How's your Spanish

[Bazile]

Apart from speaking Spanish - do you think life in Britain would be much different , if Sir Francis Drake hadn't taken a time out from his game of bowls , to suggest to those Senors , that it might be in their interest to turn around and head back home ?

[jno]

yes, we'd also be Catholic - that was one of the big reasons for the invasion. We'd have spent 50 years in the Franco dictatorship.

On the plus side, we'd have hot, sunny beaches and lots of sangria.

[Octavius]

...and bull fighting would have replaced bear baiting.

[kempie]

But how long would Britain have remained under Spanish control?

The War of the Spanish Succession could then have seen Gran Breta�a ceded to Austria (just as the Spanish territory in the southern Netherlands, which was then annexed by France during the French Revolutionary Wars).

So would the different life actually be in Gro�britannien, or even Grande-Bretagne?

[Buenchico]

Aren't Sir FD's exploits largely mythical anyway? Wasn't the Spanish armada really beaten by the weather, rather than by Drake?

[jno]

tut, Chris, where's your sense of romance? Yes, the 'Protestant wind' did play a major role.

But an interesting point from kempie: if we'd stayed with Austria long enough, past the first world war and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire, perhaps we too would have loyally united with Hitler's Germany. And with us on his side, how could he have lost?

[kempie]

So, no sunny beaches at home but first dibs on the sunloungers abroad.

[jno]

well, there wouldn't be an 'abroad' as such, all part of the same Reich.

[dundurn]

Well you lot South of the border might be speaking German or French but the Scots wouldn't - we'd still be making folks offers they canna understan'.

[squarebear]

Incidentally, the bowls game is a myth. In 1588 there were no devices capable of making a green flat enough for playing bowls on.

He was most likely playing the French game of boules.

[Count_Emmup]

Jno - why would Britain have been forced to suffer fifty years of Franco's dictatorship? Even Spain by the longest estimate had only thirty nine (36 - 75), Madrid which capitulated last only thirty six.

[jno]

because the sheer joy of being able to rule Britain would have prolonged Franco's life immeasurably, Count.

[Count_Emmup]

Oh, right - never thought of that.

[Famous5]

On the subject of the bowls, he knew he had time to finish his game because he knew that he couldn't get his ships out of harbour until the tide turned - no engines you see.