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April 23, 2004
St George for England
Today is St George's Day. In case you did not know, St George is the Patron Saint of England, and has been since the return of Richard the Lionheart from the Crusades. Despite Mr Blair's cronies decreeing that England does not celebrate its Saint's Day - while the Welsh can celebrate St David, the Scot's St Andrew, and the Irish St Patrick, the English may not - we might upset some minority group if we do.
Today, and in defiance of the Labour Party's having purloined and disgraced it, I am wearing a red rose - the symbol of St George - and I wear it in his honour. The first person to ask if I have joined our illustrious leader's shower of tax consumers will get a black eye at the very least. I am wearing it for another reason as well. Today marks the 86th Anniversary of the Zeebrugge Raid, in which a small force, under the command of Vice Admiral Roger Keyes, attempted to block the entrance to the canals used by the German U-boats to access the sea from their lair in Bruge. The Raid was only a partial success, but the highest number of VC's awarded in a single engagement were won by the men who took part. Admiral Keyes and his men risked and gave their lives in the Great War for this nation's freedom from tyranny - not to have this latest generation of mealy-mouthed upstarts deprive us of our nationhood, our freedom of speech and thought, and, above all else, our pride.
Mr Straw and Mr Cooke will, alongside their Leader and the rest of their nannying nincompoops, learn to their cost that there is such a thing as an Englishman - and an English Nation and peiople - and they have just about had enough of being told that their culture, their existence and their history is to be derided.
Bring on your election - let us see what the English really feel about you, Mr Blair.
Posted by The Gray Monk at April 23, 2004 08:00 AM
Comments
Apart from red roses, what other customs are followed on St. George's day?
We all know that you drink green Guiness on St. Patrick's Day and whiskey on St. Andrews. I have no idea about St. David and St. George....
Posted by: Ozguru at April 23, 2004 04:16 AM
Hmmmm. That comment was posted before the article. Magic.
Maybe it is warm beer for St. George :-)
Posted by: Ozguru at April 23, 2004 04:17 AM
I think it should be a cup of tea, or maybe do a high tea. That is one thing that always amazed me no matter what the problem was, a cup of tea would help.
Posted by: Matthew at April 23, 2004 05:11 AM
Not sure if that is only the English but it is a good idea. I can remember my grandmother's solution to everything was a "cuppa". If you were down - have a cuppa. Over excited - have a cuppa. Working hard - have a cuppa. Being lazy - have a cuppa. Every time I see a teapot (metal of course) and smell the tea brewing, I think of her - of course, I usually drink coffee :-(
Posted by: Ozguru at April 23, 2004 05:25 AM
Well it is beer, beef and Claret for lunch for me today!
Happy St George's Day!
Posted by: Tim at April 23, 2004 05:43 AM
Bring it on! Somebody commented to me a few days ago that the warm beer thing is just a misunderstanding: the tradition is ALE served at room temperature - "beer" used to just mean ale, but is now used to mean lager by most people, hence the confusion. Warm lager is rank, while room-temp real ale is flavourful - usually a little bit fruity and nutty, much like the average Brit. Well, I'm glad I've cleared that one up.
P.S. The Monk will be pleased to hear that there are rumblings of dissent on Xfm, a London radio station, who are complaining bitterly about the lack of a St George's Day celebration. Our Mayor has allowed one measly Maypole to be erected on the day, which isn't really anything to do with St George anyway.
Posted by: VC at April 23, 2004 10:29 AM
P.P.S. From this morning's show on Xfm:
"The English have many things to be proud of; for one, we are very international. Our favourite cuppa comes from China, our favourite meal, bolognese, from Italy, and our favourite curry, from... er, Glasgow."
Posted by: VC at April 23, 2004 10:32 AM
An Anglophile will raise a cuppa to all that !!
Posted by: MommaBear at April 23, 2004 10:56 AM
Wear a red rose and fly the St George's Cross, raise a measure of good ale (at room temperature) eat beef and remember the rallying cry at Agincourt - "For England and St George!"
Yes we are an international lot, and a very tolerant lot, we need to be with almost everyone having some axe to grind against us, yet all too happy to claim the successes and the benefits of our culture.
Its good to hear on the radio today that more people than ever are wearing the rose and marking the day. Even the good old C of E is flying the St George's Cross for the occassion in my neck of the woods and there will be a service and celebration in the Cathedral at Gloucester this evening.
Posted by: The Gray Monk at April 23, 2004 11:40 AM
Which one is the St. George Cross? Obviously I know St. Andrews is the diagonal - but I don't know which is St. David and which is St. George of the two vertical crosses. If you can take a picture at the Cathedral, we can all post in on our blogs in celebration....
Posted by: Ozguru at April 23, 2004 12:39 PM
You can see a flying St. George's flag over here.
Posted by: MommaBear at April 23, 2004 07:08 PM