King Canute England

byviyee

6.3K followers

7 years ago

King Canute England

Have we Got Time to Think?

We have had a short break visiting family and have not posted for a few days.

No internet access was a problem.

We did have time to think.

History of England

We had a few trips round Portsmouth (UK)

Portsmouth is the home of Nelson and his ship the Victory.

Nelson led his ships into battle, short of an eye and an arm. He still succeeded in beating the French but was eventually shot dead. His statue is now on a plinth in Trafalgar square.

It was fascinating to see round the ship and imagine how 700 people lived on board for months and months at a time.

Barber / Surgeon

The most gruesome was the barber / surgeon’s instruments – they looked more like a carpenter’s drills and saws. Legs were removed and wounds cut open with no antiseptic or pain killer of any kind.

Progress

Progress and change are not always for the better but here it has definitely been. Words such as infection, sepsis, anti-biotics, sterile environments, anaesthetics or surgical procedures were unknown.

The ingenuity that was involved in building and running a ship of this size was incredible.

Imagine cutting through a piece of 250-year-old oak, measuring 2feet by 2 feet using only hand tools and drills. The need for accuracy was very high since there is a lot of water in the sea doing its best to get into the ship.

The anchor rope was thicker than a body-builder’s thigh.

Co-operation.

The planning and co-operation of the thousands involved in building a ship like that, in 4 years, was enormous.

We can achieve enormous feats if we work together.