[Closed] Today, if you're English...

so many people have a downer on england, if you don't like the place, leave, please, it'll do us all a big favour

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so many people have a downer on england, if you don't like the place, leave, please, it'll do us all a big favour

I love England, it's a great place to live - doesn't mean I have to wave flags around and shout about our football team does it?

lovely rant from spongebob - especially when he uses England and Britain as synonyms!

I actually think english patritism is a really difficult area - and the St Georges cross needs to be reclaimed from the xenophobes and racists.

However when folk ( very few on this thread) use England and britain as synonyms its very annoying . WW2 not the English fighting - it was the brits. The spitfire is a British Plane - not english. Chicken Tikka masala was invented in Scotland.

There is an element of wanting it both ways and what is England is hard to define? Its such a broad thing - from the mills and industrial heritage of the north to the village greens of the south. The celtic heritage of the cornish to the vikings on the east coast. The University towns and the mining towns.

Scotland and wales as minorities can define themselves by what they are not and in the main nationalism was not hijacked by the far right.

continue to reclaim a pride in being English - but make it a pride in the liberal freedom loving English - not the nationalistic fascist ones.

grum - Member

I love England, it's a great place to live - doesn't mean I have to wave flags around and shout about our football team does it?

Quick call redwatch I think we got a commie

our football team is nothing to shout about

So... because a Spitfire was once used on a BNP poster, we must now expunge it from our national identity, should we?

I put the picture up because its a masterpiece of design that is an object of beauty. The fact it kills people is neither here nor there. And i certainly wasn't celebrating that

Anything else we need to add to that list then? Could one of you members of the internet PC police force have a look through all the BNP literature and let me know what else I shouldn't be making reference too please

Thanks

continue to reclaim a pride in being English - but make it a pride in the liberal freedom loving English - not the nationalistic fascist ones.

amen to that

the megatron is in england...

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proper engineering.

I actually think english patritism is a really difficult area - and the St Georges cross needs to be reclaimed from the xenophobes and racists.

Completely agree, Billy Bragg made a good point that the UAF and SWP should wave The Union Flag and the St Georges Cross at counterdemonstrations against the EDL/BNP to show that they're not 'anti Britain/England' as these groups so often claim.

Lot of miserable people on this thread.

Heads to the pub for a pint of Spitfire....

Hear hear TJ. Time to reclaim English nationalism from the idiots.

The spitfire is a British Plane

Designed by an man born in Staffordshire, and built in Southampton.

You're right about Tikka Masala, my mistake. Learn something new everyday.

We mean it, maaaaan...

There is an element of wanting it both ways and what is England is hard to define? Its such a broad thing - from the mills and industrial heritage of the north to the village greens of the south. The celtic heritage of the cornish to the vikings on the east coast. The University towns and the mining towns.
Scotland and wales as minorities can define themselves by what they are not and in the main nationalism was not hijacked by the far right.

I think the thing that defines Englishness (is that a word?) is exactly that. The blending of 1000's of years of history that make us what we are today. The Norman, Celtic and Viking elements, the introduction of other cultures into our own, like the West Indians of the 40's and onwards, the sub continent cultures of the 70's (some are more English than the English!). Our dark and satanic mills, cricket on a village green, our engineering brilliance (as far as I can see no one has used WW2 to symbolise anything English (it was, after all, a [i]world[/i] war), but certainly the spitfire is very much an English icon. I love all parts of being English.

continue to reclaim a pride in being English - but make it a pride in the liberal freedom loving English - not the nationalistic fascist ones.

I couldn't agree more, and that's exactly the point of this thread. But the more people who tell us that we have to do this, or point out how the likes of the BNP have hijacked our identity just detract from this, imo.

hainey +1

So... because a Spitfire was once used on a BNP poster, we must now expunge it from our national identity, should we?

Didn't say that, but it's interesting that it seems to be such a big cultural touchstone. Don't think you can argue that's just to do with engineering.

And sorry but to me patriotism and xenophobia are part of a continuum. Most people I know (not necessarily excluding myself here) can get pretty xenophobic watching an England match. Depends how far you take it really.

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So much more classy than a stretched Hummer

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Stirling Moss sliding an Aston

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[b]English[/b] Electric Lightning.

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It wouldn't be so green if it didn't rain so much.

I really would strongly argue that the spitfire is a british icon!

TJ,

I don't think you need to argue with anyone (for a change). If you believe it is a British Icon then great, have fun. End of. Yawn.

why is it if the Paddies show pride in Ireland they're Patriotic, same for the Taffs and the Sweaties, but if an Englishman is patriotic, we're being xenophobic

Phhhhhhhhhhh.

Anyway. Back on topic.

Billy Wobbledagger 🙂
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And some more typically English food 🙂
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Happy St Georges Day, enjoyed the thread but why get wound up by those that want to sabotage it, talk of BNP etc just dont bite folks.

Great photos thanks for those who posted. Roast beef and Yorkshires, Astons, Rollers, Harriers, Lightings and the Spitfires,Cricket, Awesome.

British by Birth English by the Grace of God. 😉

why is it if the Paddies show pride in Ireland they're Patriotic, same for the Taffs and the Sweaties, but if an Englishman is patriotic, we're being xenophobic

Liking the irony.

gonefishin.................i thought someone might

Ah scones, more likely to be Scottish or Welsh than English though.

These kind of examples just show how silly the whole thing is imo - the concept of 'Englishness' is invented.

but if an Englishman is patriotic, we're being xenophobic

I'm hoping that was a joke, but if not - maybe it's because English people often [i]are[/i] being xenophobic?

you could say the same about Irishness, up until 20 years ago it was a 3rd world country, then all of a sudden it became trendy to be irish, good bit of PR by Guinness that

Some people on here really need to visit the doctors and get some Happy pills or a pint of good English Ale inside them. (some discharge from ICI will come on and tell me Ale was invented in wherever now) Mongtards. 😉

I was told by an Irish person that St Patrick's Day isn't actually that big a deal over there and it's mainly just Guinness marketing that's made it a big deal elsewhere?

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anokdale...........i'm just bored at work so thought i'd try and cheer meself up

One Englishman, an idiot; two, a sporting event; three, an Empire. 😀

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Clash - This is England[/url]

Happy St George's day, wherever you're from!

What about some English art?

My personal favourite, LS Lowry
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And you don't get much more English than Constable
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Or an E-Type Jag
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OK, maybe not art as such, but automotive art at least! 🙂

built in Southampton

But I'm not celebrating some bloke called George. It's merely a day to celebrate being English, and the (what should be) proud traditions, [b]mythology[/b] and cultural heritage that goes along with that

English identity needs to be reinvented and focused on "Englishness" - you could all start by reinstating your proper patron saint rather than some invented bloke from the eastern Med.
The number of dissenting threads should illustrate how people feel about the English subsuming everyone else's identity and using British / English as interchangeable - they're not.

Nothing repreents this arrogance more pointedly than the playing of the British National Anthem for the English team during the six nations.

Think you will find some spitfire engines were made here (Photos courtesy of the Lufwaffe)
http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=44224
(Glasgow)
Happy St Georges day anyway.

There must be lots of better choices one could make to celebrate the wonderful English nation?

For a lot of people, obviously not, else they wouldn't have posted it. 🙄

If you disagree then thats fine, you're choice. Best of luck.

I was going to make reference to my favourite painting: Turners, The Fighting Temeraire.

Its stunning in reality. Go to the Tate Britain and have a look

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However. Its got a warship in it and therefore my mentioning it would immediately mark me down as xenophobic and possibly a member of the BNP 😉

The whole problem with Englishness and being English is that it usually descends into a fight or just something unpleasant. The right intentions are there but a few beers and some sunshine and suddenly everyone acts like a c0ck.

St George has Nothing to do with the mythology of these islands.

English identity needs to be reinvented and focused on "Englishness" - you could all start by reinstating your proper patron saint rather than some invented bloke from the eastern Med.

Who's our 'proper' patron saint? And why do we need a patron saint anyway?

I'm still campaiging for Alfred the Great Day.

rkk01 - Member
Nothing repreents this arrogance more pointedly than the playing of the British National Anthem for the English team during the six nations.

FFS use Jerusalem - that is about England and whats more its about the whole of England - not just the southern bit! Its even fairly stirring

Toomanybikes, same here re work and the English football team but that goal by Paul Gascoigne at Wembley come on that was as good as it gets IMHO

Binners and Peterpoddy - Quality paintings.

anokdale......oh yes, that Gascoigne goal was great, i do have to admit that

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Happy St. Georges Day everyone.

"To be born an Englishman is to win the lottery of life."

Loving the landscape pics guys. This green and pleasant land at this time of year when everything nature is exploding into life is second to non.