Red Roses

This is coolbert:

British mystery?

Thanks here to James Clark - - British consul general, Chicago. As reported in the Chicago Tribune.

"Each year six red roses are delivered to the British Consulate General in Chicago on Aug. 1 to honor the Battle of Minden, which took place in Germany in 1759, when the Prussian-Hanoverian-British army defeated the French army. The roses have been coming every year now since 1967, with the exception of 2001 and 2002. Our Minden Roses were delivered Friday morning. The card accompanying the roses was in an unmarked envelope. The note read: 'They advanced through rose gardens to the battleground and decorated their tricorne hats and grenadier caps with the emblem of England . . .' The donor is a mystery to us . . . We should like to thank our anonymous donor. Is there any chance that we might thank this donor in person for paying honor every year to the men who fell on Aug. 1, 1759?"

This donor - - an anonymous person who has a very long history of memorializing the Battle of Minden centuries later - - and in a novel way - - is a someone best described as a romantic?

"Romantic - - not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic - - "a wild-eyed dream of a world state" - - imbued with or dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, chivalry, etc."

And someone with a very good knowledge of history. Battle of Minden? Prior to reading this, had never heard of it before!

coolbert.