St Georges Day.

I'm not keen on St Georges day.   It is possibly because my lovely husband David had his funeral on this day....but it is more than that I think.
When I was a girl mummers still performed at this time in Rochdale.....I actually loved the street theatre but I'm afraid it brought me no nearer to either God or patriotic duty.....it was just great fun to watch George brandishing his sword and slaying the dragon!
When we lived in Essex my husband joined the St George society in the village.  This had nothing much to do with St George and everything to do with a night enjoying male company whilst consuming large quantities of booze.    Nothing wrong with that you might say but it meant my husband could not  drive that night  because he knew he'd be in no fit state to get home.
So I was detailed to take him and bring him home.....which was no problem except it was in the days before everyone had a mobile phone and the pub only had one. As there  were around fifty members of this group it took quite a while for us all to be summoned.
.As wives we were not terribly impressed and threatened to start our own group but it was a threat never carried out.
To  try to give me an interest in St George David gave me the job one year of researching the saint.....he knew I liked that sort of thing so I took great pleasure in telling him that George was not actually English....no one knew for certain but it was even possible he'd been a Roman left behind in the retreat!
When St Georges Day   became the only possible date for his funeral I gave in reluctantly....it felt quite wrong somehow......but all his mates turned up and joined all the mourners on a glorious sunny day and the throng filled the garden to overflowing.
So St Georges Day holds a special place in my heart but not for any of the normal reasons. ....Rest in Peace my love.