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Online Taman Tun

Brits Abroad
« on: September 20, 2018, 12:48:21 PM »
Brits are notorious for their behavior from Magaluf to Dubai and all points between.  I just came across an early example in the biography of Thomas Telford.  Telford was responsible for the construction of the Caledonian Canal from the east to west of Scotland.  His Caledonian Canal work came to the attention of the royal family in Sweden.  He was duly summoned over to Sweden to survey the route of a canal crossing Sweden.  Following the survey he was appointed to supervise the construction to be carried out by 56000 conscripted soldiers.  In 1813, for the supervision he sent an experienced bunch of canal people from the UK over to Sweden.  All requests for supplies & equipment from the supervision team came back to Telford.  In amongst the normally expected requests there were a few requests for books on abortion.  So the supervisors were obviously making their mark on the flaxen haired beauties.  Work in Sweden could only be done during the summer months and at the end of summer the Brits returned to Gothenburg to catch a ship back to the UK.  They were very disappointed by the quality of the ship offered and so a huge brawl broke out on the quayside.  (They were expecting to travel business but were only offered Ryanair). They did succeed in getting a ship upgrade but the Swedes were not impressed.

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“No one in this world, so far as I know—and I have searched the record for years, and employed agents to help me—has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.” - H L Mencken
 

Offline thaiga

Re: Brits Abroad - 'Laughing Tam'
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2018, 02:00:17 PM »
Very interesting article  oxforddnb.com

Telford is said to have been so full of fun and humour that he was known as 'Laughing Tam' (Smiles, 296). He gained a good basic education at Westerkirk parish school, interspersed with occasional farm work. At school he met the younger generation of leading local families, and formed a close friendship with Andrew Little, later a schoolmaster in Langholm, his subsequent correspondence with whom until 1803 represents the main source of information on his early life.

On leaving school about 1772 Telford was at first apprenticed ...

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Online Taman Tun

Re: Brits Abroad
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2018, 04:37:46 PM »
Yes, Laughing Tam indeed! He sailed to Sweden with two assistants to carry out the initial survey.  They took the following with them on the short voyage:

Two dozen bottles of Madeira
Two dozen bottles of Port
Three dozen bottles of cider
Six dozen bottles of porter
Half dozen bottles,of gin
Half dozen bottles of brandy

Not sure if the canal got built in a straight line.
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“No one in this world, so far as I know—and I have searched the record for years, and employed agents to help me—has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.” - H L Mencken
 

Offline thaiga

Re: Brits Abroad
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2018, 05:06:17 PM »
Quote from: Taman Tun on September 20, 2018, 04:37:46 PM
Yes, Laughing Tam indeed! He sailed to Sweden with two assistants to carry out the initial survey.  They took the following with them on the short voyage:

Two dozen bottles of Madeira
Two dozen bottles of Port
Three dozen bottles of cider
Six dozen bottles of porter
Half dozen bottles,of gin
Half dozen bottles of brandy

Not sure if the canal got built in a straight line.

Does Noah know about this :o
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Offline Maradon

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Re: Brits Abroad
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2018, 04:48:26 PM »
Thank you for the video that was released.
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