Sharpe's Eagle - This Sunday's Episode on Sharpe Sundays

Sharpe’s Eagle


The army is now in Spain.  Arriving in camp is a new regiment, the South Essex and in command is Sir Henry Simmerson, joined by his nephew Lt. Gibbons and mysterious Countess Josefina. Sir Arthur Wellesley has no faith in Simmerson who he knows is there because of his political connections. Wellesley assigns Richard Sharpe and the Chosen Men to the South Essex to see that the mission to blow up a bridge at Valdelacasa is a success.  Things go terribly wrong and due to Simmerson’s incompetence the French make off with the British colours.  What will Sharpe do to preserve the Army’s honor?

Antoine-Denis CHAUDET (designer)

French 1763-1810

Pierre-Philippe THOMIRE

French 1751-1843

French Imperial Eagle of the 6th Regiment of the Light Cavalry. Hundred Days model (Aigle de drapeau du 6e régiment des Chasseurs à cheval. Modèle des Cent Jours) 1815

Fondation Napoléon, Paris

Please join new and longtime Sharpe fans for the Global Sharpe Watch this Sunday, June 30, 3:00pm EST/US, 8:00pm UK, 9:00pm Continent on Tweet Chat.  For all the details and "How To's" go to  Sharpe Lives Movie Club Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/SharpeLivesMovieClub?sk=notes

Or to Distracted Musings of One Reality at the link below:

http://distractedinreality.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/sharpe-lives-or-sharpe-sundays/

southessex.co.uk

In last week's episode we met Major Michael Hogan (played by Brian Cox) who is one of Wellington's Exploring Officers.  Exploring Officers were intelligence officers in Wellington's personal staff who often went behind enemy lines or headed special operations to see what the enemy was up to. 

One of Wellington's real life Exploring Officers was  Lt Col Colquhoun Grant.

National Portrait Gallery (UK) Colquhoun Grant 

by George Jones (1815-1820) 

Grant didn't consider himself a spy as we would today, but an officer and a gentleman. He started out as an artillery officer in the Army  and in 1808 followed Wellington to Portugal and Spain to fight against Napoleon's forces. 

Wellington soon realised that the French outnumbered his forces. He therefore needed to have as much advance information as possible and he developed a network of intelligence officers and local spies. He valued both strategic information, gathered by the interception of enemy letters, and tactical intelligence, gathered by men in the field such as ‘exploring officers’. www.nationalarchives.co.uk

See you on Sunday!

Summer Hobbit Heaven and Armitage Bliss

A man may love the truth and practise it,

Beauty he may admire,

And goodness not omit,

As much as may befit

To reverence.

But only when these three together meet,

As they always incline,

And make one soul the seat,

And favorite retreat,

Of loveliness;

Henry David Thoreau

By now I hope all Richard Armitage fans have seen all the photos, and videos, and lovely stories shared by all the wonderful people that were lucky to attend Sir Ian McKellen's show at the Opera House in Wellington, NZ on June 23.  Seeing photos and video of Richard Armitage again after months of not having any news made for a blissful Saturday. 

I thought I would revisit some of my favorite moments so far in the countdown to The Hobbit:

Thanks to RACentral

The Powhiri is one of my favorite Richard Armitage moments. If someone asked me to make them understand why I like him so very much I would first show them this video. 

The Hobbit first press conference:

Thanks to linuxelf1

Peter Jackson's Video Blogs - Favorite moments:

The Hobbit Trailer:

 and listening to Richard Armitage sing

A video of Saturday night at the Opera House in Wellington:

 Thanks to brionyjae

Hobbit Happenings Ahead:

Thanks to news from Sir Ian McKellen those of us in the US, especially the Eastern US, now know that there will be a Hobbit premiere in New York City.  As it happens only a few hours away from me, so at this moment I am planning on being there. But when will it be? 

I signed up for an alert of when Hobbit tickets would go on sale in my area and the date of the opening here was December 13. So, is it opening on December 13 in select cities, and then on December 14 nationwide in the US? It happens with many films. So that is my  fun Hobbit task for the next few months, find out if the New York premiere will be December 12, 13 or 14 or when...and where in the city?  Any of my fellow fans planning on going as well? 

But next for us Armitage and Hobbit fans is Comic-Con in a few weeks!  Exciting Times.