A well argued case Mr Cringe, well done.

I will now break one of my own bits of guidance - that people should read earlier post before they join and endlessly repeat what others have said - I feel sure you will let me know if I am doing so.

I genuinely don't understand what "being proud of England" or even "England my England" really means.

Quite a few things have happened in England in the last few thousand years and people alive know have nothing to do with, or are in any way responsible for, most of those things.

I guess most of us feel at one with those who opposed slavery and against those who favoured it. History is full of such stuff. I am not sure how pride fits into this.

Biology is what people are and culture is what they do. People in England have done lots of things so we have lots and lots of culture.

In the context of this site and folky stuff we enjoy old sings, tunes, dances and so on. They are very tiny part of our culture. As was The Compleat Dancing Master, Sonets, Music Hall, Black Face Minstrelsy, Bear Baiting, Witch Burning and general religious intolerance.

So, which bit of all this are we proud of? Pick a bit you like. But proud? Proud of it all - probably not. So what does it mean to be proud of England or English Culture?

I know what I like and I will try to give other people a chance to see and hear it.

Cheers

L in C