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Larry the Cat has sent a message of congratulations to the England football team on behalf of Downing Street after they beat France 6 - 4 in the play off for third place in the World Cup... as nobody else has bothered: "Well done. Great game. I watched it with the coppers on duty tonight."

Larry the Cat has once again sent a message of support from Downing Street to the England football team, as they play against France tonight for the bronze medal in the 2026 World Cup. (England are already in the lead.)

While we regard France as friends and allies today, there have always been conflicts between our two nations... in fact there have been over 30 wars between England and France.

During WWII Winston Churchill and General de Gaulle had a mutual respect for each other. But they never became good friends, and had several disagreements.

Churchill passed away in January 1965. After a State funeral at St Paul's Cathedral, his coffin was transported along the Thames from Tower Pier to Festival Pier on the South Bank. It was then carried to Waterloo Station, from where it was then taken by train to Oxfordshire for a private burial at Bladon, close to his birthplace at Blenheim Palace.

Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret spent most of the war years in the heavily fortified Windsor Castle.

The Crown Jewels were also hidden at Windsor, buried in a secret chamber below the castle. The most precious gems were buried inside a biscuit tin.

WWII veteran Captain Tom captured the heart of the nation and inspired many when he set out to raise £1,000 for NHS charities during the pandemic by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in April 2020. On the day of his 100th birthday, Captain Tom’s campaign had raised £32.8 million!

Homemade Cornish Pasties, the miner's treasure.

The word pasty is derived from the medieval French word paste... a pie filled with salmon, venison or other meat, vegetables and cheese, baked without using a dish.

In the 13th Century pasties were a food for the wealthy. In the year 1208, King John granted a charter to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk to supply “100 herrings, baked in 24 pasties.”

It was in the 17th or 18th Century that pasties became associated with the tin miners of Cornwall. The Cornish pasties often contained a savoury filling at one end, and a sweet filling at the other. The pastry was simply to stop the fillings of the pasty being contaminated by the miners’ hands.

⁠15 JULY 2026 | The Prince of Wales, Patron of the FA has released a personal statement following England's semi final match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a statement released via Kensington Palace socials, he said :

The Ypres Memorial Milestone is a Grade II listed structure in Christ Church churchyard, Shooters Hill.

A milestone was erected in the 18th Century, to which a plate was added commemorating the First World War battles of Ypres, and indicating the distance to Ypres.

“Four years ago, our Empire stood alone against an overwhelming enemy, our backs to the wall...After years of toil & suffering, we must renew that crusading impulse on which we entered the war & met its darkest hour.” - King George VI on D-Day 6th June, 1944.

I may have mentioned before that I am not an avid follower of Soccer... but this evening I have invited a small number of friends, and neighbours to watch England play Argentina, in the Central Hall of my Kent home.

The medals of Rt. Hon. (Robert) Anthony Eden, Baron of Avon KG, MC,

WW1 Battalion commander in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, winning the Military Cross in 1916 and also Mentioned-in-Dispatches.