Saturday, April 30, 2011

Better Not Tell Prince Charles

I was prevaricating about the bush whether to run with the second story at all; it did have certain appeals, a bit of insight into another culture never does any harm, and there was one paragraph in particular that evoked all kids of images, most from the archives I add.

The clincher though, was finding this first rather topical story as I wandered through the host site; the two of them making enough to make a post out of.





Time for Beatrix to hand over the crown

Queen Beatrix should step aside and make space for Crown Prince Willem-Alexander to take over the job: that’s the wish of sixty percent of the Dutch public.

Support for the Dutch monarchy is still strong. Two thirds of those questioned feel the level of political power exercised by the monarch is just right. Three out of ten would prefer the monarchy to wield no political influence whatsoever.

Queen Beatrix will turn 75 in 2013 and half of those in favour of her resigning think this would be the perfect moment to hand over the ruling role to Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima. Princess Ariane, the youngest of the royal couple’s three daughters, turned four this month and is already attending primary school.

The survey - conducted by market researcher TNS NIPO – is based on the opinions of 829 Dutch people older than 18 years. RNW





Planning the perfect Queen's Day

All over the Netherlands, people are gearing up for Queen’s Day, the one day every year that the rules are relaxed and the otherwise straight-laced Dutch let down their hair.

Village squares and city centres turn into huge open air markets. Children play musical instruments in parks and on squares to earn a bit of extra pocket money. Every inch of the pavement is marked “occupied” by hopeful one-day traders. Bewildered tourists find walking even a short distance almost impossible due to the sheer numbers of revellers dressed from head to toe in orange – the Dutch national colour......

"Orange Committees"

Across the country “Orange Committees” (clubs for royal family enthusiasts) have put hours into organising their local event. Just outside Amsterdam in my little village of Schellingwoude, preparations are almost complete.

Since January, the eleven committee members – including myself – have been busy coming up with new children’s games, painting signs, gathering props, organising food, selling advertising, writing and distributing the Queen’s Day newspaper, collecting annual contributions, recruiting volunteers....

....Looking silly is part of the fun



Then the games carrousel will begin – in keeping with our magical theme of course.



Clutching a scorecard, the kids will rush to be first in line to help Little Red Riding Hood collect provisions for grandma, but watch out - it looks like the big bad wolf got to grandma’s house first!


Then they’re off to see who can knock down one of the seven dwarfs. Children will even get the chance to throw soft balls at their parents standing behind a cut-out of the Emperor Without his Clothes.






Looking silly on Queen’s Day is part of the fun. Biting cake suspended on a string is a well-known Queen’s Day tradition, but in Schellingwoude, it will be a chance for kids to get sticky fingers as they decorate slices of sponge cake in Hans and Gretel’s Sweetie House.


And, as if that’s not enough, there is a prize for everyone in the Treasure Trove. more Radio Netherlands


h/t Maren

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post Himself.
A bit of insight into another culture never does any harm.
Maren

Anonymous said...

Looking silly is part of the fun.

http://static.rnw.nl/migratie/www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/090422-QueensDay-Putin-Clinton-redirected

Anonymous said...

http://static.rnw.nl/migratie/
www.radionetherlands.nl/
currentaffairs/region/netherlands/090422-QueensDay-Putin-Clinton-redirected

Anonymous said...

Just for fun.

http://bit.ly/mW2JTB

"How can they let their appearance go the way they do? They don’t wear jewellery or enough make-up, or brush their hair. A Greek gasps: "If God gives them such beauty, they should do something with it".

"They are not golddiggers (something one Israeli claims cannot be said about his female compatriots)."

"But then there’s their behaviour … which has become dangerously similar to that of men, it seems."

"The author of the book, Santje Kramer, does not have any sympathy for Dutch women."

"Everyone stares at the ground."

A bit of insight into another culture never does any harm. M

Himself said...

That's certainly a mixed bag, but if we are talking beautiful, in Europe at least, I think the Polish lasses might have the edge.

Maybe they are like that to compensate for the food. I couldn't speak for all the countries in Europe, but for the ones I have visited, when it comes to grub, Poland is the pits.

But I did like the image that this evoked.

“All those pretty girls on bikes, with their open and positive expression and wearing little make-up,” sighs an Australian.

Sighs an Englishman too.

Anonymous said...

Maybe I do an ism, once in a while.

http://bit.ly/ICFf52

Anonymous said...

Hi H, let’s talk about cultural differences for a change.

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe
ben ik, van Duitsen bloed
http://bit.ly/aCWRGV

"The most extravagant welcome came from Queen Beatrix of Netherland who flung open her arms as she approached the Queen before kissing her."

Gezellig feest trouwens, spontane gasten.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/
9275105/Queens-Jubilee-lunch-
overshadowed-by-row-over-King-of-
Bahrain.html

"The most extravagant welcome, however, came from Queen Beatrix of Netherland who flung open her arms as she approached the Queen before kissing her warmly." (Mail version)

It’s all in the details.

Met een Nederlandse knuffel voor jou M

Himself said...

I'll take from you all the hugs in the world, Dutch or otherwise, but you're not going to get me anywhere near the friggin' Jubilee.

I've avoided it so far and that's the way I intend it to stay.

Just having a break after watching first half of movie, Frida. Quite good so far.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/

Recommended by a new tweet follower/followed Peter Pink ‏@ideas4thefuture Very polite old man, but strikes me, rightly or wrongly, as extremely lonely old fellow.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend Chuck, I might go and lie down for an hour, and perhaps dream about Dutch girls on bicycles.

H xxx

Anonymous said...

Ok people, that's enough. It's jubilee weekend and it's home time. Take the rest of the day off. Your Queen loves you.

Elizabeth Windsor‏@Queen_UK

Anonymous said...

Hi H, just to inform you, I learnt a new word today snarky. By the way, is it learnt or learned? M x

http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=840620

Author Robert Lacey, who has written several books about the British monarchy, said Beatrix's decision would likely firm up Elizabeth's resolve.

'It would reinforce her feeling that the Dutch don't know what monarchy is about, and that she should go on forever,' he said. 'The crown is a job for life in the British system.'

He said the queen's mother, who lived to be 101, had made a 'snarky' comment when Beatrix's own mother stepped down as monarch decades ago.

Himself said...

Learned Chuck.

I think Betty would sell her miserable reptilian soul to the Devil as long as he gave her enough years to keep whatsherface from being queen.

And probably him for that matter, he's hardly an advert for monarchy is he?

Anonymous said...

Good evening H.

I don't know about him being an advert for monarchy. I think that he’s smarter than our future king, but also more unworldly.

Kings and queens, a charade of course, but I think they can contribute to unification and function as ambassador for the country. Only my layman opinion. And, there’s a patriot in many of us after all.

The experts on the pros and cons of maintaining the modern monarchy.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/01/201313082633714940.html

Later M

Anonymous said...

Meanwhile, royals all over the world will be thinking: thank goodness for the House of Windsor, they make us look almost normal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/29/queen-beatrix-abdication

Himself said...

Good morning my lovely.

Meanwhile, royals all over the world will be thinking: thank goodness for the House of Windsor, they make us look almost normal.

LOL Not hard when you're comparing with lizards.

The difference with the Brit monarchy and any other, we give the richest woman in the world tens of millions of £s per annum to maintain her, and her brats, privileged lifestyles.

Anonymous said...

http://gin-oclock.com/queen-beatrix-does-a-bunk/

As ever your loving over-lord and Queen (for sixty years, just saying).

Himself said...

LOL

A lesson in quintessential English.

How are you Chuck, well I hope?

Been a tad busy of late, just as well I suppose, for I find I'm overcome with indifference of late, not much interest in anything.

C'est la vie.

xx

Anonymous said...

Hi H, I'm well, thank you, busy days. Here's hoping you are OK and you do enjoy the outdoors.

As for the interest, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction isn't there.

The most destructive criticism is indifference. - E.W. Howe

Quite convenient, I'd say, following a certain case or whatever.

Warmest regards. Mx

Himself said...

Good morning Maren.

I shall be tweeting these later, but for the meantime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-mcXVnfVtQ
South Shore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfZ38UNrj5k
Poulton

Not the greatest soundtrack, but enough in the visuals to give you a good idea.

South Shore is a particularly tacky part of Blackpool. Poulton and Wrea Green are two places I have lived previously as it happens.

Enjoy the weekend dear lady.

Anonymous said...

Good morning H

Thanks for the vids. I like songs telling a story. Perhaps there's hope after all as even my son liked the music. Usually we differ quite a lot.

Who said teenagers?

xx

Himself said...

This can't be coincidence surely?

http://bit.ly/15idoFd

Anonymous said...

OT (more or less)

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/130617_King_court_delphine

Anonymous said...

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/130703_King_Albert_speech

Himself said...

Hello Chuck

I shall open a few of your linkies now, been a bit preoccupied what with one thing or another.

Been on the phone quite a bit today, getting things sorted, I'm sixty five, four weeks from today.

Regretfully I have even had to cancel my SSCS subscription.

Bloody old age pensioner.

This fellow keeps pushing this:

@Lifewisenews
Dutch Injustice: When Child Traffickers Rule A Nation

http://southweb.org/lifewise/dutch-injustice-when-child-traffickers-rule-a-nation/# ….

Mind you, he ain't so bad, but some of them that get the paedo bug, in truth I find them a bit tiresome.

There are more things going on in the world than child abuse.

I think you know where I'm coming from.

Oh bugger! I'm not signed in. Isn't that robot thing a pain in the arse. Necessary though I'm afraid to say.

Cut and paste.