Its Official, the U.K. and Australia are at war!!!

[John Arton]

The art worlds of the U.K. and Australia are in a war of words with each other over a collection of paintings by the English artist George Stubbs. These paintaings were of the indigenous animals of Australia (kangaroo, Dingo etc.) discovered by James Cook on his voyages of discovery to Australia. They were painted by Stubbs from drawings made by scientists on board with Cook and animal hides brought back by Cook. For his painting of the kangaroo Stubbs apparently stitched the hide together and then inflated it.
The collection of paintings was held by a private collector until recently when he put it up for sale and the Australian National museum was intent on purchasing it but were trumped by a bid from the National Maritime museum in Greenwich, where these paintings will now go on show.
So to all you Aussies out there...don't mess with us poms, we are serious about our art (lol).
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

Well now John, all we have to do here is go out and shoot a kangaroo or two or three and stuff them and take a photo if necessary. However we all know what these animals, which incidentally are classed as vermin and anyone can shoot, look like. Think you've been conned. Cheers John Sabourn.

[cappy]

now now john no stuffing kangaroos .....but they are renowned for there jumping prowess...regards cappy

[John Arton]

John S.
SOD IT...you colonials have to have the last word and ruin our pleasure. (LOL)
rgds
John A

[cappy]

we will have know sodomy on this ship captain arton without the chief stewards approval.....regards cappy

[Jim Brady]

I believe the kangaroo on the Australian Coat Of Arms was based on Stubbs's art work.
A last minute donation of $2.5 million by shipping magnate Eyal Ofer was enough to ensure that an appeal led by doco-maker David Attenborough raised enough to outbid the Aussies and keep the prized artwork in the UK.
Monaco based Mr Ofer owns Zodiac Maritime Agencies and has 150 ships and is London based.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

Melbourne has Captain Cooks House from Whitby, that was shipped out to them a few years ago.
WE WANT IT BACK!!!
cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Do you have enough British bricklayers left in the uk to do this Brian. Maybe they are on strike. Cheers John Sabourn

[j.sabourn]

#3. Are also edible as well Cappy, bet I know which part you would choose. Hope you don't get nightmares trying to figure out what was hanging on the starboard bulkhead on the wheelhouse. Avonmoor. Nobody ever came back and asked what a Gazinta was either. Cheers John Sabourn

[alf corbyn]

the trouble with you colonials is you don't know what you want. i was hunting with my cousin in the blue mountains and saw a wallaby. he said quick shoot it, but i wouldn't then we saw a dingo and i couldn't shoot that, it looked like an alsatian. then we saw a kookaburra and i said what about that, he said no thats a national emblem. but to us poms the kangaroo is australia's emblem together with the emu which we didn't see.