[jambutty]

A country’s national day should be a day that remembers a day of significant importance to the country and the all the citizens. The Americans have the 4th July as Independence Day where they celebrate the throwing off of the English shackles. Shackles is a euphemism for taxes.

England has NOTHING! Why? Do we not deserve a national day to celebrate that we are English?

The Irish have St Patrick’s day, the Welsh have St David’s day and the Scottish have St Andrew’s day but all have religious overtones and so would St George’s day for the English if we (the English) adopted 23rd April as our national day.

However, in a recent poll most people chose Magna Carta day as a national holiday and I agree with the choice over and above suggestions such as St George’s day, Battle of Britain day, Remembrance day etc.

When the Magna Carta was signed it changed the lives of all citizens or it would have done had King John and the Barons honoured their intentions.

15th June should be a national holiday to replace May Day because that has communist overtones.

An extremely short history lesson.

Runnymede Meadows, 15th June 1215. King John meets the Barons and agrees the Great Charter. Contrary to popular belief there was no need for extra time or a penalty shoot out. The Barons won fair and square in normal time.

I doubt if the Magna Carta meant much to the common man (don’t you just hate that phrase?) at the time. We were still serfs. However, it was a statement of fundamental rights making all 'freemen' bound by the law. Sadly it took several hundred years to trickle down the class hierarchy and even then was mutated and changed to favour the aristocracy, upper and ruling classes.

All 63 clauses can be found at www.britannia.com/history/magna2.html

I used to hate History at school but now in my dotage I find it fascinating. It must be an age thing.