Offical St George's Day Thread -

[J]

No surrender.

"Ask any man what nationality he would prefer to be, and ninety nine out of a hundred will tell you that they would prefer to be Englishmen".

"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other. That word is England".

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,
I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.




NO SURRENDER - NO **** WILL EVER TAKE THE LOVE I HAVE FOR MY COUNTRY, AND I HATE I HAVE FOR OTHERS WHO DESPISE IT.

 

[pickledseal]

It's a shame, I am all for supporting St Georges Day and our ever changing notion of 'English-ness', but it gets a little ruined and tired when you start chanting 'no surrender'. We're a nation that has forever been challenged by invaders and settlers (both the Angles and the Saxons were economic refuggees!) and has forever been changing and evolving. I'm proud of that, I'm proud of all we stand for both today and in the past. I'm England through and through and very proud. I also wish our brothers and sisters in Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia a happy St Georges day too!

 

[SportBilly]

I always try and find the English tick box for forms, hate putting British. I have to agree with Pickled Seal though that although we all say we are English, most of us are in some way related to the Normans/Romans/Celts etc etc. So in reality, how English are we all.

 

[Firestorm]

I am all for celebrating our history , culture and country. I would rather it was not clouded with war mongering rhetoric.

Lets us remember and celebrate English achievements and this things which make us proud of this country. Shakespeare has already been mentioned in another thread. but we have also given the world,
The Steam engine
The printing press
(with a bit of help from various countries who have laid their hats on this sceptred isle over the years), the most Unversal of the Worlds Languages.
Football
The Beatles
Penicillin (although Louis pasteur did influence a bit there)
Isambard Brunel and Thomas Telfords feats of engineering
Probably the most respected remaining Royal Dynasty in the world (with help from the French , Germans , Dutch and just about every other European nation going, but hey we still have ours and it knocks the Spanish one into a cocked hat and who remembers the Dutch Royal familiy)

There are many many things which this country can say they have given the world (although probably Britain would have a better claim) but we should remember that, as a previously frequently invaded and more recently (last 500 years) heavily immigrated nation, we have had been ably assisted by the sons and daughters of other nations and we should not be tainting our celebrations with unwarranted xenophobia

 

[Uncle Leo]

It's a shame, I am all for supporting St Georges Day and our ever changing notion of 'English-ness', but it gets a little ruined and tired when you start chanting 'no surrender'. We're a nation that has forever been challenged by invaders and settlers (both the Angles and the Saxons were economic refuggees!) and has forever been changing and evolving. I'm proud of that, I'm proud of all we stand for both today and in the past. I'm England through and through and very proud. I also wish our brothers and sisters in Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia a happy St Georges day too!

Couldn't agree more. Stuff the 'No Surrender' malarkey and just get on with celebrating what's great about England.

A few beers in Central London, overlooking the Thames, will be how I'll be spending my evening.

 

[Desert Shrimper]

There are many many things which this country can say they have given the world (although probably Britain would have a better claim) but we should remember that, as a previously frequently invaded and more recently (last 500 years) heavily immigrated nation, we have had been ably assisted by the sons and daughters of other nations and we should not be tainting our celebrations with unwarranted xenophobia

True. Reminded me of that documentary a few years back where they traced the origins of various people, some of whom were openly racist and claimed to be "100% pureblood English" only to find that nearly all of them were a mix of various different parts of the world (as we all most likely are.) Worth watching just for the looks of horror on their narrow-minded faces!!

I would like to celebrate being English but I'm much more proud of defining the English by what we have achieved and our standing in the world....

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Happy St Georges Day One and All.

Thank You pickledseal, Sportbilly, Firestorm, Uxbridge, Desert Shrimper for restoring my faith in the true spirit of England and all who sail in her.

I'll be buying a couple of bottles of good old british ale on the way home.

 

[chadded]

It was and still is the British (so tempted to write Brittas) Empire, so I'm just as proud to be British as I am English.* I just wish that on the National Days, each of us can get trolleyed like I will this afternoon, without being stereotyped. Like everyone getting smashed on St patricks day is great, but getting beered up today and you're a drunken thug.



*OK, slight lie, but meh.

 

[number11]

I am all for celebrating our history , culture and country. I would rather it was not clouded with war mongering rhetoric.

Lets us remember and celebrate English achievements and this things which make us proud of this country. Shakespeare has already been mentioned in another thread. but we have also given the world,
The Steam engine
The printing press
(with a bit of help from various countries who have laid their hats on this sceptred isle over the years), the most Unversal of the Worlds Languages.
Football
The Beatles
Penicillin (although Louis pasteur did influence a bit there)
Isambard Brunel and Thomas Telfords feats of engineering
Probably the most respected remaining Royal Dynasty in the world (with help from the French , Germans , Dutch and just about every other European nation going, but hey we still have ours and it knocks the Spanish one into a cocked hat and who remembers the Dutch Royal familiy)

There are many many things which this country can say they have given the world (although probably Britain would have a better claim) but we should remember that, as a previously frequently invaded and more recently (last 500 years) heavily immigrated nation, we have had been ably assisted by the sons and daughters of other nations and we should not be tainting our celebrations with unwarranted xenophobia

Excellently put. There is a lot of GREAT things about England and being English and these should be celebrated today. However all this 'No surrender' rhetoric I find embarrassing, and slightly aimless. Embrace the good things and be comfortable with who we are and what we have achieved as a nation, without having to bring issues with others into it.

 

[simac21]

St George's Day celebrations tonight Kursaal Function Suite £10 a ticket
Comedian and Strippers with classic england games on the big screen!




KEEP ST GEORGE IN MY HEART KEEP ME ENGLISH
KEEP ST GEORGE IN MY HEART I PRAY
KEEP ST GEORGE IN MY HEART KEEP ME ENGLISH
KEEP ME ENGLISH TILL MY DYING DAY
NO SURRENDER NO SURRENDER NO SURRENDER TO THE IRA! SCUM

 

[sufc_tom]

Just put my England flag on the front window.

F*** THE MUSLIMS
F*** THE TERRORISTS
F*** "RACIAL DICRIMINATION"
F*** THE GOVERNMENT

ENGLAND TILL I DIE

 

[number11]

Oh the Irony. Well, I guess people can have their own little things about England they can be proud off......?? But as I, and some more eloquent posters than me above have put, why not embrace the good things rather than the hatred?!

 

[Uncle Leo]

Probably the most respected remaining Royal Dynasty in the world (with help from the French , Germans , Dutch and just about every other European nation going, but hey we still have ours and it knocks the Spanish one into a cocked hat and who remembers the Dutch Royal familiy)

The Habsurgs were truly rubbish; they in-bred themselves out of existence. I mean, look at this freak:

 

[Uncle Leo]

Just put my England flag on the front window.

F*** THE MUSLIMS
F*** THE TERRORISTS
F*** "RACIAL DICRIMINATION"
F*** THE GOVERNMENT

ENGLAND TILL I DIE

How very grown up.

 

[Uncle Leo]

This is great. Just got an 'all staff' e-mail from our social committee - free elevenses for all to celebrate St George's Day!

I'm off to get some sticky buns. So to speak.

 

[Mad Cyril]

This is great. Just got an 'all staff' e-mail from our social committee - free elevenses for all to celebrate St George's Day!

I'm off to get some sticky buns. So to speak.

Please confirm that there are suitable halal and kosher options.

No one should be omitted or left behind in 21st century Britain - it's what St. George would have wanted.

 

[Lord Football]

I will tell you what England means to me...

It is a place where people have the freedom to speak, exchange views and live in a decent society. It is a place that brought us democracy, industry, inovation and security. It is a place where you can enjoy a beer on village green watching cricket enjoying the sunshine. It is a place where over thousands of years people have enjoyed liberty and freedom. That is my England. That is what we should be celebrating today.


None of this "no surrender" bollocks, none of the jinjoism, none of the prejudice. That is what England and the English have stood against for a millenia.

 

[Aberdeen Shrimper]

I agree with FS, for me it is about the country achievements including all that FS listed and of course the longest pier in the world that has survived a few fires and drunk tug boat captain.

I sent an e-mail around the office wishing all a happy St Georges with the below pic attached although the responses I got are not really repeatable!!!

 

[canveyshrimper]

I am all for celebrating our history , culture and country. I would rather it was not clouded with war mongering rhetoric.

Lets us remember and celebrate English achievements and this things which make us proud of this country. Shakespeare has already been mentioned in another thread. but we have also given the world,
The Steam engine
The printing press
(with a bit of help from various countries who have laid their hats on this sceptred isle over the years), the most Unversal of the Worlds Languages.
Football
The Beatles
Penicillin (although Louis pasteur did influence a bit there)
Isambard Brunel and Thomas Telfords feats of engineering
Probably the most respected remaining Royal Dynasty in the world (with help from the French , Germans , Dutch and just about every other European nation going, but hey we still have ours and it knocks the Spanish one into a cocked hat and who remembers the Dutch Royal familiy)

There are many many things which this country can say they have given the world (although probably Britain would have a better claim) but we should remember that, as a previously frequently invaded and more recently (last 500 years) heavily immigrated nation, we have had been ably assisted by the sons and daughters of other nations and we should not be tainting our celebrations with unwarranted xenophobia

Good post mate and agree totally. I would also suggest (perhaps tongue in cheek) the British Empire. Imperiailist and outdated in our current world, probably. But IMO the Empire was largely a force for good for all the peoples and countries under the crown.

 

[Reg Martin]

I will tell you what England means to me...

It is a place where people have the freedom to speak, exchange views and live in a decent society. It is a place that brought us democracy, industry, inovation and security. It is a place where you can enjoy a beer on village green watching cricket enjoying the sunshine. It is a place where over thousands of years people have enjoyed liberty and freedom. That is my England. That is what we should be celebrating today.


None of this "no surrender" bollocks, none of the jinjoism, none of the prejudice. That is what England and the English have stood against for a millenia.

A great summary I think and a huge shame that some others on this thread have missed this point altogether with the 'no surrender' nonsense.