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EPPING: Council to honour St George despite local apathy

9:48am Wednesday 19th March 2008

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EPPING Town Council is going patriotic and will be flying the flag for St George's Day next month, despite apathy from some quarters of the community.

Councillors have decided the patron saint of England will be recognised in Epping and have come up with a competition to get people involved.

High Street pubs and businesses are being invited to take part by decorating their shop front with a St George's Day theme.

The idea was thought up at a town council meeting after some other suggestions, such as baking a giant cake, were discarded.

After much deliberation it was agreed that shops could compete for the best window display with the winners receiving a certificate presented by mayor Nick Hines.

But despite a lack of interest from local organisations who did not offer proposals for the day, deputy mayor Ben Murphy wants the town council to lead the way in celebrating St George.

He said: "I believe that we, as a town council, should fly the flag. I think we could still pull this out of the bag and get people on board."

The flag of St George will be flown outside Epping Hall, in St John's Road, with businesses encouraged to do the same.

April 23 is often forgotten in England with more celebrations given to Ireland's patron saint, St Patrick.

The town council will award certificates to businesses which have the best St George's displays.

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Amy, Waltham Abbey says...
10:12am Wed 19 Mar 08

I appauld the council in taking these steps to ensure the st george day is regonised. I think as a community we should all pull together. because as english people we are not aloud to regonised our own beleifts and celebrate our days from st georges to xmas.

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Ben Murphy, Epping says...
10:33am Wed 19 Mar 08

Thanks Amy! I quite agree and if we don't start the ball rolling, who will?

I'm immensely proud of being English and this is one of the few opportunities left to celebrate what we have achieved as a country.

May I also add, Epping certainly will be celebrating Christmas this year with a weekend packed full of events from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December. Please do feel free to come and join in the festivities…

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Amanda, E4 says...
11:29am Wed 19 Mar 08

St George is not only the patron Saint of England but also the patron Saint of Scouting. For years Scouts have paraded on the nearest Sunday to April 23rd through the towns and villages celebrating our patron. St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. As British people we are proud to fly the Union Flag at any event -
so why not fly the 'St Georges' flag - no one seems to have a problem with Scotland flying the cross of St Andrew or Ireland flying the cross of St Patrick.

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inézc, Epping says...
12:31pm Wed 19 Mar 08

~Excellent news - well done Epping Town Council!

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Kate, Loughton,Essex says...
1:42pm Wed 19 Mar 08

Great news i'm really happy about this news.

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Jonathan, Epping says...
2:28pm Wed 19 Mar 08

I honestly can't wait for ben murphy to become mayor - at last - some common sense from someone on the council

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Darron, Chingford says...
4:14pm Wed 19 Mar 08

Let's hope this idea transfers to London councils. I'll be flying my flag on the day.

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ThornwoodPete, Thornwood says...
4:18pm Wed 19 Mar 08

Jonathan wrote:
I honestly can\'t wait for ben murphy to become mayor - at last - some common sense from someone on the council
At last we are seeing some people in respected positions who have got some good old common sense and patriotism. Nevermind Mayor, Ben Murpy for Prime Minister!!!

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Mr Khalid, walthamstone says...
4:32pm Wed 19 Mar 08

you must pottin indernation flag for evrybodie contrys. not just this england flag for footbal. if joinup all this long lin scotland irlan wells frans jermany and all conty and india pakistan usa evry body be pece togeth no?

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tally, Durham says...
6:10pm Wed 19 Mar 08

Well done Epping Council.England's Cross of St George should be flown all year round despite the English haters of New Labour. Have a great day.

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Gobsmacked, Epping says...
6:30pm Wed 19 Mar 08

About bloody time as well! Im proud of being English and it aggravates me that we should feel guilty over wanting to celebrate!
Good on you Ben Murphy, look forward to you being the mayor!

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Gerry Kirk, Sydney, Australia says...
7:27pm Wed 19 Mar 08

I'm so very pleased that Epping Town Council have made this decision. We need more councils to follow in their footsteps. Gerry Kirk.

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Dave B, ENGLAND says...
7:47pm Wed 19 Mar 08

Why fly the flag for just one day
Fly the george cross 365 days of the year, now that would be doing something good have pride in your ENGLAND every day

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Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate E7 says...
8:04pm Wed 19 Mar 08

There's nothing wrong with a national day for England or flying the flag, but St. George is hardly a unifying rallying point. He died centuries before there were any such people as the English, never came here and was adopted by some obscure medieval King or other.

A much better idea would be to celebrate the birthday of William Shakespeare as national day for England. He is still a huge and internationally respected cultural and historical figure. He lived to see the last English Royal family die out in 1603 and the beginnings of our United Kingdom with the first Stuart to be King of England as well as Scotland.

The date? 23rd April!

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md250, ilford says...
9:13pm Wed 19 Mar 08

Mr Khalid wrote:
you must pottin indernation flag for evrybodie contrys. not just this england flag for footbal. if joinup all this long lin scotland irlan wells frans jermany and all conty and india pakistan usa evry body be pece togeth no?
i see the english lessons are going well then,


bet you can spell benefit, giro, etcetcetc

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clive shepherd, devon says...
11:37am Thu 20 Mar 08

WELL DONE E.F.D.C.,We have loads of flag flying down here,clive.

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Jonathan, Epping says...
12:20pm Thu 20 Mar 08

It's not the district council that's doing this - it's the town council.

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clive shepherd, devon says...
2:00pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Jonathan wrote:
It\'s not the district council that\'s doing this - it\'s the town council.
my mistake sorry,

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bert, says...
7:25pm Thu 20 Mar 08

Its good news, and a great idea, time to start thinking of the indigenous population for a change, we have every right to fly our flag in our own country , im quite happy for other people to fly their own flags in their own countries,if they find the english flag offensive,then tough luck, you know where the airports are,, well done EPPING: Council

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Pat, Epping says...
7:33am Fri 21 Mar 08

It is fantastic that Epping Council will be celebrating St George's Day. I feel very proud to be English and to live in England, so let's celebrate our wonderful country! I would like to see bunting, a carnival and fireworks!

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Observer, says...
9:31am Fri 21 Mar 08

Mr Khalid wrote:
you must pottin indernation flag for evrybodie contrys. not just this england flag for footbal. if joinup all this long lin scotland irlan wells frans jermany and all conty and india pakistan usa evry body be pece togeth no?
Get lost you moron.

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Paul, Surrey says...
2:01pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Well done Mr Murphy . We need some more enlightened people in power.
Isnt it sad though that the act of flying our own flag on one day attracts the newspapers!

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Inézc, Epping says...
2:34pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Mr Khalid wrote:
you must pottin indernation flag for evrybodie contrys. not just this england flag for footbal. if joinup all this long lin scotland irlan wells frans jermany and all conty and india pakistan usa evry body be pece togeth no?
Is Mr Khalid for real?

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Linda Thompson, North weald says...
2:40pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Well done Epping,bet Waltham Forest doesnt follow suit.Its great lets celebrate

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Rob Harvey, Epsom, Surrey says...
2:44pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Glad to see Epping High Street still has some life left in it after years of charity-shop decline!! Used to be a lovely High St, I remember The Golden Iris, Ashworths, Pynes etc. Not forgetting the OLD George and Dragon run by Ray and Kath! Good luck with St Georges Day!!
ps What ON EARTH has happened to The Half Moon??!!!

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md250, ilford says...
5:01pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Inézc wrote:
Mr Khalid wrote:
you must pottin indernation flag for evrybodie contrys. not just this england flag for footbal. if joinup all this long lin scotland irlan wells frans jermany and all conty and india pakistan usa evry body be pece togeth no?
Is Mr Khalid for real?
must be awind up merchant, a man so stupid it cannot be for real

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steve, says...
5:08pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Linda Thompson wrote:
Well done Epping,bet Waltham Forest doesnt follow suit.Its great lets celebrate
Waltham Forest would never follow suit they have too many Muslims they could affend and we don't want to do that now do we lol.

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Gavin, Leyton says...
7:58pm Fri 21 Mar 08

i wish this would happen Leyton, but with our hopeless Labour government being so anti English - i very mmuch doub it will happen.

I also notice that the flay of St George was recently removed from the top of Leyton police station, why?

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Derek, England says...
10:28pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Well done. I look forward to the day that all English councils fly the English flag every day!

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Pat, Epping says...
10:37pm Fri 21 Mar 08

Really pleased that we are allowed to fly the flag on St Georges day without fear of being arrested....YET.

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Northern Monkey, Epping says...
8:55am Sat 22 Mar 08

I think Khlaid is right. He might not be able to spell but I see his point.

We don't need to flip to being a monoculture in rebellion to the forced multiculturalism.

Come and discuss this further with me on www.eppingforum.co .uk

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Observer, says...
9:24am Sat 22 Mar 08

Northern Monkey wrote:
I think Khlaid is right. He might not be able to spell but I see his point. We don't need to flip to being a monoculture in rebellion to the forced multiculturalism. Come and discuss this further with me on www.eppingforum.co .uk
"khalid" is a false identity. You're being fooled.

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Trevor, Chingford says...
9:29am Sat 22 Mar 08

Observer, just because a man cannot type or spell (all kids use abbrev txt?) does not mean that the man has no voice. Lay off him please. This is an open Forum and you and others have been very rude to him and others. I do not see that you have any higher authority than him. What I have noticed is that Mr Khalid is not offensive, like MD250 and others.

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md250, ilford says...
9:50am Sat 22 Mar 08

Trevor wrote:
Observer, just because a man cannot type or spell (all kids use abbrev txt?) does not mean that the man has no voice. Lay off him please. This is an open Forum and you and others have been very rude to him and others. I do not see that you have any higher authority than him. What I have noticed is that Mr Khalid is not offensive, like MD250 and others.
trevor, have you been eating the wrong kind of mushrooms again, the man is on a wind up, and is one of the main reasons i enjoy this forum to read his ramblings, nobody that
ignorant of a language would be able to read the reports and then comment on them the way he does, how can you of fallen for that.

mr khalis IS offensive, bit is the best fun i've had in ages .

but he is a grade a tosser though.


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mr khalid, walthamstow says...
11:32am Sat 22 Mar 08

i no say this dont showeded flag sent george. i say must meybe puteded alflag alnatians and celibred alfestiv. today evry body must eting choglates egg and sweet for alpepal. if only showeded this flag upsed the scotlend wells and the irland no? evry year good for al to enjod

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r.SURRIDGE, debden says...
1:18pm Sat 22 Mar 08

good for the council at last a bit of english pride thank god

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md250, ilford says...
9:06pm Sat 22 Mar 08

mr khalid wrote:
i no say this dont showeded flag sent george. i say must meybe puteded alflag alnatians and celibred alfestiv. today evry body must eting choglates egg and sweet for alpepal. if only showeded this flag upsed the scotlend wells and the irland no? evry year good for al to enjod
TOSS POT

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Sidney Stake, Epping Green says...
7:54am Mon 24 Mar 08

There is an interesting article on flag flying in the Sunday Times yesterday (front page) apparently The Government are going to encourage it now. Very interesting article as they are doing away with a 1924 Act of Parliament that controlled when flags could be flown etc (no joke!) Well worth a read. I noticed that it did not make news anywhere else. I am glad as I would feel comfortable flying my flag here but not in Walthamstow where I used to live. I sol out to developers for a tidy sum and left. If I flew a flag there I would be accused of being in the BNP or something no doubt. The council are very left wing. I am happy here now. Mortgage free! Hooray!

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sharon, leyton says...
2:44pm Mon 24 Mar 08

at last, i think we should fly an english flag in england. everyone should be tolerent of englands heritage seeing as we are in england.

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md250, ilford says...
3:08pm Mon 24 Mar 08

Sidney Stake wrote:
There is an interesting article on flag flying in the Sunday Times yesterday (front page) apparently The Government are going to encourage it now. Very interesting article as they are doing away with a 1924 Act of Parliament that controlled when flags could be flown etc (no joke!) Well worth a read. I noticed that it did not make news anywhere else. I am glad as I would feel comfortable flying my flag here but not in Walthamstow where I used to live. I sol out to developers for a tidy sum and left. If I flew a flag there I would be accused of being in the BNP or something no doubt. The council are very left wing. I am happy here now. Mortgage free! Hooray!
15 TIMES YOU'VE TOLD US YOU HAVE SOLD OUT TO DEVELOPERS, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD

SS

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M Anderson, Engerlander in Mid West USA says...
6:17pm Mon 24 Mar 08

Murphy for English prime minister! Go home Gordon Brown we don't want you in England!
The English flag should be flown every day not just the 23rd of April!!

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Not Mr Khalid, E4 says...
1:03am Wed 26 Mar 08

Errr isn't Murphy actually an Irish name???

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Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON. E7 says...
5:42pm Sun 30 Mar 08

Look what I've found:

http://www.london.go

v.uk/mayor/culture/s

tgeorge.jsp

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GrapeApe99, England says...
3:20pm Fri 4 Apr 08

Errr isn't Murphy actually an Irish name???


Yes. Your point being...?

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Mary Contrary, Harrow says...
1:45pm Mon 7 Apr 08

I think Ben Murphy is simply wonderful. Yes. I do.

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Comments are closed on this article.

Town mayor Nick Hines and Ben Murphy holding the St Georges Day flag Town mayor Nick Hines and Ben Murphy holding the St Georges Day flag

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