As an avid F1 fan I’ve been keen to see the rise and rise of Max Verstappen. To see him promoted into the main Red Bull Racing team last week excites me and yet at the same time worries me. I am certain that this man child is a future World Champion and that he has the potential to dominate the sport for many years and because of his age smash records set by the greatest drivers of the past. It is no secret that the motive was one of Red Bull keeping Verstappen in the Red Bull stables but also by the demotion of Daniil Kvyat it has lowered his market value and therefore possibly putting off potential suitors for a seat next season. Its one of those evil genius corporate decisions that make or break companies and people.

You may argue that the promotion from Toro Rosso to Red Bull is a small change but I disagree, the shift of expectation is huge and I’d rather see him complete another couple of season to hone what is a precocious talent with the demand of being a World Champion before he is 21. But as the father of an 18 year old boy I know how immature they are and how easily distracted they can be by pretty much anything and, lets be honest he isn’t exactly a strong looking boy and those F1 cars can have a nasty kick and I’d hate to see him lose control and be involved in a serious accident and lost to the sport too early.

The current record holder for youngest F1 world champion is Seb Vettel who was 23 years old when he won his first title back in 2010 when Verstappen was 12. Think about that as Vettel is still far from being over the hill and is still 6 years younger than a 35 year old Michael Schumacher won his last title. Verstappen has loads of time to develop and still smash all the records without pushing him to fast and burning him out, or worse.

Not just the American style of whiskey, becuase I am partial to a good bourbon, so much so that I’m off to the Jack Daniels’s Distillery this summer when I cross the pond, but also the humble little biscuit made from two oblong chocolate flavoured biscuits with a  chocolate buttercream filling. They have been my favourite for years and the reason I love them is their simplicity and versatility. They’re great dunked in tea or coffee and yet can also been eaten dry and still taste great.

So what is the reason I’m telling you this? Well it seems that Storm Desmond hit one of the production centres of this humble snack in Carlisle. I just assumed it was me having bad timing when visiting the supermarkets. Hopefully things will be restored to normal soon but for now I’m having to suffer inferior biscuits

A couple of interesting facts about the Bourbon Biscuit is that it was originally called Creola when Peek Freens invented it back in 1910 before they renamed it sometime in the 1930s after the House of Bourbon, for no other reason than it gave it a more up market style name which ironically takes me back to the American whiskey as that too is so named because of a connection with the House of Bourbon, because the reason the whiskey is named bourbon is, depending on which story you believe, because the home of bourbon whiskey is either Bourbon county, Kentucky which got its name after the American war of independence as a nod to the Bourbon king of France, Louis XVI, for his help against us Brits or from Bourbon Street, New Orleans, where copious amounts of the whiskey was consumed and New Orleans was founded by the French and named after the Bourbon Duke of Orleans, son of Louis XIV.

Anyway that’s my views on the best biscuit what is your favourite?

Today, April 23rd is St Georges Day. Unlike the Irish who celebrate St Patricks Day in some style, us English folk don’t usually celebrate the day in any way at all and many English people probably never realsie it happens.

St George is a bit of a mystery man. It is believed he was born in Palestine between 275 and 281 AD to Greek Christian parents and it is thought he lived in Lydda, near modern day Tel Aviv. He was a soldier in the Roman Army like his father and quickly rose up the ranks. He was later tortured and a number of medieval tales detail the awful punishments he was said to have endured – including being boiled and crushed between spiked wheels – because he refused to give up his Christian faith and was  executed, by allegedly being dragged through the streets of Lydda in and then beheaded, on the 23rd April 303 AD for refusing to stop being a Christian when asked by Emperor Diocletian.

The legend of George slaying a dragon dates back to stories from of Saint George saving a damsel in distress that is believed to be the wife of Diocletian, Alexandra. The episode of St. George and the Dragon was a legend brought back with the Crusaders early in the 11th century although the legend itself dates back to at least the seventh century. The legend is that a dragon (mst likely a crocodile as dragons are not real!) makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of Silene (or the city of Lydda). The citizens need safe passage to the spring to collect water so, each day the locals offered the dragon a sheep, and if no sheep was available a maiden was used to appease the dragon. The victim was chosen by drawing lots and one day the princess was chosen. The king begs for her life to be spared, but failed and the princess is offered up as the sacrifice but George passes by and using the sign of the Cross to protect himself slays the dragon, and by defeating the dragon saves the princess. The citizens abandon their ancestral paganism and convert to Christianity.

So if George wasn’t English and never set foot in England how did he become our patron saint? Well this is a bit of a story with a long timeline. In the 12 century Richard the Lionheart adopted the cross of St George, so named because this is the emblem that George used on his shield, as the English flag. In 1350, King Edward III honoured George with the formation of the Order of the Garter and used the George Cross with the image of George slaying the dragon as their banner. During the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, lkegend has it that George came to the aid of the English and the full adoption of George as the English patron saint was 1421 when it became a full public holiday, a tradition that slowly phased out soemwhere in the late 18th century.

Popularity for St Georges Day is increasing and this has led politicians to call for the reintroduction of a public holiday, but with Easter just over, May Day coming soon™ and Spring Bank holiday (our replacement for Whitsun) adding yet another public holiday just makes no sense, although with the Queen’s birthday 2 days before, there could be an argument for merging the 2 events into a single public holiday.

Anyway happy St Georges Day! I’ll celebrate by slaying an Internet Dragon in a video, how will you celebrate it?

Just stumbled across this gem while randomly looking for some images. I assumed that this was a Photoshopped but then while doing some research I discovered a video on YouTube. Rather than ramble on I’ll let you see this for yourself, make sure you watch at least the first 15 minutes of the video, you can skip the adverts from 7:32 to the end of the rubber parts catalogue advert at 12 minute, as if not you’ll miss the test drive piece.

I want one and I’m sure you will too.