IT IS St George's Day today but apparently only 35 per cent of us proud Englanders are aware of the fact.

Flag and banner manufacturers thebannerpeople.com, recently conducted a survey to determine our views on St. George's Day. The results showed that although 70 per cent felt it should be celebrated and 55per cent of those surveyed thought it should be declared a national holiday, only 11per cent of people will be marking the occasion this weekend.

This compares to more than a third of the English population who chose to celebrate the fun and fervour of St. Patrick's Day this year.

Is it purely the lure of the Guinness or have we joined the defiant Celtic fringe and forsaken our own patron saint in favour of the Apostle of Ireland?

I acknowledge St. George is a bit of an elusive character with an apparent chequered history who doesn't appear to have set foot on English soil, but we have chosen him as a symbol of our Englishness. The event itself is more about the celebration of English culture than purely paying homage to our patron saint.

There is reluctance, almost shame, about celebrating all things English. While the Scots proudly play their bagpipes and the Irish dye the Liffey green, we retreat into the background, too shy to blow our own trumpet.

English patriotism should not be viewed as the exclusive luxury of far right extremists and just because we are proud of our roots and origins doesn't mean we are fascists and supporters of the BNP. Patriotism is not about opposition to Europe, immigration and right wing doctrines, it is instead simply a positive expression of who we are.

A patriot is one who loves and supports one's country. If it is acceptable for the Scots, Irish and the Welsh to celebrate their cultures why shouldn't we?

Unfortunately, the establishment is not so supportive and local councils across the country have been putting the dampeners on the occasion.

Liverpool shopkeeper Phil Moffat was ordered to remove the 20 flags he had hoisted outside his shop this week as Liverpool City Council threatened him with a £1,000 fine stating the banners were a breach of health and safety and could distract drivers.

Norwich publican Tony Bennett has embarked on a campaign to make St. George's Day a bank holiday, having recently failed to extend his licence to celebrate the occasion. Although extended licences were granted to Irish pubs across the country for St. Patrick's Day, our patron saint doesn't seem to be recognised by the authorities.

The occasion has caused a political stir in Stockport, with the Lib Dem council refusing to support a local market traders' initiative to distribute free red roses to the public to mark St. George's Day. Although the council originally offered to fund half the cost, it has since reneged, expressing concerns about the red rose being the symbol of its Labour opposition. It has apparently offered mini-flags as an alternative.

While many of us are frustrated at the lack of occasion and this reluctance by the establishment to promote our Englishness for fear of political incorrectness, let's celebrate the positives the flag of St. George represents.

Certainly in terms of sporting occasions, this symbol has helped to unite class, creed and colour. I don't believe it represents fascism, as along with the diverse nature of our national teams where black, white and Asian players stand together, it instead promotes multi-cultural England.

It's time to raise the profile of our national day in celebration of all things quintessentially English. Yes, that includes roast beef, Shakespeare and Elgar, but equally in today's society Chicken Balti is just a much a part of English culture.

The fee for this column is donated to the York City FC Development Fund

Updated: 10:24 Saturday, April 23, 2005