[Eric]

Just found this in the local rag .. can't find the damn link for it but I will type it in:

Londoners gathered yesterday in Trafalgar Square beneath statues of imperial lions and military heroes to celebrate England's patron saint - a third-century Turkish soldier who supposedly had the power to slay a dragon but likely never set foot in Britain.

Little wonder the English have an identity crisis.

April 23 is St. George's Day. England's national day. But it's not a public holiday and for decades it passed largely unnoticed - a far cry from it's Irish counterpart, St. Patrick's day

"We tend to be a bit more reserved. It's an English trait," said Janis Whincup, who attended the Trafalgar Square celebrations with a red and white St. George's flag draped over her shoulders.

That may be changing - St. Geroge's Day is experiencing a revival, as is the idea of Englishness itself.

Outside the realm of sport, English patriotism and the flag of St. George long were shunned by liberal-minded Britons, regarded as the preserve of right-wing "Little Englanders" steeped in nostalgia and a mistrust of foreigners. Politicians promoted the notion of Britishness - and amalgamated identity open to native and foreign-born citizens, and to English, Welsh, and Scottish allike.

But with the devolution of political power from London to Scotland and Wales - both of which have gained legislatures and a new assertiveness in the last decade - that British identity has begun to fray.

The English make up 50 million of Britain's 60 million inhabitants and many feel it's time they celebrated their heritage -If only they can agree on what it is.

English people aren't proud enough of their own country," said Pamela Ealham, a 75-year old retiree. "We're English; we should celebrate it."

Politicians have begun to embrace Englishness. For the first time on the Sanit's day, the St. George's Cross flag flew yesterday above 10 Downing Street

There are signs of an unofficial revival too. Pubs across the country planned celbratory roast beef dinners. Party supply companies reported a sharp rise in sales of red-and-white hats and streamers.

But the flag remains, especially for immigrants and ethnic minority Britons a touchy symbol. There were few flags on display at the offically sanctioned Trafalgar Square celebration, which foucussed on English food.

Debate rages about what it means to be English. Is English culture Morris dancing or Britpop? Are the English and Anglo-Saxon race or a polyglot nation based on waves of immigration from Vikings and Normans to Indians, Pakistanis, Poles and Lithuanians?

Traditional English nationalists tend to be wary of immigration and skeptical of closer ties with Europe. But a new breed of "civic nationalists," including writer Paul Kingsworth, favou embracing multiculturalism and membership in Europe. In a recent article for the New Statesman, Kingsworth called it patriotism "attached to place not race, geography not biology."