"St George's Day" Topic

The day to be thankful if, as General Sir John Hackett once said, you have drawn the winning ticket in the lottery of life.

And if you like Shakespeare.

I'd much prefer St Alban to be the patron saint of England rather than St George. At least Alban actually lived here (and was martyred for his faith) – which is more than can be said for George.

And anyway, I would think George has his hands full being patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia as well as England!!

At least we got our own patron saint, even if we had to rob him from wales first. I didnt realise you had george on timeshare.

Amen to that, Supercilius Maximus! What's everyone up to this year? Our lot has settled on a meal out rather than going drinking after the palaver of Manchester last year.

We went out to Manchester for a pub tea and a few pints to follow, but the Police persuaded all of the pubs to close just as groups of (admittedly noisy, but harmless) people started going towards them. Sinclairs, The Wellington, Moon under Water, Ape and Apple etc. In the end we had to settle for a meal in Nandos (we were that desperate!) on the pretext that Portugal has the same patron saint. We're not risking the same this time round (which might be better or worse as a result of it coinciding with Friday night)and have booked a table at a restaurant. Don't really fancy Peri-peri chicken and chips again. Even if we do get free refills of Coke.

Note – Unless he was awful precocious, Sir John did not say that first – it was Cecil Rhodes.

Pat

Can't say I have missed the non-event for the last 40 years so shall continue by ignoring it again. Still I suppose it will sell a few beers, cards and tat.

I am particularly fond of the car flags on sale at the moment which have the word "England" on them, so the purchasers can be sure they have the right one.

Well we will go for a drink later on as usual.Our town celebrates St Georges Day every year.Happy St Georges Day!

"Still I suppose it will sell a few beers, cards and tat.

I am particularly fond of the car flags on sale at the moment which have the word "England" on them, so the purchasers can be sure they have the right one."

Although we may disagree on celebrating St George's day I agree with you wholeheartedly on that, bruntonboy. I walked past Clintons on my lunch break and saw the absolute tat they were selling. Plastic English flag cowboy hats, flags with England written across, jester hats and teddies. You really can tell that they've realised they can make a little bit more money off of the world cup merchandise they've got in the warehouse. Nothing wrong with a traditional fresh rose from the florist on the lapel and a couple of pints of Ale, mind.

With regard to the flag with England written across it, the other one that really grates me is the mass produced polyester one you see each World or European Cup. Red cross with FOUR lions in each canton, each of which is RAMPANT. It's just not on.

Did Hackett say that at all? he was Australian with an Irish Father (and don't give me any guff about being born in a stable doesn't make you a horse either

Anyway hoorah for St George! whichever bit of Palestine/trans Caucasus/mythology he came from.

My small plastic cross of St George flutters bravely in the drizzle, attached over my greenhouse in this patch of Scotland which I continue to hold whilst awaiting the arrival of the relief forces from south of the border.
On 2nd thoughts, perhaps the chosen location for the flag is a tad unfortunate, given the accuracy of the local neds with their catapults! :-(

To be fair I really have nothing against St George/England or the day itself. I am just not personally interested. Whilst I can see St Paddies day for example as being a traditional celebration (much encouraged by the licenced victuallers trade of course) I just can't see St George's in the same way. It all seems a bit "me too" and commercially driven for my tastes at best and at worst an excuse to have an anti-Scots/Welsh/Irish celebration. I may be wrong of course, but many I know are quite open about it. Sad really.

Of course as I don't fully consider myself English either than that may explain my apathy as well.

From wikipedia:

"[T]here have also been calls to replace St George as patron saint of England, on the grounds that he was an obscure figure who had no direct connection with the country. However there is no obvious consensus as to whom to replace him with, though names suggested include Edmund the Martyr, Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, or Saint Alban, with the latter having topped a BBC Radio 4 poll on the subject."

I don't see why St George's day should have to be seen as being in opposition to anyone (although I concede it often is). It's just a slightly bizarre (like all patron saints) embodiment of the abstract concept of the nation state (itself an artificial post renaissance construct). Have a drink and enjoy it!

If England win the World Cup on 11th July then I think we should replace Saint George with Saint Fabio

the above – happy St George day from down under (from me, at least).

The day to be thankful if, as General Sir John Hackett once said, you have drawn the winning ticket in the lottery of life.

I though St. Patrick's Day was last month?

I didnt realise you had george on timeshare.

I didn't either. Busy fella, isn't he?

"It all seems a bit "me too" and commercially driven for my tastes at best and at worst an excuse to have an anti-Scots/Welsh/Irish celebration."

Fair enough, brentonboy. I can see where you're coming from especially with the way some councils are pushing it at the moment. Manchester is a prime example really. They have a parade for the sake of having a parade, but have to make up the numbers with things as English as the belly dancers club, Jamaican steel drum association and a few Bagpipe bands. All of which I'm in favour of taken seperately, but put them together under and English flag and selling themed rubbish at the bottom of Oldham street while they go past doesn't do it for me. I suppose then I agree with you; all for the traditional aspects, less so the council manufactured celebrations that aren't particularly English at all.

"What's everyone up to this year? "

Working, then wargaming. And drinking tea :)

How do you take your tea?

Probably for the same reasons that it's entirely acceptable for the Scots and Welsh to talk about nationalism and independence from the Union, whereas for the English it's seen as distasteful and jingoistic.

Same old post war Britain. A sour marriage in which the Scots get to talk about leaving (whine, gripe, moan), and the English are expected to persuade them not to go. I'd vote for SNP if they put up a candidate in Wimbledon.

As for it being acceptable for the Irish to have their national day but for the English one to be shunned (and this is within England), what a load of b$$$$$$$s!

My small plastic cross of St George flutters bravely in the drizzle, attached over my greenhouse in this patch of Scotland which I continue to hold whilst awaiting the arrival of the relief forces from south of the border.

Fear not, I shall be there tomorrow

We're celebrating by going out for a curry. You can't beat traditional English food.

Don't forget about the Cornish. We still have several axes to grind with England and will not be flying The Bloody Banner / The Butcher's Apron. Admittedly we haven't invaded for a while (it never seems to go terribly well when we do – e.g. 1549, 1497) and with the Tamar Bridge toll going up to £1.50 GBP it may be prohibitively expensive to do so again.

Earl Grey leaves, par-boiled and then strained (with a wide strainer) into a teapot.

Strained again when served, but with a slice of lemon.

Bloody hell, plutarch! That is going to town. I thought I was going for it by putting a few mint leaves into the pot with the teabags.

Sounds lovely though.

Funnily enough I have just seen a poster in the village Post Office for tonight's St George's day do….a bleeding Bavarian Oompah band complete with lederhosen and promising a selection of England football songs to sing along with.

Beggars belief.

Still all you guys enjoy yourselves with your celebration, whatever you get up to.

Of course we don't do St Kentigerns up here so we'll have to pass on the National County knees up.

Worse news is that my neighbour has just returned and parked his ostentatious Jag right under my lounge window. Attached to it- two of those nasty plastic oppressors flags.

Bah, Humbug.

I've got a Jaguar. It's not an ostentatious, it's a diesel.

You'll be relieved to know that it doesn't have any flags flying from it or stickers attached to it advertising my affiliation to…well, anything.

Anybody going to do some Morris dancing to celebrate the occasion?

Morris Dancing?

Who's he?

Anybody going to do some Morris dancing to celebrate the occasion?

Not personally, but I'll be performing the Herga Mummers' Play link in Pinner High Street on Sunday and I think the Merrydown Morris will be there too.

I'll be wearing the St George's shield badge they gave away at Salute a few years ago. 'bout the only time I've ever found a use for one of their giveaways.

@ bruntonboy

Now here's a strange thing.

I was captain of St Kentigern's second XI (when I was fifteen years old) at school in New Zealand.

And I got that straight from school in Wolverhampton, having moved there from Oz.

Speaking as a Scot may I wish you a pleasant St. George's Day, and may you enjoy his favourite meal of falafel.

Mikasa take a hug and enjoy your national identity, it doesn't bother us. (Confusing British and English as being the same does, but that is something different)

So have a beer, relax and do whatever it is you do to celebrate.

Not all Jags are ostentations, there again not all are owners are pompous ear-holes either. My neighbour though….

I think the Merrydown Morris will be there too.

Isn't Merrydown the place where the hobbits live?

Morris dancing hobbits sounds wonderful!

And I drove a Maserati – but I never considered it ostentatious.

As if….

"How do you take your tea?"

As a Colonic, while I am drinking coffee.

My son's birthday is 23rd April (and he's not called George)…..nice of you all to help him celebrate.
I was led to believe fhe flags thing is about licensing. To do a straight St George's flag you have to a licensed flag maker, if you write "England" across it or otherwise similarly modify it you don't need the license. You also need planning permission to fly a recognised national flag. Of course this could all be bo**ocks.

As for it being acceptable for the Irish to have their national day but for the English one to be shunned (and this is within England), what a load of b$$$$$$$s

That's a bit strange alright. It's even stranger to me that pretty much everybody wants to get in on the St. Patrick's Day thing. We can't help being cool, I suppose.

Anyway, I hope you and every other English TMPer enjoys St. George's Day, however and wherever you reckon it ought to be celebrated.

We're celebrating by going out for a curry. You can't beat traditional English food.

Well then, in the spirit of transnational niceness I believe that I too will give Oul' George a few props and have a curry later tonight.

I'll probably have to draw the line at Morris dancing, though. I think that's like a Class 2 felony or something over here.

You also need planning permission to fly a recognised national flag.

I say, old bean, that sounds like a peculiarly English practice too.

Re "You also need planning permission to fly a recognised national flag.
I say, old bean, that sounds like a peculiarly English practice too."

That only applies if you want to fly it permanently. Otherwise you can fly it up to 28 days in any onee year. just a quirk of the planning law. (Sorry, once Chair of a Planning Committee…..)

I'll probably have to draw the line at Morris dancing, though. I think that's like a Class 2 felony or something over here.

If it's not then it damn well ought to be.

Yup, the flag thing applies to the flagpole in which case you need planning permission.

We're celebrating by going out for a curry. You can't beat traditional English food.

There was a piece on the radio today about someone putting on a British curry event in India.

As as a Scot I like St George's Day, but only because it's my birthday. Hope all you English types enjoy the day too.

And I like Morris dancing – it's a first class laugh.

Yup, the flag thing applies to the flagpole in which case you need planning permission.

So it is OK to fly a flag if you don't fly it on a flagpole?

And as for flying the flag, I am somewhat reminded of this:

YouTube link

We should go back to having St. Edmund as our patron saint.

He did at least live here…..

Three crowns I say, not three lions! Enough of this Norman cobblers!!!!

Was that Edmund Ironsides?

If so then that is a much butcher name for a saint than George

"Was that Edmund Ironsides?"

No, Edmund the Martyr (died 869) buried at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (surprisingly enough).

I still think Alban has the better claim. He was the FIRST Christian martyr within these shores.

Edmund has the advantage of previously having had the job….and Alban wasn't English.

Happy St Georges Day to all in England. Personally my choice would be for a National Day in Britian rather than celebrating an obscure Saints day in Scotland England or Wales, Waterloo or Trafalgar day anyone??