December 2025 Edition
As the first anniversary of the start of Donald Trump’s second term of office draws near it is time to take stock of what has happened during this momentous year.
Donald Trump’s first presidency proved somewhat disappointing, for in spite of doing much to improve the US economy and increase American self-confidence and well-being at home his actions on the international stage were limited, and indeed seemed to be a return to the regrettable “splendid isolationist” policies of certain administrations from the tail-end of the 19th century. His willingness to go along with so many of the diktats demanded by the medicrats during the Covid-1984 hysteria also left a lot to be desired.
It didn’t take long for it to become apparent that his second term in office was going to entail a far different – and a far better – state-of-affairs however. To be sure his initial silly territorial claims on Greenland and even on Canada were to be regretted, but it quickly became clear that these comments were made more in jest than anything, and he soon changed tact and targeted his ambitions in the Americas southwards rather than northwards – something which we and other conservative commentators had advocated at the time of his earlier ridiculous claims. His desire for the ownership of the Panama Canal to revert to the United States (as of course was the situation prior to the treasonable handover by the Carter Administration) is bound to benefit security and trade in the region and is thus to be applauded, as also is his current willingness to take military action against the narco-Marxist regime oppressing the people of Venezuela.
Elsewhere in the world Donald Trump has done his best to end the “brother’s war” in the Ukraine, and has proved to be a good friend of Israel by initiating effective military strikes against threatening Iran and its nuclear development programme. There is much more that needs to be done in Asia to safeguard Western interests of course, most notably by reversing the disgusting actions of the Biden Administration of allowing the Taliban terrorists to re-establish their control in Afghanistan (which of course not only spread their evil influence in the region but also caused the flight of masses of lawless Mohammedan Afghan refugees to Europe!), and also by demonstrating to Communist China that the West will not allow them to invade the Republic of China (Taiwan). Hopefully however contingency plans are already being drawn up in the US State Department to resolve these two concerns.
Perhaps the greatest foreign policy achievement of the second Trump Administration, however, has been their forthright attempts to demonstrate to the leaders of Britain and Western Europe the great existential threat to their nations of allowing the continuing invasion of swarms of third-world immigrants into their countries, and by not ensuring their rapid repatriations. Of course explaining the phenomenal threats posed by these invasions should never have been needed, but so great has been the influence of egalitarian poison throughout the West during the second half of the 20th century that alas it has proved necessary. Let us hope that these essential warnings will be heeded by British and other European leaders, so that their future generations will be able to live in safety and prosperity, and to learn about the great debt which they owe to President Donald J.Trump!
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SPRINGBOK CLUB NEWS
This year’s Springbok Club’s annual UDI Day celebration meeting turned out to be a most enlightening and enjoyable event. The guest speaker, Mr. Gerald Parsons, gave a most impressive and enthralling account about how his grandfather, Cyril Parsons, had emigrated to the then young nation of Rhodesia in 1898, and had assisted in the early development of the country, before marrying, starting a family and becoming a consultant mining engineer. Gerald told how his father, Anthony “Tony” Parsons, was born in the country in 1909 prior to the whole family, who had been very disappointed at the result of the 1922 Referendum (when Southern Rhodesia narrowly voted to become a self-governing British colony rather than joining the Union of South Africa as its fifth province), decided to return to the UK in 1923. Gerald displayed a fascinating collection of documents which he had inherited from his grandfather about his time in Rhodesia, which included photos, maps, and even school reports. The Springbok Club would therefore like to thank Gerald Parsons for giving such a vivid insight into the founding years of the great nation of Rhodesia.
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The Springbok Club will be staging a belated commemoration of the Day of the Vow on Monday 29th December at The Antelope (the downstairs Snug Room), 22 Eaton Terrace, Belgravia, London SW1W 8EZ, assembling from 14.30 hrs onwards. This will be an informal gathering, though it is hoped that a South African supporter will be present who will be able to tell something about the current situation in that beleaguered land.
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The Springbok Club’s 2026 AGM will be held in late January next year, and in February 2026 the organisation will be staging a trip to Portsmouth in order to watch a significant cultural performance, following which, in March 2026, it is anticipated that the organisation will be welcoming an important South African visitor as guest speaker. Further details about all these activities will be given in future editions of the SCN.
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PATRIOTIC FORUM NEWS
The Patriotic Forum will be staging its traditional Burns Night/Australia Day celebration in central London on Sunday 25th January 2026, and in the Spring of 2026 will be welcoming Mr. Edward Spalton, the Honorary President of the Campaign for an Independent Britain, as guest speaker. The organisation also hopes to stage meetings to be addressed by a leading official from the Turning Point UK organisation, a sitting county councillor, a representative from another leading EuroSceptic organisation and a visiting Australian supporter later during 2026. Further details will of course be given in future editions of the SCN.
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MESSAGE FROM “HELP SAVE BRITAIN’S HEDGEHOGS”.
We have recently received the following somewhat encouraging message from the Help Save Britain’s Hedgehogs organisation. It reads as follows :-
“Hedgehogs in the UK are in serious trouble. Repeated studies have shown that the nation’s favourite animal is being wiped out. But there is something we can do to save it.
“Hugh Warwick is an ecologist and author who has been studying hedgehogs for over 30 years. He knows that the key cause of them dying out is that our landscapes are being fenced off into ever smaller fragments. We need to make sure new housing developments include ‘hedgehog highways’ – a 5 inch hole in the bottom of the fence that allows hedgehogs to move freely between gardens to find food and find a mate.
“This simple move would have a big impact on the UK’s hedgehogs – and it’s cheap and easy for developers to carry out.
“So Hugh is calling upon government to ensure every new housing development builds in these holes for hedgehog highways. This will allow gardens to be connected, creating the pathways they need to survive.
“We can’t sit back and let hedgehog numbers keep plummeting. It’s estimated that numbers are already down 95% since the 1950s. We have to act now.
“Please sign the petition at: https://c.org/p6nMxhYJb5 to call on the Ministry of Housing and Planning to make hedgehog highways a legal requirement of new builds.”
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PETER DIMMOCK MEMORIAL AWARDS 2025
Voting for this year’s Peter Dimmock memorial sports awards will be taking place this month. As in previous years there will be three categories of awards: British Sports Personality of the Year, British Sports Team of the Year, and Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. Simply e-mail: springbk@netcomuk.co.uk with your choices for the winners in all three of these categories. The winners will be announced in the January 2026 edition of the SCN, so get your votes in soon!
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IMPORTANT ITEM FROM THE “ACADEMY OF IDEAS”
There was a highly significant speech delivered at this year’s “Battle of Ideas Festival” staged by the Academy of Ideas by Bruno Waterfield (the Brussels correspondent for The Times) entitled “Are patriotism and the Nation State back?”. In it Bruno Waterfield argued that they definitely were on the way back, in spite of some rearguard actions being taken by certain more internationalist elements, and that the current manifestation of raising Union Flags on lamp-posts around the country is just an outward sign of something far deeper being aroused throughout the British nation. This epochal speech has now been placed on-line by the Academy of Ideas, and can be found at :-
https://www.academyofideas.uk/p/are-patriotism-and-the-nation-state-b57
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CHAGOS ISLAND SONG
Citizens of the British Indian Ocean Territories – the Chagos Islanders – who of course have been appallingly betrayed by the current British Government who are trying to surrender their island homes to Mauritius, have recently released a record featuring a song which highlights their plight. Representatives of the British Indian Ocean Territory Citizens’ Forum of course spoke at a Patriotic Forum meeting in July of this year (see August 2025 SCN), and this song – “The Archipelago Chagos” – was played with gusto at last month’s Springbok Club UDI Day celebration meeting. It can be heard at :-
https://youtu.be/wPJlyPcAWi0?si=5oKoQBgZ5kg_HYh9
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MYSTERIOUS NEW IRISH “REPUBLICAN” MOVEMENT SURFACES
A supporter from Surrey has recently alerted us to a most interesting, though somewhat unexpected, FaceBook video concerning a mysterious new “Republican” movement which has apparently surfaced in the RoI, which is totally opposed to third-world immigration into their island, and proposes violence if necessary in order to remove these alien invaders. A worrying facet about this new movement, however, is that it seems to be apeing all the symbolism of SF/IRA, even though it condemns the current SF/IRA leadership for its support of mass third-world immigration. A year or so ago a large Loyalist demonstration in Belfast, which was part of the mass protests throughout the UK in anger at the Southport atrocity, was joined by a contingent of more realistic Republicans who bizarrely carried RoI flags. This action was accepted by most Unionists as it hopefully signalled some form of rapprochement between Loyalists and more sensible Republicans as they both confronted a common enemy. The action of this new movement, regardless of how estimable their cause is, in staging a SF/IRA-style armed press conference with a RoI flag as a backdrop was of course regrettable. Had they instead staged it in front of the only true Irish Flag – the Flag of St.Patrick – then it would undoubtedly have endeared them to all their fellow-countrymen across the British Isles who are facing a common threat. The FaceBook video can be accessed at :-
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17Y5cvEA9R/
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LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Our very good friend and supporter from Sydney, Australia, Mr. Bob Vinnicombe, has recently sent us a very encouraging report about the current political situation in Australia. It reads as follows :-
“Don't know if you have been following Australian politics but One Nation is polling an unprecedented 14 per cent nationwide. In a recent by-election they got more votes than Labor. They are out-polling the Greens while the Lib's are at an all-time low. On current figures they would get 3 people elected to the Upper House in the next NSW state election and have a 50 per cent chance of getting 4.”
We thank Bob for this report, and wish the patriotic Australian One Nation Party every success for the future!
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SEARCH SERVICES FOR THOSE SEEKING LOST RELATIVES
Find any South African, even those who have emigrated. We also search Botswana, Namibia and ex-Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Please use the search request form at :-
http://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/emails.php?id=emails_from_SCN
Also check the list of South African expatriates/emigrants web-sites, which can be found at :-
https://www.bellemodel.biz/emails/expatriates/toplist_expatriates.php?id=toplist_expatriates_from_letter_uy
and
https://www.bellemodel.biz/uruguay/uruguay.php?id=uruguay_from_letter_uy
(This site is for people who have considered emigrating from South Africa, specifically to Uruguay.)
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BOOK OFFERS
“LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED JAMES TOMLINSON: MEMOIRS OF AN AFRICAN PIONEER AND BSAP OFFICER" is now available at Amazon.com, and can be shipped to anywhere in the world. This book contains excerpts from Lieut. Tomlinson's writings detailing his experiences as a member of the BSAP in Southern Rhodesia, where he rose from the rank of an ordinary trooper to retire as the commanding officer. It also includes the personal story of Majaqaba Ncube, a man who was enslaved by Lobengula when his entire village was massacred by the chief's soldiers. After he escaped, Lieut. Tomlinson saved him from certain death and gave him a job. They lost contact and were reunited after 45 years, when Majaqaba presented Lieut. Tomlinson with an earthenware jar.
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"THE SAINTS" – a unique documentary in support of the book on the brief history of the RLI.
DVD available along with other premium titles of historical interest from Msasa Enterprises. Visit www.rhodesianvideos.co.za or write to msasavideos@gmail.com for more information. UK contact telephone: 07865088212.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?
No.325: Mr. Gary Lindsay of Durban.
Gary Lindsay lived in the Hillary suburb of Durban. He was the son of Mr. J. Lindsay who had been a supporter, albeit alas a rather inactive one, of the patriotic movement in the city. Gary himself started to become a keen supporter of the patriotic cause as well, though unfortunately only during the early 1990s at a time when the country was already starting to be sold-out, and when we ourselves were being forced to re-locate our activities. Contact with him was then sadly broken, but it would be very interesting to learn where he is now.
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RECOMMENDED WEB-SITE OF THE MONTH
Morris Dancing is a great British – specifically English – tradition, and happily after years of apparent decline is now experiencing a revived interest, in part because of recent significant increases in patriotic sentiments. There are several traditions and varieties of Morris Dancing, and the main ones now co-operate under the banner of the Joint Morris Organisations. The JMO web-site, which provides links to its main constituent bodies, can be accessed at :-
https://www.morrisfed.org.uk/about/jmo/
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WATER TIGHT
Sir,
The article “Water in South Africa – A Presidential task force to the rescue!”, which you re-circulated via your Springbok Special Circulation List, is a most depressing read. When I lived in South Africa in the mid-seventies, water supply was considered to be the weak link in the country’s development. Since then solar panels combined with desalination technology have been proved financially viable by Israel. South Africa has two of the three the raw materials (sun and seawater) readily available. The third (competence) is woefully lacking.
Widespread disease seems utterly inevitable now, with the consequent begging for foreign aid and loans (with strings attached) from China.
Yours etc.,
Stuart Agnew, Norfolk, U.K.
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WILD ALTERNATIVES
Sir,
I don't understand the concern over wildlife management. An area of private land far greater than Kruger is already under wild animals, where the excess herbivores are shot and the meat sold in supermarkets. Impala, kudu, springbok, even zebra. On larger properties, lions and elephants are available to hunters. Buffalo too.
Unless wildlife can pay its way, it will die out. The alternative is to shoot all the animals and turn the land over to cattle and crops.
On a populous continent of hungry people, there's no place for sentiment, or setting aside vast areas for animals just because it's "a nice thing to do".
In UK, bears, wolves and the lynx were hunted to extinction. We don't want the same thing to happen here. Thankfully the wild boar has been re-introduced to Britain.
Yours etc.,
Geoff Hill, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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CARELESS MISTAKE
Sir,
Re: Margaret Thatcher. I agree with everything which Alys Denby said about Margaret Thatcher during a recent Cambridge Union debate. However, Margaret privatised Care Homes which was a big mistake. I live in a Nursing Home and I have spent in excess of £400,000 in fees. The Care Providers regard it as a business, making enormous profits. Guy Hands, the former Chief Executive of the Four Seasons Healthcare Group has a net worth of $500 million.
Yours etc.,
Jane Webster, Bath, Somerset, U.K.
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NOW YOU KNOW
Sir,
Britain especially, and most of the Western countries put pressure on the White government of South Africa to hand over the political power to the Communist orientated ANC, which was, and still is, nothing other than a criminal terrorist gang. We have been suffering their absolute incompetence and political power abuse for more than 30 years now, and it is increasing, not diminishing. Most of us have therefore no sympathy with those countries' immigration (rather invasion) problems. Their crime rate due to the invaders' presence is nothing compared to the crime rate in SA since 1994, when many MK-terrorists were appointed in the SA Police Service.
Yours etc.,
Andries Breytenbach, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
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OBITUARY
ROBIN ARNOLD SMITH
It was with great sorrow that we recently learnt of the death of Robin “The Judge” Smith, the outstanding South African-born England middle-order batsman.
Robin Smith was born at Durban in 1963. Both of his parents had been born in the UK however, and this enabled him to qualify to play for England (South Africa had been disgustingly barred from playing international Cricket by the ICC at the time). He was educated at Northlands High School in Durban North where he proved to be a phenomenal all-round sportsman, being – in spite of his muscular size – a champion sprinter as well as a superb Cricketer. It was whilst at school at Northlands that he acquired the nickname of “The Judge” because his hair texture and colour looked somewhat like a judge’s wig, an epithet which stayed with him for the rest of his life.
Robin’s brother Chris was also an excellent Cricketer, and was selected to play for Natal during the late 1970s. This present writer was told by Bob Sambridge (a leading club cricket umpire in Natal – see June 2010 SCN) whilst watching a Currie Cup match at Kingsmead at the time: “If you think he’s good you should wait until you see his brother!”. This proved to be a prophetic observation of course, for Robin made his own first-class debut for Natal at the age of only 17 in 1980, and soon established his position as a first XI regular. In spite of the fact that he played his club Cricket for Northlands Old Boys he tended to be a habitué of Durban Collegians Club bar after matches where he socialised with other Natal team members, proving a most popular raconteur whilst displaying none of the arrogant “airs and graces” so often associated with leading sportsmen.
His career in South Africa didn’t last for long however, for in 1982 he followed his brother Chris to the UK, also joining Hampshire CCC where he became an immediate first XI selection. Six years later he further followed his brother into the England Test team, but whereas Chris only played in eight Test Matches Robin went on to play in 62 Tests for England, scoring 4,236 runs at an average of 43.67 with a highest score of 175, and taking 39 catches. He also played in 71 One Day Internationals for England, scoring 2,419 runs at an average of 39.01 with a highest score of 167*, and taking 26 catches.
Alas his international career ended in 1996 at the age of only 32. The fact that the England selectors failed to pick him again surprised most observers, but it is believed by some that his joie de vivre spirit, which was evidently not appreciated very much by the stuffy MCC establishment, was the main reason for this. His career for Hampshire continued unabated however, and when he eventually retired from the game in 2003 he had played a total of 426 first-class games scoring 26,155 runs at an average of 41.51 with a highest score of 209*, and taking 233 catches. Hampshire won two one-day trophies during his time with the county (including their first ever triumph in 1988 when Robin Smith himself scored an impressive match-winning 38 in the final against Derbyshire), and he proved a highly popular captain of the county from 1998 until 2002.
Alas, like many leading sportsmen, particularly those at the top of all-encompassing sports such as Cricket, Robin Smith found it very difficult to adjust to “civilian life” after retiring. He openly admitted in his acclaimed autobiography “The Judge: More Than Just a Game” that he “hit the bottle hard” at this time, with his marriage to Kath James and most of the rest of his life falling apart. Even though he moved to Perth, Australia, in 2007 to join his brother’s clothing company he didn’t initially overcome his problems – until he met and fell in love with a neighbour, Karin Lwin, who steadfastly brought his life back straight again. Sadly however his earlier over-indulgence caused lasting severe organ damage. After being taken to hospital for treatment to these damaged organs early last year he wasn’t expected to recover – but recover he initially did, though alas as his recent untimely death at the age of only 62 has shown this was only a “stay of execution”.
Robin Smith brought great joy to all who saw him play and to those who mixed in his social circles, and he should always be remembered for this. Our sincere condolences are extended to his partner Karin and to his children Harrison and Margaux.
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