English Patriot........I have been up to neck in baubles, fairy lights and spray snow, sad but true. In the middle of which we had to purchase a Swan Lake Barbie,not easy to find, apparently swimming off the shelves. Congratulated myself by opening the first box of chocolate covered Brazil nuts of the season, and now feeling suitably stuffed, sitting down to appreciate the twinkly grotto that was yesterday my front room.

I just think we hail from very different planes. I think of respect as something that humans earn AFTER they are born, it is not a birthright. I think of men and women as fellow humans, all deserving of the same level of respect,if earnt, regardless of where they were born, or find themselves living thereafter.

Nobody and no country is perfect, beyond reproach etc. I would not condone/defend unsocial behaviour just because it is exercised by people bearing the same passport as myself.I do not blanketly respect my fellow countrymen, I respect the individuals who make up the population, wherever they have originated from.

London has a vast transient population, which is maybe why I am not so hung up on peoples places of birth, I find the diversity refreshing and interesting.And the fact that these people are encouraged to celebrate their roots, can only enrich our lives, it is good for the soul to be reminded we are only a very small part of a very big picture.

And as for relocating??????? Why on earth would I do that? I love London and feel lucky to live here.Whenever friends from abroad visit, I am always proud to show them the sights, knowing they will be accepted and welcomed regardless of ethnic origin. I have had many wonderful times myself from Cornwall to Edinburgh, but have also seen firsthand the reactions of some "locals" in farflung corners of our green and pleasant land to visitors from overseas, and I was embarrassed and ashamed.

I do not expect you to understand or agree with me, these are my opinions, based on my experiences, and as such are as valid as your own.