ST George's Day has come and gone once again with a modicum of acknowledgement.

Why don't the English display patriotic fervour? This was an interesting query you posed (LET, April 22) which produced no satisfactory explanation. Perhaps this oblivious indifferent attitude is a peculiar English trait.

Dutifully the Scout movement provided the annual ceremonial parade attended by thousands and appropriately supported by the Mayor. Other events included a brass band concert to celebrate the occasion, at King George's Hall in Blackburn, and few patriotic gentlemen were seen sporting a red rose in their lapel.

Around the turn of the century, the old Blackburn Times, each year, published a reminder that April 23 is St George's Day honouring England's patron saint and requested everyone to wear a rose. In 1990, prior to founding the Scout movement in 1908, the only event reported was that the local Athenian Club was to couple, for the first time, the memory of St George with their annual commemoration of Shakespeare's birthday, with the celebration being held at the Old Bank Hotel - now Flemming's - in Mincing Lane.

However, in 1902, a local branch of the newly-formed Society of St George, with the intention of stirring up the latent enthusiasm and patriotism among the townsmen, staged a celebration dinner at the Castle Hotel in Market Street Lane (now the Generations night club).

Local dignitaries officiated. The toast of the evening was: "Old England, the Empire, and the Society of St George."

Evidently, the Society of St George, like the dragon, is long since extinct.

J A MARSDEN, Scarborough Road, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.