In these days of politically correct Britain under President Blair where you can be Scottish, Welsh, Irish or any other nationallity except English, do you think the profile of St. George's Day should be raised and celebrated as a national day?
St. George's Day is on April 23rd, so, in a sense, this is England's national day. However, unlike other countries, England does not have celebration to mark this occasion.
We have the ridiculous situation where the Irish national day (St Patrick's Day) is celebrated and pubs are allowed extensions to their opening hours, when extensions have been refused for St. George's Day because it is stated to be of not enough importance :!:
How many of you will be flying the Cross of St. George and wearing a red rose on the 23rd April?
ME!!!!!!!!!
But then again it is my birthday on the 23rd too!
I used to live abroad and St Georges day was celebrated in great style with local Dignitaries and much merry making. All in all an excellent occasion.
The Welsh, Scots and Irish used to have a shindig on their respective national days but it was never as good as ours! :taz:
So my vote is a definite YES
Mr and Mrs davej will celebrate it in true English style and take on the guise of Bunty and Pip, jump on our cycles with a bottle of good old Ginger Beer for refreshments and cycle along leafy country lanes (singing 10 green bottles) to the local tea shop for some delicious tea and Scones for lunch, before spending a pleasent afternoon riding on a steam train.
Ah what fun and giggles we shall have.
Chins up pip pip cheerio
St Georges day falls on one of my rest days this year, so me and a few of the lads wil partake in a couple of bevvies in the afternoon. :cheers:
We sincerely hope that you will be drinking a dark ale warmed with a poker from the fire whilst admiring the colection of horse brasses hanging from an oak beamed tobacco stained ceiling, instead of one of those new fangled Europeon lager type beers Mr F.C.
It always seems silly to me that the English celebrating St Patrick's day when they have no Irish connections at all, but don't celebrate St Georges day. I think the reason may be something to do with the fact that people have been made to feel that showing pride in being English is something to be ashamed of. This has been because of the hi-jacking of English symbolism by the likes of BNP et al.
So to counter these half-witted idiots (my words and I'll stand by them) lets use St Georges day to celebrate all that is good in modern day England-the fact that I believe we are a multi-cultural society and use it show all these different communities exist together in our great like an anti-facist day,though maybe a bit strong.
My daughter,though by quirk of law is French and I shall be celebrating Bastille Day is that unpatriotic or what?
SiGo steps off soapbox
Articifer shows his patriotism on St Georges Day..
davej,
I Only drink Ale when I'm out and the pubs that I drink in tend to be old, open fires and very homely.
It must be a GREAT BIG YES from me,i wish some of the politically people would just F**k off.A lot of regiments within the Army celebrate St Georges day so should the rest of do it when there is a major football or rogby tournament on,i remember well watching world cup games with people who were really behind their team, the English team.
People should be proud be English as much as the Scots,Welsh and Irish are in the celebrations of their national saints day.
i concur MrFC a very nice pair indeed and very tasty too.
Very good Man Alive,do you think i could get 1 of those frames from B&Q or Homebase ???
Pushes Will off his soapbox...
x xx
(Lend me your soapbox Will......)
I'm proud to be English, very proud, and shall celebrate St George's Day. However, I agree with Will, and will celebrate in a modest, restrained sort of way. It will be a jug of Shropshire Lad and a plate of roast beef (I actually celebrate St George's Day several times a week).
I really love England, as I've said before, so won't go into that again. However, like Will, I'm sickened by the hijacking of my heritage by the yobs and oafs. I'm not of any particular political persuasion, but I strongly resent the claiming of the 'Red Rose' by Mr Blair's party (I suppose Lancastrians would counter, with good reason, that it was actually their symbol, but that is a complicated one). That said, there is still so much to guard, cherish and admire in the country itself, and in it's heritage. The man who has most ably summed up England, warts and all, is Bill Bryson; he got it spot on, has come back to live here, and is American.
I also agree with Will about Shakespeare. To me , he is the 'Greatest Englishman' -despite the BBC poll (the same BBC polling mechanism that put 'Vicar of Dibley' ahead of 'Fawlty Towers'!).
I wear a flat cap, my house is a 'baseball cap free zone', my offspring are 'children', I wear tweed jacket, moleskins and Oxford Brogues to town, Twickenham is hallowed turf, I like warm ale and dislike lager, I can still speak in my local dialect, my ancestors have never strayed more than a few miles from here, I detest 'upward intonation' (with a vengeance), I wish no-one harm, I will be shit on by no-one, I believe in fair-play, I believe in everyone's right to completely disagree with me, I will vote for a party pledging to ban 'trick-or-treat', I look forward to the cricket season from about Christmas, I would eat grass from the verges before I would eat 'McDonalds', I believe that an English Spring is the pinnacle of everything, everything that is except a full 'English' breakfast,
I dislike shops being open on Sunday, I buy local food, the highlight of my year is the return of the swallows, I love Tallis and Vaughan Williams, I love to fish on english rivers, I love the English poets.
So, plenty for folks to take the piss out of there.
I'm a bigoted, anachronistic, rustic old fart.
That's worth waving the Cross of at.......
Here, Here!
The swallows arrived here a few days ago - I thought they were a bit early. Got dive bombed today by one whilest walking the dog.
The flag of St George will be flying from Bilko Hall on the 23rd of April and I too care not what the local council think.
Unlike the others I love football and was almost in tears watching the patriotism during Euro 96. The sight of Wembley Stadium packed with flag waving Englishmen singing their hearts out was a sight to behold. The last night of the Proms also has the same effect.
I am proud to be English but I admire the way the Scottish, Welsh and Irish celebrate their Saints Days. If we are ever going to change the way we, the English, celebrate St Georges Day then it is up to us that do care to get out there and make ourselves heard.
hwoar: :phwoar: :phwoar: :phwoar: :phwoar: :phwoar: 
:phwoar: 
