sonik03

I had to clip this from the self-important guff about St. George's Day on here:

"Now we have it we're planning a big celebration and have organised
all-day karaoke as part of the event. The man who is running that is
even called George and I'm sure we'll have a great time."

Would you have as good a time if his name was Mike or Steve? Karaoke
suddenly a typically-English pastime? Quick! Tell that guide who still
thinks we stop every day at 4 for tea and cucumber sarnies! Do you think we
should continue to Morris dance next Friday too?

Good luck to you all. Speaking as an Englishman, the problem in the past
regarding the lack of recognition of George's Day is that many people have been -
and maybe still are - indifferent about it. It's also been said that the English
are masters of understatement about most things and therefore have no great cultural
'need' to celebrate it. The spectre of the extreme right's association with all
things supposedly British and English has also put people off in the past.

Some English people see George's Day as a chance to expose their petty nationalistic
tendencies; of how "things were better before the Irish/blacks/Jews etc came and took
our jobs/our women etc". For a kick-off Britain and London especially was a grey
place in the post-war period; the war-worn British people had forgotten how to have
fun and there was a chronic labour shortage. People arrived from the former colonies
to work here BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT ACTIVELY RECRUITED THEM TO! Right-wing numbskulls
think it would've been better to cut off our collective noses and remain in the midst
of a labour shortage rather than get Britain moving again! How stupid can you be?!

Truth was and still is this: Britain was settled by waves of continual immigration
over hundreds of years. We are a mongrel race and we always have been.

Some see George's Day as somehow exclusive i.e you can't be English and black, or
English and Jewish etc whereas the massively-successful St. Patrick's Day bashes
every 17th March feel more inclusive.

The first Paddy's Day fest a couple of years ago in London was a culmination in
a lot of things including peace (of a kind) between the UK and Ireland, increased
investment in the Irish economy ('the celtic tiger'), a new recognition of the
vast contribution made to Britain by the Irish and a new confidence of a small
nation through successes in sport etc. It was a total package and Paddy's Day
set the seal on it.

Belonging is a strange and intangible thing: we need to belong to something
ultimately, even if that thing is a mixed bag of achivements, disappointments
and injustices. By the way, my local is having a total day of it next Friday:
the day's fun will commence with the full match video of a certain glorious
day in July 1966, followed by another day in the far east two years ago and
then a certain rugby union match in November last year. Bombardier will be
on at a special price and an Englishman from Essex will round off the evening
with songs, although Roll Out The Barrel, Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner
and Jerusalem may not be featured!

"What's this got to do with beer" you ask. Beer, as most intelligent types
know, is about more than just what it is. Like all food and drink, clothes,
homes, cars etc, it's one of many symbols of belonging.

Cheers and have a good one, jingoists!
Al