English Folk Culture: The Littleback Rose Queen Festival

[George]

I recently attended the Littleback Rose Queen Festival. The most fetching local teenage girl, a 15 year old, was selected and wore a lovely dress and flowers. There was a parade, and she floated down the river on a raft and was crowned, and there was food and drink, a pageant and games. In total contrast to the vile trash heaped upon us by the mass-media and big business-funded groups, it was a moving, healthy and meaningful event which I found very enjoyable. We need more such events, they would be an effective way of growing our movement, nevermind that we need them to be healthy.

We also need to reverse the process which delays the maturation of our young people. 15 year olds, especially the girls, should be treated as and expected to perform almost as adults.

[Fire spirit]

It sounds nice, thanks for sharing. I fully agree that we need to bring more of our traditional customs back. Too much of our old traditions have faded into oblivion or replaced by both commercialism and multicultural stuff.

[Imperator X]

I also wonder why they have many St Patrick's day celebrations and yet you never hear of St. George's Day even though there are many British Americans in New England and in the South? Also, what about St. David's Day (Wales) and St. Andrew's Day. (Scotland) ?

[Angelcynn]

I recently attended the Littleback Rose Queen Festival. The most fetching local teenage girl, a 15 year old, was selected and wore a lovely dress and flowers. There was a parade, and she floated down the river on a raft and was crowned, and there was food and drink, a pageant and games. In total contrast to the vile trash heaped upon us by the mass-media and big business-funded groups, it was a moving, healthy and meaningful event which I found very enjoyable. We need more such events, they would be an effective way of growing our movement, nevermind that we need them to be healthy.

We also need to reverse the process which delays the maturation of our young people. 15 year olds, especially the girls, should be treated as and expected to perform almost as adults.

Might I ask why you give your location as Yorkshire instead of England? Anything to do with EU plans for regionalizing the country, perhaps, or not something you consciously gave any thought to?

[Angelcynn]

I also wonder why they have many St Patrick's day celebrations and yet you never hear of St. George's Day even though there are many British Americans in New England and in the South? Also, what about St. David's Day (Wales) and St. Andrew's Day. (Scotland) ?

Half the reason, Imperator, is use of the word 'British' which - as I never tire of telling anyone willing to lend an ear - is NOT a synonym for English. This wretched designation has done more to damage my nation's sense of itself than almost anything else. The sooner we have done with the UK the better.

You don't hear about St Andrews Day? Poor lamb. We in these islands never hear about anything else, the BBC being rather keen on Scotch people, while London taxpayers even underwrite a street celebration for St Patrick's Day (not that they have any choice). Set against this backcloth you will understand that, by contrast, English festivities are not high on officialdom's agenda.

As all intelligent, thinking adults will readily understand, anything even tangentially connected to English national pride is by definition a form of Nazism, 'hate speech', bigotry or an implicit endorsement of baby-killing and the gas chambers. Our role as English people in our own country - and it is a humble one, for we live to serve - is simply to generate the tax revenues needed to fund exciting new socialist projects here and in Edinburgh, adding a few extra million to ensure that Blacks and Irish - and isn't everyone Irish these days darlings? - don't feel left out when it comes time to dance down the street flashing one's genitals at passers-by or dressed as a large polythene shamrock.

Isn't life grand?

[Vestmannr]

Which is why devolution would ultimately be good for England: let the others go their way, and instead of 'Make the world England', make England England again. And enough of this trying to make the counties conform: let the West country be the West country, let Yorkshire be Yorkshire, etc.

[Angelcynn]

Which is why devolution would ultimately be good for England: let the others go their way, and instead of 'Make the world England', make England England again. And enough of this trying to make the counties conform: let the West country be the West country, let Yorkshire be Yorkshire, etc.

If there is a politically acceptable form of devolution which breaks up a country without the consent of its inhabitants in order to strengthen a distant, alien-run and largely unaccountable bureaucracy I have yet to hear of it. Devolution can in any event take many forms, being a very different creature to the one let loose to such damaging effect on these shores in recent years. Perhaps you were unaware of this distinction. A return to heptarchy - if that is indeed what you are advocating - is an administrative and economic nonsense. County autonomy was perfectly adequate before London took us into Europe. Ultimately the future of devolved government depends on reform of the banking system if it is to work at all, but a major step to restoring sanity could be taken in the meantime with collapse of the European Union, restoring in one fell swoop - at least in England, with its historically different legal and civil tradition - national autonomy and local accountability. We need no Independent Republic of Worcestershire to achieve these aims.

[Vestmannr]

Hey, far be it from me to tell you how to run England. As I recall, my folk were pretty much told 'don't come back' by Cromwell and his Puritans. It just seems England could be England without so much 'dead weight'. At this point, Scotland and Northern Ireland seem more burdens than anything. And, forcing Scotland to be fully self-accountable for its own actions might actually wake that place up. Of course, I'm not speaking of breaking England apart, except for maybe Northumberland ... they do have an independence movement. If they are different, and they suffer at the hands of the South ... they might be better off. Feel the same about North Italy (support the Lega Nord), and England independent of the Empire again might be a good thing. Of course, I'm probably just jealous that my nation lost its independence about 150 years ago...

[Angelcynn]

Hey, far be it from me to tell you how to run England. As I recall, my folk were pretty much told 'don't come back' by Cromwell and his Puritans. It just seems England could be England without so much 'dead weight'. At this point, Scotland and Northern Ireland seem more burdens than anything. And, forcing Scotland to be fully self-accountable for its own actions might actually wake that place up. Of course, I'm not speaking of breaking England apart, except for maybe Northumberland ... they do have an independence movement. If they are different, and they suffer at the hands of the South ... they might be better off. Feel the same about North Italy (support the Lega Nord), and England independent of the Empire again might be a good thing. Of course, I'm probably just jealous that my nation lost its independence about 150 years ago...

You are fully entitled to express your opinions in a civil manner, which you have done. I have no problem with that and am sorry if I gave a contrary impression. As to your observations here, I do not know what you mean by 'dead weight'. England is what she is and was precisely because of this rich historical mix of elements. The same could be said of nations everywhere I expect. Germany without Bavaria?

The independence movement in Northumberland is really very small - as are the several similar organizations around England. These have more to do with pro-European politicking than any real grass-roots discontent, but history teaches that it is not hard to stir up the people given the right conditions, and so I hope the good folk of England's North-East see through the present deception to where their real interests lie. They are lied to, told responsibility for their troubles rests with London, that they are not responsible - yet the alternative is frantically competing for resources with regions from across an entire continent. How can this be to their advantage? What is more Northumberland people are English. They have their regional loyalties, but they know who they are. This discussion would have been laughed out of every pub on Tyneside a mere decade ago. It is the product of mischief-making and nothing else.

I would like independence for England. Why should I deny other countries what I want for my own? If that is what you mean by 'dead weight' - in a British rather than just an English context - we are in agreement. The English taxpayer gave more money to the Assembly in Edinburgh last year than the world's top ten richest nations gave to the entire continent of Africa in foreign aid. And since all we get in return is abuse I think the most pressing need is for us to re-learn the benefits of ploughing a lone furrow once again.

Do tell me more about Cromwell and the loss of independence 150 years ago. I am intrigued. CSA - Confederate States of America by any chance?

[Vestmannr]

Do tell me more about Cromwell and the loss of independence 150 years ago. I am intrigued. CSA - Confederate States of America by any chance?

It is quite simple. Cromwell's actions precipitated large scale migrations to Virginia. A large portion of my ancestors had to leave England because of Cromwell and his Roundheads. He is not a popular person here in America because of that event (and the Irish immigration here has only reinforced that feeling.) Probably why so many Americans have a pathological attachment to the Jacobite movement.

150 years ago the War of Southern Independence was slipping from full-scale warfare to the long occupation. Confederate States of America is correct. Has nothing to do with Cromwell, except that for many Southerners ... our story began with Cromwell as the 'boogie man'.