I think – I really think – that for ABC Wednesday today I will post about one of our most endangered things: England.
It may have escaped the attention of many of my compatriots, but the England we all knew so well and loved so dearly is disappearing. In fact, England officially no longer actually exists, according to our government. And that, dear readers, is a situation which has come about without enlightenment or referendum. It has been done by stealth – legislated away without our consent. And that is inexcusable. And see what has happened? We are beginning to see the flag of England used more and more in some strange and eccentric places. It used to be the Union Jack (the flag of Great Britain) which was seen most often, now it is the flag of St George.
So today I’m going to eulogise a little bit about what we do have left of dear old Blighty.
What makes us uniquely English? Well, it’s hard to say, so I’ve extracted a few examples from my files, to elucidate for you what speaks of England to me.
The first thing, of course, is the ‘Post Office red’ pillar box – and seen together with it in this photo – the telephone box.
The public library is another example of Englishness – the idea was started here way back in 1425 when the first one was opened at the Guildhall, in London. Isn’t that an eye-opener? Wow.
Then we have the typically English church and churchyard. Every village had one, at one time. They were everywhere! You could navigate your way around the English countryside by the church steeples.
Yes, there is something a little exceptional about that steeple – it has an embonpoint, does it not?  The church has long been a focus of society and local community in England but now even that is being eroded.
This next one is a fun picture -
It was taken during the very English Mid-Lent Fair in Stamford, Lincolnshire – itself a typically English mediaeval town. Upon egress from this passageway, you might find yourself climbing up onto a fairground ride in error because the whole street is filled with stalls and booths and rides. When they ban this one on grounds of religious exclusivity, it really will be the end of an era.
What else do I have? Well, there is this grand and beautiful edifice, which you will find … uh … somewhere in England. I’m afraid its location has escaped my memory, because we were on our way to an engagement of some kind and it is out of our usual area. However, what I can tell you is that it is an old coaching house and hotel, probably from the 18th century.
Elegant, isn’t it? They don’t build ‘em like they used to! Now, everything is ‘utility’ and often, the least expensive option possible.
Oh, here’s another typically English institution – the village Post Office!
The Post Office in smaller communities is often equipped as a general store and newsagent as well as the place to post mail. In fact, there is a whole range of services available, including banking, foreign currency exchange, holiday insurance, savings, vehicle and fishing licences, and passport application. And you can buy a bottle of European wine, too, if you like. In fact, you can buy a little of almost everything .. and guess what? The village PO, like so much else, is endangered. We are very fortunate to still have ours.
Let me leave you with another example of an English institution, the Parish Council.
Here is a sign which educates us about what we are enjoined from doing on this English recreation ground footpath. Part of me loves the eccentric use of capitalisation, which is a hang-over from bygone days when the salient points of a notice would be emphasised in this way. On the other hand, this doesn’t explain the capitalisation of the word ‘On’, does it? I suspect that this is plain empty-headedness on the part of a councillor.
I hope you enjoyed this little meander through my thoughts on England. For more entertaining ABC Wednesday posts, do examine the lists of participating bloggers at Mrs Nesbitt’s place.
