Let's celebrate!

Happy St.George's Day. When I stop to think of my identity; I remember. I am no less Cornish because I am English, I am no less English because I'm British, I'm no less British because I'm European and I am no less European because I am a Global Citizen. As the sun beats down on this colourful and diverse little island of ours, I would love you to pour your cuppa, to grab yourself a garibaldi.......have a good dunk and then raise your Royal Doulton to this fair land of ours and to St. George. Here are all the things I am going to celebrate today.
School dinners and the brilliant staff who cook them to make sure English children eat a healthy well balanced and delicious lunch every day. I applaud you!
To strawberries and the first signs of summer when they arrive and the delirium around making jam to be able to spoon out red sunshine no matter what time of year it is. to strawberries covered in a dusting of sugar and a heart attack inducing dollop of clotted cream. To the strawberry I say; you make my summer complete!
To cream teas, the Women's Institute and the National Trust. Long may you reign, feed us and allow us to wander dreamily around country piles. To all of you I say......thank you.

To British weather! I love the way you give us so much of it! To the snow that trapped us in our homes for the first time in almost thirty years, I say.........don't wait so long to come back; you were fun and made the place so pretty! To our rain! You fill our lakes and river and make this island lush and green and give us cause to run around with brollies! You give us our 'mustn't grumble' attitude and we live with such changing climatic conditions that we cope with grey so admirably and rush out to have fun in the sunshine whenever we get any! To our weather I would not know what to say........as we never know what we're going to get!
To castles......of any sort.....be you humble or palatial. Much that you symbolise is protective and I feel loved and protected by this country. The land that educated me (for free) who takes care of my health (for free) and shaped me.........I again say thank you.
To rugby. This is what makes British men stand out! Nothing wimpy or new man about this lot! To all of you and your odd shaped balls; I would like to thank you for the heart stopping moments where I have stood pitch side watching Bath play Wasps, have been transfixed and truly unable to breath until a mass of thundering man and ball landed on that touch line. To you all I say...........cheers!
To Marks and Sparks! You literally support me!!! You lift me up and make me a better woman! You stop my arse from sliding down my thighs and hold my tummy in so much better than I can do it myself! You have provided us all with a sturdy gusset for many a year and kept many an ample British bosom from sliding south. We honestly couldn't do without you!

To HP sauce and the full English. Bacon, egg, black pudding, fried bread and sizzling bangers! A pot of tea and a transport cafe on the side of the A38! You have soothed many a hangover and sent so many of us to work so well fed that we don't need to eat again until dinner time! Get on!
English Villages! I grew up in a small community and I want to say thanks to the stalwarts who keep our communities alive! The local pubs, play groups, brownies, boy scouts, PTA, rotary clubs, Churches, village fete committees. I am in awe of you people! You stand up and say "I'll do that" and help where ever you can. I salute you all.

Bucket and spade holidays! Those endless days of summer that made our childhoods so perfect. Warm orange squash, sandwiches, pasties. Mum slathering you in sun cream, queuing for ice creams and the traffic jams on the way home. This might be a small island but it's home to millions of us and millions more would come and join us if they could just get a visa!!! I'll raise my cup of tea to St. George, to England and the wonderful people who make this place home for me. Bless you all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx