At the Macaronis authors’ group we were discussing handsome men (par for the course) and got onto hotties from days gone by. Some of us will be sharing our favourite historical hotties over the weeks ahead.
I’m starting with some sporting heroes (well, there’s a surprise!) I like men’s tennis, so I was astonished to discover that there were two British players who dominated Edwardian tennis, worldwide, and I’d never heard of them!
Laurie and Reggie Doherty between them won every Wimbledon singles tournament from 1897 to 1906, bar 1901. They had wins at the US championships, won doubles titles in the US and UK and garnered Olympic gold, including in London 1908. And they were gorgeous.
Then there’s Ronnie Poulton-Palmer. He scored four tries in an international against France (shades of Chris Ashton and Italy!) and was killed in the trenches, his last words apparently being, “I shall never play at Twickenham again”.
His death inspired a poem, by Alfred Ollivant, in The Spectator:.
‘Ronald is dead: and we shall watch no more
His swerving swallow-flight adown the field
Amid eluded enemies, who yield
Room for his easy passage, to the roar
Of multitudes enraptured, who acclaim
Their country’s captain slipping towards his goal.
Instant of foot, deliberate of soul –
All’s well with England, Poulton’s on his game.’
I’m off to have a lie down and a weep.
The Macaronis 
May 3, 2011 at 11:12 am
Heh. Is it just me, or do those languid poses suggest those tennis players knew very well they were crumpet? 😉
May 3, 2011 at 11:20 am
Absolutely. Made for the camera.
I’d love to know more about the brothers but haven’t succeeded in finding out that much.
May 3, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Don’t know if this will work but here goes:
Lt. ‘Bill’ Jewel, commander of HM Submarine Seraph, which delivered the body of the Man Who Never Was to its floating place off the coast of Spain.
“At 0430 on 30 April, Seraph surfaced. Lt. Jewell had the canister brought up on deck, then sent all his crew below except the officers. He briefed them on the details of the secret operation. They opened the canister, fitted Major Martin with a life jacket, and attached his briefcase with the papers. Jewell read the 39th Psalm, although the burial service was not specified in the orders, and the body was gently pushed into the sea where the tide would bring it ashore. Jewell afterwards sent a message to the Committee: “MINCEMEAT completed”.”
A brave man and mmmm he looks good in uniform too!
Also a painting:
Sir Thomas Hanmer, 1612 to 1678, here in his late 20s was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause, raised and led troops, fled to France and learned to be a gardener. He wrote a book about it and bred a tulip called the Agate Hamner that is still grown by enthusiasts.
🙂 pictures are such useful inspiration.
May 3, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Bill Jewel – I didn’t know that was the bloke’s name, although I know the story (mainly from the film). Isn’t blogging ejicashunal?
I like the sound of your royalist, too.
Thank you for sharing.
May 3, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Grrrr
Here you go:
May 3, 2011 at 2:54 pm
What a handsome pair of chappies. *happy sighs*
May 3, 2011 at 4:37 pm
You know I always go for the literary blokes.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, for all he had a bit of an inferiority complex compared to his Bowdoin classmate, Longfellow, had an amazing face with quite remarkable eyes. (http://pem.org/writable/resources/image/overlay_full/17274natehawthorne_copy1.jpg)
And Longfellow himself, before he received the burns on his face from attempting to save his wife’s life, was quite the looker (and reputedly a very snappy dresser): http://media.onsugar.com/files/2011/02/07/0/1092/10924820/a7/portrait-of-henry-wadsworth-longfellow.jpg
Finally, devotee of the Adams family as I am, young John Quincy has that scholarly gleam in his eye which I have always appreciated. (Plus, he made a pretty darn impressive ambassador and president, so…) (http://franceshunter.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/johnqadams.jpg)
May 3, 2011 at 8:36 pm
You can keep Longfellow, but Hawthorne’s an absolute peach. I had no idea he looked like that.
And if I’d realised that young Mr Admas was such a looker I’d have made more of our visit to Quincy! Cor. What a remarkable chap.
Thanks for sharing them.
Charlie
March 6, 2012 at 10:06 pm
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