Flodden Revisited. Once more. Again

Its that time of the year again and Coldstream Civic Week is upon us with the newly selected Coldstreamer, Right Hand Man, Left Hand man, former Coldstreamers doing their stuff. Including the visit to Flodden Field. Several Bloggees have asked, well two have, for a re run of the following ditty;

Flogging a Dead Flodden

Once more they are at it.
Repeatedly, annually.
(Since 1513 probably)
Reivers, Reivers’ Lasses,
Coldstreamers, “Wynsome Maydes”
Battlefield orations by real live
Generals. In full plumage.
Sods carried in triumph.
English sods to a Scottish town.
Tattered, ragged Saltires unfurled.
Ancient oaths retaken.

For what?
To commemorate
a glorious victory?
No!
A disastrous defeat cutting down
the Flower of Scotland.

Can you imagine the
Celebrations
had they won?

I pity those
poor English incomers
who live near Bannockburn.
Unlike those of us
in the Borders
they can’t take refuge
in the smugness
of past victories.

For them there is
no escape from
that uniquely Scottish condition


Braveheartburn

I still find the whole thing a bit odd. Seems to me that the wrong lot are celebrating it. But this year's oration will be given by a former Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland-an English slant on a famous English victory.And as usual the Earl of Home will be sending the cavalcade on its way to Flodden Field with much bussing (no bus actually involved) of the Coldstreamer banner. The Homes played a prominent part in the 1513 affair and, according to most historians, they, with most of the Borderers left the battle at half time with loot and booty (saves writing loot twice) thus leaving their colleagues in saltires ill prepared to meet the English surge in the second half. Whether they should be seeking to extract some belated favourable publicity for their performance on the battlefield is a moot point.

Labels: Coldstream, Flodden, Merse

  ¶ 2:02 PM