St. George's Day 2008.

[PeterT]

It seems to have slipped under the radar, this year; did anything happen?

 

Peter.

[Dave Rogers]

I think it got rather overshadowed by the UNESCO World Book & Copyright Day:

 

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php...ECTION=201.html

 

Oh, OK - there were a few people in Trafalgar Square too:

 

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jsbCQVk...bxGw1AD907MOA00

[Robin Madge]

"did anything happen?"

 

I wrote a new song for it.

I was just contemplating the role of St George in the various mummers plays that I know and modern values and political correctness etc. The words just tumbled into my head as I was driving home from work.

 

ST GEORGE.

 

In came in from long ago and I came from far away.

You took me to your hearts and gave to me a day.

I’ve always worn the helmet, I’ve always held the sword.

I’ve always been the champion and I’ve never asked reward.

 

CH.

Who will raide my banner, wear the red and white?

Who will keep the memory of an ancient Turkish knight?

 

I am a thing of legend, a thing of myth and sooth.

I do not deal with facts, but I am a thing of truth,

A vanquisher of evil, avenger for the right,

But who today believes in an ancient Turkish knight?

 

CH.

 

Times are not so simple as new events unfold.

Perhaps today the champion is different from of old.

Today you turn away from the fighter and his sword.

Today you want the Doctor and his mystic healing word.

 

CH.

 

So, in comes the Doctor, Healer, restoring slain to like.

He reconciles the conflict as he extracts his tithe.

But beware the Doctor’s passing, when he has had his day,

For the last to come in is Beelzebub, and he will sweep you all away.

 

CH.

 

Robin Madge

[David Barnert]

It seems to have slipped under the radar, this year; did anything happen?

 

They've been talking about nothing BUT over on the Morris Dancing Discussion List for the past week or so.

[PeterT]

I wrote a new song for it.

Did it get a debut on the night, Robin, or does it have to wait until next year?

[PeterT]

They've been talking about nothing BUT over on the Morris Dancing Discussion List for the past week or so.

I keep forgetting that there is such a site. For someone who has played for The Morris for most of the last 25 years, I have only limited interest in the topic.

[tamborileru]

In Spain, St. George (San Jorge in Spanish, Sant Jordi in Catalan) is the Book's Day, because is the day that dies Cervantes (and Shakespeare). In Catalonia, is traditions to give a book for the men, and a rose for the women. A book, a rose ("Un libro, una rosa").

 

Is traditional too to read "El Quijote" in Madrid, with a lot of famous people reading the book.

[Mikefule]

Well, we had a "dress down" day, and most of the lads came in in football shirts, left early and drank themselves into insensibility on foreign lager, if that heps.

 

Our Morris side performed to a large audience at a pub, where there were Chinese-made St. George flags on display, some people wore plastic bowler hats made in taiwan, and "Jerusalem" was on almost continuous loop on the pub stereo.

 

And a friend who went up to Manchester said there was loads of trouble in the pubs from quite early on.

 

How much celebration of St. George's day do you want in England? An Greek-born soldier in the Italian army, who lived with his mother in Israel, and who had an appalling record on conservation of endangered species, and ended up as the patron saint of Ethiopia.

[meltzer]

I went to an "alternative St George's Day" thing at the Barbican in London. Luckily the act I really wanted to see (Rachel Unthank & the Winterset -- highly recommended if you like your English folk) was on in the first half, so I didn't have to sit through Billy Bragg.

[Stephen Chambers]

I must confess that, although I'm English, I've celebrated St. Patrick's Day more over the years. Though back in 1970s/'80s London that was done in rather a less-commercialsed/"shamrockery" way - so we'd go to one of the Irish pubs in the Holloway Road for a lunchtime session, then have a "lock-in" for the afternoon until the pub was again (officially) open in the evening.

 

But since I moved to Ireland, I do try to "fly the flag" (St. George's that is) on the day. Pity I was still in America for it this year...