Never Mind All This Car Nonsense

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

Today is an important day...... :thumbsup:

jimbo · Apr 23, 2012

Clue us Yankees in, would you, Keith?

IanAnderson · Apr 23, 2012

I recon it's a fond memory of when he first kissed his first wife aka "The Dragon" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

jimbo said:
Clue us Yankees in, would you, Keith?

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w

unctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w

oNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w

ontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w

ontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w

ontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w

ontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->Gladly Jim. Do you want the long or the short version? This is the short version. April 23rd is St George's Day, the patron Saint of England. The fact that he is a Saint in around 17 other countries is by the by. St Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, for example was Welsh.

What matters I suppose, is that many of us were brought up to be "British" rather than "English" - Britain being the Act of Union between Scotland and England and Great Britain being the amalgamation of England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It is an area which many Americans find confusing and not without good reason, thus they have always equated the national flag of England with the flag of Great Britain.

This is fine until we entered the period of "National Awareness" a phenomena largely highlighted by the contemporary Balkan Wars and events in Chechneya.

Suddenly everyone wanted to celebrate their national heritage, despite the irony of EEC efforts to combine us into a Federal Europe.

More recently of course came the issue of Welsh devolution, Scottish Independence plus the receded threat of civil war in Northern Ireland, where a majority of the population wanted to maintain union with Great Britain whilst the remainder loosely wanted the region to become politically reunited with Eire (I am purposely not getting involved with any religious or political issue - just the simple fact of a percentage for and against)

OK that roughly brings us up to date. St Georges Day has never really been celebrated because, as previously stated, we English were happily morphed into "British" for many centuries and had no awareness of what exactly being "English" actually was.

Our erstwhile national "Partners" which make up the Union (as in United Kingdom) and many other nation's on this Earth however, including, I have to say, but not limited to, Americans, Australians, South Africans, French etc., seemed in no doubt that the "Bastard English" were (and still are) responsible for probably 99% of the world's ills including events that transpired long before England was a nation.

Ironically, Germany has a soft spot for us which is not unexpected as probably 50% of our 'mongrel' make-up could be said to be either Germanic or Norse in make-up.

These events have not been assisted by the rise of the world "blame culture" which seeks to place blame everywhere for past events out of context on other nations and people.

So, basically, the English are an isolated people in a pariah state with no sense of "being." For example, we do not even have a national dress unlike the Scottish Irish & Welsh.

What's to be done? There has been a resurgance of "Englishness" in recent years and a movement to heavily promote St Georges Day. It hasn't worked at least only in fits and starts, and one of the reasons is that the English Flag is viewed as a racist symbol in many quarters. Ironic to contemplate that whereas the English flag symbolises repression but the Scottish flag equates to "freedom".

This news item goes some way to illustrate the dilemma we face:

BBC News - Sussex Police defend handling of Brighton nationalist march

So, there we are. A "Nation" without an anchor. I for one am proud of being English, even at the point of violence against my person which I could certainly expect in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

So, I am proudly celebrating St Georges Day in the hope that eventually, England can become a nation in it's own right once more, having given the world so many positive things over the past 10 centuries.

There is is from my personal and hardly educated viewpoint Jim, but doubtless you will also hear desperate tales about the "Bastard English" from other sources before this day is done.

Sunder Katwala: It's time for an English national anthem from England's rugby team Comment

I'll bet it wasn't the answer you were expecting Jim!

Ian, it was her mother, and I swear I never kissed her...:shocked:

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

Re: Spelling. Of course, I have another excuse! :laugh:

I am undoubtedly a retard!

And it's time I got up...

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

This probably very uncessessary but on reading my rant again, I realise that I may inadvertantly, have introduced another confusing element and that is the term "United Kingdom" or UK, a term very much in use everywhere.

It is a short version of:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland **

So I would like to correct an inaccuracy in my previous statement (see? I confused myself - what chance has anyone else got?)

Britain is England & Scotland

Great Britain is England, Wales & Scotland

United Kingdom is as**.

Paul B · Apr 23, 2012

Go for it Keith!!
rockonsmilerockonsmilerockonsmilerockonsmilerockonsmile
BTW Can one be proud to British & English :huh::huh:

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

Paul B said:
Go for it Keith!!
rockonsmilerockonsmilerockonsmilerockonsmilerockonsmile
BTW Can one be proud to British & English :huh::huh:

It would seem pretty pointless Paul if the other "partners" in the enterprise don't want to be involved with us.

Sad, but true I'm afraid.

So, under the present climate I would say no, not really achievable. This situation may of course change if the Scottish people vote for continuing Union in the upcoming referendum.

Most English tend to say "to hell with them" but that's a knee jerk emotional reaction. There is much to be gained for all by maintaining the Union. Most astute Scots I know feel the same way, but with that slippery snake Salmond at the helm, who knows which way it will go?

Until then, my friend, it's "England for The English!"

(And that includes anyone born here whatever their creed or colour)

blueovalz · Apr 23, 2012

Keith1 said:
Gladly Jim. Do you want the long or the short version?

The long version please.

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

Sure Terry.

This is a good place to start...a couple of thousand years of history to get you warmed up:

The History of England, Volume I by David Hume

From the first Invasion of Julius Caesar in 55BC to the 'Glorious Revolution' in 1688 by DAVID HUME, ESQ.
Downloadable from:

Online Reader - Project Gutenberg

There's a few more volumes, but it's a start

But, somehow I suspect that's not what you actually meant...

jimbo · Apr 23, 2012

Very interesting, I have to say. I had no idea on all this. But it makes sense, at least as much as anything does these days.

As far as the English flag being a symbol of repression whereas the Scots flag symbolizes freedom. well, I like the Scots as well as anyone, but they do seem to get a mulligan on a lot of things. For example, Scots are considered thrifty if they bargain... where, as a Jew, if I do it, I'm just a stingy bastard, or cheap.....

So, happy St. George's Day to you, Keith. Go out and slay a few dragons, and then slay a few pints as well.

Keith1 · Apr 23, 2012

Cheers Jim! In the dying moments of St George's Day, I would like to highlight other nonsenses in the National scheme of things.

On 2012 Census Form I could be anything, but I could not be English. I could have been Irish, I could have been Scottish but I could not have been English.

The Scots can vote on purely English matters, but English cannot do the same in Scotland.The Irish (Eire) can vote in our elections, but the English cannot vote in theirs.

The Powers have obviously deemed us as British whilst recognising that other "British" of the partner nations can actuality have their own national identities.

We therefore, as English, have no official identity.
I cannot wave my flag in any multi ethnic area of Britain without being attacked for being a racist.
I cannot claim my English birth on many official documents.

I would like to start a movement called "The English Front" but I fear I would be murdered by "anti-facists".

This is all true.

Mark Pickford · Apr 24, 2012

100% behind you Keith, infact by your side. It has irked me for many, many years, that I cannot be English on official forms etc. I personally welcome the continued Union of GB, but I want to be recognized as English FIRST, and British second.

Keith1 · Apr 24, 2012

St George’s flag is a racist symbol says a quarter of the English - Telegraph

IanAnderson · Apr 24, 2012

Actually I remember flying international a while back.
Going into South Africa I had to fll in an arrival form (Strange I thought as I was only in transit an never leaving the "departure" lounge area)
Anyway as country I put UK
Immigration person said UK was not a country
So I crossed out and said Great Britain (I had a British passport)
Immigration person said no that is not a country
So I put England
He was happy

But then I said I did not have an English passport I had a British Passport (Remember the good Blue ones from the past?) that actually refers to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

He had a sense of humour failure at that point in time as he was looking at my paper airline ticket and said you are in transit and do not need to fill in these forms. But should go through the door to the right. I said where exactly and he said over there and pointed to a door / escalator that was dug up as they were changing the airport layout.
I asked how as there was now no way through?

I was escourted through the case retrieval area, staff area and back to the other side by armed security!

I suppose he was also having a bad day and I was not helping!

Ian (Who should never be let out in public)

Keith1 · Apr 24, 2012

It was because you were English mate!

(And therefore a smart arse ricist)

Obvious innit...

IanAnderson · Apr 24, 2012

Stop Swearing!
Scottish blood only in my veins!

Just to damp and cold up there for my liking

Just remember whatever flag is flying it is always a white flagpole that hold it up!

Keith1 · Apr 24, 2012

OK McSmartarse! :laugh:

If Salmond and his gang win the referendum, you will be REPATRIATED

(at your own expense, natch)

Nick Brough · Apr 24, 2012

HE IS AN ENGLISHMAN - Australian version

HE IS AN ENGLISHMAN - Australian version - YouTube

Keith1 · Apr 24, 2012

You got me Nick! Being the Australian version I was breathlessly waiting for the punchline!

And there wasn't, but it was a fair version for all that. Thanks.

Vis a vis confusion re: English VS British, this piece completely highlighted the issue with the display of the British flag whilst "He is an Englishman" was playing.

All the more ironic in that the ensign of the 'British Navy' is essentially the Cross of St George (of England) with a tiny Union flag in the corner they could have shown that!

Never Mind All This Car Nonsense

Keith

Jim Rosenthal

Ian Anderson

Keith

Keith

Keith

Paul Brameld

Keith

Terry Oxandale

Skinny Man

Keith

Jim Rosenthal

Keith

Mark

Keith

Ian Anderson

Keith

Ian Anderson

Keith

Nick

Keith

Similar threads