#HOW IS THE UK ABOVE GERMANY WITH THAT | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

leonsliga · 3 days

Text

How to get football autographs: a crash course

Fair warning: this will be a long post.

We’ve all heard it by now: the best way to get footballer autographs is to attend open trainings or wait outside their hotels and stadiums on match days. But what if you live far away or can’t afford to fly to training or games? Not to worry! Whether you’re a collector, a fan, or a little bit of both like me, quite a few clubs are still willing to send out autograph cards, as long as you send them a stamped addressed envelope.

You’ll find helpful how-to videos on how to do just that, along with links to some country stamp websites, below. These videos actually inspired this post:

youtube

Postal service links:

United Kingdom

https://shop.royalmail.com/postage-and-packaging/first-and-second-class-stamps - You can’t print UK stamps, but you can buy them off the Royal Mail website (see above link) or off Amazon in most cases

Germany

https://shop.deutschepost.de/shop/internetmarke/selectPostageIM.jsp?invalidAccess=true#porto-international (you’ll want to buy the printable compact letter—Kompaktbrief in German—stamps for 1,70€)

Spain

https://www.correos.es/es/en/companies/send/stamps - Unfortunately, I’m completely useless at navigating the Spanish postal service (AKA Correos), but here’s the link regardless. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me 😅

France

You can buy printable stamps using the link above

Postage Questions:

What materials will I need to send a request?

You’ll need a letter containing your autograph request, 2 envelopes (one bigger and one smaller), a stamp/stamps (depending on size and weight) from your country and the stamp/stamps of the destination country.

I’ve bought my stamps. What size envelopes should I get?

I recommend getting c4 envelopes, as they’ll be big enough to hold your autograph request letter. These will be the envelopes you’ll mail out. If you go with a c4 envelope, I’d recommend purchasing c5 envelopes as your smaller envelope. These will be the envelopes the clubs return to you with the autograph cards inside, and you’ll slide them into your c4 envelope when you’re ready to mail them.

Be sure to include the club’s mailing address and your country’s stamp on the large envelope and your address + their country’s stamp on the smaller one

Where can I find a club’s mailing address?

You can usually find a club’s mailing address, along with their attitude towards fanmail, on the “contact us” tab on their webpage. If you can’t find it there, search the name of the club on fanmail.biz; they have the mailing address of just about every football club you can imagine.

What should I put in my autograph request letter?

The main thing here is to include which footballers’ autographs you want (if you don’t have a preference, you don’t have to do this; you can always say you’d be happy to add whatever player cards they’re willing to send to your collection, or something like that lol). Apart from that, what you include is entirely up to you! I wouldn’t recommend sending a super long letter, but if you want to add a personal touch, you can always mention one of your favorite memories of that club and their achievements. It doesn’t hurt to throw in a thank you at the end either :) one last note: you can address your letter to the club or the player whose autograph you’re requesting; it’s entirely up to you!

Do I have to send a stamped addressed envelope to every club?

Not necessarily. If you want to save money on stamps and envelopes, try emailing the clubs first. If you’re lucky, they’ll send the autograph cards directly to you and pay for the postage :)

Now onto the most important question: does it work? The answer is that it depends on the club you’re sending the request to and sometimes even the league they play in. I’ll break it down by league below, detailing either my own experiences writing to the club (if I’ve written to the club and heard back, I’ll state it outright) or that of YouTubers who have reached out to them. If you don’t see your club here, assume they either don’t reply to fanmail, or I haven’t heard of any success stories yet.

Premier League

Some Prem clubs still send out autographs, but not all. Here’s the ones that do:

Manchester United - pre-covid I’m pretty sure they sent out only hand-signed autographs upon request. Unfortunately, they seem to have cut back a bit on this in recent years; nowadays they tend to send a mix of hand-signed and pre-printed, facsimile signatures (this was the case for me when I wrote to them a few months ago and a few YouTubers that wrote to them as well). Still, pretty amazing given the size of the club that they’re willing to do this. As a United fan, I can’t help but feel a little proud :)

Liverpool - they definitely take the “you’ll never walk alone” motto literally, because they also still answer autograph requests with squad photos and signatures, at least as of 2021. To add a personal touch, they usually include a certificate with your name on it. Even though they’re United’s biggest rivals, I can’t help but respect them for this.

Arsenal - another big club that’s not too big for their fans; to my knowledge, they still send out hand-signed autographs. In doing research for this post, I even stumbled upon a video of someone who got an Arsenal match program, 2 squad photos, and autographs on the back of one of them. Talk about a big haul!

Tottenham - usually send pre-signed, photocopied autograph cards

Chelsea - sent out pre-signed, facsimile autograph prints as of 2021

Manchester City - sends out facsimile signatures only, according to several YouTubers (I’ve never contacted the club personally, so I’m not sure if this is still the case). If you do reach out to them, let me know what you hear back!

Crystal Palace - hit-or-miss. They tend to reply with pre-signed squad photos. They usually include a “south london and proud” bracelet from what I understand though, which is a fun perk!

West Ham - you might hear back from them, you might not (I didn’t when I tried a few months ago, but I know several other people did). If they do reply, you’ll likely receive hand-signed photos.

Aston Villa - sent out mostly pre-signed cards as of 2021

Everton - sent out predominantly hand-signed cards as of 2020

Leicester - send out a mix of photocopied and hand-signed cards, as of 2020 - they generally include player cards from the entire squad

Bournemouth - sent out pre-printed cards as of 2021

Newcastle - still sent out hand-signed photographs as of 2020

Bundesliga

If you want hand-signed autographs, look no further than the Bundesliga. In my experience, they send out the most hand-signed cards of any football league, and it’s not even close. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a club that doesn’t send out hand-signed cards. I’m assuming it’s the same story for the 2. Bundesliga (I know Schalke sends out hand-signed cards at the very least).

Bayern Munich - generally, they prefer you purchase cards on their website. Unfortunately, you have to be a member to buy signed cards on there; otherwise, you have to settle for pre-signed prints. That said, I’m pretty sure that if you purchase the player cards on the website and send a few back to the club to be signed, they will return them with official autographs. I sent in a request for Manuel Neuer’s autograph earlier this year and enclosed his player card, and they sent it back hand-signed. I included my membership number in my request just in case, but I know they’ve sent hand-signed autographs to non-members in the past (i.e. the YouTuber mentioned towards the beginning of this post). If you do reach out to Bayern, let me know how it goes. My fingers are crossed for you regardless 🤞

Borussia Dortmund - probably the most reliable of the Bundesliga clubs when it comes to autograph requests. They now limit you to 4 footballers per request, so you’ll have to be selective. That said, they usually reply quickly and send out hand-signed autographs every time. I have yet to hear of anyone who hasn’t received something back when they sent an autograph request to BVB.

Bayer Leverkusen - when I requested autographs from them, they sent me some back. I requested 3 players’ autographs, along with Xabi Alonso’s, and received all 4 cards back hand-signed. Quite a few YouTubers have had success hearing from them as well. Even though they’re having a fantastic season, they clearly haven’t neglected their fanmail, which is cool to see :)

Eintracht Frankfurt - sends out hand-signed autograph cards, even as of this season (they sent hand-signed cards when I reached out to them two months ago). If they’re your club, you’re in luck.

VfB Stuttgart - hand-signed cards

RB Leipzig - hand-signed cards

FC Union Berlin - hand-signed cards (I haven’t heard back from them yet, but it’s only been a week and a half at this point)

SC Freiburg - hand-signed cards

Borussia Mönchengladbach - hand-signed cards (I just heard back from them a week ago, and I think I got a mix of hand-signed cards and pre-signed prints)

FC Augsburg - hand-signed cards

SV Werder Bremen - hand-signed cards

VfL Wolfsburg - hand-signed cards

VfL Bochum - hand-signed cards, sometimes of the entire team.

TSG Hoffenheim - hand-signed cards, often of the entire team

FC Köln - hand-signed cards

FSV Mainz - hand-signed cards, often of majority of the squad

La Liga

If you’re a fan of a Spanish club, you might be a lot less lucky, sadly. Only one club still sends out hand-signed autographs to my knowledge, and only one other club sends anything back in response to fanmail.

Real Madrid - occasionally sends out posters with pre-printed, facsimile signatures.

Sevilla - this is the club to ask for hand-signed autographs. That said, you probably won’t get more than one or two. I’d recommend being specific about which player(s)’ autographs you want in order to avoid being disappointed.

Ligue 1

Maybe the French league is more your speed. It’s a mixed bag here; while few answer fanmail, the ones that do are more often than not the most generous of any football clubs on this list.

PSG - the Parisians do still respond to autograph requests, but pretty much exclusively send out facsimile signatures.

Olympique de Marseille - have sent out pre-signed cards of their entire team in the past, along with a poster

FC Metz - sent out a mix of hand-signed autographs and pre-signed prints as of 2021

LOSC Lille - sent out autograph cards as of 2021

OGC Nice - sent out autograph cards as of 2021

RC Strasbourg - sends out autographed postcards, and if you’re lucky, they might include a squad photo and some stickers along with it :)

AS Saint-Étienne - send out hand-signed cards, although I’ve also seen them send squad photos addressed to the recipient, along with 2 issues of their club’s magazine

Eredivisie

PSV Eindhoven - sometimes send out autograph cards with facsimile signatures (pre-prints)

Swiss Super League

FC Basel - sent out hand-signed cards as of 2021

BSC Young Boys - sent out hand-signed cards as of 2021

Austrian Football Bundesliga

SK Rapid Wien - sent out hand-signed cards as of 2021

LASK - hand-signed cards (as of 2021)

Scottish Premiership

Glasgow Rangers - occasionally sends pre-signed prints (at least, as of 2021)

Ekstraklasa

All clubs listed below have sent out hand-signed autograph cards in the past:

Śląsk Wrocław

Legia Warszawa

Lech Poznań

A-League

Western Sydney Wanderers - signed squad photo

MLS

Whether you’ve got a particular club in mind or you’re just a fan of one of the big stars (i.e. Messi), you’re probably in for disappointment. Autograph collecting isn’t super big in the U.S., and MLS treats autograph requests accordingly.

Seattle Sounders - one of the only two clubs in MLS that actually sends a response to autograph requests - one lucky collector was even able to get a hat signed by the entire squad! (see here)

NYCFC - sends out hand-signed autograph cards occasionally, usually only one or two

*side note: unfortunately, it seems like most people have only reached out to European clubs, (with the exception of the A-League and MLS), so I can’t speak to whether clubs on other continents fulfill autograph requests. If you reach out to any clubs in leagues not mentioned here, let me know and I’ll update the list :)

Lingering questions:

How long does it take to hear back from clubs?

In my experience as someone living in the UK, I’ve heard back from every club I reached out to within 2-3 weeks (closer to the 2 week mark in most cases). It depends on how far away you live from the club though. I heard back from Manchester United within a week of mailing my request, but they were the exception, not the rule.

Tldr: expect to hear back within a month (maybe a month and a half in extreme cases)

Do clubs answer autograph requests during the off-season?

In my experience, no. I tried this a few years back with no success.

Can I send a shirt to be signed by a player?

I wouldn’t recommend it, as you may not get it back. If you do, the club will probably just return it to you unsigned. You’re better off just requesting an autograph card imo.

Do national teams send autograph cards?

Some do! Last I’ve heard, the German national team still answers requests with authentic signatures and the Croatian national team has sent out signed cards previously as well. The Czech Republic sends out unsigned squad cards. Last but not least, the Dutch national team has sent out fan posters in the past.

Apart from David MC’s autograph series, here’s some of the other videos that helped form this list:

youtube

#Youtube #if you do reach out to any clubs (on this list or off it) let me know how it goes :)#I plan on updating this list based on what people hear #I wish you the best of luck and would love to hear your success stories 😁#football #premier league #bundesliga #la liga #ligue 1 #eredivisie #swiss super league #austrian bundesliga #scottish premiership #ekstraklasa #a league #mls

26 notes · View notes

fullhalalalchemist · 2 years

Text

🚨🚨 9/4/2022

So, because this is a year starting with “20-”, there is yet another bill trying to be passed by politicians that is aimed at “protecting children” but might as well destroy the open internet as we know it. I know. Again. (skip to the bottom for how you can prevent this)

Here’s a really short article that really goes over how it would happen, written by cybersecurity law expert Eric Goldman:

TLDR; the california bill AB2273, also known as #CAKidsCode, will force all websites “accessed by kids” (and this bill does this great thing where it doesn’t differentiate between a 7 and 17 year old, you know, because all minors are the same 🙄) aka the entire internet, to verify their users ages. The ONLY WAY to do that, and this is happening in the UK, Australia, Germany, is either via biometrics (face-scanning) or being forced to upload your govt Id online.

You know, because we protect kids privacy by killing privacy in general. In an age where people are being jailed for decades simply for googling the word “abortion”. Yeah, I’m sure this will definitely protect people and not be misused to surveill people or censor the internet.

Right now, the bill has passed the CA legislature and can be passed into law at any moment once the Cali governor, Gavin Newsom, signs it. This is how we can stop it

Call/email/fax his office (YOU DONT HAVE TO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA) at (916) 445-2841. You can send a message here. Select “Have comment, and then “Legislative Issue/Concern”. There is a call script/email script after the “read more”. Calling is most affective.

SPREAD THE MESSAGE!! Send it to people you know. Post it on other social medias. People don’t know about this bill because a) its a local bill and not a federal one, so less noise and b) because these politicians have pushed the idea that this “protects kids” NO ONE wants the bad PR of sounding like they’re pro-child abuse, so many are silent

Encourage your friends/family to also do step 1.

Call and email script (literally just copy and paste it to the blue link above in step 1):

I am contacting you today to urge you to veto AB 2273, the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act. Tech experts and internet safety experts are rightfully worried that this dangerous bill would end the free and open internet as we know it, as well as actively harm children.

It targets websites "accessed by kids", anyone under 18, which is every website on the internet. It's being sold as protecting privacy for kids, but it forces websites to verify everyone's ages, and the only way to do that is to submit your govt ID or scan your face to third-party sites. This will lead to warrantless surveillance of everyone. This is coming at a time where people are being charged with felonies for accessing abortion care online, and being fired for posting pro-LGBT content online. More surveillance will literally ruin people's lives and get people killed.

This will force websites to surveil everyone and kill encryption, and with increasing right-wing attacks on minorities, abortion, and LGBT, this could spell a death-sentence for people.

Professor Eric Goldman claims this law will destroy the entire internet, and he is right. We need privacy protection, but not like this. This destroys our privacy, our 1st amendment rights, and our human and civil rights. You can't block children from the internet, to protect them you need parental oversight, not governmental or private from companies.

VOTE NO on this bill if you care about privacy, the open internet, freedom, and stopping right-wing attacks on our democracy and human rights.

#ab 2273 #ab2273 #net neutrality #earn it act #CAKidsCode #privacy #internet #abortion #roe v wade

612 notes · View notes

alatismeni-theitsa · 5 months

Note

Genuine question: you often talk about the West as if Greece wasn't Western and that leaves me in doubt… isn't it Western? I always see Greece referred to as such, so I figured it was. Like, I imagine there must be some details that don't completely fit into Western molds, but in general, isn't Greece Western and is it even considered one of the main origins of the West?

Hii! This is a very good question for someone who needs context!

In summary: Greece is not exactly Western. In fact, it has more things in common with countries that are considered Eastern. Greece definitely wasn't that "Western" in ancient times compared to the rest of the countries that are considered definitely Western today. Also, Europe has taken some stuff from Greece but most things it took are not Greek in culture, meaning they don't relate to us and we don't relate to them.

But from someone who's not from our general region and has little idea about our culture, there needs to be a big explanation, so all I have to say is:

Disclaimer 1: Let's appoint the US, the UK, and Germany as some examples of "definitely western" countries, as a guide. They are surely considered Western due to their geography and history.

Disclaimer 2: I'll speak in very broad terms about nationalities. In no way this is an attack on individuals who live in these countries. The statements are meant to be political and capture generic national sentiments. For example, the sentence "historically the Greeks don't like the Turks" doesn't mean that Greeks and Turks haven't lived (and continue) to live in peace under certain circumstances.

Everything exists within proper context and even I am using "Western" in a specific context. What is called "Western" today is a standard created by the European countries of Western Europe. And it doesn't make sense cause there are no clear limits between cultures. It's all a gradient, as I said in the past.

I also don't like how by "Western" we imply "progressive and technologically advanced". I haven't seen people fight about whether Albania is Western, although it's more Western than Greece geographically.

In fact, many a time I've seen maps like the one below isolate Greece and put it in the Western category but so many nations right above and west of Greece are not Western?? Notice how they show "West" = "pre-colonial/colonial nations/global empires (what I refer to as "the West" in my posts) + Greece" 😂 (Usually Turkey is also excluded, so I won't comment too much on that right now.) I mean... isn't this whole presentation... weird?? It's not even based on who is a NATO ally and who's not.

Greece is one of the most eastern European countries. Greeks existed in Minor Asia for thousands of years (Asian Greeks baby!) and we literally are right next to where Asia begins. Our capital for almost a thousand years was Constantinople which is in modern Turkiye, and Greeks still make pilgrimage there.

Our differences with the countries posing as the of the West are far greater than they want you to believe. The reason is that the western European powerful nations still want to claim the ancient Greek stuff as the basis of their national identity, and to do so they have to lump us in with their own kind. Only very recently they got "gracious" enough to do that. For most of history they claimed all things ancient Greek for themselves buuut they saw Greeks as "fallen from glory" and "mixed" and "these can't be the descendants of the ancients we admire!" (They had idealised our ancestors a looot in their minds, and by their own NW European standards) That's why maps such as the above exist.

The cultural divide in ancient times was much larger. We were kissing with tongue with Persians, Palestinians, Phoenicians and Lower Egyptians. The battle with Persians wasn't - as today west Europeans and the US want to frame it as a battle between East and West. The Persians were our freaking neighbours! 😂 Our cultures were - and still are - very similar. (Food, music, expression/openness, social politeness, phrasing)

Then came the old Rome, then came the Renaissance, and in these periods Western Europe got a bit more influenced by Greek aesthetics, for sure. But as I said the divide was greater when speaking about ancient times. Okay, our neighbors on the Italian and Iberian peninsula would be more like us, but the Germanic, Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Norse, and Danish tribes were quite unrelated to the Greeks culturally. Even half of Italy (the Northern part) today don't see us as neighbors, because they are closer to other nations by land. (verified this with some friends abroad)

To go back to why I usually exclude Greece from "Western": "Western" is a standard term that former (and modern) colonial powers have created and choose to identify themselves and others with (if they deem them "worthy enough").

As I said, the term can be synonymous with power and progress, but it ignores powerful countries such as India, China, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Iran which have greater industries and more power than Greece. (This is a 2017 map but it still holds, I feel😂) Notice that Greece is not even at the bottom.

Greeks also often feel we don't fit the Western mold. Usually, however, they use the term "European" to substitute the "Western" term but in our minds it's the same thing. Additionally, most Greeks growing up - especially with the rise of communication with other Balkanians through the internet - realise that we have most things in common with our geographical neighbours. The video below is an example of that.

youtube

So, why don't we feel that European/Western?

As I mentioned in the beginning, Europe is not Greek in culture. Few of the things West Europe took from us were partly influenced by the cultural climate at the time (like philosophy and the three-act structure of theater). What about the rest? What do trigonometry and astronomy and people voting have to do with one's culture? I mean are people supposed to understand my culture through functions and equations, or the 5th century BCE aesthetics of the human body?

(And to answer your question, no. They have no idea how our names, words, culture food, and music have been. They often confuse clearly Latin words with Greek words, and that's the pinnacle of their interaction with our culture😂)

We have more in common with Turks, Persians and Lebanese than we have with Germans and Swedes. Because Middle Easterners and Northeast Africans have been our neighbors for millennia. To further demonstrate the point, Greeks in Northwestern Europe feel more comfortable with Arabs, Turks, Persians and Indians than with anyone else. And they don't vibe with the Northwestern locals that much because the Greek culture is not close to theirs. (That's a generalization of course but you can't imagine how many Greeks I've heard stating that)

I don't find it unreasonable for someone to lump Greece with the Western countries because that's where our allies are at the moment. As a nation, we look to Western nations for infrastructure (Although it doesn't work too well for us sometimes because the compatibility isn't there. Like the EU gives us money to plant certain trees that are not good for our climate and how often shit catches fire here). And, of course, sometimes Greece happens to be… geographically western than many countries. So in this case "western" also applies.

At the same time, someone should bear in mind that Greece has existed under the pressure-ehhh influence of Western European nations for a long time. After the fifteenth century, they've been stealing our artifacts, fetishizing our struggles, not listening to our people in Greek cultural characteristics (such as the language), noting our "unattractive" looks (and skin sometimes) etc. I mean, they still do all of this stuff sooo… how are we supposed to feel comfortable in the same group as them?

Add the Turkish occupation from 500-600 years so there's additional Islamic and Middle Eastern influence, and cultural exchange from Greeks and towards Greeks in the Ottoman Empire.

There's also the matter of religion and East Europe is religiously and - to a large degree - culturally Orthodox. This plays a larger part in the cultural divide between West and East Europe. In fact, religion played a big part, a thousand years ago, in the schism between west and east Europe.

This difference in cultures, and the dismissive attitude of the West towards Greeks and other East Europeans, shows from Charlemagne's time. A thousand years ago and more, West Europeans were calling Greeks (and generally Eastern Romans/ Byzantines) barbarians and degenerates. Greece has been orientalised a lot in Western art over the past few centuries.

The first colonial "stock company" in History was in the Byzantine/Hellenic island of Chios in the 14th century, established by Genoese occupiers! The island was managed by a monopoly share-charter "Company", Maona. The Company held the monopoly of the world's unique Chiot mastic, as well as control of the import and export trade, while many locals became slave-workers. The "Latins" (Genoese) took hundreds of buildings and homes for themselves. Later the Maona company expanded in Cyprus.

It had come to a point where Greeks and Byzantines in general preferred to be conquered by the Turks rather than the Latins (Francs, Venetians, Genoese). You can find the full history of this conflict in this article.

One should also bear in mind Greeks have been through slavery on a national level (called "chattel" too), and faced oppression, assimilation, and genocide. What I mean is: If someone is representative of the Western Powers…. that's not us 😂 We only play pretend. We are not the ones making the rules or decisions. For example, our PM asked the state of Israel (with which we are supposedly allies under Western contracts) to not harm the Greeks in Gaza, then the Greek Orthodox temple was bombed and our Western allies didn't give a shit.

Greece smiles and nods along so it can sit at the table with the Big Boys. It's not a Big Boy and I doubt it'll ever be for a long time. It can't turn towards the East (because Turkey, the old political and religious enemy) so it turns towards the West. And it has become an obedient puppy of the US and Germany. And if we refuse to play pretend, there's always some type of punishment. I won't absolve our country from all political responsibility. I'm just saying that we usually lack the power for things to go our way.

The reason for our nation's existence is the Western colonial powers (in Greece we call them the Big Powers) wanting to destabilise the Ottoman empire. They didn't give a shit about the Greek state existing. I mean sure they appreciated having one more pawn in the area, but they mainly wanted the Ottoman power to dwindle. The Big Powers gave and took land from us as they saw fit, for their own interests. (They did the same with other nations, too, of course). Our country's debt to the Big Powers started before our nation formed when they sold us half-ruined ships for a very high price.

(Although our debt became significantly worse after 2009, when our people gave money to stabilise their banks.)

So I ask again, how is a Greek - politically and socially - to feel comfortable in the Western group? Especially when we have actual neighbors in the Balkans and the Middle East who are almost like us culture-wise? And, don't East nations have Mathematics and Philosophy and Democracy (most at least) and Theatre and Astrophysics? In the study of things coming from Greece they have nothing to envy from the West. They were studying this stuff waaaay earlier, too!

So the argument of "who has taken the most from Greece" is purely political because if we actually measured, our neighbors are the ones who have the most similarities to us. (Yes, the political and social corruption rates too, as I've been told 😂)

Not to mention there can be found colonial/imperial attitudes from Western European nations which Greece cannot identify with. Except for the obvious neo-colonialism and the pressure to have more military bases on our grounds, there are more.

Some of these attitudes are; refusing to communicate in English, refusing to use subtitles and insisting on watching everything dubbed, straight up altering the names of foreign colleagues to appeal to them more, nitpicking on shades of white and what shade of white is "bad", having the impression that the world is as safe and comfortable as their own country, only getting you out of second class in their minds when you start speaking their language fluently exhibiting one of the highest forms of assimilation, treating East European cultures like an exhibition or a theme park.

Don't be mistaken, the use of language is a power play. Greece also has colorism, but the NW nations take it to another level, trust. It would kill them to admit they might have the same skin tone as someone from China, whereas the Greeks (although not void of racism) wouldn't think to compare the skin tones as different. And they don't categorize slightly darker peoples compared to theirs as another "race" entirely.

I know I rumbled again but there are many things to consider when it comes to Greece's position on the map that's not limited to geography. I also want to put many disclaimers and explanations around because someone away from our area is missing context, and they might misinterpret our notions through their own lens. Hopefully, my answer covered the main points and gave a better picture of our identification.

#answered #the west #idk what other tags to use here :p #greek history #greece #maps #identification #colonialism #chios #latins

35 notes · View notes

totowlff · 2 years

Text

king pleasure

➝ request: can we dare asking for a jealous Toto?

➝ word count: 4,9k

➝ warnings: smut (teasing, choking, unprotected sex), fuckboy toto at finest

➝ author’s note: first of all, i apologize for delaying the posting of this one-shot. in addition to getting a little carried away, as you can see from the size of the text, i took a work trip on monday and ended up getting sick in the meantime. again, i apologize. i take this opportunity to thank my beta readers who helped (directly or indirectly) to develop this one shot. gi, babi, ally, milla, raya and bella, you are angels.

The air in the room was boiling.

The soft beat of a song lulled the conversations around you.

The voices overlapped each other.

In your hand, the glass of gin and tonic was half empty, the mint leaves floating above the bubbles rising through the liquid.

Standing, you curiously observed a picture hanging on the wall. It was completely painted in a very bright yellow. The black-painted letters dominated the center of the canvas, their prominence amplified by the rough brown underlining that ran the length of the two words. Above them, the crown added strength to the first word written by the artist in the composition.

— King Pleasure, 1987 — a familiar voice spoke at your side. Turning to face, you found your host standing to your right, his brown eyes fixed on the frame. Dressed from head to toe in black, he might even have gone unnoticed if he weren't Sir Lewis Hamilton.

However, if for the others present in that Monaco penthouse he was the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, for you he was just Lewis, the boy you had shared tracks and podiums with when you were just teenagers racing in Formula Renault.

The boy with whom you had shared dreams of reaching Formula 1.

However, your paths took very different directions after that last race at Donington Park, back in 2002. Lewis continued to climb his mountain in the single-seater competitions, benefiting from a stellar contract with McLaren, which guaranteed him the chance to drive a car of the highest category in motorsport.

You, on the other hand, kept running in the UK, fighting for a chance in the biggest categories, year after year, until an unexpected invitation changed the course of your career. The opportunity to drive in a touring car class in Germany fell into your lap as a pleasant surprise and, passionate as you were, you jumped at the chance.

In your third year, you became champion. In addition to being the proof you needed to believe that there was life beyond Formula 1, the achievement brought the attention of sponsors, especially a German automaker. At a glamorous event, you were announced as the new Mercedes-AMG brand ambassador. However, you remembered that night in another way.

— I knew you liked Basquiat, but not that you managed to buy an original work.

Lewis put his hands behind his back.

— It was a long negotiation. But you know how it is, I know how to be convincing.

You turned to the driver.

— I know — you smiled — Well, me and Ron Dennis.

Your friend laughed, lifting his left hand and placing it on your shoulder. The story of how Lewis, at just ten years old, approached the McLaren team principal and said categorically that he was going to drive one of his cars was a situation that you often recall to point out how convincing he could be when he wanted something. And not just in the professional field.

Apartments.

Cars.

Yachts.

Designer clothes.

Women.

Lewis always got what he wanted.

Looking back at the painting, you raised your glass to your lips, taking a sip of the drink, the bitter aftertaste of tonic water dancing on your tongue.

— Why? — you asked after a few seconds of silence.

— What do you mean? — he asked you as his hand returned to the spot behind his back.

— Why did you choose this painting? I'm sure there were more interesting works, right?

Lewis looked back at Basquiat's painting, analyzing the brushstrokes carefully.

— I first saw it at an exhibition about him in Chelsea, New York — the driver said, without taking his eyes off the canvas — It's inspired by a jazz vocalist named King Pleasure. He had a song called "Moody's Mood for Love" that was a favorite of Jean-Michel Basquiat's father.

— Interesting — you stammered, eyes fixed on Lewis.

— This painting, in a way, is his tribute to his father. And I felt a connection with this piece precisely because of that, because of its meaning — Lewis followed his explanation, completely immersed in the yellow sea painted by the North American artist.

However, you didn't dive with him.

Before jumping into the waves of Basquiat, you found a pair of brown eyes staring at you intently from a corner of the large living room, paying no attention to the men chuckling around him, drinking beer straight from the bottles. His face was a serious mask, impenetrable, impassive.

Toto.

The first time you both saw each other was by chance, in 2016, at the HTP Motorsport headquarters in Altendiez, near Frankfurt. Rushing out of the simulator, you were looking back, saying something to your engineer when you just bumped into him in the middle of the hallway, knocking everything you were holding, the sound of your helmet's carbon fiber hitting the floor filling the room. .

— My God, I'm sorry — you bent down, trying to pick things up as quickly as possible, your fingers trying to grab the paper sheets with graphics printed on them in a clumsy way.

— No problem, it was my fault — he replied, helping you gather your belongings scattered around the hallway. With the papers and gloves under your arm, you rose from the ground, taking your helmet and balaclava from the hands of the man in front of you. Looking up to look at his face, a smile of recognition appeared on his lips.

As a good Formula 1 and your friend’s fan, you followed the news and even some races. So recognizing the tall, dark-haired man with glasses balanced carefully on his nose wasn't difficult at all. Difficult was to disguise your embarrassment at having stumbled upon him from all the people.

— Thanks — you muttered under your breath, clutching your things to your chest — I’m Y/N Y/L/N.

— Wolff, Toto Wolff. But something tells me you already know that — his lips curved into a smile.

A tap on your back made you look away from Toto.

— See the crown? — Lewis asked you, pointing to the simple drawing done with black strokes and painted with the same brown paint that underlined the two words in the center of the frame.

— Yes, I see — you replied, taking another sip of your gin and tonic, the ice against your lips making you more alert.

— Basquiat liked to use crowns as a way of symbolizing kings and queens in modern society, moving away from that traditional concept of their use by historical monarchies. It's a symbol of power and wealth within the celebrity culture of the time — Lewis continued, gesturing with tattooed fingers toward the canvas.

You tried to follow the driver’s reasoning, forcing your eyes to remain focused on his expression as he went on with his long monologue about the intentions and meanings that Basquiat wanted to convey with that piece. However, something drew your gaze to the same spot as before.

For the same person.

The second time you saw Toto was during a Mercedes-AMG event at STATION Berlin, in early 2018. Presented as the brand's newest ambassador alongside Lewis and Valtteri, you should be overjoyed. However, the entire night had proved to be one giant disappointment for you.

Sipping champagne in front of a window in a corner of the room, your mind repeated the reporters' questions, a grimace of disgust forming on your face.

What is the brand of your dress?

Do you find it more difficult to drive on the tracks or on the streets?

What is the main challenge when dealing with helmet hair?

What is it like to deal with a team at PMS?

Do men feel intimidated when you say you're a professional driver?

The last question made something burn inside you. Squeezing the cup in your hand, you didn't hesitate to drop it in one go. The alcohol burned down your throat and made your eyes fill with tears. “Definitely not a good idea”, you thought.

— Is your night being pleasant? — a voice asked from behind you.

Turning slowly around, you found Toto with his hands in the pockets of his black dress pants, an inquisitive eyebrow raised.

— Definitely not — you replied, in an impolite tone.

— May I know what might have upset the newest Mercedes-AMG brand ambassador? — he asked, approaching slowly.

— Those damn reporters — you spat, turning back to the window, your eyes distracted by the movement in the street.

— What did they do? — Toto asked, his voice serious.

— I prepared myself all week to answer questions about Mercedes, about the history of the brand, about what it’s like to race in a category like the DTM, what it was like to compete with Lewis when we were younger and — you started stuttering, frustration taking over you completely. How you hated it when that happened — And they only know how to ask completely stupid questions!

— Like what? — he asked, stopping beside you in front of the window.

— The fucking brand of my dress.

— And what's the brand? — Toto smiled.

— I don't know, I don't give a damn about these things.

— What else did they ask? That can't be the only thing that pissed you off.

— They also asked if it's harder to drive on the street or on the damn track. If my fucking PMS gets in the way of my relationship with the team. But it wasn't the worst, unfortunately it wasn't the worst question I got that night.

— And what was it?

— If men are intimidated when I say I'm a fucking professional driver — you looked into your empty glass, the drops of champagne that remained in it glistening in the light from the window.

— And they are?

You looked up at Toto.

— I don't know — you snapped — You tell me.

— Tell what?

— Are you intimidated by me?

— No — he replied, bringing his face closer to yours — Actually, I'm attracted to you.

Suddenly, Lewis' face came back into view.

— Do you know which styles inspired Basquiat the most? — he asked you, smiling.

You blinked once, twice, before returning the smile to the driver.

— Graffiti? — you said, without any certainty or notion of where the conversation was at.

— That's obvious, Y/N — Lewis laughed — I'm talking about the other influences.

— Well, I don't know.

— Aside from graffiti, he drew a lot from the very culture he grew up in, mixing Puerto Rican, Haitian and New York influences as well as the music he listened to, especially jazz and hip hop, as well as the poetry he read. He even took references from medical books, you know?

You nodded, trying to convey as little as possible the fact that you were completely lost in that dialogue, or rather, the monologue he was delivering about his great treasure. In an effort to look interested, you brought your gin and tonic to your lips again. However, you only found ice and a single mint leaf stuck to the bottom of the glass.

— Did the conversation make you so thirsty? — Lewis said in a playful tone.

— Hearing that much information requires a lot of liquid — you returned, smiling.

— Want to get another one?

— Yes — you replied.

You turned toward the bar, feeling Lewis' hand land at the base of your spine, causing a memory to hit you hard.

A touch on the same point, also by a male hand.

But in a very different context.

Turning your face back, you found a pair of brown eyes watching you, an eyebrow of disbelief raised framing one of them. The same eyes that stared at you as you moaned with pleasure in a hotel room just over a year ago.

Definitely having sex with a man before at least three dates was out of the question for you. However, it was only Toto telling you that he was attracted to you that night that the wheels turned in your head and a mischievous smile appeared on your face.

— Attracted? — you answered, looking away from the window, in his direction.

— More than I could — he answered you, in a whisper.

— Do you think this is wrong, Mr. Wolff? — you said, emphasizing the honorific.

— It depends on the viewpoint.

— And what's yours?

Toto smiled.

— Is the most wrong thing I've ever felt in my life.

You approached him, lifting your face to look at him. Alcohol had definitely made you braver than you would ever be in any other context, with any other man.

— And why don't you walk away?

— How can I get away from you, babydoll? — he muttered, the nickname making your skin tingle.

— Taking a step back.

— I don't want to take a step back.

— And what do you want, Mr. Wolff?

Toto hesitated for a few seconds, his gaze drifting between your eyes and your lips.

— You.

One night of passion turned into two.

Three.

Five.

Ten.

And the more time you spent together, the more you wanted him.

Toto was a drug and you were completely addicted.

— A gin and tonic for Y/N and a whiskey for me — Lewis asked the bartender, taking the glass from his hand and handing it to the man on the other side of the bar. Immediately, he began to prepare drinks, while the pilot rested one arm on the surface.

— Looking from here, the painting looks even more beautiful, doesn't it? — he asked you, pointing towards the yellow square on the wall opposite the one you were on.

— Very beautiful indeed — you muttered, trying hard not to stray to the corner you'd been watching from the moment you'd stepped foot in the apartment — But I thought it had a different meaning.

Lewis looked at you, one eyebrow raised as the bartender slid a low glass of amber liquid toward him. Picking up the drink, he took a quick sip, running his tongue over his lips.

— What did you think it was?

— A subliminal message.

— Subliminal message? — he asked, his eyes closing slightly as he smiled.

— Yes. A clue for the girls who visit your bedroom.

Lewis laughed, throwing his head back.

— I don't think they have time to look at the canvases when they're with me.

— Of course, King Pleasure — you muttered, picking up your glass of gin and tonic and taking a sip.

The driver rolled his eyes, then broke into a wide smile.

— Speaking of pleasure, how's that situation with that guy?

You felt your stomach suddenly get heavy. You had spoken to Lewis about the situation with Toto, without ever mentioning his name. Upon learning that you had found someone interesting, your friend was excited. However, he quickly realized that something was wrong when you started to digress every time he was mentioned. Like he was a secret you wanted to keep for yourself.

Until, one day, you couldn't take it.

Lying on the couch at his London house, bursting into tears, you told Lewis about the fight you and Toto had had hours before. After an exhausting weekend, you were excited to spend some time away from work with him. However, your idea of quiet days was dashed when you spent your first hours in town alone inside his downtown penthouse, while he had dinner with Malaysian investors.

When Toto returned later that night, the two of you argued badly. Between screams and harsh words, one sentence made your heart sink in your chest. “We're nothing but a casual fuck”, you heard him repeat in your mind, your heart squeezing in your chest.

— We're the same way, Lewis. No messages, no calls. Nothing.

— Fucking asshole — he muttered.

— I should have known it would be casual — you said, lowering your head to your drink — I had too much hope.

You felt Lewis' arm wrap around your shoulders in an attempt to comfort you.

— If you want my opinion, you deserve someone better. Someone who really cares about you. That you don't feel indifference when you walk into a place or when you talk to another guy, but a hint of jealousy. Because he really wants you.

Jealousy.

Suddenly, you looked up, your gaze searching for the brown eyes that had been with you since the moment you stepped into the apartment. But the group of engineers and executives huddled in a corner of the room was one person short. “Where is he?” you asked yourself, pursing your lips as you scanned the room for Toto.

— Are you okay, Y/N?

— Yeah, I just — you stuttered — I think I saw someone waving at me. I'll see what it is, all right?

Lewis only smiled.

— No problem, Y/N. Feel free.

Abandoning your glass on the bar counter, you began to push your way through the people huddled in the room, muttering “excuse me” and “sorry” with every step. Your eyes kept searching for Toto amidst the confusion of bodies, without any success.

When you reached the group huddled in the corner of the room, you forced a smile.

— Good night, boys — you said, in a relaxed tone that even you found strange.

— Good evening, Y/N — one of them, whom you recognized as James Vowles, greeted you with a smile — How are you?

— All right — you replied — I saw that Toto was with you before, do you know where he is?

The men in the circle looked at each other. There was definitely something wrong with him.

— He said he was going to the bathroom — Vowles replied, his voice strained.

— Oh yes...

— I wouldn't go after you if I were you — another man, light-eyed and thick-bearded, mumbled before taking a sip of his beer.

— Ripke — James scolded him.

— Why? — you questioned him, raising an eyebrow.

— His mood isn't the best today — Ripke replied, getting an elbow in the arm of the man who was next to him — I think he saw something he didn't like.

Something he didn't like.

An image came to your mind. Lewis's arm wrapped around your shoulders, in a gesture of complicity, of support. Something completely innocent. “It can't be that,” you thought, trying to keep the expression calm on your face.

— Well, I'll look for him — you said — Thanks, guys.

Walking among the people, a lump was forming in your throat, anxiety making your stomach churn with every step you took inside Lewis's penthouse. In your shoulders, tension was building.

Asking for passage with a shy smile, you reached the long hallway that led to the other rooms of the apartment. Having come other times, you knew exactly which of those doors Toto might be behind. Going a few meters, you stopped in front of one of them, slamming your fist into the white wood.

— Toto? Are you there? — you asked in a low voice.

From inside the bathroom, you heard a grunt in German, followed by footsteps and the sound of a key turning.

Then the door opened.

— Good night, Y/N — he greeted you, looking at you with a serious expression - What are you doing here?

— You first. What are you doing here?

He raised an eyebrow.

— Well, as you can see, I was in the bathroom.

— Mumbling to yourself?

Toto pressed his lips together.

— Were you listening behind the door?

— You did not answer my question.

He sighed.

— Yeah, I was in the bathroom mumbling to myself, Y/N.

— Why?

— I needed a moment to myself, that's all.

— Ripke said you weren't in a good mood tonight.

A sneer appeared on his face.

— Don't care what Paul says.

— Are you sure?

— Yes, Y/N. He likes to disturb me.

— He said you saw something you didn't like — you muttered.

The smile disappeared from his face.

— It was Lewis, wasn't it? — you whispered, approaching him.

— Lewis is my driver, I always like to see him — Toto tried to deflect.

— But not with me.

He swallowed hard.

— Y/N…

— Do you think I didn't notice the way you were looking at me while I was talking to my friend? — you asked, putting emphasis on the last word.

— Which way?

— Filled with jealousy.

You expected him to hit you back with some ironic remark or even a serious line. However, Toto continued to stare at you, jaw clenched. You took another step forward, lifting your face to look him straight in the eye.

— Are you jealous, Toto? — you asked seriously.

— Yes, Y/N. I am jealous.

The answer had you tilting your face to the side, holding back a disbelieving laugh.

— I thought I was just a casual fuck for you, Toto.

— I thought so too, Y/N — he mumbled — But I was wrong.

You blinked in disbelief.

— Wrong?

— When I saw you with Lewis, I felt like something had been taken from me. Something that was mine.

The last word made you swallow hard.

— I was never yours, Toto — you countered seriously.

— Funny, I remember you clearly saying you were mine — he replied with a smug smile on his lips.

— When?

He approached you.

— The last time we fucked — he said in a low voice — You were riding on top of me, my hands on your gorgeous tits. You looked so beautiful with my cock inside you, your cheeks flushed, your eyes rolling…

The raw description made you feel a familiar sensation in your belly.

— Funny, I don't remember that.

— I asked you who made you feel that way and you moaned my name so beautifully I almost came right away. However, you kept whispering, while moving your hips. Saying that I was the best, that you wanted to stay there forever — Toto took another step, his face inches from yours — That you were mine.

— You lost any rights you might have had on me the moment you reduced what we had to casual fucking.

— I know, Y/N.

— Then why do you insist?

— Because I regret saying that.

— So prove me.

— Come here — Toto replied, pulling you towards him, capturing your lips in a not-so-gentle kiss. Squeezing your hips with his hands, Toto pressed his body against yours, as if all the closeness in the world wasn't enough. Your hands moved up his arms, past his muscular shoulders under his white shirt, to the back of his neck, scratching the skin with your nails.

Immersed in that sea of sensations, you didn't even notice that Toto was leading you back into the bathroom, groping blindly for the handle to close the door. Alone inside the cubicle, he wrapped his hands around your waist and, on impulse, sat you on top of the white marble sink. His hands caressed your legs exposed through the generous slits of your dress, while you played with the dark strands of Toto's hair using your fingertips.

— You're mine — he growled, between kisses on the exposed skin of her neck — Only mine.

Any defenses you had mounted against him had fallen.

On your lips, a single answer.

— I'm yours — you whispered in response.

The sensual touch gave way to a more desperate exploration. Toto's hands were everywhere, as if he didn't want to leave any part of your body untouched by him. With your chest pressed against his, you felt completely intoxicated by all those sensations. The heat of his arms encircling you, his lips on your neck, the strong musky scent he was wearing.

Lifting your dress to your waist, he pulled you to the edge of the sink, spreading your legs even wider. Then, stepping between them, he began to unbutton his own pants, revealing his underwear marked by the contour of his erection. But instead of undressing, he looked up at you.

— Do you want to do this? — Toto whispered to you, his nose brushing yours.

— Yes — you replied, sliding your hand down his torso until you reached his underwear. With a firm downward pull, you released his cock, completely hard. The sight had you biting your bottom lip hard, feeling anticipation building in your core. You needed it the same way you needed air to breathe.

— Then be quiet for me, babydoll.

You nodded, opening your legs even wider. The cold air on your damp panties sent a shiver across your skin, accompanied by a rush of adrenaline. Placing one of his hands on your thigh to keep it in place, he pulled the lace aside, positioning himself at your entrance and looking up at you, a smug smile on his lips. Then he entered you all at once, making you choke back a cry at the sudden sensation of him inside you, pain and pleasure mixed together.

— Hush — he said through gritted teeth — You don't want anyone to hear you, do you?

— Toto — you moaned softly, digging your nails into the white shirt he wore.

— Do you want all those people to know how naughty you are, babydoll? — he asked again, slowly moving his hips against yours, almost as if he wanted to torture you with the pleasurable sensation that only he was capable of providing you.

You couldn't form any coherent sentences. Only low mewls and moans escaped your lips, your effort to remain silent as Toto had asked you to become increasingly defiant.

— You don't want Lewis to know that you left him behind because you wanted to feel this cock inside you, do you? — he whispered, taking one more slow thrust, pulling another choked groan from your throat.

You didn't have the courage to open your mouth to answer him. You knew you couldn't. Your body was ready to betray you and release a guttural scream of pleasure. However, the thought of all the people who were scattered around the house hearing what you were doing inside that bathroom with Toto made you just nod your head.

This was not what he wanted.

Grabbing your chin with one hand, Toto made you look at him, his brown eyes darker than ever.

— I want to hear your answer, Y/N — he said in a low tone.

— No — you whispered, your voice shaky, as if you were afraid of what might come out of your lips.

He smiled, releasing her face and leaning his forehead against hers.

— Good girl — he replied, putting his hands back on your legs to keep them in place. Then, without warning, he accelerated the movement of his hips against your pussy in a fast, relentless and irresistible rhythm. Resisting the urge to scream his name at the top of your lungs, you pulled him by the back of his neck towards your lips in a deep kiss, lulled by the wet sound that filled the room.

— Who makes you feel so good? — he asked, his lips brushing yours.

You wanted to scream his name at the top of your lungs. No one else knew how to make you feel that way. No man you'd slept with in your life was capable of what he did. But a part of you wanted to tease him. And you couldn't resist the temptation to poke at his ego.

— I don't know — you returned.

Toto blinked, slowing the pace he was moving in and out of you.

— What?

— I'd need to test it out with another guy before giving a verdict, perhaps Lewis — you said with a mischievous grin on your face.

— You want to test it out with Lewis, do you? — he asked, completely pulling out of you. The feeling of emptiness had you moving your hips over the cool marble, uncomfortable. However, soon you felt his tip against your folds, teasing you.

— Yes.

— I doubt you can do that — Toto said, pressing his cock against your clit, causing you to bite your bottom lip hard.

— Why? — you muttered, feeling your legs tremble with the stimulation he made against your most sensitive spot.

— Because I'm going to fuck you so hard, you'll be regretting even thinking about it.

You just smiled.

— Then make me regret it, Wolff.

Again he entered you without warning, a gasp escaping your throat. The sound made Toto's hand fly to your neck, squeezing your skin lightly. His eyes were locked on yours, concentration causing a bead of sweat to trickle down his temple.

— Silence, doll.

Using your neck for support, he moved roughly inside you again, his cock touching your sweetest spot with each thrust. Parting your lips in a silent scream, you felt the pressure in your abdomen build like a bubble. And it was only a matter of time before it exploded.

— Toto — you whispered, digging your nails into the fabric of the white shirt he wore — I'll…

— Cum for me, babydoll — he replied, releasing your neck and bringing his hand to your clit, massaging it in the same rhythm of his thrusts.

Those words were the key to your orgasm come like a tsunami, waves of pleasure going from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Biting down hard on your lower lip, you managed to turn what would have been a scream of pleasure into a muffled moan, almost a sob.

With your mind completely clouded, you didn't even notice that Toto continued to move inside you, feeling your walls contract around his cock. It was all it took for him to reach his own orgasm and release himself inside you, the sensation of the hot, thick cum passing almost unnoticed through your body, which was still numb with pleasure.

For a few minutes, what could be heard inside the cubicle was the heavy breathing of the two of you. Until Toto looked up at you, bringing his fingers to your face and brushing a strand of hair clinging to the sweat of your forehead.

— Did I convince you?

You raised an eyebrow, confused.

— Of what?

— That you're mine — he leaned his forehead against yours — And that I'm yours.

The last sentence made you smile. Bringing your hands up to Toto's face, your thumbs caressed his skin.

— Yes, you did.

#toto wolff #toto wolff x reader #toto wolff x you #f1 fic #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #formula 1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula 1 fic #formula 1 fanfic #wlffog #f1 one shot #formula 1 one shot #oneshotwlff

554 notes · View notes

oohlordhealthisbike · 1 year

Text

The Captain’s info dump

The Captain, what do we know about him and what conclusions can we draw? Here’s all the information I could find for now.

Before the war

Not a lot is known of cap before the war, but we do know he spent a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 15 years as a ranking official in order to have the title of Captain before june 1940. This is excluding time spent as cadet. | 1

During the war - Devision

In a Series 2 Episode 3 - ‘Redding Weddy’, we get a better look at Cap’s outside uniform. We can also see his hat in one of the scenes where he is burying the bomb in the garden. It’s hard to see but the emblem on his hat is the Royal Artillery Emblem. Here is an example of the hat up close:

1 | 2

Royal Artillery

Weymouth

In Series 2, Episode 6, Cap mentions he trained at Weymouth at some point. There is only one devision of cadets that trained in Weymouth, and that was the Royal Garrison Artillery, specifically: No 4 Officer Cadet School. | 1 |

The Royal Garrison Artillery merged with the Royal Field Artillery in 1924, forming The Royal Artillery. This explains how Cap could have been in Weymouth as part of the Royal Garrison Artillery and still have been part of The Royal Artillery after 1924. | 1 |

After 1924

There are dozens of devisions of the Royal Artillery after 1924, but I am hoping to narrow it down as much as possible. We know Captain has served in Germany, Belgium, France or the Netherlands AFTER 1944 (France & Germany star). We know he has likely spent time in North Africa, but did not get an Africa Star for this, so the service there was not long enough or non-service related. We know he was not in Italy at any point during the war, because he has no Italy Star, which narrows down the options considerably. Here are some that meet the above mentioned criteria.

Possible Regiments

7 Field Regiment RA

Was in England in June of 1940 with the invasion of France (lining up with the timeline of Redding Weddy) and was stationed in the UK, Belgium, France and Germany after 1944 | 1

33 Field Regiment RA

Was in England in June of 1940 with the invasion of France (lining up with the timeline of Redding Weddy). Have served in France and Germany after 1944

76th Field Regiment RA

Was in England in June of 1940 with the invasion of France (lining up with the timeline of Redding Weddy). Have served in France and Germany after 1944. | 1 | 2

59 (4th West Lancashire) Medium Regiment RA (TA)

Was in England in June of 1940 with the invasion of France (lining up with the timeline of Redding Weddy). Has served in France, UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany after 1944 | 1

1 Heavy Regiment RA

Was in England in June of 1940 with the invasion of France (lining up with the timeline of Redding Weddy). Has served in France (D-day), UK, Belgium and Germany. | 1

Royal Artillery also received the Defence medal, as seen in this document. It would make sense for Cap to have this medal.

Canon Information

There are a few key points in establishing a timeline from things Cap has mentioned and that we were shown during the show.

Surrender of France.

This happens during the episode and is the last time we see Cap alive on screen. France surrendered on on June 22nd 1940.

“Monty in the Desert in ‘42″.

This refers to Bernard Montgomery, a decorated war hero who was stationed in North-Africa in 1942, specifically Egypt. The battle Cap refers to is the Second Battle of El-Amamein, where the British army almost got defeated, but Monty ‘persisted’ and won the battle. This battle took place between October 1942 and November 1942. Captain has no Africa Star though, so we know that if he was actually there with Monty in the desert in ‘42, he was not on official duty, otherwise he would have had the star. | 1 | 2 | 3

Field Marshal Harold Alexander

Field Marshal Alexander was a commander who worked with Monty on operations in Egypt and Tunisia until May 1943, and was later stationed the Italy campaign from 1943 until ‘45. He was known to always have his soldiers’ best interests at heart, making him a hero to his troops. He wasn’t promoted to Field Marshal until November or December 1944, which means Cap had to have met him after this, otherwise he wouldn’t have used the ‘Field Marshal’ rank when addressing him. | 1 | 2

‘Breaking’ The Enigma Code

The Enigma Code was a cypher system invented in 1932 to cypher German secret messages. It was broken by Polish mathematicians around 1939. Breaking the code was was later done by none other than Alan Turing around 1940, who worked on breaking Germany’s improved Enigma Code until around 1943 in a secret operation. Knowlegde about the allied forces breaking of the code was not public until 1970, so Cap can’t have known about it unless he had at least some part in it. On another related note: Alan Turing was later outed as a gay man, Captain may have known him. | 1 | 2 | 3

‘Ah, Dorothy’

Dorothy is a character from the book ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, written in 1900. Around the late 1930′s and early 1940′s, the character of Dorothy quickly became a gay icon, along with her actress Judy Garland. The Phrase ‘A friend of Dorothy’s’ meant to say you were gay. Of course only gay men knew the significance of the phrase and the character. | 1

King’s speech

Cap repeatedly refers to the Queen’s christmas speech as the King’s speech, and still uses the phrase ‘For King and Country.’ that means he was not used to having a Queen. George VI died on the night of february 6th. Which means Captain has to have died before February 5th, 1952. | 1

The Frogmen

Cap mentions The Frogmen that would place Limpet Mines on boats to sink them. The Frogmen did perform these missions, especially during the battle of Normandy. On D-day the Frogmen sank German issued boats to rescue the units stranded on the Normandy beaches. The Royal Artillery was heavily involved in D-day, and looking at the placement of Royal Artillery Regiments it is very likely Captain has fought in France on D-day. This is also why he would be developing prototype Limpet Mines around the time of France’s surrended in June 1940. | 1 | 2 | 3

Cap’s Medals

1939-1945 star

Meaning he either served over 180 days in the army, or was killed or disabled in the line of duty. | 1 | 2

Defence Medal

Mostly rewarded to civilian military defence, aka the home guard. Was also rewarded to non-operational service in the Forces overseas or outside the country of residence. Established on 16th August 1945. Captain couldn’t have died before this date. 1 | 2

France & Germany star

Meaning he was in either Belgium, France, Germany or The Netherlands between June 6th, 1944 (D-Day) and the May 8th, 1945. | 1 | 2

War Medal

Awarded to all full time service personnel of the Armed Forces. | 1 | 2

Additional Info

Would have most likely studied at Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, the official school for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. | 1 |

Would have commanded around 120 - 200 men | 1 | 2 | 3

Knows basic level conversational German

The swagger stick he carries around was not common practise in WW2. It was in WW1, but as far as I know the practise of carrying around a swagger stick fell out of use before the war broke in 1939. | 1

Would have been born around 1895 - 1905

Was likely paid around 13 Shillings and 6 Pence a day, worth about 40 GBP today. | 1 | 2

Mentions The Mikado, an 1885 comic opera. It is implied he has seen it. It’s possible that Captain has seen the 1939 film version.

Mentions the ‘Major General’s Song’ from the 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. So it’s more likely he was just a fan of older Comical Opera when he was still alive. (special thanks to @centurionbestmbt for this fact!)

Mentions the song ‘It’s a long, long road to Tipperary’ by ‘The Regimental Band Of The Coldstream Guards’.

Mentions having and shooting a Bren gun in Weymouth. Has been in Weymouth at some point. There is a training base near Weymouth that was used in WW2. The town also has an Anti Aircraft defence fort. | 1

Mentions the song ‘My heart belongs to daddy’ by Cole Porter. Cole Porter was a Gay/Bisexual singer. (- thanks to user @manifold1408 on twt!)

I could make and add a complete timeline based on the information here if yall are interested, let me know!

That’s all I could find lads! Thanks for reading. If there is anything else you want to add here or if there’s anything wrong feel free to reach me on Twitter @Vexmybeloved_ , or send me a DM here on Tumblr!

#bbc ghosts #ben willbond #bbcshow #six idiots #bbc ghosts the captain #world war 2 #captainbbc #the captain ghosts #infodump

391 notes · View notes

thatscarletflycatcher · 4 months

Text

I have finished reading the first volume of the war memoirs of Charles de Gaulle (The Call: 1939-1942).

As I have said before, I was pleasantly surprised by how easily it reads, and how interesting a storyteller De Gaulle is (specially when compared to Churchill's memoirs of the same period).

I went in looking for a different perspective of people and events I was familiar with from English speaking side of documentaries and narratives, but fully assuming I was going to arrive to a "the truth is in the middle" conclusion. So far, I have not, and that is surprising.

De Gaulle is often painted as a guy who identified with and cared for France and its reputation and GloryTM above everything else, and was therefore constantly putting the petty claims of France over the pressing needs of the war with the axis. What he presents is a Britain, and then to an even greater extent, a USA that is putting their petty dislike of him personally, their preconceived notions about France, and the economical and political greed of their governments above the pressing needs of the war with the axis.

And when one turns to Churchill's accounts of the same events, he either confirms De Gaulle's information, or keeps silence on it; he does not offer an alternative interpretation of events. Which is something I very much did not expect at all.

Both Roosevelt and Churchill are playing this game where they cannot really publicly reject De Gaulle and the Free French because their very concept is romantic and widely supported/accepted by the common people both in France and in the US/UK... but they don't like that they have their own agenda and are inflexible about things like French sovereignty. Their blind hope that somehow the US will be able to press Vichy into rejoining the war can only be reasonably explained by their thinking that France surrendered because the French are easily impressionable cowards: the same way they were subjugated by Germany, they could be subjugated by the US/UK and their resources used at leisure by them. The reality that De Gaulle, as a French man who had been in the French Army his whole life, saw in Vichy, was one of tiredness, defeatism, AND antisemitism fueled nazi sympathies. They didn't sign the armistice because they were weak, they signed the armistice because they wanted to not fight or not fight the nazis. History proved De Gaulle right. Vichy was not persuaded to rejoin the allies.

This attempt to appease and persuade Vichy explains the recruitment sabotage: you give De Gaulle 5 minutes on the BBC to talk and rally the French, but on the other hand you undermine his authority and ability to recruit. You attempt to turn him into a romantic, quixotic figure, useful to you but not to French interests.

The documentaries tell you of all the French soldiers that were rescued at Dunkirk, but they don't tell you that the Free French were sometimes prevented from ever interacting with them, and sometimes, when allowed, British officers would then afterwards impress upon French soldiers that if they joined the Free French they would be betraying the authorities of their country and subjected to court martial if the enterprise failed; that most of them were sent back to France. They don't tell you of the times the UK allowed ships deporting degaullists from the French colonies to the metropoli to pass, and therefore weakening De Gaulle's chances of taking those colonies over -because they had an eye on taking at least part of those for the UK. Or how when they did try to take over, they stopped the Free French from recruiting between French forces, took the armament and resources left behind for themselves, and also took over native battallions and absorbed them into the British armed forces. Suddenly the "this cute, endearing figure who only managed to command about 70.000 men" narrative turns into "this man managed to recruit about 70.000 men despite being on exile, his country being half occupied half ruled by colaborationists that had put a price to his head, and his allies constantly sabotaging him. He also managed to take over several colonies, organize the scattered resistance on French soil, and put the Free French on every front of the war."

So. Hm. Yeah. I went in expecting to better understand the conflicts between Churchill and De Gaulle, FDR and De Gaulle as a matter of "both sides had reasonable and unreasonable reasons" and so far I think by the end I will come around to think De Gaulle was actually the less petty and most honest of the three. Stay tuned XD

#History #WWII #Charles De Gaulle

20 notes · View notes

girlactionfigure · 7 months

Text

Frank Meisler (above) died in March 2018 at the age of 92. An internationally renowned architect and sculptor he enriched the world with his buildings and his works of art. Yet had others had their way his life would have been savagely curtailed in his teens. Meisler never forgot how he escaped death, those who made the journey with him and those who made it possible. He left behind a remarkable legacy so that we might remember too.

Image Credit Wikimedia In August 1939 Frank Meisler was a frightened 13 year old boy. As a Jew he was no longer safe in his home town, the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk in Poland), a German enclave which had embraced Nazism. There had been anti-Jewish riots and the city’s Great Synagogue had been taken over and demolished. Desperate, his parents requested his evacuation from the city by the Kindertrasport (German, Children’s Transport) an organised rescue that took place just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Frank Meisler escaped to the UK. Seventy years later in 2009 he would return to his birthplace with his memorial dedicated to the children of the Kindertransport and those who had made their salvation possible.

Image credit Wikimedia The railway station at Danzig was the start of a train journey which would take Frank, along with 14 other Jewish children, from their home town to the heart of Nazi Germany, Berlin. From there they would journey through Germany and on to the Dutch port city of Rotterdam. Thence a boat to freedom in England where another train would take them to London’s Liverpool Street Station and their new life would begin. Meisler would create monuments for all four places, plus Hamburg (as you will see below).