CSM OBE Horst Pfaff

Sergeant Major
Royal Army Medical Corps

[Classic Spy Chic @ClassicSpyChic]

James Bond has been to Cortina as well. The Olympic site was a key filming location in For Your Eyes Only

[England Rugby @EnglandRugby]

Another huge clash incoming 🌹

Our @SixNationsRugby campaign continues this Saturday against Scotland.

[CSM OBE Horst Pfaff @PfaffHorst]

@JackDunc1 my favorite sport is rugby

[ArchaeoHistories @histories_arch]

The Great Migration: How the Foundations of the English-Speaking World Were Laid

​Ever wonder why we speak English and not a Roman or Celtic tongue? The answer lies in a chaotic, transformative period between the 5th and 7th centuries. When the Roman Empire’s grip on Britain slipped, a vacuum was left behind—one that was filled by the bold seafaring tribes of Northern Europe: the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

​This wasn't just a military invasion; it was a total cultural reset. From the shores of modern-day Denmark and Northern Germany, these tribes crossed the treacherous North Sea to seek new land, eventually pushing the native Britons to the fringes and creating the "Heptarchy"—the seven kingdoms that would one day become England.

​Whether you're a history buff or just curious about where our modern traditions and language began, this map tracks the very first steps of the journey that would eventually reach the shores of America centuries later.

​The Foundations of a New World: The Anglo-Saxon Migration (449–600 CE)

​To understand the United States today—its laws, its literature, and its primary language—one must look back nearly 1,600 years to the foggy coastlines of the North Sea. The migration of the Germanic tribes to the British Isles is perhaps one of the most consequential movements of people in Western history. It was a period marked by the collapse of an old superpower, the arrival of opportunistic warriors, and the slow, grinding birth of a new identity. This is the story of how Britain became "England" and how the seeds of the English-speaking world were first planted.

​In 410 CE, the Roman Empire was crumbling. Under pressure from "barbarian" tribes closer to home, the Emperor Honorius sent a letter to the cities of Britain, famously telling them to "look to their own defenses." For nearly four centuries, Rome had provided a professional military, legal infrastructure, and a sense of global connectivity. When the legions left, they took the stability with them.

​Britain was left vulnerable. To the north, the Picts and Scots began raiding deeper into the lowlands. According to the monk-historian Bede, a British leader named Vortigern made a fateful decision:

The invited Germanic mercenaries from the mainland to help defend his lands. He offered them territory in exchange for protection. It was an invitation that changed the course of history forever. Once the first wave of warriors realized how fertile and poorly defended the island was, the trickle of mercenaries turned into a flood of settlers.

​As shown in map, the migration was primarily driven by three distinct groups, each bringing their own dialects and customs. Hailing from the region of Angeln (modern-day Schleswig-Holstein in Germany), they were perhaps the most numerous. They settled in the north and east, founding the kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia. It is from this tribe that names "England" (Engla-lond) and "English" (Englisc) are derived.

​Coming from the sprawling plains of Northern Germany, the Saxons were fierce warriors and prolific settlers. They moved into the south and west of Britain, establishing Wessex (West Saxons), Sussex (South Saxons), and Essex (East Saxons). Their legacy survived in the title of the "Anglo-Saxon" people and heavily influenced the legal and social structures of the early English state.

​The smallest of the three main groups, the Jutes traveled from the Jutland peninsula (modern Denmark). They settled in Kent and the Isle of Wight. Though fewer in number, they maintained a distinct cultural identity for generations, and the Kingdom of Kent became a vital gateway for the reintroduction of Christianity to the island later on.

​#archaeohistories

[Cata Paul 🃏‍‍‍ @CataPaul2]

⛷️ 🥌 ⛸️ 🏒 🎿 Winter olympics logos (1968–2026)

1.🇫🇷 1968 – Grenoble, France
2.🇯🇵 1972 – Sapporo, Japan
3.🇦🇹 1976 – Innsbruck, Austria
4.🇺🇸 1980 – Lake Placid, United States
5.🇾🇪 1984 – Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (today: Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦)
6.🇨🇦 1988 – Calgary, Canada
7.🇫🇷 1992 – Albertville, France
8.🇳🇴 1994 – Lillehammer, Norway
9.🇯🇵 1998 – Nagano, Japan
10.🇺🇸 2002 – Salt Lake City, United States
11.🇮🇹 2006 – Turin (Torino), Italy
12.🇨🇦 2010 – Vancouver, Canada
13.🇷🇺 2014 – Sochi, Russia
14.🇰🇷 2018 – PyeongChang, South Korea
15.🇨🇳 2022 – Beijing, China
16.🇮🇹 2026 – Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

[CSM OBE Horst Pfaff @PfaffHorst]

@CG70297229 Ja,logisch

[PinkNews @PinkNews]

Team GB curler Bruce Mouat opened up about the struggles he faced as a gay athlete growing up in a 3 February interview with BBC Sport.

“Coming out was a tough time for me. The first ever person I told was actually a sports psychologist, because I wasn’t really performing very well. I wasn’t really enjoying my curling, but I really think it helped me to feel comfortable within the team environment.”

Mouat came out to his teammates at the age of 19 in 2014, which he credits with helping him “feel comfortable within the team environment.”

A prolific curler, Mouat earned a silver medal in the men’s team event in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He hammered home the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility in sport, saying “There aren’t many out gay men in sport… I’ve had so many messages from people who maybe struggled with participation in sport, and they are now feeling encouraged by what they’ve seen.”

📷 Getty

[Team GB @TeamGB]

53 athletes ⛷️
28 returning Olympians 🤩
25 Olympic debutants 🫡
11 sports ❄️
5 returning medalists 🥇🥈🥉
3 teenagers 💁‍♀️

One Team GB 🇬🇧

#MilanoCortina2026 officially begins tomorrow. Let's GO!

[Team GB @TeamGB]

This is your Team GB ❤️🇬🇧

#TeamGB | #MilanoCortina2026

[CSM OBE Horst Pfaff @PfaffHorst]

@thomasairyder That's right.

[Royal Commonwealth Society @RoyalCWSociety]

The Royal Commonwealth Society Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign has now entered Tonga! 🌍
Our Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign will pick up 1 million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, travelling around the Commonwealth alongside the King's Baton Relay in the run up to Glasgow 2026🏃
#RoyalCommonwealthSociety #Glasgow2026 #CommonwealthCleanOceansPlasticCampaign #CommonwealthSport

[Buitengebieden @buitengebieden]

Service dog likes the slide.. 😊

[Buitengebieden @buitengebieden]

When your vegetarian friends invite you for dinner.. 😂

[stern @sternde]

Heftige Schneefälle sorgen in Japan für einen Ausnahmezustand. In Aomori liegen sogar bis zu 4,5 Meter hoher Schnee. https://t.co/pp5W1Fr3za

[Really, 007! @Really007pod]

Glenn visited the famous Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami - as seen in #Goldfinger! 🇺🇸

📼 https://t.co/EmjupxemQM

[CSM OBE Horst Pfaff @PfaffHorst]

@Christiang61672 yes,please

[. @djcooky78]

"Ich will, dass jeder sieht, dass ich diesen Menschen liebe. Einen Mann. Als Mann. Im Fußball." 👨‍❤️‍👨🌈⚽ Ganz viel Glück euch beiden und Danke @fckoeln, dass ihr den Heiratsantrag möglich gemacht habt. Kein Platz für #AfD, Hass und Hetze! #loveislove #effzeh #koewob #lgbtq