April 23 is St George's Day, but unlike our Irish neighbours the English will barely raise a glass for their patron saint. Jackie Annett reports
In less than a fortnight's time it will be St George's Day, but for many people England's national day will probably go unnoticed.
Some people may go to the pub after work for a few drinks, while others might go as far as to don the red and white colours of St George and join in the few festivities taking place across the UK.
But no doubt the events of April 23 will be a far cry from the St Patrick's Day festivities last month when proud Irish men and women - and hangers on - spent a day drinking Guinness and wearing silly hats in the name of their patron saint.
For years the trade has been pushing the government to make St George's Day a bank holiday and allow pubs to open later so the English can celebrate in style like their European counterparts.
Bombardier brewer Charles Wells launched a petition to make the day a bank holiday back in 1999 and since then Greene King's Hungry Horse pubs, singer Billy Bragg and Channel Four's Big Breakfast - to name just a few - have jumped on board the campaign.
More than 64,000 members of the public have also shown their support by signing a huge on-line petition.
Now Kent brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame and Laurel Pub Company have spoken out to the Publican and said they too would fully support making St George's Day a national bank holiday.
Until now the shouts - although loud - have not been answered.
But today, the Publican has decided to team up with main campaigner Charles Wells to urge the trade to help us make sure St George's Day becomes a national bank holiday for all the UK, celebrated in the same style as St Patrick's Day and US Independence Day.
The campaign to make St George's Day a national bank holiday has gathered huge momentum over the last few months.
One reason for this is that after Channel Four viewers showed their support on national television, former Big Breakfast presenter Richard Bacon stepped up as spokesman for the issue.
Another well-known celebrity, Billy Bragg, has said he wants to take part in Charles Wells' competition to find a new English national anthem to rival God Save the Queen.
He will be judging and performing the winning lyrics, a spokeswoman for Charles Wells disclosed. The winner will be announced amid a hub of publicity at the Lamb & Flag pub in London's Covent Garden on St George's Day.
Those publicans who religiously celebrate the patron saint every year are calling on every licensee to join in.
Richard Swan who runs the Rose & Crown in Burnley, Lancashire, is the only licensee to be granted an extension in his area this year. He can't understand why other licensees don't make a special effort for St George's Day.
"Everybody celebrates St Patrick's Day and even Hallowe'en and bonfire night, so why not St George's Day? It's criminal," he said.
David Russell who runs the Henry VI pub in Eton, Berkshire, will be hiring British tribute acts The Beetles, Clif Richard, Cila Black and Paul Weler to take to the stage and entertain the crowds.
Jodie Coall at the Porterhouse in Covent Garden, London, said she found it "unbelievable" that the English do not celebrate their patron saint's day. She added that there was no reason why St George's Day couldn't become as big as St Patrick's Day.
"England celebrates just about everyone else's national day but its own. But English people do want to celebrate St George's Day. You can tell that by the amount of people who come to the pub as it is the only one in the area that puts something on," she said.
Hopefully the trade will soon see its hard work to raise the profile of St George's Day pay off, but for now it is up to licensees to apply for extended hours and celebrate the day in style, giving customers what they want.
The Publican, along with Charles Wells, will continue to fight for England to be given a national bank holiday, like Ireland and America, but we can only do this with the trade's help.
What some of the pub companies said:
Stuart Neame, Shepherd Neame: "Bank holidays bring in extra business and we all work too hard so, yes, we would support the call for a national bank holiday."
Maureen Heffernan, Laurel: "We would love to see St George's Day as a national bank holiday. As a nation we need to be more patriotic. We support every other national day going, but not our own."
Jill Rawlings, Punch: "We would support anything to generate more business but when it comes to St George's Day extensions, we believe it is a matter for the individual licensee. Some pub managers will have the need for it and others won't."
Bob Cartwright, 6C Retail: "It's up to the individual if they want to apply for an extension or support the call for a national bank holiday. This year we are supporting St George's Day in our Vintage Inns pubs and will be publishing facts about the day on boards."
Eddie Gershon, JD Wetherspoon: "We would consider supporting it if the campaign was successful but at the moment none of our outlets apply for extensions. This year we are holding a special offer on Bombardier ale, which it will be available from 99p depending on the region."
What you're saying on thePublican.com:
Harold Reeves: "As an Irishman I totally agree that St George's Day should be a national holiday and promoted as much as St Patrick's Day. My wife and I have been in the trade over here since 1987 and have put an equal effort into promoting St George's Day as we do into St Patrick's Day. There is nothing stopping any pub from creating a great St George's Day party."
Sam Secord: "In order to make St George's Day as big an event as St Patrick's Day, it is going to take a English brand to do something similar to what Guinness has done. It also has to be done by a brand of similar popularity. Once the identity and public knowledge of St George's Day is stamped out like St Patrick's Day is, it will receive similar attention."
Neil Martin: "How can Ken Livingstone support one national day and not the other? This strikes me as direct discrimination, something I'm sure he strives to prevent in our multiracial capital city."
Comments taken from Trade calls for St George's Day celebration (28 March 2002).
What publicans can do:
- Email News Editor Caroline Nodder at carolinen@thepublican.com and let us know how strongly you feel about making St George's Day a bank holiday
- Apply to your local licensing authority for an extension on April 23
- Write to your MP to show your support for making it a bank holiday.
- Set up petitions or sign the existing petition at www.bombardier.co.uk
- Arrange events to highlight your feeling for the campaign and to make the public more aware of the issue
- Speak to pub companies and your customers to see what else you can do.
- Vote in thePublican.com's latest poll (see below)
Vote!