[SiaSiaSia]

Originally posted by Sticks
Ye Gads

I thought someone would pick up the historical connection between this time of year and Oliver Cromwell.

It was his puritan regime that banned and outlawed Christmas and passed a lot of anti-Christmas legislation, some of which, like the ban on eating mince pies was never repealed

BTW I did ask once and the Home office said that none of his laws was recognised after the restoration of the monarchy

Are there any historians on the board?

I'm doing History A-Level and know quite a lot about that period of time (I should, I half my A-Level riding on 1639-1650, but I didn't realize that was your specific point.

[andyman]

They never did the english civil wars when i was at school... Then again... Dunno. But i know that in the year 1644, Oliver Cromwell, commander of roundhead forces, crushes the royalists at the battle of marston moor, near york.

[Fom]

Interesting... I have just been researching on Oliver Cromwell, as I am doing restoration theatre... the theatre that came right after him.
And if I may say so, everything Cromwell thought for was totally against what I live for. He banned music, singing, dancing, theatre, Christmas, easter, sex. What the hell would my life be without theatre? At one point I was totally on his side, thinking... yes lets get rid of royalty. But he ended up turning into a king himself, and made it ten times worse. After Cromwell died and his son failed miserably and Charles II took over, the introduction of political parties and the idea of Parliament working with the king, plays a great part in todays society. The only good Oliver Cromwell did in this world was make us realize that... his whole attitudes were awful.
Let people do what they want, its our lives let us live it.

[NettoSuperstar!]

Yeh Puritans were a right borin lot!

[Sticks]

Originally posted by NettoSuperstar!
Yeh Puritans were a right borin lot!

Not always, that is just the propergander of those who came after him

As for the history bit, Oliver Cromwell was actually invited to be crowned as a king. We could have had King Oliver I, but he chose not to be and settled for the title of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth (If I have that full title correct)

Some years ago there was a Radio 4 poll for the best and worst monarch, and Oliver Cromwell was getting a large number of nominations, although because he was never formally a king he had to be disqualified.

Quite a feat for someone who was supposed to have been a failure

Although it is conceded that his son was a dismal failure

David Starkey in his series Monarchy covered this period quite well.