Oh to be in England, now that April's there...

Happy St George's Day to all my lovely English readers out there. And for the non English ones, sorry, do indulge me while I waffle on this evening!

I feel that we're slightly hard done by when it comes to national celebration. If April and May weren't already packed with Bank Holidays, surely 23rd April would be one? The Irish do very nicely with St Patrick's Day and although I'm shamefully ignorant of St Andrew's Day and St David's Day, I'm sure that there are some national traditions (wearing leeks comes to mind). A quick Wikipedia search informs me that Scotland celebrate St Andrew's Day as a Bank Holiday and that Wales wants to do the same for St David's Day but Tony Blair turned down their petition, booo!

So I felt the need to do something vaguely approaching an homage to Englishness today. Dinner consisted of sausage, mash and cider (yum!) but the most obvious thing was my outfit. Lying in bed last night, I pondered the options, as you do. Do I go for the classic English rose and waft round in a floaty chiffon frock? Do I take a more modern approach and dress top to toe in high street? Dress up like a flag? Or embrace the very English trait of eccentricity?

It turned out to be a bit of everything really. I went for a colour palette of red and white, pulled the trusty cricket sweater into action, popped a rose headband on top and went about my day, despite being deeply unsure about the white/cream tights.

Vest, cricket sweater & ring - Primark
Skirt - Tesco
Tights & pumps - DP

I think I grew a little happier with the tights as the day went on but they're a pain to keep clean! Ah well, I doubt they'll get worn often so it was nice to give them a run out today.

And just because I want to, here's a quick peep at how I spent a leisurely hour or two this evening. A fun mixture of high(ish)-brow and low-brow reading material and a comedy yet freaky picture (Gordon's plastic grimace makes me feel ill)

Oh and check out these! A little treat from my lovely Mum - cherry and orange flavoured and deeply delicious.

And just to finish off my Friday evening thoughts, let's pay tribute to William Shakespeare as it's his deathday (and possible birthday) today:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'