Not here they don’t. Certainly not Easter, for example.
They do where I live.
Our binmen are excellent and they well deserve the generous tip I give them at Christmas.
Great fellows.
Not here they don’t. Certainly not Easter, for example.
I wonder if other countries have this thing where people are desperate to show how cool and edgy they are by doing everything they can to not be involved in big events that happen in their country. We saw it last year with the ‘I never watch England’ brigade when the best English team in a generation was marching towards the final. It was almost comical watching those people start to panic as England progressed and they didn’t know whether to admit they’d got it wrong and join the party, or whether to stick with their ridiculous stance to save face.
There must be some kind of psychological reason for it, I guess, but it’s quite sad for them really, they’re missing out. I think Brighton in particular really suffers from this demographic, that desperation to be different.
I’m hardly a Royalist, but it is pretty amazing what the Queen has managed, and what an astonishing life she has led. Why wouldn’t people ‘celebrate’ the long weekend by going to a BBQ or a village day and having a jubilee cupcake and some Pimms with friends? I don’t get it. It doesn’t mean you’re a Royalist that wants to immediately abolish parliament if you put a bit of bunting on your road and enjoy a drink in this sunshine with your neighbours, it’s just a nice thing to do.
Nicely put, my experience of this weekend and bank holidays etc. is that it has created opportunities to meet neighbours (in a number of different jubilee inspired events) that I would never typically take the time to speak to in the ordinary course.
Most of who I spoke with were neither Che Guevaras or Ian Paisleys, just people broadly looking to take this weekend as an opportunity to enjoy themselves with their families.
No one got pissed, no one argued, no one cried, all in all it was just nice, and that’s because that was the overwhelming disposition of those that were a) prepared to share their homes etc. b) contribute to street parties and c) attend the events in the first place.
Personally speaking, if this country is going to be a republic the new model army brigade need to explain clearly what model of republic we are moving to as their are different variations.
That point made, as this thread and the others demonstrate, last time we binned off our monarch we moved to an era of joyless and bitter Puritanism………as a country we would do well to remember that.
Good post and one that chimes precisely with my experience of the 4-day weekend. Just a pleasant, convivial and relaxed atmosphere with non of the over-the-top alcohol fuelled jingoism that seems to accompany England doing well in a tournament, for example. No reports of any trouble or fights (that I’ve seen) in spite of thousands of people out enjoying themselves. It’s almost as if the decent people reclaimed the country for 72 hours.
I’ve no doubt the monarchy could do with slimming down but for me the Sovereign brings something intangible and sets a tone and National mood and identity in a way that a President never could. I fully accept that heredity monarchy isn’t for everyone but I agree with you that Republicanism sounds like another layer of dreary and perpetual political squabbling that would bring very little.
If changing from a monarchy to a republic automatically means major political changes, it means the royals have too much power.
No. It just means we’d have to elect the useless ****er every few years and frankly, given the grind of electing 650 MPs every 5 years, plus local elections etc, who can be arsed with that?
Imagine NSC. Then imagine only being permitted to post in the Bear Pit? That’s what life would be like. Doubtless some would love it but not for me.
Not for me either. Republicanism doesn’t do much for unity and community in America or France. I am absolutely not interested in giving another platform for the culture wars.
Does monarchism do a lot of unity and community in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Swaziland?
I believe those countries have more of an issue with basic human rights rather than monarchy. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Does monarchism do a lot of unity and community in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Swaziland?
Maybe monarchy vs republic is not all that matters. Would US turn into some kind of utopia if they appointed a king tomorrow?
Proud, but sadly somewhat carefully proud these days. It feels as if Britain - or maybe England - has acquired such a state of self-loathing among some of its people that being proud of it has come to be considered uacceptable, and subject to very hurtful adverse comments.
God bless Her Majesty
God bless Her Majesty
Have swelled with pride watching this tonight