Quote Originally Posted by Courtmount View Post
Are you saying he is actually Brian?
Brian? Do you think so? Crikey! I never thought of that...

And for those of you looking on in amazement and wondering why the threads regarding Saint Patrick's Day talked about green beer and funny hats and didn't raise similar heated debate, now you can get a feel for how despised the English are (not as individuals of course) and why we tend to play it quietly. Any display of English patriotism always (in my experience) stirs up this kind of boiling pot... I'd remind that the OP (who is a Scot by the way) mearly intended to wish the English a happy Saint George's Day, not to stoke the fires of civil war. Calm down chaps, it was all a long time ago.

I'm with Trefor. Many Welsh don't see the Union Flag as one flag representing all Britons, they see it as three flags that don't represent them at all... Although I love it, appreciate it's history and would hate to see it go; I think it's a slight on the MODERN Welsh to have no representation on the National Flag. Although it's important from a historical perspective that we know and understand what went on in centuries past, it's not really relevent to the Welsh people of today; the ones living NOW in Cardiff and Aberystwyth and Rhyl: I can fully appreciate why it is seen as insulting and patronising to be regarded as England's baby brother and not hold a national identity in one's own right... because you're only a Principality after all! Having discussed this at length with other Welshmen I fully comprehend the 'History be damned!' argument.

The move to federalism in Europe should, in time make all this irrelevant as there won't be a Union to worry about. Mind that said, it's arguable whether there is any Union left anymore (as this thread aptly demonstrates). I personally would welcome devolution for the ENGLISH now. Perhaps then it would finally put an end to this collective resentment that has existed between us since William the Bastard and we can all go forward and forge our own destinies...

And a happy retrospective Saint Goerge's Day.