The sun shines down dutifully, providing warmth and light to the clouded hills, the fields and the towns below. A flag flies in the breeze, white with a striking red cross from top to bottom and side to side. Do your feet walk upon England’s mountains green? Are you, on England’s pleasant pastures seen?
Wordplay with William Blake’s poem “And did those feet in ancient time” is all very well, but the words that have become England’s patriotic song ‘Jerusalem’, resonate strongly. But how do they today?
Urban adventures
Standing tall, wings outstretched. Stoic and majestic. Angelic. The Angel of the North looks down on the city below, protecting its people. A guardian of Gateshead, the protector of England’s North East. Over 300 miles south, a mighty bell tolls as a giant clock strikes the hour. Big Ben serves as London’s timekeeper, making sure no one is late. But perhaps you are a Roman? Off to relax and unwind in the bath houses of Aquae Sulis. Or maybe you were born in modern times, off to see them in the city now known as Bath. Will you?
But whoosh! Suddenly it’s dark. The night has crept in but the life has not died down. Everywhere you turn are bright lights, illuminating your surroundings in a disco of electrical colour. You close your eyes and hear the sounds, vibrating through the air. A cacophony of electric beats and live music stimulate the senses, complimenting the vast array of lights that dance before you. A night out in England’s many cities is a truly amazing experience, and completely your own. It is yours to shape, what will you do?
Rural escapes
The wind blows through the grass atop the hill. To the left, branches of trees sway in the breeze, their leaves making a beautiful sound against it. A little before the trees is a stream, tiny yet beautiful, the water flowing like the unstoppable force it is. Behind, a gate creaks as it blows in the wind, adding its voice to the nature’s orchestra. In front, from the top of the hill, lies the view of England. Those mountains green, those pastures seen. Seen from the top of a mountain green as the sun shines down upon them.
But the mountains and pastures are not all that England’s green and pleasant land has to offer. Land features are a plenty with golden beaches stretching for miles on end, serene sand dunes and rivers and lakes that go on for as far as the eye can see. The water of the river rushing like a train to its salt water destination, powering on down its route, neither stopping nor faltering. Wonderful white swans bathe in the lakes and majestically swim down the rivers, occasionally accompanied by a squadron of geese or a multitude of ducks.
A day to celebrate
Steel pierces through monstrous flesh. The pained-howl of a dragon rings out as it gasps its last breath. A triumphant cheer comes from a knight on horseback. The man to become Saint George has slain the dragon. The legend is well known and St George’s Day is celebrated across England, if not as much as the other patron saints of other parts of the UK.
But how will I celebrate? Firstly, of course, flying the St George’s Cross – England’s national flag. Perhaps I’ll eat a roast dinner, one of England’s most famous meals. Maybe I’ll drink local Northumbrian drinks; Holy Island’s legendary Lindisfarne Mead or some Curiosity Cola, botanically brewed by Fentimans in Hexham. A rare treat I sometimes allow myself on special occasions. England means many things to many people. To me it is my home and the home of family and many close friends. It is a place where friendships were forged and memories were made. It is a place of much personal history and a place of immense beauty. This St George’s Day, I will not just celebrate England for the nation it is but also what it has done for me and how intertwined in my life it is. But most importantly, I will endeavour to celebrate it by extending the hand of friendship and celebrating with everyone
