Westminstenders: It's like a bloody aviary

[RedToothBrush]

From Flamingos to Yellowhammer and Black Swans.

The Tory Remainer is now a Dodo. Instead the party in inhabited by disaster capitalist Vultures. Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, has been labelled by the right wing press as a Chicken. The SNP would very much like Boris Johnson to be a Jailbird. The LDs are keen to sing like Canaries about the contents of BlackSwan. The Br

And the Tower of London is starting to get very jumpy about the whereabouts and location of its Ravens.

I would not, however, advise eating urban wild pigeons if things get desperate, from what I know of their health.

The union Jack is a cool design. It looks good as a cushion cover. It is ridiculous as a rag on a pole signifying that we belong here and others don't and that that somehow means something. (no more ridiculous then every other flag - of course).

Can't stand the football terrace st. George's Cross with "ENGLAND" written across it, in case you don't know.

In 1966, the crowd are all without exception waving union flags. All the home nations competed under the Union Flag in the world cup from 1950 to 1970, but in 74 the Scots sent their bus back and made the Germans paint a saltire on it. The whole English football flag thing is a reaction to that.

Re Seamus Milne: presumably Corbyn likes him and thinks he does a good job? Presumably he didn't employ him by mistake?

It can be cheaper to fly via Berlin than to take a UK train, if you want to get from one part of the Uk to another

Probably quicker in some instances I wouldnt wonder

The union Jack is a cool design.

Or as its otherwise known 'The Butchers Apron'

Seamus Milne and Jon Landsman are both as bad as each other. They’re Labour’s Cummings.

There is an EU flag in a neighbours window and one flying on a flagpole in the garden of a house in the next road!

There are pockets of pro EU sentiment across the country, mainly in places where people are heavily involved in EU networks, science, academia, finance. So York, Cambridge, Oxford as well as London. You will be hard pressed to find a scientist for instance who does not value the EU.

Part of the whole issue is that politicians and the media have evoked hate for London / immigrants / the EU because that is the populist playbook, easier to offer someone to blame than a plan for resolving the issues. The corollary is not that people “love” the EU, it is that they recognise the part the EU can play in our country’s future, perhaps we need a catchy phrase like - The EU, helping make Great Britain great again 😉

Flags tell stories.

Many years ago, passing through Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we took in the town museum which had a wonderful way of expressing the history of Louisiana with a series of flagpoles, each flying in order, a flag that had flown over Louisiana in it's history (after it was appropriated from it's original inhabitants, of course).

The EU, helping make Great Britain great again

again (first time being after 1973 ...)

"It is (or used to be) one of the more interesting distinctions between the UK and other anglophone countries"

I remember looking back at photos taken on a trip to a Canadian city and joking to DH that we would never forget what holiday this was as every photo had a Canadian flag in somewhere (an exaggeration, but not by much).

More recently a film for an American audience had a 'London' street scene with British flags festooning the buildings in a way that was immediately stand out inauthentic.

I'd always coupled the lack of flags with a lack of needing to declare independence in recent history.

Sadly never been to Canada

More recently a film for an American audience had a 'London' street scene with British flags festooning the buildings in a way that was immediately stand out inauthentic.

Recreated on a back lot in Hollywood ?

A few years ago, on a wet bank holiday (are there any other sorts) we ended up with DS at the museum in Gloucester, which had a section devoted to the Gloucester regiment ("The Glorious Glosters"). Going from one floor to the next, pinned to the wall was a massive Nazi flag - getting on for 3 metres square. There was a note that it had been captured as the regiment advanced on Berlin, and a photograph of the streets in their "heyday" contrasted with the devastation as the allies closed in.

Just seeing it up close, and knowing that it actually flew at the time made it all the more chilling. And not for the first time gave me pause to think of the poor young men who had no choice as they fought to liberate Europe and the horrors they found doing so.

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When Trump was voted in, my mum's cousin, who moved to the USA as a child and now lives in Denver, removed the Stars and Stripes from their porch. They'd had it flying for years.

I agree we aren't a flaggy nation though.

Around where I live its become a thing to have the 3 different Welsh flags on some of the shops, I enjoy seeing them

Youve also got the St Davids Cross, gold cross on a black background, and because I live in gwynedd were more patriotic of the Glyndwr Standard than we are of the dragon

There are a lot more yorkshire flags around and about in the last few years. I don't mind them too much (weird though) but any place flying a union jack I now think of as being run by a brexiteer. I wouldn't dream of setting foot in any place flying an English flag - unless the world cup was on.
The English flag has been contentious as long as I can remember - but I miss the days of seeing Union Jack's and white roses as completely neutral (though of course - I never used to see them in a flag context. Strictly soft furnishings in the case of the UJ - and the name of a shopping centre in the case of the WR)

Spot on flouncy

any place flying a union jack I now think of as being run by a brexiteer. I wouldn't dream of setting foot in any place flying an English flag

I wonder how much Wetherspoons woes are down to a mild boycott by some customers (raises hand). Not that I was a committed "spooner" anyway - probably twice a year for a Sunday post-piss up breakfast. But haven't been for 3 years now.

Encouragement for Scotland

• NS's actions ever since the ref would have contributed to the EU looking at Scotland seriously, not just as part of the UK


Glenn Campbell@GlennBBC

Van Rompuy says there’s now “much more sympathy” for European regions seeking independent EU membership

He thinks a Scottish application, while “complicated”, would have to be considered “very seriously” after a yes vote in a properly agreed #indyref2

Herman Van Rompuy says Brexit 'has changed EU view of Scotland'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-49690513?

What does England have Scotland doesn't ?

Good neighbours.

Nearly walked out of a (very nice looking) gourmet pub restaurant close to ds' halls last year, thinking it was a 'Spoons. But then realised a) it was very nice looking and b) it wasn't named after some pseudo "British" character. So having confirmed it wasn't a 'Spoons, we were able to stay and had a very nice meal