Defaced Blue Ensign

 

Defaced Blue Ensign

‘Ensign’ has a couple of meanings. In the British army it used to be the lowest ranked commissioned officer, now known as a second lieutenant. In the US navy an ensign is the lowest commissioned officer.

The ensign referred to here is a flag.

In the 17^th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the English fleet was organised in three squadrons for more efficient deployment. In order of precedence, they were plain unadorned flags ranked red, blue, and white.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the Royal Navy standardised its flags. The White Ensign was assigned to RN warships, the Red Ensign was reserved for merchant ships, and the Blue Ensign was allocated to ships commanded by Royal Naval Reserve officers. This change meant that the Blue Ensign became a symbol of official service.

The Blue Ensign is deep blue with the Union Flag in the top left corner. It can be flown by British government ships, merchant ships under the command of RN Reserve officers, and some privileged yacht clubs, like the Royal Yacht Squadron.

When an ensign is defaced, it is not vandalised or despoiled. It simply has been modified with an emblem added to it to signify which organisation is using it. Below are some examples of defaced Blue Ensigns.

Defaced Blue Ensign of Wales

Defaced Blue Ensign of Metropolitan Police

Defaced Blue Ensign of Bermuda

Forks

 

Forks

What does a fork mean to you? Is it something with which to break up the sods, or to muck out the stables? Perhaps you use a smaller version, while carving a roast, holding the meat steady while a sharp knife blade slices the joint.

I suppose most people use table forks to spear food, making it easier to convey it to the mouth. A small dessert fork can be useful in guiding fruit or pudding onto a spoon, and when eating cakes or pastries, a pastry fork might be used, to prevent cream or jam or sugar covering the fingers.

If salad forms part of a meal, salad servers resembling a large spoon and fork can help move the greenery from bowl to plate, and perhaps a pickle fork might be used to spike onions or beetroot.

When I was a child, crumpets oozing with butter were a great treat in winter. These, and toasted bread, were cooked over coals in an open fire, and for this a toasting fork was used. Even with its long shaft, hands became very hot, and so did the faces of the people watching to see that the food didn’t burn.

Before forks were adopted, people used knives, spoons and fingers. Indeed, there is a saying, ‘Fingers were made before forks’, usually used to excuse the use of same.

Forks have been in use for centuries, since at least 2400 B.C, originally as cooking implements. Personal forks were used in the Byzantine Empire by the 4^th century and forks were commonly used throughout the Middle East six hundred years later.

Italy used forks at table from the 11^th century and by the 14^th century they were commonplace. Guests were expected to provide their own forks and spoons when invited to dine.

It took longer for the fork to be adopted in northern Europe, some writers in the Catholic church deploring their use as an affectation.  In England, Elizabeth I (1533-1603) owned forks but preferred to use her fingers. Personal table forks were not widely used until the 18^th century.

America did not embrace the fork until just before the American Revolution (1765-1783)

 Before forks were considered acceptable, the custom was to hold food down with the left hand and hold the knife in the right hand to cut. Then the knife would be used to take food to the mouth.

When forks were introduced, the custom of using the right hand for eating was retained, the fork being moved from left to right hand after cutting. This habit was taken to America by the British and became the accepted etiquette. Meanwhile, Europe eventually opted for the speedier style of retaining the fork in the left hand.

 I suspect that the American method of eating probably slows down the consumption of food, which is better for the digestion.

Am I correct?

A to Z challenge 2023 – Q is for . . .

 

A to Zchallenge 2023 – Q is for . . .

My theme for this challenge is Nature in all much of her wonderful diversity. My posts will reflect the fact that I am resident in the south of England.

All photographs in this post are the property of the writer.

Q is for Queen of the Night

Queen of the Night is a deep purple, almost black tulip.

Purple dye was once very expensive and a luxury that only the richest in the land could afford. Dressing in purple indicated that the wearer was high-born. Elizabeth I (1533-1603) who reigned England and Ireland from 1558-1603, banned the wearing of purple by people other than members of the royal family.

Thus, purple tulips signify royalty and elegance.

Tulips were originally wild flowers growing in Persia and were cultivated in Turkey from about 1000 AD. The flower derives its name from the Turkish ‘dulband’ meaning turban, which the flower is said to resemble. The tulip was considered a charm against evil.

In 1593, tulips were imported from the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) to the Netherlands, where they became the national flower, associated with good fortune, love and rebirth.

 So popular were they and the demand for them so great that the price of the flowers rocketed. The so-called ‘tulip mania’ lasted from 1634 to 1637 and at its peak, the flowers were more valuable than diamonds.

Today, tulips remain one of the most popular flowers in the world. The Netherlands is the world’s major producer of tulips, growing around 3 billion bulbs annually.

Tulip festivals take place annually in the Netherlands, in Spalding in England, and in North America. There is also a permanent display of tulips in Keukenhof, near Amsterdam, from mid-March to mid-May.

Tulips have gained popularity in Australia, which holds its own festivals in September and October.

There are several legends concerning the origins of the tulip. One Turkish version declares that there was once a princess, called Shirin, who fell in love with a lowly stonemason, whose name was Farhad.

Shirin’s father disapproved of the relationship and sent Farhad on a very difficult mission. While he was attempting to complete the task, Shirin’s father sent a message to him saying that the princess was dead. Overcome, Farhad killed himself. On hearing of his death, Shirin hurried to his side and then killed herself. Her blood merged with Farhad’s to form the tulip.

So tulips also symbolise true, perfect love.

Tulip flower buds are perfectly symmetrical and the petals are edible; they can be used to replace onions or can be used to make wine. However, the bulbs are toxic to humans, though not to domestic animals.