geraint on account of their having stories written about them but they're two kings who got folded into the mythos a bit later. Urien (Owain's dad) is another example.

Also, Macsen Wledig too. But again writers melded him in later. And I mean this in the sense that he and Arthur share similarities in how they're perceived in Welsh culture.

Anyways, anon, I hope this helps. I'm probably forgetting a TONNE of characters (Peredur, for one.) But I Don't want to bore you or make anybody trawl through this unwillingly so I shall stop! Hopefully, this helps! Thank u for the question!!!!

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in October 2024

01/10 As Court Member of the Fishmongers’ Company, visited a Food Technology Class at Bingley Grammar School. 🐟🏫

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited SIL Group’s Fibre Processing Mill at Ladywell Mills in Bradford. 🧵🧣

Visited Viking Arms Limited in Harrogate. ⚔️🏹🗡️

02/10 Visited Blackburn Meadows Bio-Mass Power Plant in Tinsley, Sheffield. 🍃🔋

Visited Sheffield Forgemasters. 🔥⚒️

Visited Loadhog at the Hog Works. 🚛🚚

Opened the University of Sheffield’s Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre. 🧬

03/10 As President of Carers Trust, attended the Short Breaks Wales Conference at Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground in Cardiff. 🦽🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), attended the Annual Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel in Knightsbridge, London. 💂🍽️

04/10 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society attended the Changing Lives Through Horses Forum at Saddlers' Hall in London. 🐎

08/10 As President of the Royal Yachting Association, opened Warsash Sailing Club’s renovated Clubhouse. ⛵️🍾

As Patron of Catch22, visited the Orion Centre in Havant, Hampshire. 🫂

Sir Tim represented Princess Anne at the Memorial Service for Mrs Julia Rausing (Philanthropist) which was held in St James’s Church in London. ⛪️

09/10 Attended the Annual National Service for Seafarers in St. Paul's Cathedral. ⛪️⚓️

10/10 As Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, attended the Annual Scientific Conference at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. 💊

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited North Tyneside Youth Justice System in North Shields. 🔗

Opened a renovated manufacturing facility in North Shields. 🏢

11/10 As Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps, Marine Society and Sea Cadets, opened Midlands Boat Station in Birmingham. 🫡⛵️

As Chancellor of Harper Adams University, opened the Digital Learning Hub at the Quad in Telford. 🖥️💻🎮

As Patron of YSS Limited, visited the Criminal Justice Service at the Shropshire Golf Centre in Telford. 👩‍⚖️

14/10 As Guardian of Give Them A Sporting Chance and the Chaffinch Trust, held Management Board and Team Meetings at Gatcombe Park. 💼

15/10 With Sir Tim as Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended the “Countdown to Cure” Reception at the Royal College of Nursing in London. 💊

With Sir Tim As Patron of the Remembrance Trust, attended a Dinner at the Beefsteak Club in London. 🌹

16/10 As Royal Patron of the Security Institute, attended the Annual Conference at the Royal Society of Medicine. 🚨🔒

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, attended a Civic Luncheon at Trinity House. 🍽️

As Royal Patron of WISE, attended the Annual Conference at IET London: Savoy Place. 🧩

17/10 As Patron of the Cathedral Church of Saint German Peel Development Appeal attended a Thanksgiving Service in St German’s Cathedral, Peel, Isle of Man. 🇮🇲⛪️

Visited the Manx National Heritage “All at Sea” Exhibition at the House of Manannan in Peel, Isle of Man. 🇮🇲 🌊

As Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order, attended Evensong and a Reception at The King’s Chapel of the Savoy in London. ⛪️🍾

As President of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, attended a Reception to mark the 250th Anniversary of RSA House. 🎂

Unofficial Sir Tim, as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Group, attended the launch of the Manchester Science Festival at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. 🧪🧬🔭

18/10 On behalf of The King, held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace. 🎖️

Attended a performance by the Spanish Riding School of Vienna at OVO Arena in Wembley. 🇦🇹🇪🇸🐎

19/10 With Sir Tim Attended British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse. 🏆🐎

22/10 As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, chaired the Quarterly Meeting of the Court and attended a Luncheon at Trinity House. 💼

As Patron of UK Coaching, held a Reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic Coaching. 🇬🇧🏅

23/10 Attended a Bicentenary Commemorative Service to recognise the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. 🚒🧯👨‍🚒

As Royal Patron of Leuchie Forever Fund, held a Benefactors’ Dinner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 🍽️

24/10 Re-opened the Rowan Glen Factory at Palnure, near Newton Stewart. 🍶

As Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, opened the new wing at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. 🏥

With Sir Tim As Patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, attended the Trafalgar Night Dinner at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. ⚓️🫡🍽️

25/10 Opened the British Standards Institution International Electrotechnical Commission Annual Meeting at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🔋

28/10 Attended the Prison Advice and Care Trust’s 125th Anniversary National Volunteer Awards at St John’s Church in London. 🏆

29/10 On behalf of The King, held morning and afternoon investitures at Windsor Castle.🎖️

31/10 Visited the Robotic Surgery Unit at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. 🤖🏥

Attended a Reception for the Pride of Somerset Youth Awards winners at Bridgwater and Taunton College. 🏆

Was installed as Chancellor of Health Sciences University before launching the University in Bournemouth. 🎓

As Patron of Save the Children UK, attended the Autumn in the City Dinner at the Savoy in London. 🍽️

Total official engagements for Anne in September: 58

2024 total so far: 371

Total official engagements accompanied/represented by Tim in September: 5

2024 total so far: 91

FYl - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won't be posting everyone's engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[archonofdivinity]

okay not to be normal but

THE CHARACTER DETAIL OF OLIVER FOG MENTIONING ST DAVIDS DAY.

For those who don’t know St. David's Day is not an English holiday! It’s actually a Welsh holiday, since St. David is the patron saint of Wales. What does this tell us? Well, it means that while Oliver sounds English, he probably has more roots in being Welsh - maybe one of his parents was Welsh or he grew up in Wales?

If you’ve seen and liked my analysis of him is a symbol of trade union activity and socialism, you’ll probably like this bit as well. Wales is a left wing area and very traditionally so. I could probably give names of famous left wing Welshmen, however the most relevant one I could think of for his time period of the 50s is Nye Bevan, the father of the NHS! However Oliver also makes me think of another Welsh socialist way back, Robert Owen, who was a founder of both utopian socialism and the cooperative movement, including support of education and childcare. And, if you’ve seen Oliver’s interest in the eight-hour work day, you’ll be interested by this. Owen actually raised the demand for an eight-hour day and even had a slogan - “eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest”.

Okay. I’ll be quiet now. Just think about it!

[neathyingenue]

Drew this a while ago but just now getting to post it!! Here's a sketch of Silvia's Parabola reflection. I'm calling her "the Daffodil Maiden." For an overexplanation of the Yucatec Maya, Welsh, Spanish, English, and Catholic visual references-- look below the cut :)

Also I *am* working on the OC gouache portraits (got one done and two sketched out) but my hip is injured or something?? making sitting down painful so I can't paint :/ As soon as I can, I will get to work on those again!

The majority of the reflection's garment is based on the huipil of the Yucatec Maya, specifically the versions worn in the jarada, the national folk dance of Belize. Silvia's is embroidered with daffodils, the national flower of Wales. The flared hem is ruffled and gathered, trimmed with ribbon, a nod to European textiles/sewing techniques and Spanish folk-dance costumes. The ribbon sash thing is also part of the jarada costume--here I want it to constrict Silvia a bit.

The long unstyled hair is taken from the pre-Raphaelite painters, who depicted idealized versions of Victorian youthful femininity. Specifically I'm thinking of Waterhouse's 'Lady of Shalott,' because that poem is about a mirror and a forbidden glimpse of a desired reality. It's too perfect for Parabola! The halo, though, moves us into the more austere Catholic ideal of the virgin saint, most notably Mary the mother of Jesus.

I specifically took inspiration from the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas, who legend states appeared to an Indigenous peasant, St. Juan Pablo. There is a lot of debate among Latin Americans about how the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe should be interpreted. Is her apparition the Church's attempt to redirect and control Indigenous goddess-worship? Or does it represent an important step toward inclusion in Christianity for Mary to appear to an oppressed non-white person? Does she represent colonial control, or the resistance to it? Although Silvia was never Catholic, Catholicism is one of the most recognizable impacts of Spain's colonialism in the Americas, so I wanted to visually depict that tension in this design.

The daffodil rod references iconography of St. Joseph, Mary's husband. Legend states that his walking-stick flowered with lilies to show everyone that he would be Mary's husband and Jesus's legal father. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers, immigrants, exiles, and workers, so that's also relevant to Silvia's backstory.

With this design, I'm trying to convey Silvia's complicated relationship to her cultural identities, as well as her deep desire to be seen as morally pure and good. I think she would be uncomfortable with how European and maidenly her reflection is--because it would force her to confront the fact that her moral code, no matter how radical, still smacks of European philosophy and Catholic ideals of "purity."

[miraculousmitzi]

Hetalia headcanon time! Here are some potential names I think the UK bros (aside from England, who has a canon name) and Ireland could have. Please note, these are also on my X account.

1. Scotland first names:

Alistair/Alasdair (gaelic spelling): meaning "defending men," which can relate to Scotland's strength and the battles throughout his history, most notably with England. It could also relate to his desire to protect his younger brothers as an elder sibling (though he'd never admit this outright, of course).

Hamish: meaning "supplanter" and "replacement." This name could be related to Scotland's desire to gain independence, taking the reigns for his own people from Arthur and ruling over his lands, thus replacing Arthur's control in this regard.

Scotland surnames:

MacDougal/Mac Dubhghaill (gaelic): meaning "son of Dougal" and "dark stranger." This can be tied to Scotland's outward appearance. On the outside, he looks stern and almost unapproachable but is actually noted to be rather sociable.

Robertson: meaning "son of Robert" and "bright fame." This surname could be used as a reference to Robert the Bruce, a former king of Scotland known from freeing Scotland from English rule at one time.

2. Wales first names:

Medwyn: meaning "strong friend," which relates to his friendly personality and his close relationship with England (it is noted he believes that he understands Arthur best due to the time they've spent together over the years).

Arwyn: meaning "very fair" which could be used to describe the colour of his hair and how, well, at least I envision, he acts as a mediator in many arguments in the UK household.

Wales surnames:

Davies: meaning "son of David" and one of the more common surnames in Wales. This could also be used as a reference to St. David, Wales's patron saint.

Pritchard: meaning "son of Richard", a somewhat common Welsh surname in Wales.

3. N. Ireland first names:

Cian: meaning "ancient" or "enduring." It could be used to refer to his land's rich history and how much he and his people have endured over the years.

Eoghan: an Irish name which can mean "youth", which would directly relate to his age as a relatively new nation (particularly if his birth is pin pointed as taking place during the Ulster plantation).

Oliver: meaning "olive tree," which is long thought to be a symbol of peace. This could be used as a reference to Northern Ireland's longing for peace.

N.Ireland surnames:

Wilson: Taken from the name 'William' and can be used as a reference to William of Orange, a further reference to Northern Ireland's protestant history - the Orange order is named after him.

Smith: Refers to someone who "works with metal", which can be used as a reference to Northern Ireland's shipping industry (think the Titanic) and how one of Northern Ireland's exports is machinery.

4. Ireland first names:

Cathal: meaning "battle" and "rule," which can be used as a reference to Ireland's fight for independence and his turbulent history with England.

Dáithí: meaning "swiftness" or "nimbleness," which can be used as a small reference to his physicality; I envision him to partake in a lot of dancing and to be quite capable in physical combat.

Ireland surnames:

O'Callaghan: meaning "lover of churches," referring to Ireland's strong religious history and how religion is still a strong presence in modern Ireland. It can also mean "bright headed," which can be a reference to his intelligence.

McCarthy: meaning "loving," which, judging on his emotions and actions so far, I'd say Ireland has a lot of love in his heart.

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint David of Wales

500-589

Feast day: March 1

Patronage: Wales, poets, and vegetarians

Saint David was a bishop who engaged in missionary work and founded monasteries in Wales. He and his monks practiced asceticism, silence and were vegetarians. In 550, he was elected Primate because of his defense of the faith, against Pelagianism. Legend has it that once when preaching a dove descended on his shoulder and the earth rose to lift him above the people, so he could be heard.  Before he died he said, "Be joyful, keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.” He is the patron saint of Wales and one of the most famous British saints.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … November 16

42 BC – Tiberius, Roman emperor, born (d.37 AD); second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in CE 14 until his own death in 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced his father and was remarried to Octavian Augustus in 39 BC. Tiberius would later marry Augustus' daughter Julia the Elder (from an earlier marriage) and even later be adopted by Augustus and by this act he became a Julian. The subsequent emperors after Tiberius would continue this blended dynasty of both families for the next forty years; historians have named it the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Tiberius was the predecessor to Caligula and he was certainly the appropriate curtain-raiser. His sexual excesses were widely known, especially when he "retired" to Capri, governing Rome via correspondence, and becoming the patron saint of that future gay mecca. Suetonius reported that Tiberius trained young boys, whom he called his "minnows," to stay between his legs while he was swimming so they could lick and nibble him until he came. Suetonius reports that Tiberius can be credited with the "daisy chain" or spintriae - a conga line of people joined front and back in sexual congress.

1502 – Sandro Botticelli (c.1445- 1510) is accused of sodomy but the charges were dropped. The summary of the charge reads: "Botticelli keeps a boy." Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. He belonged to the Florentine School under the patronage of Lorenzo de Medici. Botticelli’s posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century; since then, his work has been seen to represent the linear grace of Early Renaissance painting.

1942 – Barton Lidice Beneš, born in Hackensack, New Jersey (d.2012), was an artist who lived and worked in New York City. He studied at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York and Beaux-Arts, Avignon, France.

His father, the son of Czech immigrants gave him his middle name in memory of Lidice, the Czech town destroyed by the Nazis that year. He grew up in Queens with Czech-born grandparents, who instilled in him a dedication to the Roman Catholic traditions of reliquaries and memorials to the dead.

Barton Beneš' art incorporated shadow boxes filled with bits and pieces that revealed the myths and ironies of life. The fragments in Beneš' work often involved famous people and events, from a piece of Elizabeth Taylor's shoe to a crumb from the wedding cake of the Prince of Wales. His travelling exhibition series about AIDS, "Lethal Weapons," was the focus of an independent documentary film released in 1997. "Lethal Weapons" consisted of 30 vessels such as a water pistol, an atomizer, and hollow darts, all filled with the artist's or other people's HIV-infected blood.

Another work, "Brenda," was a wall relief carpeted with red AIDS-awareness ribbons and slathered with a coat of gray paste made from the cremated remains of a woman who had died of AIDS. "I absolutely hate those [AIDS] ribbons," he said, contending that wearing them did nothing more than assuage people's consciences.

Although galleries and museums refused to show this work, they were displayed without incident at the North Dakota Museum of Art in 1993. Beneš did not forget the courage and commitment to art of this prairie institution. When he died he left instructions to be cremated and have his remains placed in a pillowcase on his bed. The bed was the central part Beneš last completed and most personal work, his 850-square-foot home in Greenwich Village containing thousands of objects including masks and religious relics and the mementoes and remains of his loved ones. This enormous piece with its thousands of contents will be moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where they will be exhibited in a replica of the apartment

Among the museums that have acquired his works are the Chicago Art Institute, the National Museum of American Art, the National Gallery of Australia, and most importantly the North Dakota Museum of Art.

Scott Wittman (L) with Marc Shaiman

1955 – Born: Lyricist and director Scott Wittman, who, with composer Marc Shaiman, his partner in life and collaborator in theater, film, and television projects, has a long list of credits in the entertainment industry. Their work on the musical version of John Waters' Hairspray earned Tony and Grammy awards in 2003.

Both Shaiman and Wittman grew up in the vicinity of New York City, the former in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and the latter in Nyack, New York. Both were fascinated with musical theater from an early age and dreamed of careers on Broadway. Shaiman played piano with local community theater groups from the time that he was twelve, and Wittman apprenticed in summer stock in his hometown. Such was their love for the stage that they both cut high school classes to travel into New York for matinees.

Wittman attended Emerson College in Boston but left after two years to pursue a career as a writer and director in musical theater in New York. In the city's East Village he crossed paths with Shaiman, who had quit high school at sixteen to join the New York musical scene. Wittman was directing a show at a club in Greenwich Village when Shaiman came in and started playing the piano. Wittman promptly hired him. They subsequently fell in love and have been a couple since 1979.

The two soon began collaborating professionally, writing songs that Shaiman describes as "full of anarchy and joy."

Since 1997 Shaiman and Wittman have contributed and directed music for the Academy Awards presentation show. At the same time Wittman, who humorously calls himself "a great diva wrangler," has directed concerts. In addition to working with Bette Midler, he has had a long association with Patti LuPone and has worked with Christine Ebersole, Raquel Welch, Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries), and Lypsinka among many others.

Shaiman and Wittman's greatest triumph thus far is Hairspray, an adaptation of the 1988 John Waters movie for the musical stage. Shaiman and Wittman wrote the music, and Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan the book for the play.

The show dominated the 2003 Tony Awards, winning eight, including best musical and best score. At the end of their acceptance speeches Shaiman declared to Wittman, "I love you, and I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you." The couple then embraced and shared a long and tender kiss. News outlets around the world took note of this affecting moment.

1964 – Waheed Alli, Baron Alli is a British multimillionaire media entrepreneur and politician. He was co-founder and managing director of Planet 24, a TV production company, and managing director at Carlton Television Productions. He was, until November 2012, chairman of ASOS.com. He is the chairman of Silvergate Media, which purchased two of the media rights previously held by Chorion Ltd, where Alli was former chairman. He is a Labour life peer and is described as one of only a few openly gay Muslim politicians in the world.

In British political terms he is considered Asian, though both of his parents are from the Caribbean. His mother, a nurse, is from Trinidad, and his estranged father, a mechanic, is from British Guiana (now Guyana). His mother was Hindu and his father Muslim; he has two brothers, one of each faith. He was named one of the 20 most important Asians in British media in 2005. At the same time, he maintains ties with his Caribbean roots, both with other British-Guyanese politicians such as Valerie Amos and Trevor Phillips, and with President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Alli joined the Labour Party at the persuasion of his neighbour Emily Thornberry, to whom he remains close. He is also close to Anji Hunter, Director of Government Relations in Tony Blair's first government. Prime Minister Blair used him for years as a means to help him reach out to a younger generation (aka "yoof culture"), and as such he is considered one of "Tony's Cronies". He was made a life peer as Baron Alli, of Norbury in the London Borough of Croydon, on 18 July 1998 at the age of 34, becoming the youngest and the first openly gay peer in Parliament. He sits on the Labour benches in the House of Lords. The BBC summarised his appointment as "the antithesis of the stereotypical 'establishment' peer – young, Asian and from the world of media and entertainment".

Alli has used his political position to argue for gay rights. He spearheaded the campaign to repeal Section 28. He advocated lowering the age of consent for homosexuals from 18 to 16, equal to heterosexuals; this eventually became law as the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000. It was during a heated exchange with conservative opponents, led by Baroness Young, that he informed his fellow peers that he was gay. In April 1999, he said in a speech, "I have never been confused about my sexuality. I have been confused about the way I am treated as a result of it. The only confusion lies in the prejudice shown, some of it tonight [i.e. in the House], and much of it enshrined in the law."

In 2009, he spearheaded an effort to repeal clauses in the Civil Partnership Act 2004 which prohibited religious institutions from conducting the ceremonies on their premises. This campaign culminated in a bipartisan amendment, which became part of the Equality Act 2010.

2007 – Breakfast With Scot - In 2006, straight Canadian actor Tom Cavanagh began filming Breakfast with Scot, in which he plays a gay retired hockey player who becomes an adoptive father to a young boy. The film, released on this day in 2007, drew attention as the first gay-themed film ever to win approval from a major league sports franchise to use its real name and logo; Cavanagh's character formerly played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

[scotianostra]

On 13th January 614, St Mungo or St Kentigern died , and was buried at his church in Clas-gu which later become Glasgow.

Our early saints were extraordinary men, they believed in an unknown God and by spreading his word changed history, whether you are a believer or not Saints like Kentigern, Coulmba and last weeks subject, Nachlan, all had a lasting effect on our country, reflected in the place names around Scotland associated with them.

Kentigern was born near Edinburgh, Scotland in the sixth century. His mother, St Enoch, was daughter of the King of Lothian. Her pregnancy was illegitimate, the result of rape by one of her suitors, whose identity she refused to reveal. Her father was so incensed, he had Enoch and her child cast adrift in an open boat on the Firth of Forth, expecting them to perish. The currents carried them across to the other side of the Firth, bringing them to land near the present town of Culross where they were offered shelter at the monastery of St Serf.

Serf took the boy under his special care, educating him and training him in the monastic life. When he reached manhood Kentigern left the monastery and journeyed across to the west of Scotland, finally establishing his own religious foundation on the site of the cathedral in Glasgow. Here he set about converting the area to Christianity. At a later stage he journeyed south into England and many parishes along his route still bear his name. Legend has it that he finally reached North Wales and spent several years there before returning again to Scotland, where he died c 614.

From the time of his death Saint Kentigern was venerated as Glasgow’s patron saint, and the cathedral of Glasgow was built in his honour. To this day his figure and the symbols associated with his legend make up the crest of the City of Glasgow.

The best known legends surrounding Glasgow's patron saint are told in the coat of arms of the city, as seen in the pic, the arms and the saint are forever linked.

There’s the tree that never grew,

There’s the bird that never flew,

There’s the fish that never swam,

There’s the bell that never rang.

Taking the symbols one by one, each refers to a legend during St Mungo’s life in Glasgow or his education before he came to found the monastery.

The tree is the first symbol in the rhyme and references a story from St Mungo’s early days. Legend has it that St Mungo was tasked with watching over a fire at the refectory in the monastery, while still a young boy. Mungo, though, fell asleep and some other boys, who were jealous of him, decided to put the fire out. When he woke up and found the fire extinguished, Mungo broke off some frozen branches from a hazel tree and prayed over them until they burst into flames, restoring his fire.

The bird that never flew also refers to a legend from St Mungo’s youth. It commemorates a wild robin, who was tamed by St Serf while Mungo was still in Fife. Sadly, the robin died, something which some legends attribute to the cruel actions of one of St Mungo's young peers, who were jealous of him. Desperate to make his friend and mentor, St Serf, happy again, Mungo took the dead bird and prayed over its body and was able to bring it back to life.

The third element, the fish that never swam, is one of the longest and most convoluted stories of St Mungo’s life. It involves the King of Strathclyde, Rydderach Hael, his wife Queen Langeoreth and a knight.

In the story, the King of Strathclyde gave his wife a ring as a gift. She, in turn, gave it to a knight - perhaps her lover - who almost instantly lost the artefact. King Hael demanded soon after to see the ring, threatening to kill the queen if she could not present him it.

The knight confessed what had happened to St Mungo, who sent a monk into the Clyde to catch a fish. When the monk returned, the fish was cut open and inside the ring was found. Some versions of the story go on to specify that this was the moment after which the King and Queen lived happily ever after.

The image of the fish which appears today is based on the seal of the Bishop of Glasgow, designed around 1271, which shows a salmon with a ring in its mouth.

Finally, the bell that never rang, is one story less explicitly linked to the saint. It is thought that the bell in question may have been given to St Mungo by the Pope. By the 15th century, the hand bell had become symbol synonymous with the city of Glasgow. Following this legend, in 1450, John Stewart, known as the first provost of Glasgow, let a bell ring out for his soul. The replacement bell, purchased in 1641, remains on display in the city.

Have a wee listen to Mother Glasgow, the Michael Marra song, Marra might have been a Dundee man, but he must have had a good understanding of Scotland's history, and indeed Glasgow's examples of the lyric include...

I dreamt I took a dander with St. Mungo

To try to catch a fish that couldnay swim.

The song ends and fades out to....

And the tree

And the fish

And the bird

And the bell

Let Glasgow flourish!

As I mentioned, the legacy of St Mungo still flourishes today in Glasgow, the first pic is a modern interpenetration of the saint on Glasgow High Street by the artist Smug, the second is another by Smug at the corner of George Street and High Street, it portrays Mungo as a child in the arms of his mother, St. Enoch, herself another patron saint of the city. The third pic is Glasgow's Coat of Arms, and finally we have the arms of the University of Glasgow, again using the legends symbols.

[giantmushyfriend]

It's not a want, your honor, IT'S A NEED

Okay, okay, okay.

Y'all, I'm snowed into my house after Iowa just got slammed by a lot of snow, so I predict some cabin fever mess to spew from this page (I'm sorry).

ANYWAY

So, we all know how Michael Sheen was on the celebrity episode of the Great British Bake Off, and he was an absolutely chaotic and competitive little shit. Michael always jokes about his competitiveness, but he just came out of the gates swinging, acting like the chaotic little Welshman he is. And we loved it. How could we not? Michael is so loveable, even when he's causing chaos and making Wales 4 Ever treats. That being said, I vote Michael comes back for another episode.

But Giantmushyfriend, I hear you ask, won't that be repetitive and boring?

No, because not only is Michael unpredictable and very funny, but also because two other people would be joining him: his TV husband, David Tennant, and Neil Gaiman, the destroyer and repairer of all hearts.

There are so many different ways this potential episode could play out, and it is the best thing the Great British Bake Off could produce. Because just think about it.

Michael would inherently go back to being the chaotic menace we all know he will be. He'd come in with the attitude, "I performed great the last time I was here, and I am going to do great again, and if I don't, then at least I'll be cute."

David would come in, and everyone would expect him to be all nice because he's practically known as the Patron Saint of Pleasantness in the acting world, but he turns out to be a menace. I can picture David either trying to create an alliance with Michael, trying to impress Michael, or trying to demolish Michael. There would be no in-between. In the case of the third scenario, I can practically hear David saying, "Listen, Michael Sheen is a dear friend who I love immensely. Top of the line, man, Michael. However, I am going to annihilate him- exterminate him." Because, as Georgia has warned us, he would be insufferable.

Either way, every compilation of David and Michael acting like a married couple for X minutes would get new content, and Anna and Georgia would get a good laugh.

And then there's Neil, the mastermind. Neil would be a more secretive, chaotic force brewing beneath the surface. He would seem all nice and just happy to be there, enjoying making some goods and having fun. But behind the scenes, he's turning people against each other and watching them take each other down. Because Neil is an evil mastermind, we've seen it with all of his works. He's a writer. He knows how to cause conflict. And he will wipe the floor with David and Michael, alongside everybody else. There would be a slew of "Neil Gaiman Big Brain" compilations and edits all over the Internet, all of which would be retweeted by Michael, who is salty about it. And we would relish in it.

Listen, this would be my Roman Empire. I don't know who I need to write for this to happen. I don't know how hard I need to grovel at God's feet for the Earth to be blessed with this, but I need it so biblically. I'll grovel harder than Aziraphale, but for the love of all things both Holy and Unholy, P L E A S E

@goodomensonprime

P L E A S E

[haggishlyhagging]

Other triune goddesses of the moon are to be found elsewhere. We would note here the Celtic Bridgets, representing three aspects of the Moon Goddess, Brigentis. These three Bridgets of Ireland are the same as the Three Ladies of Britain, who are phases of the great Celtic Mother Anu, or Annis, the moon, whose shrines are scattered all over Ireland, Wales, England, and France. In Southern France, Anu was known as The Shining One. She was patron of fertility, of fire, poetry, and medicine. But she had another side; she was also known as Black Anu, who, in common folklore, devoured men or turned them into lunatics.

The correspondence between this Celtic moon goddess in all her attributes and the Magna Dea of the East is extraordinary, and would be completely inexplicable were we not beginning to realize that the facts of mythology, discredited as fiction by rational science, are today being re-established as facts of the unconscious, that is of the psyche.

When Christianity was introduced into countries where up to that time this threefold goddess had been revered, her worship was assimilated, as we have seen, into the Christian system. The idea of the threefold nature of the feminine divinity was present in the legends of the three Maries. So in Chartres Cathedral, the Virgin Mary is accompanied by Mary Magdalene and Mary the Gypsy. In Ireland the Three Bridgets are accepted by the Catholic Church and their shrines are considered to be wonder-working. But this assimilation did not take place entirely without protest. Saint Augustine in an attempt to bring discredit on the worship of Artemis writes, "How can a goddess be three persons and one at the same time?"—surely a strange question for a Christian Father to ask.

-M. Esther Harding, Woman’s Mysteries: Ancient and Modern

[santes-non]

Intro?

Hello Writeblrs. I am Non--not like Anon, but like St Non, mother of St David, patron saint of Wales--and I am not sure I super understand tumblr, but I like humans so feel free to say hi!

I got back into writing a couple of years ago with the plan to query literary agents before I turned 30. I wrote and queried a YA novel, yay! It got all form rejections and ghostings because of errors I now know were obvious, but were not obvious to me then, boo! Now I'm on book 3, still learning and hoping to get tradpubbed before I turn 90... xD

WIPs:

A middle-grade fantasy novel, 65k words, currently with beta readers.

A middle-grade contemporary horror, outlined and was supposed to be my next project, but middle-grade is not doing so hot rn so I'm flip-flopping over it.

A YA fantasy with horror elements, first draft complete at 75k words, but in need of extensive revisions I didn't wanna do, but am now coming around to.

A YA fantasy queried and shelved at 90k words.

So ya, that's me. I host writing meetups online, am active on r/pubtips, and I'm mam to two greyhounds, who I inconveniently (for everyone else) decided to train in Welsh.

(Also, I'm considering my next project right now, so I am available to beta read MG or YA projects. If you're looking for an experienced beta reader for your novel, hit me up with your hook, genre and word count. I do big picture reading. That's plot and scene structure, character arc, likeability, pacing etc, and not grammar or line editing.)

Anyway, please say hi if you have time!

[aimeedaisies]

!!!NEWS!!!

ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS

Wednesday 5th June - Thursday 6th June 2024

Their Majesties The King and Queen, joined by other Members of the Royal Family, will mark the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

Wednesday 5th June 2024

The King and Queen, accompanied by The Prince of Wales, will attend the UK's national commemorative event in Portsmouth to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

The Princess Royal, Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Regina Rifles, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will unveil a statue of a Second World War Canadian Royal Regina Rifleman and attend a Reception in Normandy with members of the Regiment, to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

At the Bayeux War Cemetery, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will join Normandy veterans and French representatives at a Royal British Legion Service of Commemoration.

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will attend an annual service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral. This will be followed by a service and vigil later that evening where Her Royal Highness will give a speech in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the operation.

Thursday 6th June 2024

The King and Queen will attend The Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion's commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day. His Majesty is Patron of the Royal British Legion.

The Prince of Wales will attend the Canadian commemorative ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre, Courseulles-sur-Mer, hosted by the Government of Canada. His Royal Highness will join Canadian D-Day and Second World War Veterans, as well as Canadian Armed Forces personnel, cadets, and wider youth representatives at the event.

The Prince of Wales will attend the international commemorative ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mer, joining over 25 Heads of State and veterans from around the world in marking this historic anniversary.

At the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will join veterans and their families at the Royal British Legion's Service of Remembrance.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend 'D-Day 80: Remembering the Normandy Landings', an evening of music-led, multi-generational storytelling, reflecting on the Second World War at the Royal Albert Hall.