I don't know how the hell that happened - I thought I was on-line and then my mother rang sio I wasn't. Still ---

I really have no problem with the english reclaimimg a national identity - St George's Flag - St George's Day - Jigoistic English songs as long as they are done with good grace. I think that Englishness has been so closely attached to the "British" establishment that it is a difficult job and many people prefer to resort to Regions such as Yorkshire or Cornwall. I find it a worrying trend that there now seems to be a bout of nasty anti-Englishness in areas of Scotland but perhaps this is a measure of the decline of other types of sectarianism which was prevalent in central Scotland.

As for the English tradition - I find that difficult to assess. we brought our daughter up within our traditions - Scottish and Irish as we were living outside our countries- so she always knew the music, the folklore , the history and the fact that she was descended from Finn McCool. She did do English Country dancing at infant school and the Fiddle society has included many styles of music including English but other than that I can't comment on how to teach an English tradition.

Julie