Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois recently attended a special service and parade in Southend, to mark the importance of St. George’s day, in celebrating Englishness. There was a parade of veterans and cadets from the Naval and Military Club in Southend, down to St. John’s Church, where a service was conducted by Canon Michael Ballard who pointed out that while ardent nationalism can be an unhealthy force, patriotism, i.e. celebrating some of the best of one’s own country, can only be a positive thing.
Hymns at the service included old favourites such as Jerusalem and I Vow to Thee my Country. The service was organised by Verena Weaver, who chairs the Southend branch of the Royal Society of St. George, which has Her Majesty the Queen as patron.
Afterwards, the veterans paraded back up to the Naval and Military Church for a reception whilst the Mayor of Southend, Councillor Derek Jarvis took the salute, accompanied by Sir David Amess, Member of Parliament for Southend West and Mark as MP for Rayleigh and Wickford.
Speaking about the event, Mark Francois said:
It was a wonderful service at which we exercised our right to celebrate being English – exactly as the Scots do on St. Andrew’s Day, the Welsh on St. David’s Day and the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. One of the strengths of the United Kingdom, is that we are all able to live together in one country whilst also celebrating our own respective national identities. The Veterans and Cadets on parade were all in very good order and it was a pleasure to spend some time chatting to them both before and after the service. I would like to congratulate Verena Weaver and her colleagues from the Royal Society of St. George for laying on such an enjoyable morning.
