It’s a great moment every year when the largest St George’s Cross in England is unfurled on Nottingham’s Council House.
At 60ft wide, it’s an impressive sight, and all the more so because so many places and people seem to shy away from celebrating the day of our patron saint, approaching it with a mix of embarrassment, ignoring it or labelling it as ‘old-fashioned’ (or worse).
Why can’t we take one day where we celebrate being English? Other nationalities have no qualms about wheeling out the patriotic paraphernalia on the relevant day. Our neighbours in Wales, Scotland and Ireland mark their national days with passion and vigour. Further afield, it’s not a rare sight to see a national flag proudly flying in a front garden. But do it here and you’d be shunned in certain neighbourhoods - unless a football tournament is on.
