St George's Day. What are you doing?

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 03:42 AM

Who wrote that...!

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 03:41 AM

Jukie B and I will be celebrating tonight, two days late, at Bedford FMC. We have a few stirring patriotic songs lined up (it may be drivel, but by God, it's British drivel!)

Anyone recognise this?
Daddy Neptune one day to Freedom did say
"If ever I lived upon dry land
The place I would hit on would be little Britain."
Said Freedom, "Why, that's my own island!"

Ho wrote that, then?

Steve

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: mouldy
Date: 25 Apr 02 - 02:21 AM

Well it arrived a day late for April 23rd, but it helped me get through shifting tons (literally) of topsoil onto the garden...my copy of "Grandson of Morris On" arrived from Amazon, so I got the 2 other earlier albums out as well and gave the neighbours a treat!

Andrea

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Gareth
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 06:58 PM

I raised the subject at the "Olde Royal Oak" Ystrad Mynach last night,
and we drank to :-
"The Dragon"
And the sucess of the football teams (Soccer)of 1/. Nigeria, 2/. Sweden. and 3/. Argentinia.

What a pity that an honourable flag, the Cross of St George, has been hijacked by 1/. Lager Louts, and 2/. Extream Right wing fanatics.

However it is also worth noting that St George's day also marks the 'Zeebrouge Raid!' (sp)in 1918. An attempt to block and destroy the exit from the inland submarine pens to the North Sea.

And at least the White Ensign is the Cross of St George defaced (correct term) by the Union Flag in the top left canton.

Gareth

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 06:36 PM

Les B

I listened to all of it too, because of the spoken as well as sung contributions from the icons, and because it wasn't the usual MOR. We even got Joseph Taylor. It's just that I don't think the items selected would have grabbed me if I was a teenager, or even under 30. I'm just trying to remember what it was about the icons (eg Watersons, Young Tradition, Carthy & Swarbrick, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Albion Band) that captivated me when I was younger, and I think it was the oomph, not the dirginess...

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST,LesB(uk)
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 05:44 PM

Interesting about the Mike Harding show, I don't normaly listen to all of it. I did this time because I thought it was the best one i've heard. I enjoyed the contributions from the 'icons', Dave Burland, Roy Bailey, Maddy Prior, etc, and rejoiced in not having to listen to M.O.R. country songs and over hyped, squeaky voiced, young ladies.
Still you can't please all of the people all of the time.
Les Brown

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 04:54 PM

I just listened to Mike Harding who devoted tonight's programme to English music (well, songs actually, not music). And very dirgy and miserable it was too (especially those icons of English folk, Shirley Collins, Watersons, Coppers, Richard Thompson). The Nic Jones track from Unearthed was ace though.

Kitty

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 03:46 PM

My Guru (?) you should have come to Benington and been educated. Our lovely landlord often provides FREE beer for performers, but last night he laid on a feast of bangers and mash for allcomers.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 08:50 AM

Alanww: popular misquote, it should read "And did those feet in ancient time", i.e. time (singular)

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST,Hille
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 03:35 AM

Wednesday now - but spent yesterday going to a family funeral, getting lost and a return journey that could take 6 hours on a good run turned into 11 hours driving. Possibly it didn't help deciding to head north from the South Coast and taken a straight line thru London and getting gridlock in the City for hour and a half - somewhere as I was beating my head against the steering wheel in frustration an emigrant to this country (didn't pick up where from ) was declaiming on BBCR2 how the English being a nation of oppressors absolutely should not be allowed to glory in celebrating their patriotism - Apparently, only oppressed nations like the Irish who have fought for independance should be allowed to do it. Apparently, we should quietly celebrate the qualities of life we do best - like giving as an immigrant, like him, as he freely admitted, a good standard of educational and employment opportunity (which was a bit of an own goal to any racist listening I'd have thought)

I'm afraid I had to switch him off - I have rarely found anything more blatantly offensive in my life (although steaming in a car with an outside temperature of 24C probably didn't help *G*)

Hille (descendant of Welsh, Italian, German, Spanish and French Hugenot immigrants and Arsenal Football Team founder)

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 02:40 AM

Someone I used to go out with was forever traumatised by being picked to stand at the bottom of the maypole and be tied up by the ribbons. He had screaming nightmares about it for months afterwards and was always very twitchy around May day.... he would still have bad dreams.... serve the violent little shit right.

It's a grand tradition, Mouldy! Keep it up and make sure you make at least one child wet itself with fright!

LTS

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: mouldy
Date: 24 Apr 02 - 02:36 AM

I know I'm a day late, but I spent some time around midday on 23rd April trying to coach a motley band of kids into some semblance of maypole dancers - and I have never done it or taught it before! I also gave them a short homily on the shameful lack of interest and the ridicule the English seem to have for their own traditions. I have a few more sessions with them before we drop them on an unsuspecting public at a mediaeval fair next month.

(Ever tried to teach a dance, blow a whistle and play a squeezebox at the same time?)

Andrea

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Snuffy
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 07:45 PM

Just got back from Lower Brailes - the beer was a guinea a pint! That's inflation for you.

Apart from the 28 fiddles and 31 melodeons playing traditional English tunes like Dingle Regatta and Little Diamond, we did manage to get in My Old Man's a Dustman, If it wasn't for the Houses in Between, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and a Marriot Edgar monologue, to name but one. (Oh, and a whole heap of morris tunes, all English)

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 04:43 PM

Royal Society of St George

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 04:42 PM

Practising - going folking tomorrow

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 04:28 PM

I have just decided to celebrate in a slightly different way actualy - I won a bottle of Argentinian Red in the folk club raffle last night and I just can't resist the irony, the coincidence or the wine...;-)

Cheers (hic)

DtG

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 03:26 PM

Actually, you're more English than George!!

How about we go for the 15th Sept, it can join with Battle of Britain day and celebrate at least one thing English!

And it looks like I won't even get me beer!

LTS

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 02:45 PM

Strong beers and good ciders, are Englands control
Give me the punch ladle. I'll fathom the bowl...

A happy St Georges day one and all.

Cheers

Dave the Gnome
(Who is Polish, Russian, Welsh and English by blood. Therefore as English as St George and most of the other people in our great nation:-) )

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 01:35 PM

Further on Gareth there is the line," For whether we last the night or no, I'm sure is always touch and go.
Failte....Giok

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: eloise
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 01:33 PM

I'm moving to Lower Brailes!

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 01:13 PM

Good idea Liz but I think the 16th would be more suitable!

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 10:24 AM

I'm just reading your posts, thinking of my scout days and the dear fellow scouts I've helped to bury in the last years, and this evening I'll join my Fire Department's Fife and Drums for a good practicing. I'm sure we'll have some pints. I'm also remembering the brave Hessians who hoisted St George's banner over Gibraltar nearly 300 years ago.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 09:59 AM

I'll be sitting in the middle of Western Australia. I'll be sitting playing my guitar and thinking of my nephew Kenny who'll be with Vin Garbutt and friends at Eston, Teesside havin' a ball. Kenny wanted to pay my fare to be there. I was too bloody proud to accept. I've been in Aussie for nigh on 30 years and I love it, but it's fantastic to hear the lovely things that many of you will doing.

If I couldn't be with Kenny, then I wouldn't mind taggin' along with Snuffy. Of course I couldn't stand the pace.... But hell, it'd be good to try again.

BS

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: My guru always said
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 09:38 AM

Mmmm, Sutton or Benington? £1 a pint? English songs - are there any?

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 09:31 AM

I vote we have a day off to celebrate but translate it to the middle of September.... round about the 14th would be nice.....

I've been putting up cupboards, painting the floor and studying my genealogy.... might actually get a beer in tonight, depends on how the bratling is when she gets home.

LTS

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 08:42 AM

As it's a Tuesday, playing in an Irish music session.

Jon

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Trevor
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 08:32 AM

I'm practisng with our chamber choir tonight. Vaughan-Williams - what else?

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Gervase
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 07:55 AM

Of course he's iffy - he's been variously, a cavalryman in Diocletian's army, a pork butcher from Cappodocia and, perhaps topically, the first Palestinian martyr.
He's also the patron saint of Georgia, Russia, pretty big in Bulgaria and Estonia and - after apparently enduring seven years for appalling cruelty - the patron saint of husbands!
It's thought that his adoption as the English patron saint occurred when a church in Doncaster was dedicated to him in 1061. Crusaders also probably returned with accounts of the respect paid to him in the Middle East - and the red cross depicted on the English flag may well have come from the same source.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: sledge
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 07:50 AM

Dreaming of Englands green and pleasant land, the hookie willhave to wait.

sledge

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: treewind
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 07:26 AM

The John of Gaunt, Sutton (the one near Biggleswade)
... where there'll be possibly two morris teams, various musicians and singers and I doubt if Les the Landlord will be selling beer at £1.00 a pint but he's an old folkie himself so (a) we'll forgive him and (b) he might anyway...

Herga Kitty - it's true the English don't celebrate English culture enough - this is an opportunity to raise its profile a bit. Or maybe just an excuse for some more beers and tunes. Oh well, why not...?

As for G. being an iffy saint, maybe but his flag is the English flag so it must be official.

Anahata

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: alanww
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 05:50 AM

I'll be with Snuffy, drinking copious amounts of Hook Norton Bitter at £1 a pint and playing Father Christmas in the mummers play - he plays the Doctor. No doubt later on I will sing British Grenadiers and Jerusalem and Snuffy will sing The Mermaid ... among other English songs!

And did those feet in ancient times walk upon England's mountains green ...!
Alan

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST,greg stephens
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 05:40 AM

the best thing for the middle aged folkie to do is to lie low and gather your strength: the serious frolicking of Mayday is only a weeke away. TO THE WOODS!!!!!

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 05:06 AM

I'll have me dinner, go to work, come home, read more postings on this site, have a beer and go to bed. Rumble middle aged man Rumble.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST,Keith A of Hertford at work
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 03:23 AM

An evening of English songs at The Bell, Benington, Herts.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Terry K
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 02:07 AM

I'll be at a black tie dinner at my golf club - now that wasn't at all predictable was it!

The English will make rude jokes about how boringly stupid the Welsh are - and the Welsh will make suitable ripostes.

Then someone else will make rude jokes about how stubbornly stupid the Scots are - and the Scots will come back with something appropriate.

Then someone will make rude jokes about how stupidly stupid the Irish are - and the Irish will do their bit in return.

And we'll all be pissed as handcarts by the end of the night and have to be poured into taxis. It's so tediously bloody juvenile, exactly the same, year after year.

Can't wait.

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 23 Apr 02 - 01:56 AM

St George's Day happens to fall on Tuesday (today) which is one of our regular clubnights for Wigan Folk Club. Tonight we meet at the Fox & Goose, Wigan Lane, for a St George's Day Singaround - everyone's been told to bring some English songs for tonight. And last night I attended a St George's Eve Celebration at the Verse & Worse regular meeting in Wigan. Patriotic songs were to the fore and a very good time was had by all. We do take our Saint's Day seriously in Wigan (or is that just any excuse for a knees-up?).

Joan

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 08:39 PM

Well, St Andrew wasn't Scottish, and St Patrick wasn't Irish. The Welsh were the ones that picked a local man.

The thing with Shakespeare is, it's not just the day he was born, it was the day he died as well.

One way another, given the range of places that venerate Shakespeare, and the range of countries (and so forth) that have St George as their patron saint, it ought to be a massive occasion for festivities around the planet. Maybe it is too - but it certainly isn't in England.

I'll have a beer. But then I would anyway. And I'll make a poiunt of playing something relevant - I've got a record of Georgian music (Caucasus Georgia that is) that I haven't played in ages.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Snuffy
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 07:42 PM

We shall be going to Lower Brailes, where there will be evensong at St George's church.

Then we will all drink Hook Norton at £1.00 a pint at the George Hotel.

Then the Ilmington and Adderbury Morris men will dance at the George Hotel.

Then we will all drink Hook Norton at £1.00 a pint at the George Hotel.

Then we (the Shakespeare Mummers) will perform a St George and Dragons mummers play at the George Hotel.

Then we will all drink Hook Norton at £1.00 a pint at the George Hotel.

Then there will be singing and music at the George Hotel.

Then we will all drink Hook Norton at £1.00 a pint at the George Hotel.

Then, eventually, we might go home.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: vectis
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 07:31 PM

I'm going 'R' hunting....
Then I'll panic in case my son's birthday pressie doesn't get to him for the 24th.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Gareth
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 07:15 PM

"And thank the Lord We are a musical Nation"

Rev Eli Jenkins

Gareth

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 06:46 PM

The whole point about St George's day is that the English don't celebrate it, in the same way that they resolutely ignore any cultural English heritage and folk music. St George was a very iffy saint (if not two different iffy saints rolled into one) and not even English.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 06:41 PM

Young's Ordinary bitter is a pound a pint for St Georges day. I'll be down the Duke's Head.

LFF

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST,marie
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 06:37 PM

Maybe I'll dance to the New St George

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Llanfair
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 05:49 PM

Diolch, Gareth.

Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Gareth
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 04:34 PM

Thanking the Lord that I am Welsh.

Gareth

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Red Eye
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 04:30 PM

'Alas poor Yorick'. Shove that up your fat hairy arse Geordie boy.

Mid you if you think that 'Awwaaaaaayyyy the lads' is good grammar then there is hope for the rest of us.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: Llanfair
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 04:15 PM

April 23rd, St George's day is the ideal one for picking dandelions for this year's vintage dandelion wine.

Pick a bucketful, then wash your hands thoroughly, they aren't called piss-a-bed for nothing. Pull off as much green stuff as possible, then put the flowers in a fermenting bucket with the zest and juice of some lemons, and cover with boiling water. Add sugar and stir well.

It will look disgusting and smell worse.

When cooler, add wine yeast.

Stir daily for a week, then strain the must into demijohns and fit airlocks. Allow to ferment out and clear, racking off when necessary.

The wine will be pale and clear and dry, with NO CHEMICALS IN IT.

It will also pack a kick like a mule.

Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 03:46 PM

Neither side of the pond.Saints days are for foreigners.

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 03:45 PM

St George is the patron saint of England, and his day is 23rd April. It is also Shakespeares birthday, and as I said before, my son's. Happy Birthday to them all.
Failte....Giok

Subject: RE: St Geoges Day. What are you doing?
From: GUEST,Les B (uk)
Date: 22 Apr 02 - 03:45 PM

I shall be dancing down Lord st Southport, with the Southport Swords, stopping for refreshment at the Windmill, Guest House, The Scarisbrick and finishing at the Falstaff. (Hic!)
We have a Dragon and a St George, what odds on the Dragon. For last years photo's http://www.southportswords.org.uk
Cheers Les