Presidents and Kings - Sunday Stamps

My stamps this weeks cover men and countries where there has been turmoil in my lifetime.

Josip Broz Tito - Yugoslavia

After the 1914-18 war Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Following the German occupation (1941-45) the country became a republic with Tito as its president. In 1963 he became president for life - he died in 1980, but the disintegration of Yugoslavia had begun in 1974.

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi - Shah of Persia (Iran)

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was Shah (King) of Iran from 16 September 1941 until he was overthrown by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979.

A president in office for an even shorter time was the man who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

Mikhail Gorbachev - President of the Soviet Union

Gorbachev was the first President of the Soviet Union until its dissolution on December 25, 1991.

For more Presidents, Kings - and - Queens cross over to Viridian's Sunday-stamps-129.

Polo - Sepia Saturday

Alan's picture this week reminded me that the nearest I have got to polo is the mint with the hole in the middle. The first horse on which I was offered a ride threw me off when it's owner, a girl who I don't think liked me, gave it a swipe with her whip.

Pictogram of Olympic Sports - Polo

 (by Thadius 856 - SVG conversion, & Parutakupiu  original image)

Staying with polo and the Olympics this image shows a tournament in progress at the 1900 games in Paris. Only four teams took part - Great Britain, United States, France and Mexico - the gold medal being shared by Great Britain and the United States.

Polo tournament at the 1900 Olympic Games

The game was first played in Persia (Iran) from the 5th century BC, or much earlier, to the 1st century AD and originated there. The modern game though popularised by the British military derived in fact from India.

In India polo was just one form of hockey that was played in the originating state of Manipur. Ladies hockey is known for it skill; mixed hockey for its brutality as ridges on my shins can testify. If you should come across  a St Trinian's type like this - run!

Jolly hockey sticks!

 Thanks to India, the second largest country after China to have a stock of bamboo I'm able to switch to a childhood friend of my daughter. You may have seen him before.

Bamboo at home.

 However to come back to horses, another riderless one, here's one I found at Yarm earlier this week.

 You may catch him if you can and ride to to see what others have found to show at Sepia Saturday 94