Where has England gone......

[Cynic]

Last week work had us filling in yet MORE paperwork and i noticed i could be African, Asian, Chineese, etc etc or white? Not English, British or American etc just white. Has it gone full circle here or something. Then i got this poem through from a friend of mine (a woman in her 60's if your botherd).

England, my England

Goodbye to my England, So long my old friend

Your days are numbered, being brought to an end

To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh that's fine

But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.

The French and the Germans may call themselves such

So may Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch

You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane

But don't say you're English ever again.

At Broadcasting House the word is taboo

In Brussels it's scrapped, in Parliament too

Even schools are affected. Staff do as they're told

They must not teach children about England of old.

Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw

The pupils don't learn about them anymore

How about Agincourt, Hastings , Arnhem or Mons ?

When

England lost hosts of her very brave sons.

We are not Europeans, how can we be?

Europe is miles away, over the sea

We're the English from England, let's all be proud

Stand up and be counted - Shout it out loud!

The trouble is its right.

[Airhead]

Too true mate, lets all celebrate st Georges day more. I dont know if you remember the old YOC forum when you could choose a national flag that was attached to your posts, well back when i joined there was NO England flag here...that was one of my first subjects here

[Cynic]

Too true mate, lets all celebrate st Georges day more. I dont know if you remember the old YOC forum when you could choose a national flag that was attached to your posts, well back when i joined there was NO England flag here...that was one of my first subjects here

Yes i was lurking at the time but i remember the threads.

[Airhead]

Yes i was lurking at the time but i remember the threads.

Haha, you must have been one of these then

now who were the others i wonder

[pepperami]

I`ll put me hands up...... i`m an Englishman First, then i`m a Brit and i`m proud of both!!!

and i will continue to celibrate St George`s day.

if i`m in the pub on St Andrew`s or St David`s day i dont mind raising a glass or two

[Cynic]

Haha, you must have been one of these then

now who were the others i wonder

Damn i'm outed...........

[CORRIEBOY]

I`ll put me hands up...... i`m an Englishman First, then i`m a Brit and i`m proud of both!!!

and i will continue to celibrate St George`s day.

if i`m in the pub on St Andrew`s or St David`s day i dont mind raising a glass or two

Exactly the way it should be

[kevin10529]

lets be honest...... why would you want to admit ur english?

[pepperami]

Kev?? you`ve lost me??? What?? i dont know what you mean!!!

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

Kev?? you`ve lost me??? What?? i dont know what you mean!!!

He is refering to the fact that certain southerners have a bizzare dance that involves trying to beat each other with sticks!

Nothing at all like wearing a skirt and dancing around some old swords......

or, praising to an old stomach full of ofal and seeds........

[Ttaskmaster]

Born in Scotland, but an Angeln all the way!

Nothing patriotic about it, aside from the fact that NO other nation is discouraged from celebrating their heritage.

British doesn't apply either as that's just a state, not a nation and you're only considered 'British' because some government says so.

[Old Dog]

Well although I was born in Ireland some almost 65 years ago and lived in England (Not the UK) since I was 10 years old and love this country (England) I still consider myself Irish. So what I ask myself is the matter with an English man calling him self English and celabrating St George's day. If you were born in England you are English so be proud of it.

[Ttaskmaster]

lets be honest...... why would you want to admit ur English?

Coz it means I'm not British.

He is refering to the fact that certain southerners have a bizzare dance that involves trying to beat each other with sticks!

What, Cudgel fighting? Nowt wrong with smacking someone round the head with a stick

Oh, you mean Morris Dancing?

Pah - Earliest claimed record of that is 1448, but there are no historical references proven before the very late 15th century.

Supposedly, it comes from the term Moorish and the 'Moresca' pageant which celebrates the driving out of the Moors from Spanish lands.

In short, it's a foreign thing which was imported into our culture long after the cessation of English rule in 1066 and thus not our responsibility.

If you were born in England you are English so be proud of it.

That's the distinction.

Being of a nationality (Irish, Scottish, Spanish or whatever nationality) means having a shared heritage, language, history, set of customs and beliefs with that nation and being accepted by that nation as one of them.

That's why I'm English, not anything else.

Being part of a State just means either being born there, or filling out the right forms and being admitted by the government.

That's why I'm English and neither Scottish or British.

[motojackal]

Well although I was born in Ireland some almost 65 years ago and lived in England (Not the UK) since I was 10 years old and love this country (England) I still consider myself Irish. So what I ask myself is the matter with an English man calling him self English and celabrating St George's day. If you were born in England you are English so be proud of it.

I am in a similar position, although born in England of Irish parents, I consider myself Irish. I too love England and it's people (most of them anyway).

I am pleased that the English want to have their own identity back, for far too long it has been buried under "British" which is no more than a political constuct. It is England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland that are real nations, especially in cultural terms.

One request, can I still be allowed to support England at sporting fixtures against anyone but the Irish Republic, and drink real ale? I ain't keen on Guiness.

[pilninggas]

It truly is a sad state of affairs; being English is abhorrent to the liberal-left pc brigade and as a result it has been crushed by mentality of being 'British'. I am English first, that is my nationality and my identity. I am British second, Great Britain is the name of the Island i was born on (much like some unionists, call themselves Irish, as Ireland is the name of the Island they were born in).

The English have been let down by various governments - Labour don't want to be perceived as Anglo-centric and so try to make the English British, whilst trying to brown-nose the Celtic nations. The Conservatives full name is Conservative and Unionist Party and they try not over emphasise England as they don't want to sour already-weak grass roots support in the other nations of the UK.

The truth is that most people in England are not really bothered, if asked in the street are you English? they would say yes; equally they would respond the same if asked if they are British. Maybe the apathy is a sign that most English do not have a chip-on-their-shoulder about nationality. It probably is because there is no mandate in England to reinforce nationality, unlike the other constituents of G.B.

I can only see it getting worse; none of the people who can effect a change (organise the UK as a federation of states) will do so. It would mean many politicians being 'made redundant', and lets face it turkeys don't vote for Christmas.

Imagine a Westminster that served England, a Holyrood that served Scotland, A welsh assembly that served Wales and NI assembly in Stormont directing policy in 'Ulster'. Equality taxes raised could be spent in the territory where they are generating preventing patently racist nonsense like the Barnett Formula; something i personally find very offensive.

I really hope that at some point the UK will become a Federation or will devolve into individual states and England can begin to find it's own direction; no longer will we be accused of running Scotland remotely (to be fair Scotland is over-represented in Westminster) and real identity will be affirmed to all.

Damn haven't type this much into a post in yonks!!!

[pepperami]

It`s nice to see members from all corners getting along and not turning on each other.....

personally i think it will be a Very sad day when we have to have border controls between the countries that make up the British Isles.

[Ttaskmaster]

I too love England and it's people (most of them anyway).

Really??

Strange boy.....

It is England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland that are real nations, especially in cultural terms.

Cornish too, to be fair (which I believe encompasses part of Devon, historically anyway).

They have their own language too and a few other aspects that make them a seperate cultural nation.

And they make lovely pasties

One request, can I still be allowed to support England at sporting fixtures against anyone but the Irish Republic, and drink real ale? I ain't keen on Guiness.

First one - Yeah, if you like.... Don't see why not. We'll probably lose anyway

The second one - Drink what you like, mate.

It truly is a sad state of affairs; being English is abhorrent to the liberal-left pc brigade and as a result it has been crushed by mentality of being 'British'.

[barkwindjammer]

Thats why I like this forum ,,,

oh,,what was it

yeah,,

its the cosmopolitananologisnes,,nn,,ness

[pilninggas]

Really??

Strange boy.....

Cornish too, to be fair (which I believe encompasses part of Devon, historically anyway).

They have their own language too and a few other aspects that make them a seperate cultural nation.

And they make lovely pasties

First one - Yeah, if you like.... Don't see why not. We'll probably lose anyway

The second one - Drink what you like, mate.

There are a couple of small parties vying for that very thing.

I see no problem with each nation buggering off and governing itself. I think we'd ultimately all work rather well together as a UK anyway, given our history.

I don't think it'd be so bad. It'll probably cost less to bike up to Scotland for breakfast than it would to take your car over the Dartford Bridge!!

Bit of sarky banter betwixt you and the border guards, bit of "Northan Bastid, Su'than Softie" talk and away ya go.

Ttask i am passionate about my nation as are many others, i just worry many in England are not, as its been made un-pc and children are educated to be British.

In terms of smaller parties, i voted English Democrat in the last election (EU nonsense), and i think they got 800,000 votes in England and Wales (yes, some people in the marches and Monmouth consider themselves English, due to the history). With the whole Cornwall thing, i think they would love to have devolved power, but as a Cornish Royal Marine once said to me (as a passionate Cornishman) was that they would struggle to stay solvent even if they aligned themselves with the celtic countries. However national identity must be respected so they would have to be given a decide their own destiny.

Labour still want to divide England up into devolve assemblies (their way of cutting the head off of the indepedence movement); John Prescott is a tosser!

What gives me hope is that many Celts show empathy towards the English on this. I'm glad that whatever bad blood existed in the past is still not used as weapon against the English (when i go to Germany i don't keep reminding the Germans about the 2 World Wars).

[kevin10529]

Its just not "cool" to be English. Lets not forget that the English are the biggest Warmongers in history.

Its not that "cool" to be American or German either, is it?