A Bit of What England Means to Me
Freedoms my dad fought for, as a very honourable Canadian risking his life to protect innocents and freedom, for one thing.
My mum, with all her faults, entertained injured (burns units) troops with ENSA during the war. Both probably suffered undiagnosed PTSD, as would’ve a hell of a lot of England, after all the pain of bombings and scarce provisions, separations of families, and so many deaths of the way too young.
On lighter notes: London, Kensington and Chelsea, Brighton all mean a lot, and are great places that are examples of success and cohesion. Grub. Beans on toast. Fish ’n’ chips. Egg and chips. Scones and crumpets.
Bird, plane and train watchers (though not exclusive to England, of course). Football (Chelsea!).
Our humour — current fav: Tiny Tim’s Adventures (on Facebook). Our rich history of theatre and art, film and poetry. The Alberts: Bridge, Memorial, Hall. Kew Gardens and Richmond Park. The west: Cotswold beauty. Vintage cars. Architecture (though stuff your Brutalism). Pubs. Greggs. Kindness. Charity.
A lot. Happy St.Georges Day!