April fools day headline?
April fools day headline?
There I was looking at various news sites trying to find the April Fools inspired stories and came across this one:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56604467
and I though that it's so ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be true.
Sorry to say I was wrong.
Pupils demand that the Union flag gets taken down at the school as it's racist (the phrase that some of them used was "there's no black in the Union Jack"), so what does the headmaster do?
Caves in and takes it down along with agreeing to their demands about changing the school uniform policy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-56604467
and I though that it's so ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be true.
Sorry to say I was wrong.
Pupils demand that the Union flag gets taken down at the school as it's racist (the phrase that some of them used was "there's no black in the Union Jack"), so what does the headmaster do?
Caves in and takes it down along with agreeing to their demands about changing the school uniform policy.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kelowna Wine Country
Posts: 447
This one looked like a goody. The old blue boat sits on the highway just to the North of our town. Thought the same thing. Similar result.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelown...ernight#329737
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelown...ernight#329737
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 60
Posts: 860
I went to a UK private school as a none national border, and the Union flag was not flown apart from more ceremonial days. I am not sure why a school in an inner city would chose to do it ?
Kind regards
Mr Mac
Kind regards
Mr Mac
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Southern California
Age: 61
Posts: 20
Originally Posted by ChrisVJ
This one looked like a goody. The old blue boat sits on the highway just to the North of our town. Thought the same thing. Similar result.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelown...ernight#329737
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelown...ernight#329737
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: east ESSEX
Posts: 3,865
There is no black,brown yellow green,purple on the Flag either.It is a Union Flag,not some fancy `woke` flag.
Perhaps the Head should teach them all about their symbology,history etc of all nations,race,ethnicity.
Perhaps the Head should teach them all about their symbology,history etc of all nations,race,ethnicity.
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Surrey
Age: 63
Posts: 176
Originally Posted by sycamore
There is no black,brown yellow green,purple on the Flag either.It is a Union Flag,not some fancy `woke` flag.
Perhaps the Head should teach them all about their symbology,history etc of all nations,race,ethnicity.
Perhaps the Head should teach them all about their symbology,history etc of all nations,race,ethnicity.
Psychophysiological entity
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Tweet Rob_Benham Famous author. Well, slightly famous.
Age: 81
Posts: 4,927
I'm mindful of the young boy somewhere in Africa. He lived in a shanty town. He looked after his young sister because his mother was dead. He polished his shoes to a bright shine every morning. He dreaded his father visiting because he stole food and the miniscule welfare he got. He walked five miles to school every day because he was determined to better himself.
It is decades since I saw that program, but his little face is as vivid as on that day. He knew he had no right to education.
It is decades since I saw that program, but his little face is as vivid as on that day. He knew he had no right to education.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Smaller Antipode
Age: 86
Posts: 30
I am not sure why a school in an inner city would chose to do it ?
"When in Rome .......... e.g. if you want to live in England, put up with English ways that you, or your forebears, found so attractive to encompass. QED.
A million years ago - it seems - I sent my two sons to a "stereotype" English Preparatory school in deepest Dorset. At one point, the school being short of money, the headmaster said he could solve the problem by accepting many Iranian pupils that rich Iranian parents were constantly trying to enroll, to give their offspring an "English" education, but then, once he had filled the school with Iranians, it would no longer be the "English" school that those Iranian parents desired for their children. Although he took a few Iranian pupils - to help his balance sheet, he wasn't that stupid - he steadfastly maintained the English majority.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 60
Posts: 860
ExSP33db1rd
Yes an English school in an English city as you say, but I do not recall seeing the Union flags being flown outside either my school, or indeed other schools, private or public except on more special occasions. Indeed looking at new schools I think it odd that they even have a flagpole to fly it from.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Yes an English school in an English city as you say, but I do not recall seeing the Union flags being flown outside either my school, or indeed other schools, private or public except on more special occasions. Indeed looking at new schools I think it odd that they even have a flagpole to fly it from.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,083
The latest wheeze from Boris is, apparently, to festoon Gov't buildings with the Union Jack flag.....given the state of the UK, it would be apt if they were all flown upside down....... and at half mast.
However, if they are going to be flown, unfortunately, they won't be displayed in parallel with a large blue flag embossed with gold stars.....as seen in mainland Europe for example. Nothing like a bit of jingoistic insularity to appeal to those so inclined of course
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56514501
However, if they are going to be flown, unfortunately, they won't be displayed in parallel with a large blue flag embossed with gold stars.....as seen in mainland Europe for example. Nothing like a bit of jingoistic insularity to appeal to those so inclined of course
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56514501
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,428
Why not ? It's an English school in an English city, Innit ?
"When in Rome .......... e.g. if you want to live in England, put up with English ways that you, or your forebears, found so attractive to encompass. QED.
Not sure whether to laugh or cry at the (one supposes, unintended) irony !
Possibly the writer misses the point of the UNION flag combining the St George Cross, the Saltire and the Red Dragon Cross. !!! It has long been one of the more distasteful aspects of rah-rah Nationalism that it concentrates on symbols which the participants, themselves, fail to understand, either as to significance, or the intent, of the item(s) which they claim to revere !
The intelligent Johnson (Dr Samuel) was, undoubtedly accurate with his assessment that "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel"
"When in Rome .......... e.g. if you want to live in England, put up with English ways that you, or your forebears, found so attractive to encompass. QED.
Not sure whether to laugh or cry at the (one supposes, unintended) irony !
Possibly the writer misses the point of the UNION flag combining the St George Cross, the Saltire and the Red Dragon Cross. !!! It has long been one of the more distasteful aspects of rah-rah Nationalism that it concentrates on symbols which the participants, themselves, fail to understand, either as to significance, or the intent, of the item(s) which they claim to revere !
The intelligent Johnson (Dr Samuel) was, undoubtedly accurate with his assessment that "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel"
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 132
'Ain't no black in the union jack' is an old BNP chant, but strangely this mostly black flag is also associated with the far right, as is a similar one in the USA.
https://www.worldflagshop.com/produc...ne%20of%20duty.
It's supposed to be in support of the police but it's really a dog whistle to extremists. The reporting is garbled.
https://www.worldflagshop.com/produc...ne%20of%20duty.
It's supposed to be in support of the police but it's really a dog whistle to extremists. The reporting is garbled.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 132
To Cornish Jack. I mostly agree with you, and I use the Cornish flag in some posts as my dad was Cornish, from Cawsand. But the red saltire is associated with St Patrick, and the Welsh flag is not represented.
The head of this school is regarded by many as a tyrant for reasons too tedious to mention, and it is asserted that his wife, who has no teaching qualifications, has a major influence on the curriculum. He is a flag fanatic and the hostility toward the flag is really aimed at him personally.
Were it up to me, and if I had the funds, I might fly the flags of Saints David, Patrick, George, and Andrew on appropriate days and maybe the union flag on the Queen's birthday. Oh, and Saint Piran on 5th March. Curiously, Saint David's flag has no dragon, being a yellow cross on a black background. If enough people wanted it, the Saint David yellow cross could be incorporated rather easily into the union flag, and it could be claimed that St Piran is already represented by the white cross.
The head of this school is regarded by many as a tyrant for reasons too tedious to mention, and it is asserted that his wife, who has no teaching qualifications, has a major influence on the curriculum. He is a flag fanatic and the hostility toward the flag is really aimed at him personally.
Were it up to me, and if I had the funds, I might fly the flags of Saints David, Patrick, George, and Andrew on appropriate days and maybe the union flag on the Queen's birthday. Oh, and Saint Piran on 5th March. Curiously, Saint David's flag has no dragon, being a yellow cross on a black background. If enough people wanted it, the Saint David yellow cross could be incorporated rather easily into the union flag, and it could be claimed that St Piran is already represented by the white cross.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 132
Sad about the boat. I have visited Kelowna twice, once in 1962 to spend a summer with an uncle, the second time in 2008 to show my wife around. In some ways it's grown beyond recognition but the central area has been well preserved. In 1962 I liked the place so well I tried to talk my relatives into letting me stay a year and go to school there.
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Posts: 19,351
Ryanair to order and fund completion of second AN-225 Mriya.
https://www.aerotime.aero/27588-ryan...v-an-225-mriya
and the new triple deck A380 ultra
https://www.aerotime.aero/24754-airb...a-announcement
https://www.aerotime.aero/27588-ryan...v-an-225-mriya
and the new triple deck A380 ultra
https://www.aerotime.aero/24754-airb...a-announcement
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Smaller Antipode
Age: 86
Posts: 30
Cornish Jack. #15
i agree that it is the "Union" flag, but part of it contains the "English" flag, so is the one to be flown in England, innit ?
if you want to persist with your stance I will point out that ... akcherly ... it's the "Union Jack" and should only be displayed at sea, on the Jackstaff. QED.
My point is that I'm biologically English, Yorkshire actually, and should I choose to return to live in England I would proudly display anything that proclaimed my cultural origin should I choose to, and strongly object to those denying me that privilege who were from different ones, whilst still accepting their right to proclaim theirs too, providing of course they didn’t try to dilute the Englishness of everything English around me.
Unfortunately the sun is now setting on one of the outposts of the British Empire (literally, we put the clocks back tonight) Goodnight.
i agree that it is the "Union" flag, but part of it contains the "English" flag, so is the one to be flown in England, innit ?
if you want to persist with your stance I will point out that ... akcherly ... it's the "Union Jack" and should only be displayed at sea, on the Jackstaff. QED.
My point is that I'm biologically English, Yorkshire actually, and should I choose to return to live in England I would proudly display anything that proclaimed my cultural origin should I choose to, and strongly object to those denying me that privilege who were from different ones, whilst still accepting their right to proclaim theirs too, providing of course they didn’t try to dilute the Englishness of everything English around me.
Unfortunately the sun is now setting on one of the outposts of the British Empire (literally, we put the clocks back tonight) Goodnight.
