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Boris Johnson plans a St George's week
Benedict Moore-Bridger23 Mar 2009
ST GEORGE'S Day will be celebrated in London with a week of free events after being "ignored" for "far too long", Mayor Boris Johnson said today.
Mr Johnson will visit the City's historic Leadenhall Market on a Routemaster bus for food and drink festivities on 23 April after flying the StGeorge's Cross outside City Hall.
The celebrations will also include a concert of folk music in Trafalgar Square on 25 April and a free family Shakespeare day at the Globe Theatre on 19 April.
Mr Johnson said: "St George's Day has been ignored in London for far too long, but I'm truly pleased to announce some fantastic events to mark this occasion. We have much to be proud of in this great country; England has given so much to the world politically, socially and artistically.
"St George's Day is a time to celebrate the very best of everything English and the StGeorge's Cross will proudly fly outside City Hall."
Reader views (51)
well done boris..proud to be bloody english ;-))
- Cliff Townsend, manchester England, 23/04/2009 21:35
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Isn't the budget for this the same as it was under Ken?
- Fresh, London, 02/04/2009 11:10
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Never thought I would hear myself say this but well done Boris As a proud English Man I was delighted to read about your plans perhaps the Lord mayor of manchester will be brave enough to follow your example,but I doubt it English and Proud not racist.
- Mik Hayes, Manchester ENGLAND, 30/03/2009 13:31
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HEAR HEAR Mr Johnson! well done and thank you for allowing us to celebrate our country without being persecuted for being racist! 
- James R, London, England, The Land Of Hope And Glory, 29/03/2009 10:52
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Great news!! Being born and raised in London, England,it would mean so much to me to see our own Patron Saint being celebrated every year, along with other minority groups that seem to have no problem celebrating theirs.
- Carole, London, ENGLAND., 24/03/2009 16:38
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Excellent news!! All that is needed next year is the first St George's Day Parade in London, starting at Hyde Park,finishing at Trafalgar Square. I'm sure the Mayor's office could fund such an event to put English pride back on the map. If it can be done for St' Patrick's Day, then why not good old St. George? Come on Boris!!
- Stan Fisk,London, London, ENGLAND., 24/03/2009 15:37
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at last! we can actually celebrate something to do with our country and be proud of it!
- Jim, london, 24/03/2009 09:22
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Thank God for that, finaly this country will once again be recognised as a christian nation, well, for one day at least. St George is the most celebrated saint in the middle-east especially in palestine. I have visited many st George sights in Egypt, Greece and Palestine. Bless Boris
- Elie Chadoury, Lebanon, 24/03/2009 08:13
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St Boris, at last the voice of the people for the people, you make us proud.
- Lee Byford, Basildon, Essex, 24/03/2009 06:20
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Slight problem with St G is that noone's sure he actually existed: I gather he's been downgraded a bit, saint-wise, by the church, but they're a bit stuck with a lot of heavily branded real estate. No problem with St David,bona fide Welsh bloke, St Patrick ditto (saintly lot to this day, the Welsh); St Andrew, definitely on the books, but George a bit of a problem. Now if only he'd had that dragon stuffed, we'd have a bit of evidence...
- Mdj E10, london uk, 24/03/2009 00:25
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Thankyou Boris, and to everybody else in the GLA who work very hard for the british people, but rarely get mentioned.
- Yvonne, harrow Weald, 24/03/2009 00:00
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Cry "God for Boris, England and St. George!!!".
- Cuddly Duddly, Cuffley, UK, 23/03/2009 23:55
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About two decades too late.
The English are a dying race.
We are no have free speech.
Sixty year or so we fought a war against European domination now we are about to give way to it without a fight.
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD, 23/03/2009 23:01
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What have we got to be proud of someone asks, ENGLAND the mother of how many countries?(Australia, Canada,New Zealand,South Africa and numerous african countries,United States- to name a few) ENGLISH the most widely used language in the world,ENGLISH football the worlds most popular sport. Hopefully these facts will not upset the PC brigade that call ENGLAND home Yes I would say that ENGLAND has a lot to be proud of and should shout it out to the world
- Colin, south london ENGLAND, 23/03/2009 21:11
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I just want a day off.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland, 23/03/2009 17:35
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dam good chap that boris
- G.Stocker, redbridge essex, 23/03/2009 17:03
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At last,always narked me somewhat as I'm born on St Georges day and not even my mates over here realise it's our day.
- Marc Blackwell, stockholm sweden, 23/03/2009 16:46
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What exactly would St Georges Day be celebrating? What would be the aim of such a festival and what would be its content? There is no culture of celebrating St George's Day as there is with St Patricks Day, etc, etc. Would it just not feel a bit artificial, forced and ultimately unnecessary? For those who feel the need to do it, fine, but please let the rest of us know what it is for and what it is going to involve. Otherwise it just ends up as yet another bit of empty gesture politics by the latest encumbent in the Mayor of London position. Paid for by Londoners. And Lord knows, we had enough of this sort of thing with Ken!
- Trevor, London, UK, 23/03/2009 16:42
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I think this is a great idea, the multi-cultural police will come after Boris for this!
- J.J., London, England, 23/03/2009 16:36
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Well done Boris! It's about time we celebrated St George and England. We have much to be proud of and we should not be afraid to do so.
- Atticus, London, 23/03/2009 16:17
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About time the ENGLISH celebrated for themselves and stopped being politically correct. I assume it will be alright to fly our flags now?
- Sharon, London England, 23/03/2009 16:00
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Johnson forgiven by Liverpool. Well, I suppose it is in the nature of the scousers to forgive a person who is regarded as a buffoon.
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK, 23/03/2009 15:31
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Even though I am Irish, I cannot understand how this day is not a national holiday. People and Authorities, seem more interested in spending their time trying NOT to upset minorities, than celebrating their own culture. The Government need to grow a pair, and declare St Georges Day a national holiday.
- John, London, 23/03/2009 14:54
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All we really need do; and to please or appease all those that do not like the English celebrating their own country and culture; is to remove the red cross of St George from our flag; and carry the new white flags instead.
This will please all other cultures and the Politically Correct Appeasers in the UK; to see the English People waving white flags; the meaning would be very clear to them.
- Mickyinlondon, london, 23/03/2009 14:43
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Well done on the spin front Boris! Even people on this page are convinced that there was some kind of sinister effort to 'suppress' St George's Day in London, even though it has been celebrated with the former Mayor's blessing for years.
- Alex J Thomas, Bow, London, 23/03/2009 14:40
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Can we please have a Mahatma Ghanhi day as well!
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt, 23/03/2009 14:32
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Now, I'm no Boris fan, but at last we have a leader in Lonfdon who is not ashamed to be english, or to celebrate it. Ken was a disgrace, more interested in st patrick's day and other minorities. Boris has won my vote, pride in England does not belong to extremists alone.
- David, croydon, 23/03/2009 14:22
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It just goes to show you can't be too careful
- Liberal And Proud, London, UK, 23/03/2009 14:05
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Well done Boris.
- David., Chertsey.UK., 23/03/2009 13:57
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I celebrate the day every year with pride as do many others. Its about time this became a proper national day which all can be proud of and cherish.
Its the perfect tonic for the country at present, lets hope everyone turns out in force the celebrate with us!!
- Paul, Dunstable, 23/03/2009 13:51
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Linda, London: "Finally!!"
Really? Did you read Mark Lee's comment:
"We've had St George's Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square in London for the past five years. Boris has cast a huge insult to those involved in the events over these years by suggesting that their efforts were tantamount to "ignoring" the day."
Boris is spinning again and as usual.
- Victor Five, London, 23/03/2009 13:32
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Wahay, now how about making it a national holiday and giving us the day off?
- Aria, South London, 23/03/2009 13:20
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At last, people are allowed to celebrate St Patricks Day and finally common sense St George's Day we should be proud to fly the flag whenever we want rather than being told its not PC correct lets hope this is a start of changes to come
- Helen, London, 23/03/2009 13:16
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Last year these events were publicised with posters at London underground stations and other locations, leaflets at transport hubs and Tourist Information Centres, listings in Time Out and other paid-for and free publications and, of course, in The Londoner.
- Helen, London, 23/03/2009 12:50
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I would say about time too. This Country seems to worry about not offending other Countries or Religions, yet rarely think of 'our own'.
I cannot recall a time when St Georges Day was celebrated in the way that, say, St Patricks Day is, yet this is an irish patron and we are in Central London.
Why should we not celebrate, we do not seem to have anything else worth celebrating at the mo, what with climate change, loss of jobs, the list is endless of bad things!
- Max, London, 23/03/2009 12:47
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Well done Boris!
- Brandon Thomas, London UK, 23/03/2009 12:43
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About time!!
Mark Lee it obviously was not well publicised as you can tell from responses here. Therefore not spin out of control, it is about someone who at last is supporting England, not hiding it like his predecessor.
- E Sullivan, London, 23/03/2009 12:42
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Why not just save rate payers money and have this another time,
- Brian, Wiltshire, 23/03/2009 12:39
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Mark Lee: The anti-British brigade certainly did a good job of keeping the lid on the celebrations that you speak of, they certainly weren't publicised outside the M25!
St Georges day should be a bank holiday. Anyone who is offended by the English celebrating their national identity is free to book themselves a permanent holiday abroad.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 23/03/2009 12:29
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Good for him and great for England.
- Steve, London, 23/03/2009 12:16
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There is NOTHING WRONG in celebrating St.George , England or Englishness !! But does it have to be folk music ??
- Anthony, Basildon, 23/03/2009 12:11
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a bank holiday to celebrate would be wonderful.
- Tina Patel, Pinner, 23/03/2009 11:55
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Well Mark Lee of Vauxhall, those involved in the events didn't do much of a job of publicising them. I certainly don't recall Ken Livingstone throwing his weight behind them. Besides this will be a Londonwide event as befits our national day, not a "party in Trafalgar Square".
- Kevin T, London, 23/03/2009 11:54
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Good idea, why not have a joint Anglo Turkish parade as St George is also a Turkish saint, sick of St Patrick getting all the media attention.
- St George Fan, UK, 23/03/2009 11:52
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About time that we are able to celebrate a country that most people are still proud to be a part of no matter what their background even though we are being taken to the edge of ruin by the recession and government. I enjoyed Standrews day, St Patricks day now bring on the celebrations and pride for St Georges Day!
- Bobby, Brighton, 23/03/2009 11:27
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Well done Boris - it's about time London celebrated St George's Day.
This is after all England!
- Flo, London, UK, 23/03/2009 11:19
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Fantastic idea. Let's hope it becomes an annual event.
- Ken, Bexleyheath, 23/03/2009 11:03
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Good on you Boris, it's about time St. George's got recognised and celebrated.
- Ryan, Newcastle, UK, 23/03/2009 10:52
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"St George's Day has been ignored in London for far too long" - really Boris? What about the party in Trafalgar Square last year. Or the one in Trafalgar Square in 2007. And 2006. Oh, and 2005. Oh, and 2004 too.
Great to see the celebrations continuing this year, but very disappointed to see the spin machine out in force.
We've had St George's Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square in London for the past five years. Boris has cast a huge insult to those involved in the events over these years by suggesting that their efforts were tantamount to "ignoring" the day.
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall, 23/03/2009 10:49
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Finally!!
- Linda, London, London, 23/03/2009 10:43
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And not a minute before time.
- Alan, Essex, 23/03/2009 10:37
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