Subscribe in a reader

Saturday 26 April 2008

Poor old St George!

Having just taken part in a recital of English song in the week of St George's Day, this news item hit me hard:
A vicar spoke at the weekend of being "enraged" over a July date being offered for a St George's Day parade that would have been attended by thousands of schoolchildren and residents of a racially divided city.

The angry reaction of the Rev Tony Tooby, vicar of Girlington, Bradford, was backed by an MP who dubbed the change of date "madness."
It seems that the people of this country are (in Bradford) being forbidden to celebrate their national day. Most of us are too lazy to do much celebrating of St George's Day, but why should anyone stop people with the get-up-and-go to do something?

When I was a lad in Ireland, I used to get quite maudlin about the song:
"Oh Paddy dear, and did ye hear the news that's going round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground!
No more St. Patrick's Day we'll keep; his colour can't be seen,
For there's a cruel law agin' the wearing o' the Green!"
Is it now illegal for the English rose to grow on English ground? Is it our turn to sing:
No more St George's Day we'll keep; his colour can't be seen?

No comments:

Post a Comment