Valentines Day Contest Support Thread.

[StillStunned]

The Norman Conquest, 1066. More Norsemen, only ones who had been in France for a few generations. The first date taught to every schoolchild and the only one everyone can remember.

One of *two* dates, according to "1066 and All That" (the other being 55BC).

 

[Bazzle]

Oh my days, where do I start with this?

Yes, even places like the New Towns, created in the 1960s-1970s, were often named after existing villages that got assimilated, eg Milton Keynes. But there was huge internal migration triggered by the Industrial Revolution, turning northern market towns into some of the most prosperous cities of the world, building towns to house the new factory workers (Saltaire) and suburbs being built and named after existing settlements or features (see every London Underground station outside zones 1 and 2).

Even discounting the movement of people within a country as 'the same people' (which is daft, but would spare kids having to study the Oregon Trail, for example), it's been over 250 years since the Industrial Revolution got going (1750). In the last 2500 years...

Invasion and conquest by the Romans. And what did they ever do for us?
Romans leaving Britain, except for all the ones who didn't, had intermarried, had children, etc.

Invasions by various Angles, Saxons, and any bunch from mainland Europe with a boat.

Invasions by Vikings, mostly conquering the North (there's still a clear line across England, north of which towns end in -by and -thorpe instead of -ton or -ham).

The Norman Conquest, 1066. More Norsemen, only ones who had been in France for a few generations. The first date taught to every schoolchild and the only one everyone can remember. People with Norman surnames are still significantly weather and live 3 years longer than those with older English names.

More French intermixing, related to various monarchs, battles, etc. This island is called Great (large) Britain in contrast to little Britain, aka Brittany in northern France.

Getting near the industrial revolution, you end up acquiring a Dutch king and entourage and army from the Glorious Revolution of 1688, followed by the monarchy becoming German.

Meanwhile you had Hugenots fleeing to England to escape persecution, Jews returning from the 1500s after the 1100s expulsion (the Merchant of Venice is Shakespeare doing a topical political play), and the industrial revolution and later encouraging loads of navvies to move to the growing cities, mainly from Ireland.

Previously you had Scots planters moving to Ireland from the 1400s (and Irish women going off with Vikings), English attempts to conquer Scotland until the simple method of just inheriting their King worked in 1605, until wee issues like the Jacobite Rising...

Hardly 'mostly the same people'

One of British great "What Ifs" in history- had the northerly which brought the Vikings from Denmark across in early 1066 not so quickly turned to the southerly to bring in the Normans.

On a side note Horrible Histories do a wonderful thing of "British Things"...

 

[Bazzle]

One of *two* dates, according to "1066 and All That" (the other being 55BC).

43AD was when the Romans rocked up?

 

[StillStunned]

43AD was when the Romans rocked up?

"The first date in English History is 55 B.C., in which year Julius Caesar (the memorable Roman Emperor) landed, like all other successful invaders of these islands, at Thanet. This was in the Olden Days, when the Romans were top nation on account of their classical education, etc."

 

[Duleigh]

So although it feels strange that people have been living in the Black Country for millennia and it only got its name two centuries ago, in reality what we think of as the Black Country didn't really exist 300 years ago, it was just open countryside with small towns at best.

I know how you feel. My home area 300 years ago was forest and glen even though the Brits had owned the place for 200 years. Then suddenly came The War and we're inundated with Tory Loyalists trying to make their way to Canada and couldn't find a way across the Niagara River.

 

[Bazzle]

"The first date in English History is 55 B.C., in which year Julius Caesar (the memorable Roman Emperor) landed, like all other successful invaders of these islands, at Thanet. This was in the Olden Days, when the Romans were top nation on account of their classical education, etc."

Ahh, yes him...but he got stuck in customs, the early Brexit paperwork was difficult.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

Haha, okay, I said something unbelievably ignorant and I appreciate all of your efforts to educate me.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Ahh, yes him...but he got stuck in customs, the early Brexit paperwork was difficult.

Rexit, shurely?

43AD was when the Romans rocked up?

Rocked up and stayed. In 55BC Caesar said hi, and in 54BC he rocked up, declaimed the Britons were weeny, weedy and weaky (1066&AT again), and buggered off again, but apparently we had been conquered because he said so.

Which I'm told was a wee shock for the troops in 43AD...

Haha, okay, I said something unbelievably ignorant and I appreciate all of your efforts to educate me.

Someone on the internet admits to making an error? Hold the front page!

 

[StillStunned]

declaimed the Britons were weeny, weedy and weaky

Well, they were only natives at that time.

 

[yowser]

There's an old story, surely apocryphal, about a local college historian at the nearby grocery store (pretty much has to be in America.)

He's in the check-out line behind a fellow whose purchases ring up to $10.66.

'Ha! What a coincidence, such a special number!' says the historian.

The fellow gives him a dubious look. 'Special?'

'Why yes, 1066, the Battle of Hastings.'

And then goes on at some length, one event following another: Norman invasion, Magna Carta, British navy, empire, the colonies that become the US, rule of law, etc.

There's a long silence while everyone in hearing distance digests this bit of information until the person behind them in line asks:

'Can you do that with any number?'

 

[Fatdog25]

This is the part I hate...

The night before your story drops and you have to continually fight the urge to check it one last time before you can't take it back.

I probably wouldn't find that one thing that will jump right off the page at me anyway .

Good luck and good reading, everyone!

 

[Voboy]

I forgot I'd written something for this contest. I just checked my folder and there it was, waiting for me.

I'll have to read it again, figure out a category, and schlep it in.

 

[KeithD]

Off we go tomorrow. I'm working on a story now.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

 

[FreyaGersemi]

Good luck, everyone!!! I even made a timid entry into the contest.
Where can I find the list of entries? I've read a couple, but they were ones that showed up on my "Latest Activity" list from favorited authors. But I can't seem to find the full contest list. I'm ditzy to begin with and have been having quite a bit of trouble navigating this site anyway, so any assistance would be great. Thank you!!

 

[Fatdog25]

Good luck, everyone!!! I even made a timid entry into the contest.
Where can I find the list of entries? I've read a couple, but they were ones that showed up on my "Latest Activity" list from favorited authors. But I can't seem to find the full contest list. I'm ditzy to begin with and have been having quite a bit of trouble navigating this site anyway, so any assistance would be great. Thank you!!

Usually there's a link on the home page but it hadn't been updated yet when I checked a little while ago.

 

[Devinter]

Good luck, everyone!!! I even made a timid entry into the contest.
Where can I find the list of entries? I've read a couple, but they were ones that showed up on my "Latest Activity" list from favorited authors. But I can't seem to find the full contest list. I'm ditzy to begin with and have been having quite a bit of trouble navigating this site anyway, so any assistance would be great. Thank you!!

Usually there's a link on the home page but it hadn't been updated yet when I checked a little while ago.

That is correct but I think you can find them with an Advanced Search like this: Click Me!

(Note that the search list takes a bit to update though.)

 

[FreyaGersemi]

That is correct but I think you can find them with an Advanced Search like this: Click Me!

Ha ha ha!!! When I click on this link, it shows three stories!! Including mine!!! That means that I have a decent chance of making the top three!!!!!

*And I know that you said it takes a bit to update, but don't ruin my excitement just yet!!!!

 

[Devinter]

Ha ha ha!!! When I click on this link, it shows three stories!! Including mine!!! That means that I have a decent chance of making the top three!!!!!

*And I know that you said it takes a bit to update, but don't ruin my excitement just yet!!!!

Note that the search only includes the tags "Valentines Day 2024" and "Valentine's Day 2024" - It could probably be refined and upgraded a bit further. For example, maybe some people didn't add the year to their tag. You can add more tags and limit it by date, for example.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Yikes. Are we supposed to add it to the tag?

 

[Devinter]

Yikes. Are we supposed to add it to the tag?

It is not necessary to enter the competition. It does make it easier to find your story before the list is posted, however!

 

[FreyaGersemi]

Yikes. Are we supposed to add it to the tag?

It couldn't hurt...

 

[Priscilla_June]

It is not necessary to enter the competition. It does make it easier to find your story before the list is posted, however!

Darn well in missing on those early bird viewers then this time then. I'll know for next time!

That being said The Misadventures of Cupid’s Bow has been posted. Hope you all enjoy it!

 

[FreyaGersemi]

Where can I find the list of entries?

I am nothing if not resourceful!!

I clicked on the link on the front page for the Winter Holidays Story Contest, changed the http thingie in my browser's search bar from "winter-holidays-2023" to "valentines-day-2024" and, voila, the Valentine's Day Contest entries list!!!

Here it is: https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/Valentines-day-2024

Now, go read mine and vote!!!

 

[Priscilla_June]

I am nothing if not resourceful!!

I clicked on the link on the front page for the Winter Holidays Story Contest, changed the http thingie in my browser's search bar from "winter-holidays-2023" to "valentines-day-2024" and, voila, the Valentine's Day Contest entries list!!!

Here it is: https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/Valentines-day-2024

Now, go read mine and vote!!!

Not a very long list!