Happy St George's Day!

[Shevchenko]

Happy St George's Day to all Muscovites, Lithuanians, Georgians, Catalans and everyone in ENGLAND.


I'm off out for a beer or ten

[mykfin]

Yes! cheers for that Shev, have a nice one yourself, in fact im going out for a couple of pints myself..... should just catch the last hour or so.

ciao

[Ronbo]

Here! Here!

Three cheers for good ole St. George!

[Shevchenko]

It was a bit sad in my town centre - a load of dipsticks from the BNP (I assume they do not know the difference between British and English) turned up to burn Islamic flags and had a handbags-at-ten-paces scuffle with the Police.
Surely national Saints' days should be apolitical.
St George being Anatolian makes it even more inappropriate.

[Babzzii]

Have you ever noticed...I bet you have...that England is the only UK
country that doesn't really celebrate their own day...I wonder why !!

[Helvellyn]

Babzzii:

Fair call, English public displays of emotion and celebration are not our style, a few quiet pints with some friends are all that's needed. To put it basically "feel the pride"

Other reasons why we dont really celebrate England doesn't exist!! If we did I wouldn't have to call my self British or drive around the continent with a GB on the number plate We would have our own parliment etc etc

Anyway in Liverpool there was a definite increase in the amount of people celebrating mainly by wearing a RED ROSE. many cars had small Cross of St George flags hanging from them. The pub we went to started and ended the night with the National anthem (Land of Hope and glory followed by God save the Queen).

[Shevchenko]

There should be a bank holiday because Ireland, Wales and Scotland have one for their Saints' days; so the residents of England are being cheated, to some extent.
As for whether or not England exists: England is a separate and independant nation and, unlike Chechnya or Catalunya, is recognised as such by the only official determining authority - FIFA

[mykfin]

Perhaps with St George`s day being so close to May day,(Bank Holiday) the government do not want the peasants to have too much time off.......... I mean who`s going to do all the work.

[Helvellyn]

Sevchenko wrote: As for whether or not England exists: England is a separate and independant nation and, unlike Chechnya or Catalunya, is recognised as such by the only official determining authority - FIFA

Aye thats true, but

In a sense England has not existed as an independant country since 1707 and unfortunately it's doesn't look like changing either.

All of Great Britain was ruled by the government of the United Kingdom between 1707 and 1999. The creation of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly left England as the only nation in the Union with no representative body.

The calls for an English Parliament are being ignored by UK Labour in favour of regional governments. Claiming that England is too large to be governed as a sub-state entity.

[Shevchenko]

True, Helvellyn, but the same could be said for Ireland and (English) Saint Patrick. Patrick is the patron saint of the Republic and the North of Ireland.
The Spectator quotes a Minister (Church, that is) arguing for George's replacement by St Alban due to his 'Englishness', and because June 22nd is more agreeable for a bank holiday.
Well, even though I am from St Albans I strongly disagree: Imagine the mess it would make of the Union Flag if George's red cross was replaced by a diagonal yellow one - euurrgghh!
St Alban's flag - the yellow diagonal cross is on a blue background - is also totally unsuitable for inscribing the name of one's football team.

'Cry God for Harry, England and... that place in Herts... by the motorway!'

-Nah!

[kathyv]

Whether you celebrated or not, I hope it was a great day and a fun party!

[click]

Gosh it's amazing what one (including me from way downunder) will learn from boards like this...you guys are a wealth of knowledge. My problem is I can't retain it all.....

adam