Anthem of the United Kingdom

 

This week’s national anthem is Northern Ireland’s which because the country is part of the United Kingdom they use "God Save the King" as its national anthem, but at the Commonwealth Games, "Londonderry Air" (also known as "Danny Boy") is used as the Northern Irish team's victory anthem. 

When Northern Irish players compete alongside players from the Republic of Ireland as one team, they all sing "Ireland's Call". 

The anthem "God Save the King" has a history dating back to the 18th century, with the first published version of the lyrics and tune appearing in 1745, though the origins of both are somewhat obscure. 

The song was first publicly performed in London in 1745, and by the beginning of the 19th century, it had become known as the national anthem. 

The origin of both the words and music is unclear, with the anonymous song appearing in Gentleman's Magazine in 1745 and the tune appearing around the same time in an anthology called Thesaurus Musicus. 

Some possible composers and lyricists suggested including John Bull, Thomas Ravenscroft, Henry Purcell, and Henry Carey, but the authorship remains disputed. 

The song's first performance in 1745 coincided with the Jacobite rebellion, and it was sung in support of King George II. 

The melody of "God Save the King" has been used for national anthems in other countries, like the national anthem of Liechtenstein, "Oben am jungen Rhein". 

The lyrics were originally "God save great George our king," but were later changed to "God save our gracious king" to accommodate the names of later monarchs like William IV and Victoria. 

Since 2003, "God Save the King", considered an all-inclusive anthem for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as other countries within the Commonwealth, has been dropped from the Commonwealth Games. In 2006, English winners heard Elgar's “Pomp and Circumstance”, usually known as "Land of Hope and Glory", but after a poll conducted prior to the 2010 Games, "Jerusalem" was adopted as England's new Commonwealth Games anthem.

The words of the National Anthem are as follows:

God save our gracious King!

Long live our noble King!

God save the King!

Send him victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the King.

Thy choicest gifts in store

On him be pleased to pour,

Long may he reign.

May he defend our laws,

And ever give us cause,

To sing with heart and voice,

God save the King.

 

New Posts

 

Hi everyone, there was no post yesterday due to me going with Sue to her mammogram appointment after which I was in a terrible state, with my body moving uncontrollably. I ended up feeling exhausted and worn out

Anyway, here are this week’s links:

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/04/am-i-nerd.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-no-joking-hodgepodge.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/04/tuesdays-4.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/03/stuff-i-did-during-week.html

 

Cattle

 

This week is the first of hooved animals, I am starting with cattle.

Cattle are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus Bos. Mature female cattle are called cows, and mature male cattle are bulls.

There are over 1000 breeds of cattle that are recognised worldwide, some of which adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialised uses.

The natural lifespan of a cow is 15-20 years; however, the dairy industry rarely allows cows to live past age five.

Cows typically thrive on a diet primarily consisting of high-quality forage, such as fresh grass or good-quality hay. These fibrous plant materials provide essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In some cases, cows may also be fed grains, silage, or supplemental feeds for specific nutritional needs.

Cows are smart, social animals. They have a rich repertoire of communication that includes moos, grunts, bellows and even non-verbal signals such as tail position.

A cow is pregnant for around nine months (or 279 to 292 days). The gestation length varies depending on several factors, such as the breed of the cow and the sex of the calf. While cows are typically monotocous (giving birth to one calf), twinning can occur, with rates varying between 2-5%.  Twin birth is a result of multiple ovulations, being more common in dairy rather than in beef cattle. Calves could be monozygous or dizygous, with the same or of different sexes.

Cows are surprisingly good swimmers and can swim for several miles, if necessary, sometimes even as part of normal farming practices. 

Cows can doze lightly while standing, they need to lie down to achieve deep, REM sleep, they need only around 4 hours sleep at a time. 

They also have good night vision, but not as good as humans, and they are better adapted to low-light conditions than humans. They have a higher concentration of rod photoreceptor cells in their eyes, which are more sensitive to light than cone photoreceptor cells. 

Cows run when they are startled by something, like all animals and most humans. They may run when they are happy, like when dinnertime hits. Did you know that cows can jump, too? Just not over the moon like in fairytales.

Cows will often come when their name is called. They even differentiate between the voices of the person calling their name and sometimes they ignore you – just like a stubborn teenager trying to avoid a job they don't like. Don't be fooled – they hear just fine! Like many animals (and people) cows follow their nose.

Northern Ireland

 

So here we are at the start of another week, this week’s country is Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland that is variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares an open border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.

The official currency is the pound sterling, Bank of England notes are the only banknotes that are legal tender in England and Wales. Scottish, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and Manx banknotes are not legal tender in England and Wales. However, they are not illegal under English law and creditors and traders may accept them if they so choose.

Northern Ireland remains separate from the Republic of Ireland because after the Irish War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 partitioned the island, with the six northeastern counties (predominantly Protestant and Unionist) remaining part of the United Kingdom, while the rest became the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland). 

The main difference between Ireland and Northern Ireland is that Ireland is a sovereign, independent country, while Northern Ireland is a constituent country within the United Kingdom. 

Citizens of Northern Ireland can choose to be either British or Irish citizens. 

The population is 1.9 million, the capital is Belfast and the official language is English. Although since 2022 Irish has also be recognised as an official language.

Their only official flag is the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom.

Christianity is the largest religion, with Catholics and Protestants (including those from other Christian backgrounds) comprising the majority of the population. While the Catholic share of the population has overtaken the Protestant share, neither group constitutes a majority.

Belfast has a long history of riots between Catholics and Protestants. Beginning in 1835 there have been at least 15 major riots in Belfast, the most violent ones taking place in 1864, 1886 and 1921.

A series of riots known as "The Troubles," stemmed from deep-seated sectarian tensions between Catholics (nationalists) and Protestants (unionists) over Northern Ireland's status and treatment of the Catholic minority, erupting into violence from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

In the 21st century, Northern Ireland has seen a resurgence of violence and riots, particularly in 2021, stemming from issues like Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, with loyalist groups engaging in protests that escalated into civil unrest.

Northern Ireland is generally a very safe place to visit, with a low crime rate and a welcoming atmosphere, making it a safe destination for tourists.

 

 

Week 13 of 2025

 

I slept straight through the night again, waking with the alarm, it is cool and wet this morning.

I have bugga all motivation this morning. I am also aching all over.

It has been raining on and off all morning.

It stopped raining around 2pm and Tim decided to go and sit outside for a while it was around 4pm when he came back inside.

I didn’t exercise at all today.       

Steps: 2,068

I was woken at around 2.50am by Sam she was in a state, she had vomited and wasn’t able to sleep. I felt she was having a panic attack and was over tired. She was also on the phone with her mum. I held her and talked to her and calmed her down. At around 4.10 she fell asleep on Tim’s chair and around 4.30 I went back to bed for half an hour. She still wants to go to Tafe but us adults think she should have the day off.  

Sam slept till 11.45am and when she awoke, she was feeling fine and admitted I was right and all she needed was sleep. She was fine with missing Tafe.

It has rained on and off all day.

I received a parcel this morning and when I opened it, I found a green dress with 3/4 length sleeves from Miller’s. I do not remember ordering it and I don’t wear clothes with sleeves very often. When I checked I have no record of buying this dress but it’s my size.

Steps:6,584

I had another good night, wasn’t sure what to wear when I got up shorts or longer pants.

Looks like I am going to have to put some of the clothes in the dryer as they are still damp. Only had to toss four pairs of pants in the dryer.

Sue took me to get my new hearing aids, and they are great.

My body is moving a lot this afternoon and due to the humidity, I am drenched in sweat.

Steps:10,686     

I slept well, it is lovely this morning neither hot nor cold I like it when it’s like this.

By 10am it was hot and muggy again.

I had to ring the podiatrist and check when my appointment is, it’s tomorrow at 9am.

Sandy has paid me back all the money I lent her.

Steps:5,513

I slept straight through the night waking only when the alarm went off at 5am.

I was supposed to see podiatrist this morning but silly me forgot to tell Sue and was left without a ride so had to reschedule to the 1 April.

This afternoon I was suffering a lot of back pain and realised after I got comfortable in my recliner that I didn’t top up my drink, so I sent Sam a text and she came straight down and did it for me.

Steps: 6,253

I slept straight through the night again waking only when the alarm went off at 5am.

Tim has a long day ahead of him it will around midnight before he gets home.

It is a cool day for me I had to shut the front door for a little while.

I walked down and posted my letters.

At 19.35 or if that time confuses you 7.35pm last night I received a parcel delivery, I was surprised who delivers after dark. I was struggling to get out of my chair and thankfully the delivery man saw my struggle and opened the door and handed it to me.

I will leave the TV and Foxtel on when I go to bed and see if it stays on so Tim doesn’t struggle to figure out how to turn it on

Steps: 5,930

I slept straight through the night again waking only when the alarm went off at 5am.

Tim has a long day ahead of him it will around midnight before he gets home.

I woke to the sound of rain at 4.35 when I got up to pee, I decided I would have a sleep in so when the alarm went at 5am I turned it off and stayed in bed for what I thought would be half an hour but turned out to be only 10 minutes.

It has rained most of the day, Kathy rang just as Sam & Bailey arrived so she said she would ring back after lunch, but when she did, I was eating lunch, so I rang her back when I was finished. We chatted for around 15-minutes.

Tim was late home he didn’t arrived to around 7pm.

Steps:7,366

 

 

 

Bahrain's National Anthem

 

The national anthem of Bahrain is called Baḥraynunā.

It was originally composed as an instrumental in 1942, to be played at official events such as receptions, making Bahrain one of the first Arab countries to adopt a national anthem. The leaders of the police band made many modifications and additions to the music over the following years, most significantly in 1972, a year after the country’s independence from the United Kingdom, when it was extended by playing it twice.

In 1985, former leader of the police band Colonel Mohamed Sudgi Ayyash wrote lyrics for the anthem, which were used until 2002. It was in that year, with the emergence of the National Action Charter and a constitutional amendments referendum that declared the country's ruler Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah a king and the country a kingdom, the lyrics were changed by the Minister of the Royal Court. Bahraini composer and singer Ahmed Aljumairi was directed by the government to re-arrange the national anthem with an inclusion of a fanfare that was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra  in London. Mr. Ahmed Aljumairi sang the national anthem with the chorus in that recording that became the official anthem of the country. Band leader Major General Mubarak Najm Al-Najm made a military band version arrangement that is used by the police.

English lyrics:
Our Bahrain
Our King
A symbol of harmony
Its constitution is high in the place and the position
Its charter is the way of Shari’a, Arabism, and values
Long live the Kingdom of Bahrain!
Country of nobles,
Cradle of peace,
Its constitution is high in the place and the position
Its charter is the way of Shari’a, Arabism, and values
Long live the Kingdom of Bahrain!

 

                                     

New Posts

 

Well, here we are at Thursday and Thursday are an easy day for me when it comes to blogging just posting links to new posts over at Random Stuff and photo or video will be the norm for Thursdays for a while.

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/03/hodgepodge-before-i-forget.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/03/stuff-i-did-around-house.html

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/03/getting-to-know-me_21.html