Principles

You may recall that a couple of days ago I said I am totally rubbish at remembering significant dates. Well despite G having already pointed out to me that yesterday we had been going out for a month, I still managed to forget and only remembered when G sent me an e-card saying “happy monthiversary”- that well known anniversary. It did give me the opportunity to remind G that the normal gift for a one month anniversary is a dishwasher and for a two month anniversary is a dining table and chairs. By amazing coincidence these are the next items I am looking to buy – life has an amazing symmetry to it sometimes.

Anyway, tonight we are going out for dinner (assuming I remember to turn up!) and that should be a really nice evening. One of the things that G and I certainly have in common is that we like nice things but if you can get it at a bargain price, all the better! So we are going to a nice restaurant but have managed to get a really good offer on it. Being Scottish may explain G’s liking for a bargain, I have no such excuse and am therefore just tight. Mind you, if my present of a dishwasher doesn’t turn up then I may appreciate having the bit of extra cash to purchase one.

While I was in Wales last week I saw that quite a few cars had Welsh flags on their number plates. I was thinking about that and how I don’t think there’s anything weird about seeing a Scottish or Welsh flag on a car, but if I saw someone with the English flag or a Union Jack for that matter, I would recoil at it. I think an English or Union Jack just instantly makes me think of fascism and that the person driving the car must be a member of some far-right political party. I realise that is a complete generalisation and stereotype, but somehow I find people being pro-English brings out an irrational response in me.

I saw yesterday that the idea of a British Day is being discussed and this seems to have backing from some in government. If it means an extra bank holiday then I’m all for it – although when they introduced a national day in Sweden they had to give up another bank holiday in exchange, which is not so great. Of course if we did go for the idea there will then be some major argument about what day to have it on, as if it is a day for Britain it can’t be on St George’s, St Andrew’s or St David’s Day. I think there is something in me that feels a bit uncomfortable with a national day. I think it is good to celebrate who we are, but if some of the impetus is because of the rise in the number of migrants to the UK then if there is something underlying this of reasserting our ‘Britishness’ in the face of that then it could be deemed to be a bit racist. Having said that it we *did* get an extra bank holiday, all of my reservations could gout the window. It’s good to have principles.