14 Women for Valentine's Day

A celebration of 14 creative English women for Valentine's Day, one for each day leading up to the 14th. This list does not include the other women already found on this website.

1. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

Maiden name Garrett. She was England and Britain's first female physician and surgeon, and first female Mayor (of Aldeburgh, Suffolk), and Suffragist. She was the first woman to earn a medical degree in Britain and become a licensed physician. She advocated for women's rights and established the New Hospital for Women in London in 1872 (now named The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital).

2. Edith Mary Brown

A pioneering physician and educator, she founded the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana, India, in 1894, which provided medical training exclusively for women. Her efforts were crucial in advancing women's education in medicine in Asia, breaking societal norms and making significant strides toward gender equality in the medical profession.

3. Elizabeth Blackwell 

A pioneering figure in the field of medicine, best known for being the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. Born in Bristol, England, she and her family immigrated to the United States when she was young. Despite facing significant societal and educational barriers, Blackwell was determined to pursue a career in medicine. In 1849, she graduated from Geneva Medical College in New York, earning her MD degree. Her achievement marked a significant milestone in women's rights and access to education, as it challenged the prevailing norms of her time that largely excluded women from professional fields. After her groundbreaking graduation, she went on to serve as a professor of gynecology, further pioneering women's contributions to medicine.

4. Elizabeth Fry

Maiden name Gurney. An early social and prison reformer, she was instrumental in advocating for the humane treatment of prisoners and improving prison conditions in Britain. She worked tirelessly to implement reforms in the penal system and was a prominent figure in the Quaker movement for social justice. Her influence extended beyond England, as her ideas about prison reform resonated internationally, contributing to a global movement toward more humane treatment of prisoners.

5. Anne Greaves

Maiden name Harris. Produced an artificial building stone for traditional stone working. She ran a quarry and became the first woman member of the Institute of Quarry Managers. She called it “Cast stone” to emphasize that it was made from real stone - using a process of crushed stone and cement and could be made into any shape or size and was uniform throughout. It was in direct response to a shortage of masons and young men entering apprenticeships after the First World War.

6. Clarice Cliff

A ceramic artist and designer, she revolutionized the pottery industry in the 1920s with her bold, colorful designs and artistic approach. She emphasized the importance of art in everyday objects and made pottery more accessible to the masses.

7. Elizabeth Mallet

Founder of England’s first daily newspaper, The Daily Courant, established in 1702, Mallet played a key role in the development of Britain's press. Her publication laid the groundwork for modern journalism and helped establish the importance of regular news reporting, particularly through her role in publishing "The Female Spectator" in 1744, which is often considered one of the first women's periodicals. "The Female Spectator" appeared during the Enlightenment era, a time characterized by increased interest in reason, individualism, and critiques of traditional authority. Mallet's work contributed to these discussions by exploring themes of rationality and virtue in the context of women's lives.

8. Julia Charlotte Maitland

Maiden name Barrett. An advocate for education, she ran a progressive boys' school in Rajahmundry, India. Her commitment to inclusivity, allowing boys of different castes to attend and teaching in multiple languages, highlighted her innovative approach to education.

9. Elizabeth Glover

Maiden name Harris. She brought the first printing press to England's Thirteen Colonies in America in 1638. She established a press in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she printed Oath of a Freeman (this was a loyalty pledge required of all new members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony), an Almenack, and the Bay Psalm Book with the help of English printer and locksmith Stephen Daye (born in Surrey, England). She married Englishman Henry Dunster (born in Lancashire, England), a puritan clergyman and first president of Harvard University. After Glover's death, the printing press was gifted to Harvard, thus beginning the Harvard University Press.

10. Dorothy Hodgkin

Maiden name Crowfoot. A prominent chemist known for her pioneering work in the field of X-ray crystallography, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for her contributions to the understanding of the structures of important biochemical substances, including penicillin, vitamin B12, insulin and myoglobin B12.

11. Gillian Lynne

Maiden name Pyrke. A celebrated dancer and choreographer, she is known for her work in musical theatre, most notably for her choreography in productions like "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera." Her innovative choreography and understanding of movement have left a significant mark on the performing arts.

12. Vivienne Westwood

Maiden name Swire. She was an iconic fashion designer, known for her role in bringing punk fashion to the mainstream and for her advocacy for sustainable fashion. Her bold designs and provocative collections have influenced contemporary fashion and culture.

13. Amy Johnson

A pioneering aviator in the 1920s, she was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. She was also one of the world's first female ground engineers, certified to ensure aircraft were airworthy, breaking gender barriers in aviation.

14. Millicent Fawcett

Maiden name Garrett. A leading suffragist. It was her and the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) who emphasized the contributions of women that were instrumental in achieving the Representation of the People Act in 1918. This act granted voting rights to some women (those over 30 who met property requirements). Through peaceful means and lobbying, Millicent continued her efforts until the passing of the Equal Franchise Act in 1928, which granted women the right to vote on the same terms as men. Millicent was Elizabeth Garrett Anderson's younger sister.

"He is the only Englishman to have 3,000 statues in the two Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh."

The article titled below is from the publication "Pallikkutam: The Education Observer," published by the Rajagiri Media Trust (RMT), which provides valuable services for the education sector in India. While the article is no longer available, I am grateful to have saved it a long time ago. It offers an in-depth appraisal of a remarkable English army officer and humanist.

Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton: The Champion of Indian Farmers

On 15th May of every year, thousands of people of Andhra Pradesh in India gather around the statues of an English man in several places in Godavari districts, especially in Rajahmundry and Eluru cities.

The crowd consists of a large number of farmers from the twin districts of Godavari besides engineers, administrators, academics, politicians and common men. They offer pooja with manthra and abhishekam with milk on the statues which they adore.

The statues referred to here are those of Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, a British engineer who came to India in 1821 with a mission to develop irrigation systems in the country. It is estimated that more than 3000 statues of this great man exist in the East and West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. I have seen during my extensive travel in Andhra Pradesh common man speaking high of this English man. Even the illiterate man in the village who called him Dorai will say Cotton gave them food. His photographs adorn the walls of houses of common farmers in the East and West Godavari districts.

Cotton started his career in India in the Thanjavur district of erstwhile Madras Presidency as an irrigation engineer. He transformed Thanjavur district into the rice bowl of Madras by constructing dams across the Cauvery.

Sir Arthur Cotton was born on 15th of May in 1803 in England, as the tenth son of Henry Calvely Cotton. At the age of 15 in 1818 Cotton joined as a cadet in military at Addiscombe in Britain. When he was sixteen, his first assignment was survey for ordinance in Wales in England. He was later appointed at Royal Engineers without any examination as second lieutenant in the year 1819.

He moved in to Madras in India in 1821 and was attached to the office of the Chief Engineer of Madras Presidency. His talents for constructing irrigation structures were soon recognized by the British government and he was entrusted with the task of constructing a dam across Cauvery river in the then Madras Presidency. Cotton was promoted to the rank of Captain in the year 1828 and was entrusted with the work of investigation of irrigation scheme. The success of Cauvery scheme paved the way for greater projects in Krishna and Godavari to be undertaken by Cotton.

His master piece work that will be remembered by Telugu speaking people of India perhaps is the construction of Dowleshwaram barrage across the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. In the year 1844 Cotton recommended construction of a barrage; an anicut (small dam) with a net work of canals field channels embankments and roads in the Godavari delta. Godavari is the most revered and long river after the Ganga in India.

Dowleshwaram is a village within the vicinity of Rajamundry city, where the small dam was to be constructed. Here the Godavari is around 4km wide. Before the Dowleshwaram barrage was commissioned the people of Godavari district had a different story to tell.

When the rains in the Western Ghats become heavy, the Godavari is in spate and all the nearby lands are inundated. During summer, the Godavari appears dry and nearby areas are gripped by drought. In 1800 the agricultural lands of Godavari were inundated by heavy floods. Subsequently people suffered from lack of food and drinking water due to droughts in 1833. People started moving en masse to other districts deserting their lands before the anicut was constructed. At the time of construction of Dowleshwaram barrage Godavari was a single district. In 1925 Godavari was divided into East Godavari and West Godavari districts. Thanks to the efforts of Sir Arthur Cotton, East Godavari is now the most populated and prosperous agricultural district of Andhra Pradesh. Curiously, much of the rice needed for Kerala comes from this district.

Young Cotton wanted water to reach the farm lands all over the district of the Godavari through a network of canals and channels for the farmers. He submitted a detailed proposal for constructing a barrage across the Godavari. Despite some reservations the British government granted sanction to construct the barrage in Dowleshwaram. The construction work started in 1847. In the year 1848 Cotton had to leave for Australia due to ill health. It caused him great concern about his dream project.

In 1850 he returned to India and was soon promoted as Colonel. The work started in full swing. Colonel Cotton spent hours in supervising the work and spent sleepless nights visualizing what should the project be like. A work force of 1500 people was employed for the mega project for round the clock activity. Innovative simple techniques were employed for excavation of earth and lifting of materials. Arthur Cotton was particular that only local materials should be used for the work. The work was completed in 1852. The barrage has a length of 3.5 km at a height of 4 meters. The anticipated area of irrigation was initially 80,000 acres which was raised to 16 lakh acres. The sad demise of his daughter due to snake bite while the barrage was under construction did not deter Cotton from his commitment to the farmers of Andhra. Cotton predicted a life of 100 years for the barrage; but, even after 160 years, the structure remains safe today.

During his journey on horseback he would stop to enquire about the welfare of a farmer and he often felt sorry for the pitiable condition of the farmer. Cotton had a vision to bring prosperity to the villages of Godavari by providing water. His mission was to make farmers happy and ensure they will not desert their lands.

After the completion of Dowleshwaram barrage, Cotton shifted his attention to Aqua duct in the Krishna River. He later envisaged storage of Krishna and Godavari water. He also had a vision to connect the major rivers of India. His contributions to developing irrigation system have no parallel in India and he is still remembered by the common man. It is the most significant award a country can give to a foreigner who worked with devotion, humility and commitment.

Sir Arthur Cotton retired from service in 1860 and was knighted in 1861. He was honoured with KCSI (Knight Commander of Supreme India) in 1877. Independent India remembers Sir Arthur Cotton for the outstanding contributions he made to the uplift of ordinary farmers of India. Sir Arthur Cotton passed away on 24th July, 1899, aged 96.

A museum and an institute established in 1899 in his honour in Rajahmundry are a befitting monument which deserves to be further uplifted as a Centre for Irrigation development and Research in India. In Hyderabad city the only statue of a foreigner seen along the tank bund is that of Arthur Cotton.

After hectic efforts, the Andhra Pradesh Hindi Academy and the Telugu Association could locate his tomb in Dorking 50 km from London. The inscription on the tomb reads, “Irrigation Cotton”.

You can also find him here: "He is the only Englishman to have 3,000 statues in the two Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh." This highlights the appreciation for his devoted and tireless work, as noted on the website TheHansIndia.com." Statue in Chinaramachandrapuram, West Godavari.

George Orwell's Multicultural Miss England

“England will still be England, an everlasting animal stretching into the future and the past, and, like all living things, having the power to change out of recognition and yet remain the same.” ― George Orwell

Was he right? 

The five girls picture is of a Miss England photo shoot on April 19th, 2007, to represent a multicultural England to coincide with celebrations of Saint George's Day that year, which is held every April 23rd. From left to right: Rachel Williams (Miss African Pride), Georgia Horsley (former Miss York 2005, here as Miss Photographic), Eleanor Glynn (Miss England 2006, which she would relinquish to Horsley in June 2007), Mary Hawkins (Miss Photographic), and Mandeep Sidhu (Miss Maya). Picture below is of - very "white"- students showing their patriotic support for the England men's football team for the 2006 World Cup.

An added picture in the middle - they've swapped places, you get the idea;)  - Click pictures to make bigger.

English Heroics in Protecting Dunkirk

The mostly English battalions of the British 2nd Division who were tasked to slow the German advance in the escape from Dunkirk 1940. Here are excerpts below from this link. The English battalions of the Norfolks and Warwickshires had to fight the infamous Waffen SS were murdered when captured because of their stubborn resistance:

• That same morning at Festubert, the 2nd Dorsets were attacked by German panzers. However, clever use of the buildings in the town meant that they held out until nightfall before being ordered to retreat northwards to Estaires, some eight miles away. A fighting cross-country retreat to Estaires, which was being held by French troops, was successfully accomplished by day-break.

• The 2nd Glosters and 4th Oxford and Bucks Light infantry turned the French town of Cassel into something resembling a fortress. They also had sufficient time to cleverly site and dig-in their anti-tank guns. This town, on a hill, had a commanding view of the Flanders plain and it was vital that it was held to buy time to establish defences around the Dunkirk beachhead itself. The town was surrounded and subjected to fierce and prolonged tank and infantry attack, but held out for three crucial days between the 27th and 29th May. Running low on food and ammunition, a breakout by the troops was attempted on the night of the 29th May. However, few managed to evade the besieging German forces and the bulk of the force was captured and taken prisoner.

• In the case of the defenders of the villages of Le Paradis (2nd Norfolks) and Wormhoudt (2nd Royal Warwicks), they had the misfortune to encounter SS troops of the SS Totenkopf and SS Liebstandarte. In each case, after surrendering, the survivors were shot by their captors, infuriated at the stiff resistance which they had encountered and their heavy losses.

The quote below is taken from here on the same site:

• However, the utterly ruthless nature of the SS was also demonstrated when they came up against determined opposition in the shape of regular British troops, defending the Dunkirk perimeter. Infuriated at the heavy losses which their inexperienced troops had suffered, two separate massacres of British PoWs took place. Firstly, on the 27th May 1940, having been held up for 36 hours by the 2nd Bn Royal Norfolk Regiment, the Totenkopf division murdered 97 PoWs at La Paradis. There were only two survivors. On the 28th May at Wormhout, the Liebstandarte had also endured two days of hard fighting against the 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Eventually, the SS overran the defenders, taking approximately 100 prisoners, who were subsequently shot. Amazingly, a few men did survive the atrocity and were later given medical attention by regular German troops.

What the heroics of the 2nd Division meant:

• The 2nd Division took heavy casualties trying to keep a corridor open, being reduced to brigade strength, but they succeeded; the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 42nd Divisions escaped along the corridor that day, as did about one-third of the French First Army. As the Allies fell back, they disabled their artillery and vehicles and destroyed their stores.

During the retreat, two members of the division were awarded the Victoria Cross: Second Lieutenant Richard Annand of the 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry and Company Sergeant Major George Gristock of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment. They were the first two of three to be awarded to members of the division throughout the war. - Wikipedia.

The First King of England

By AD 410, the Romans had left Britain. Around AD 430, a host of Germanic migrants arrived in east and southeast England. The settlers were North Germanic peoples such as the Saxons, Angles, Frisians, and Jutes, who had migrated from what are now present-day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

To the west and north, various Brythonic kingdoms existed, consisting of Cornishmen, Welshmen, Picts, and Scots. The native Celtic Britons originally hired the Anglo-Saxons as mercenaries to defend their lands against invasions from the Picts and Scots of modern-day Scotland and Ireland, but eventually, the Anglo-Saxons turned against the Britons.

Numerous wars followed, and the lands of the Celtic Britons were divided into Saxon kingdoms. Most of these kingdoms survive to this day as English counties: Kent (Jutes), Sussex (South Saxons), *Wessex (West Saxons), Middlesex (Middle Saxons), East Anglia (Angles), and so on.

*The reference to "most" is in contrast to "all." Today, the territory that was once Wessex is part of several modern counties, including Hampshire, Dorset, Berkshire, and parts of Wiltshire and Somerset. The name "Wessex" is still used informally, often in cultural or historical contexts. It is also the title of a regional tourism brand that promotes the historical and scenic attractions in the area that was once Wessex. However, it is not an official administrative county in contemporary England.

The inhabitants mostly lived in relative harmony—converting to Christianity during this time—until the first Viking raids began with the attack on Lindisfarne in 793. By AD 793, a new prayer echoed across England: "Save us, Lord, from the fury of the Northmen!" The Northmen, or Vikings, came from Scandinavia, just as the Saxons had done hundreds of years before them.

The first Viking raids targeted unarmed monasteries, shocking the English with their viciousness. The knee-jerk reaction was to pay the Vikings to go away. Of course, that wasn’t very sustainable, as the Vikings continued to come in greater numbers, lured by the promise of silver.

It was only during the reign of Alfred the Great, the Saxon King of Wessex at the end of the 9th century, that the English began changing their tactics. Alfred implemented fortified burhs and local mercenary armies known as fyrds to meet the Viking threat. He established himself as King Overlord, adding southeast Mercia, London, and the Thames Valley to his territories while organizing Anglo-Saxon resistance against the Vikings.

King Athelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great, is often credited with unifying England. He conquered the Viking kingdom of Northumbria, including York, in 927. Athelstan's victory at the Battle of Eamont Bridge in 937, against an alliance of Picts, Scots, and Vikings led by the Norse King Olaf Guthfrithson, marked a significant turning point in his campaign against the Vikings.

This victory led to the great Battle of Brunanburh in 937, which decisively defeated Olaf and his allies, including King Constantine II of Scotland. The Battle of Brunanburh defined the territories we now recognize as England, Scotland, and Wales—hence its title, "The battle that defined Britain."

Athelstan was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 until his death in 939. Modern historians regard him as the first King of England and one of the "greatest Anglo-Saxon kings."

My fun pictorial of the millenniums of England's rich history We have a Roman, Ancient Briton, a Saxon, and, far left...a.Spartan ) Or we could try and qualify her as a Viking or Norman...you never know ;) - Click to make bigger.

Proud to Be English!

"There is something about the English that is remarkable: their courage, their endurance, their love of liberty, and their pride in being English." - Winston Churchill

English football coach Emma Hayes' on her first return to England, as the now USA coach for a friendly match on the 30th November 2024, at Wembley (that ended 0-0), was asked whether she sang ‘God Save The King’ as well as ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ahead of kick-off at Wembley, Hayes replied: “I was definitely mouthing the [English] national anthem. I was struggling with where to be in all of that. I got to the end of the anthems, and I thought: it’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English, and I’m proud of our national anthems. I’ve sung it since I was a kid."

England rugby star Owen Farrell after the unfortunate 15-16 loss to South Africa in the semi-final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, stated: "I am massively proud of how we have built, the support has built over the World Cup, and that performance shows how proud we are to be English and to wear this shirt. I think we have made a start of going forward, and there is a lot to come from this group."

YouTuber Carl Benjamin addressed the controversy of interviewing Liz Truss once in his podcast. He said, “We are guilty of interviewing the former Prime Minister; that was my crime. That’s why I’m in trouble. But I stand today as a husband, a father, an Englishman. And I can see today that we are still alive. But by god, we wouldn’t know it if we looked at the TV, would you? Where is your representation? We have real problems. None of the mainstream parties are going to solve these problems. We have to do it ourselves, and we will. You have to remember your dignity as an Englishman and woman is on the line. Be worthy of the respect of our glorious, victorious ancestors; they are watching; they want us to win. We have to win for our children; there is no stepping backwards or apologies.”

The incredible achievements of ex-Arsenal and England footballer Sol Campbell (and of a Black person who doesn't deflect from calling himself English instead of British!) He once wrote on his Instagram account:

I’ve seen a lot of people get MBEs, OBEs, [and] Sir's for services to sport, [and] I will put my name down for reasons why.

First, the 56 [Premier League] games without losing is an [individual] record.

Two, invincible Arsenal teams, 49 games without losing, [are] a record.

Three, first Black player to score in the World Cup for England.

Four, first Black captain to lift a cup at Wembley

Five, the first Black English-speaking player to score in a Champions League final.

Six, I played two decades and over 500 games in the Premier League.

Seven, I stood up for racism in football here and abroad.

Eight, [I'm the] only English player to play in six consecutive tournaments for England.

Nine, I got into the World Cup best team [in both] 1998 and 2002 and one European team [in] 2004, so at one stage I was pound-for-pound the best defender in the world—how many Englishmen can say that?

I had a charity called 'Kids Goes Live' that took school children from underprivileged backgrounds to watch live sporting events! I challenge anyone who says I don’t deserve it. It will be silent out there. 

Sam Tomkins for England in the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (because of coronavirus it was played in 2022, 15 October to 19 November). Asked what a home World Cup means to him, captain Sam Tomkins stated, "It means everything. I am proud to be English, very proud to put on the jersey, and for us to host it in front of our own people is a massive opportunity for us as players with a wider view to grow the sport in the country. Hopefully a successful England team can be the catalyst for that."

Actor Paul Duggan on being proud of his Yorkshire and English roots: "In my case it does. I have a daughter that is not white. Well, not as white as me. No one should question my daughter's or her mother's right to be called English. We are proud of our county, Yorkshire. And proud of our country, England. And proud of our family, UK. If a white person moves to Britain and has children in England. Those children are English. That's me. I am English. I am white. Should I say sorry for things that happened before my family moved here? What if a Black family moved here at the same time as my family? Had children. They are as English as me. Do you want me to say sorry because of the color of my skin? Isn't that somewhat racist????"

Tennis player Emma Raducanu. Her father is Romanian, her mother Chinese. She was born in Canada but raised in Bromley, England (since age 2). And she speaks with an English accent. Yet ahead of the England men's Euro 2024 last-16 football match with Slovakia in June 2024, Emma was seen proudly practicing in the England shirt all week before her first-round match at Wimbledon.

Former boxer Chris Eubank, following in his father's pride at being called English—although Chris himself always dressed and acted like the perfect Englishman—now wants to be called 'English,' mainly to avoid confusion with his boxing son of the same name, Chris Eubank Jr. He told Sky Sports: "It's not that I want to be known as 'English' - it's just that it's easier to call me that because Junior, when people call him 'Chris,' I look because I don't know who they're referring to. 'Senior' is a name given to Floyd Mayweather Sr. 'English' may be easier. Plus, it was my father's nickname. He loved everything English, and now I'm going to carry on the tradition."

Boxer Tyson Fury on his passionate English identity. Fury once told UK radio station Talksport that he would be willing to join the fight in Ukraine like his boxing counterparts. Vladmir, the younger Klitschko, signed up in Ukraine’s reserve army a few months before the invasion of his country. His brother Vitali, mayor of Kyiv, has also stated that he will join the fight. Tyson said:

“I’ll be the first one to join up if England gets involved. Or America. I’ll be first in line for the job. My dad will as well, and all the boys. We’ll all be signing up to defend. So that’s all I’ve got to say. I think if you’re from that country and living there, defend her. Love your woman and fight for your country. That’s what I say.”

In fact, he also celebrated St. George's Day with a mock throne and English matching robe and gloves on his fight on April 23rd, 2022, vs. Dillian Whyte.

It flies the English flag in the face of those that talk about his Irish ancestry. One poster on a website stated, "He’s not of 100% Irish blood. It’s all an exaggeration. All of his immediate family are English, his gran included, and he has English Romany roots too.".

Shaun Wane, England Rugby League coach (since 2020), is looking to England's tournament in 2026. “This job is the pinnacle for me,” he says. “I’m very patriotic, a very proud Englishman. When I got the call saying I’d got it, there was no prouder man in this country—and I still feel the same way."

England on her mind! Roberto Mancini, coach of the Italian national football team at the time, when his mother, Marianna Puolo, reacted bizarrely to Italy's loss 0-1 to North Macedonia (play-off semi-final, 24th March 2022), which meant they wouldn't be at the World Cup 2022:

“Macedonia only had one shot; maybe Donnarumma could’ve saved it, but it’s useless to talk about it now. This squad hasn’t lost the magic of the European Championship, but perhaps some were afraid of making mistakes. Yesterday, I think the ones who celebrated the most were the English.”

LOL — which makes her remark even more bizarre and funny and curiously peculiar, because England was not in Italy's qualifying group and won theirs outright, whereas Italy finished 2nd and had to enter the playoffs.

Anonymous appreciation: "Speaking as a Russian, I always thought highly of English culture. It’s truly special and has made immeasurable contributions to the modern world. And I am worried about watering down of what England is. You need to fight the forces within that try to erase you, not Russia.

Anonymous Patriot: The English have built, led, and inspired the world for centuries. From law and democracy to industry and literature, our influence is unmatched. We don’t need to apologize for our history—we should own it with pride. If others want to tear us down, that’s their problem. England stands strong, and we always will!

Trading Her Wares in the Marketplace!

The Anglo-Saxon gentlewoman (also known as Godgifu) is famous for her legendary naked ride on horseback through Coventry.

Godiva was the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, one of the most powerful noblemen in 11th-century England. The couple gave generously to religious establishments and in 1043 founded and endowed a monastery at Coventry. The chronicler Florence of Worcester mentions Leofric and Godiva but does not describe her famous ride, and there is no firm evidence connecting the rider with the historical Godiva—no surprise, because such an event would be demeaning to the English aristocracy, and there was no women's lib at the time! ;) Leofric died in 1057, and Godiva is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 (although she was almost certainly dead by then) as having held many estates in Warwickshire, including Coventry, inherited from her husband.

The earliest surviving source for the legend is the 'Chronica of Roger of  Wendover,' written more than a century after Godiva's death. According to this account, Leofric became so exasperated by Godiva's endless appeals to reduce Coventry's heavy taxes that he declared he would do so if she rode naked through the crowded marketplace. She did so, with her hair covering all of her body except her legs. According to Ranulf Higden's 'Polychronicon,' as a result, Leofric freed the town from all tolls save those on horses. The story of the 'Peeping Tom' was added later. Godiva required the townsmen to remain indoors at the time of her ride, but one man looked at her out of his window and was struck blind.

[Top picture by English artist John Collier. This one above is Shelle Dububu as Lady Godiva, an artist who modelled photographs on her website which I can no longer find].

Oh the Pomp and the Circumstance!

A painting by Englishman John William Waterhouse of the Romanticism period (click to make bigger). It is from Roman mythology of Narcissus & Echo. Narcissus is a young man known for his striking beauty - much like England and the things it gave the world ;) Echo, who is a mountain nymph, falls in love with him, but she has to idly watch when he sees his own reflection in the water and falls in love with himself. Perhaps then an apt metaphor for England, where Echo reflects the world and why so often they see England as conceited and so full of itself ;)

Pomp and Circumstance was one of many military marches by English composer Edward Elgar. The most famous of these is March No. 1 in D major for ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ a patriotic song written by English poet and author Arthur Benson, in collaboration with Elgar, that is now part of the traditional Last Night of the Proms' shown live by the BBC. 'Last Night of the Proms' is the final night of part of an eight week summer season of daily classical music concerts called The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Please Sir! I Want Some More

Subheading from the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. The pictures are synonymous with the Labour Party in taking, rather than giving, from the pensioners, farmers, WASPI women and boat gangs, who get everything they want from us!. And ironically, Please, Sir! - they don't know what a woman is! :( - Click pictures to make bigger.

He Was a Design for Living!

Noel Coward was a talented dramatist, director, actor, writer, composer, lyricist and painter. His fame reached a peak in 1930 with his play 'Private Lives' by which time he had become the highest earning author in the western world. He wrote some 140 plays, and hundreds of songs. He is known for the phrase from his song 'Mad dogs and Englishmen', that is more commonly known for the rest of the line in the song: "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun", in 1931. Among the films he starred in was The Italian Job with English actor Michael Caine in 1969. Among his awards was an Academy Honorary Award in 1943 from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in America for the naval drama 'In Which We Serve.' He won a Special Tony Award in 1970 'for his multiple and immortal contributions to the theatre.' Prince Edward unveiled a statue of Coward on the 1st of March 1999 at the Gershwin Theatre at a gathering of the Broadway theatre community. The ceremony was the first in a year-long series of events in New York celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the playwright, songwriter and performer

• "The actual facts are so simple. I love you. You love me. You love Otto. I love Otto. Otto loves you. Otto loves me. There now! Start to unravel from there."

Quote from Coward taken from the heading 'Design For Living', the title of a paperback [picture left], a modern take on his comedy love triangle from one of his plays. Design for Living is in effect a forerunner to the recognition of peoples sexual fluidity today.

• "Noel Coward's Design for Living is a funny and sad study of bisexuality: Otto and Leo love each other, but they also love Gilda, and she, in turn, loves them both.” –  Tim Walker, Sunday Telegraph.

Stand and Deliver! - Your Sexuality...Male Sexuality!

"Anyone over 30 belongs to me - bisexual, male, female, gay, whatever."

A quote from the 80s pop music icon Adam Ant from his interview with the Guardian tabloid in 2002.

The topic in this section is about male bisexuality, or the preference not to even have to claim it, but just accept it for yourself only. No labels are necessary! 

It covers quotes from celebrities, and even from a forum I was a member of years ago, from regulars, when male sexual experiences with males wasn't something you'd admit back then.

👍American writer Gore Vidal stated:

"Actually, there is no such thing as a homosexual person, any more than there is such a thing as a heterosexual person. The words are adjectives describing sexual acts, not people. The sexual acts are entirely normal; if they were not, no one would perform them."

👍Here's a fun quote from the war time-modern day comedy Goodnight Sweetheart when Yvonne, the wife of the main character Gary, suspected her husband of Infidelity with another man, said:

"It is a well known fact 20% of married men are bisexual." (Episode 2, Season 2, 1995).

👍Even in the animal world there is plenty of it going on.

Giraffes:

Gay sex accounts for 94% of all observed sexual activity in giraffes. Male giraffes have a unique way of flirting (and to occasionally show dominance) that is seen nowhere else on Earth. It is ‘necking’. Two males stand side by side, and gently rub their necks on each other’s body, head, neck, loins and thighs. In some sessions this goes on for as long as hour. This leads to arousal. Sometimes they mount each other to finish each other off. But this isn’t what a couple of guy giraffes do when the girls aren’t around. With both male and female giraffes present, males like to start necking with other males and often disregard any females present.

Sea Lions:

More than 80% of New Zealand Sea Lion males exclusively mate with other males. This normally results as a component of play-fighting, in which two males stand chest to chest and push against each other. Once one has achieved ‘superiority’, they will mount the weaker one. This is often why younger sea lions are more likely to mount the older males.

Killer Whales:

While it seems like most animal mating seems to be as a result of some mounting, almost 90% of gay behaviour in killer whiles is reciprocated. One third to more than one half of all male killer whales engage in gay sex, especially prevalent among the adolescents. Some male partners have a favorite with whom they interact with year after year.

👍Here are some other male celebrities open to their sexuality:

Jason Mraz

The world knows Mraz for his love songs, but he wants the world to know his love is bisexual.

"I’ve had experiences with men, even while I was dating the woman who became my wife. It was like, ‘Wow, does that mean I am gay?’” the singer-songwriter told Billboard this year, at age 41. "And my wife laid it out for me. She calls it ‘two spirit,’ which is what the Native Americans call someone who can love both man and woman. I really like that.”

Two spirit is a term that Native Americans consider their own, meaning one who embodies both masculine and feminine identities, and some objected to Mraz using it. He later apologized for doing so and thanked commenters for the clarification. But Mraz continues to identify as bi and penned an open letter to the LGBTQ community that read:

We still have a long way to go

But know

I am bi your side.

All ways.

Billie Joe Armstrong

The rocker is known best for being the front man of Green Day, but he's also been outspoken about his bisexuality.

In 1995, he told The Advocate, "I think I've always been bisexual. I mean, it's something that I've always been interested in. I think people are born bisexual, and it's just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of 'Oh, I can't.' They say it's taboo. It's ingrained in our heads that it's bad, when it's not bad at all. It's a very beautiful thing."

Ezra Miller

The 25-year-old actor is one of the most prominent bisexual faces in young Hollywood. 

"The way I would choose to identify myself wouldn't be gay. I've been attracted mostly to 'shes' but I've been with many people and I'm open to love wherever it can be," Miller told The Daily Beast in 2012 when promoting The Perks of Being a Wallflower, in which he played a teen bullied for being gay. "I think a lot of people are projecting their own troubles and fears concerning sexuality onto those around them, and it does result in the perpetuation of a lot of hateful notions."

Shane Dawson

In 2015, YouTuber Shane Dawson announced his bisexuality to his 6.7 million subscribers. Now he has nearly 17 million. Dawson has been open about how difficult it is to be in the bi community. “This last year is when it really hit me,” he said in his coming-out video. “I always wished that I was gay, that I was 100 percent gay.”

A quote from his twitter account: thank u guys for the support. i know "bisexual" is something that gets made fun of & its scary to talk about it but just know u arent alone.

Alan Cumming

You may know Cumming as Eli Gold on The Good Wife or the actor playing TV's first gay leading character on Instinct, but he's also one of bisexuality's biggest advocates. Romantically, he had an eight-year marriage to actress Hilary Lyon and a two-year relationship with actress Saffron Burrows. Now he's married to graphic artist Grant Shaffer.

"I see a worrying trend among LGBT people, that if you identify yourself in just one way, you close yourself off to other experiences. My sexuality has never been black and white; it’s always been gray. I’m with a man, but I haven’t closed myself off to the fact that I’m still sexually attracted to women," he told The Advocate in 2015.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles has been with both men and women, at least if every lyric in his songs is to be believed. In a new tune he debuted at his AccorHotels Arena Paris show Tuesday, the former One Directioner broached the idea of a duality in his love life. The singer performed a new track, "Medicine," which has a line that says, “The boys and the girls are in, I’ll mess around with them, and I’m okay with it.”

The Sun points out the lyric comes less than one year after Styles told the outlet he wouldn’t label his sexuality. “No, I’ve never felt the need to really," he said. "No, I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself. It’s weird for me—everyone should just be who they want to be. It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.”

Styles has been quietly dating model Camille Rowe at the time.

Morrisey (The Smiths)

Repeatedly, interviewers asked Morrissey if he was gay, which he denied. In response to one such inquiry in 1985, he stated that:

"I don't recognise such terms as heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and I think it's important that there's someone in pop music who's like that. These words do great damage, they confuse people and they make people feel unhappy so I want to do away with them."

As his career developed, there was increased pressure placed on him to come out of the closet, although he presented himself as a non-practicing bisexual In a 1989 interview, he revealed that he was "always attracted to men and women who were never attracted to me" and thus he did not have "relationships at all".

In 2013, he released a statement which said, "Unfortunately, I am not homosexual. In technical fact, I am humasexual. I am attracted to humans. But, of course ... not many."

Terry Hall, (The Specials and Fun Boy Three) who recently passed away, related his own experiences, albeit in a traumatic way:

"At 12 I got abducted by a paedophile ring in France and that was a real eye-opener," he said.

Herring asked: "But how do you even begin to overcome something like that?"

Hall replied: "Valium. And then I fancied David Essex which was a bit wonky, but it was like, so I kind of connected the two.

"But then I've started discovering girls and you just forget about it, it's too short."

Radio and tv Broadcaster Zoe Ball's son Woody and ex England football icon Paul Gascoigne's son Regan are also bi. They came out this year.

Then there's the interview with Harry Needs.

The former swimmer Harry Needs wants people to know that being bisexual isn't "a gateway to becoming gay" or about "being greedy".

The 28-year-old was married to two-time Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington. They split in 2016, but remain friends and continue to co-parent their five-year-old daughter, Summer.

Harry speaks about growing up knowing he was attracted to both sexes, his marriage to Becky, and having his first same-sex relationship.

👍Below is the groundbreaking Albert Kinsey Scale that he devised about peoples sexuality.

0 Exclusively heterosexual

1 Predominantly heterosexual

2 Mainly heterosexual but sometimes homosexual 

3 Bisexual

4 Mainly homosexual but sometimes heterosexual

5 Predominantly homosexual

6 Exclusively homosexual

For me personally I would say most men are 1 or 2. And even then at any time a person can go up the scale to 6 and even OFF the scale because of passion of the moment, and then back down again to your default number. This feeling of sexual fluidity is unchangeable, even like the animal world where it is perfectly normal. 

👍People are more accepting of the fluidness of their sexuality today, especially female celebrities who seem to use it as a social statement, a kind of womens liberation from the male controlled world in which we live. Although if they think they can also titillate men in music videos and lyrics with scenes of bi-flirtation just because the so called male "heterosexual" Industry encourages it, then they are not freeing themselves from men at all. They are pandering to them. And in fact, it's also one reason for straight males behaviour, because they are not as emotionally as mature as women because of societies emotional constraints their culture has placed on them. So they use women to fill that vaccum. But these men do not care about women anyway. Women are there as a money making product. 

The other side of it, is why a "straight" man needs to encourage it in females when he himself claims to be heterosexual? It's laughable. These men, and women, in positions of influence should be more responsible. The women also lose self respect from the majority of the decent men who don't live in their world. But bi leaning men do not need to make statements about their sexuality, although it is because we live in a straight male dominated world that doesn't reward bisexuality in males as it does in females. And one thing I've felt with my own sexuality is I do not need the false bravado over women because I am comfortable in my own skin. Which again makes so called "straight" men even more laughable and suspicious to me.

👍The Kinsey Studies gave some very revealing facts about male sexuality in this link. Also other surveys on the genders sexuality are listed up to 2011:

👍Some comments I have found on websites of men's own experiences of bisexuality, including one female observation:

👉Sansacro

In my experience, for what it’s worth, most men who are actually bisexual publicly identify as straight, because they can and there’s more cultural power as a self-identified straight man. But it seems younger, socially privileged guys are more comfortable exploring their sexual fluidity. Although there remains power in being a straight man in this world.

👉James

I like sex with women and men but I don’t find it helpful to think of myself as fitting into any of the existing labels or categories because they all feel constrictive. I might feel more ‘gay’ one day but more ‘straight’ on another. I think without labels people might just be attracted to other people and sex could just be sex. Bisexualit­y is far more common that people would realize. Most bisexuals rarely fully understand their own sexuality and usually dismiss feelings they don't recognize. 

👉Ian Faus

I find it odd how female bisexualit­y is taken as "natural" but male bisexualit­y is taken with such skepticism ? Females are less prone to sexual stereotypi­ng and social sexual programing about sex. For this they are fortunate. Modern culture dumps hetrosexua­lity like a flood on society, thus male bisexualit­y will always be something "fringe" because of this. Perhaps in a few more decades, when people move past sexuality to define each other, more bisexuals will understand themselves better. 

👉AndyPhx

Humans are sexual beings. No one can argue with that. I know from personal experience that many straight men will have an attraction to a few men in their lifetime. Doesn't make them gay. It's just human nature. Someone made the comment that a little or a lot a beer uncomplica­tes this for many men which is also true. Very true. The men who protest the most are the one's who know this is absolutely true.

👉Bejayech

I would agree that all have some degree of attraction­. The difference between a heterosexu­al man and a homosexual man isn't purely attraction­, rather its which gender he chooses to pursue. 

👉grant06

I am always amused when I read about people being lumped into catagories­. When it comes to humans. there are no absolutes. The whole species is a behavioral bell curve that varies over time and individual experience­. Some folks are born very gay, some very hetero, and a whole bunch are in-between­. To make it more fun, for any specific individual their attraction­s may change dramatical­ly as they age. Where as a fifteen year old male may be attracted to a thirteen year old female, that same male when sixty, may be more attracted to women much closer to his age group or even another of the same sex.

👉Ceasar Ol

Please, they were just being sensitive to the church and religious freaks...b­aby steps, they have to slowly introduce to them new concepts..­.they are having a hard time swallowing the gay concept, imagine when they find out there are a lot more bisexual men than gay men. Let alone that they have been around from day one and that about 25% of men claim to have bisexual tendencies but many are too afraid to act on it. Or maybe the church is just in denial because if anyone has seen porn they have seen girls getting it on. But that is of course not "gay", it's the good gay. Or like Tedd Haggard said..."no no I'm not gay...I just have homosexual attachment­s". One fact for sure, all bisexual men live heterosexu­al lives and the bisexual side is very in the closet as they are afraid to be categorize­d as gay, which is the reason why most bi men don't talk about it to avoid the stigma.

👉Raymond McCue

Bisexual guy here living a "bisexual" life, here. There are definitely a lot of queer men on the down low. Also, it's been my experience that gay men have a very hard time accepting bisexualit­y. To my estimation­, bisexualit­y undermines the "it's not a choice argument" and my own personal experience undermines the "there's no way back, once you're gay, you're gay" idea. These tenants are important to the gay community, so I believe they try to force bisexual men into the fold because the alternativ­e, acceptance­, is uncomforta­ble. 

👉Charlotte Bonnie

Well, for me the definition of a bisexual is someone who is capable of being attracted to both sexes and have relations with both sexes. If a gay guy fell in love with a woman later in life then he was bisexual to begin with, not gay. I know many bisexuals don't admit they are bisexuals because in the lesbian & gay community they are looked with suspicion so they hide their true sexuality in their their gay and lesbian social circle. 

👉WoodyCPM

What has confused the issue of genuine bisexualit­y is the personal and societal effects of homophobia­. People are raised to be straight because that is the cultural norm and the cultural expectatio­n. Out gay men are particular­ly suspicious of claims to "I'm straight" or "I'm bisexual" for this reason, because they themselves have believed and said the same thing. The closet confuses and complicate­s so many issues of sexuality. 

There is also the quite justifiabl­e resentment that gay men feel toward bisexual men because they have tended in the long hard struggle for equal sexual rights to not put their mojo on the line like gay men have. It's easier for them to disappear into the world of heterosexu­ality and pretend that they don't have a dog in that fight. IN THE PAST, they have tended to not show up for the work of winning freedoms and rights for homosexual­s.

👉NoSillyNamae

Same with bi women. I've known lesbians who say they "hate" bi women. They don't trust them and feel that they, too, like to "pass", as bi men can.

👉Matthew Robertson

Actually Bonobo monkeys are highly bisexual. Almost the entire species is. The females rub their clitorises together and the males rub the penises together. 

👉Itsasmallworld

I have always believed that if society was as accepting of men being bisexual as they are of women a lot more guys out there would admit to it. I see things changing..­.I have a feeling that in the next 5-10 years male bisexualit­y will be just as mainstream as female bisexualit­y. I have to say myself and many female friends of mine find men to be very sexy and imagining them together such as many men fantasize about women ...hot.

👉An anonymous person wrote: 

We share over 90% of DNA with some primates none of which are monogamous and all have polyamerous relationships. Why is it a surprise that some humans do not have the same instincts? other mans reply: not instincts but weaknesses.

👍Straight men who have sex with other men (SMSM) 

A population of males who avoid involvement with the LGBT community, who are often married or romantically involved with an opposite-sex partner, who engage in sex with males or express the desire to do so, and, most relevant to this posting, do not identify as gay or bisexual. Other men, in contrast, identify as bisexual even if they do not engage in same-sex sexual activity. Until recently studies typically included just one dimension of sexual orientation - attraction, behavior, and self-identification - but it is increasingly clear that sexual behavior does not necessarily correlate with sexual identity and attraction. McCabe and colleagues have repeatedly called for studies to include all dimensions of sexuality.

👍Bisexuality is defined as “the capacity for emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction to more than one sex or gender. That capacity for attraction may or may not manifest itself in terms of sexual interaction.” The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reminds health-care providers that “A bisexual orientation speaks to the potential, but not the requirement, for involvement with more than one gender. This involvement may be sexual, emotional, in reality and/or in fantasy. Some bisexuals may be monogamous, some may have concurrent partners, others may relate to different sexes/genders at various periods of time and others still maybe celibate.” In the word of Robyn Ochs, a candid bi-activist, “I have the potential to be attracted – romantically and/or sexually – to people of more than one sex and/or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree”.

👍Traditionally, sexual orientation has been viewed as a dichotomy, with the options being either heterosexuality or homosexuality. Those who did not fit into these two groups were ignored, elided, and rarely taken into consideration. During the middle of the 20th century Alfred Kinsey and his colleagues enlightened the fields of psychology and sexology when they proposed that sexuality occurs along a continuum and that the orientation of an inestimable number of people sits somewhere between the two poles. During the 1970s, Fritz Klein elaborated on Kinsey’s work and developed his eponymous Klein Grid, a method for describing a person’s sexual orientation in a much more detailed and nuanced manner. The Klein Grid investigates sexual orientation in the past, the present, and in the idealized future (i.e., a prediction as to what one thinks he or she will like in the future) with respect to each of seven factors consisting of sexual attraction, sexual behavior, sexual fantasies, emotional preference, social preference, heterosexual/homosexual lifestyle, and self-identification.