'ENGLAND and St GEORGE'

 The Beautiful  Cathedral,In Peterborough

As you know today is St George's day and I'd like to share a memory ,with you .

 

In more modern times, St George was chosen by Baden-Powell, its founder, to be patron of the Scouting Movement, and on St George's Day, scouts are bidden to remember their Promise and the Scout Law. Baden-Powell recounted in Scouting for Boys that the Knights of the Round Table 'had as their patron saint St George because he was the only one of all the saints who was a horseman. He is the patron saint of cavalry, from which the word chivalry is derived'.

Whilst I was working at the Tudors, my Daughter Sharon was helping run the cub scout troop, and on St Georges day, they would all would take part in the St Georges day parade, which is held in Peterborough Cathedral, I remember going one year, the parade and service was in the afternoon ,and as I was on duty in the evening I wore my uniform and went straight to work after the service .    Ernie, a dear old gentleman, an old soldier, who had been captured by the japs, but had escaped! He was fiercely patriotic, and when later I spoke to his Granddaughter I learned that the big portrait he had of the queen, hanging in his room, used to hang in the living room in his old home, and as a little girl she had to curtsey to the picture .Well when I got to work I gave Ernie the programme, He read it and then said I would have liked to gone with you ,oh  I Didn’t think ,Well next year I promise I’ll take you ,Ernie was extremely frail, he had tattoo’s that were now dark blue where they had shrunk on his poor shrinking frame ,He was so thin,he must have been a big sturdy man when he was younger , no one expected Ernie to live but he made it to the next year ,So I chatted up my son in law ,he took me to the Tudors ,where we managed to get Ernie and a walking stick and then his wheel chair into the car (I had of course obtained his families permission)Phil helped me get Ernie out of the car and into the wheel chair ,and arranged to pick us up later .Well we found a nice spot where we could watch the parade, we had a ciggy while we watched the cubs ,scouts sea cadets and various bands march past ,Then made our way into the Cathedral, we sat in some seats of the nave ,me on the end with Ernie’s chair in the aisle. He loved it he joined in the singing,as best he could ,though I did end up with a lot of soggy tissues in my pocket ,mostly Ernie’s tears though have to admit I shed a couple my self !I should have also told you he was sporting a chest full of medals! What a wonderful time we were having until the end and the magnificent organ struck up the national anthem …..Well this old soldier wasn’t going to remain seated, he never stood for long nowadays, but that was beside the point! Up he got, somehow!!Helped by me and his stick I locked my self into position and held him up and I had never realised how long the national anthem is ….all three verses. But we did it! And he took home his own programme that year .Sadly Ernie died later that year, and I was honoured to nurse him to the end, and indeed perform the last offices for him .

  Have a good day Every one ! from Jan xx