I was failing to find anything of significance to post when I came across a London Walks post about Stanley Green. Green was born on February 22nd in 1915. Most people who lived in London at the time, knew of him. He was always to be seen patrolling Oxford Street and other Central London Streets with his placard. He mounted a one-man campaign against too much protein. He thought it was a factor in promoting Lust. Lust was a bad thing. He campaigned, religiously, from 1969 to 1993, when he died.
Whether you agree with his views or not it is doesn’t diminish the impact an ordinary person had on an entire City. For more about him, including a podcast, have a look at the London Walks page here:
This post is dedicated to those people who are prepared to give up their normal lives to campaign for something they really believe in. If move of us did, the world would be a better but perhaps more eccentric world.
Mr Stop Brexit
Another one man campaigner, Mr Stop Brexit, Steve Bray, was to be seen outside Parliament, most days in the run up to Brexit. He perfected photobombing techniques, appearing in the background of interviews of prominent Brexit campaigners, or was heard over his megaphone. He is from Splott in Wales, and said he lost all his friends because they supported Brexit. He continues to campaign.
In the vidoe below, you can see him upstaging one of the people who ruined this country, the dreadful Jacob Rees-Mogg
I must admit, I briefly considered dedicating my life to going to events Jacob Rees-Mogg attended, shouting ‘Brexit Opportunities!’ and collapsing in ironic laughter.
For my long view of Brexit see my post https://www.chr.org.uk/anddidthosefeet/brexit-day-31st-january-31-2021/
Stature unfurled for one man anti-war campaigner Brian Haw
On This Day
On this day contains items I come across. But more often from looking at Chambers Book of Days, or Wikipedia’s page for the date (today February 22nd). Occasionally I use the Perpetual Almanac of Folklore by Charles Kightley, or other almanacs, and random websites.
Sadly, i cannot find very much that interests me to day!
In Ancient Rome, today, was the Caristia, the day of family peace and household accord, dedicated to Concordia. The previous days have been dedicated to the dead. Today is for the living family members. Ovid seems pleased to return to the living but makes it clear the day is best enjoyed without the really annoying members of the family!
Ovid writes of the day as follows:
Book II: February 22
The next day has its name, Caristia from our dear ‘cari’
(kin),
When a throng of relations gathers to the family gods.
It ís surely pleasant to turn our faces to the living,
Once away from our relatives who have perished,
And after so many lost, to see those of our blood
Who remain, and count the degrees of kinship.
Let the innocent come: let the impious brother be far,
Far from here, and the mother harsh to her children,
He whose father ís too long-lived, who weighs his
mother’s years,
The cruel mother-in-law who crushes the daughter-in-law
she hates.
Be absent Tantalides, Atreus, Thyestes: and Medea,
Jason’s wife:
Ino who gave parched seeds to the farmers:
And Procne, her sister, Philomela, and Tereus cruel to
both,
And whoever has gathered wealth by wickedness.
Virtuous ones, burn incense to the gods of the family,
(Gentle Concord is said to be there on this day above all)
And offer food, so the robed Lares may feed from the dish
Granted to them as a mark of esteem, that pleases them.
Then when moist night invites us to calm slumber,
Fill the wine-cup full, for the prayer, and say:
Health, health to you, worthy Caesar, Father of the
Country!
And let there be pleasant speech at the pouring of wine.
From A S Kline’s translation of Fasti which can be found here.
For more on Concordia read my post here.
First published in 2024, republished in 2025, 2026