THE landlord of the White Hart, Holsworthy is continuing his fight for St George this year. He is asking people to once again sign a petition to make the English saint's day a national holiday.

Jon Hutchings said: "As you may know, other countries all over the world celebrate their patron saint or have other days, the closest to us and probably the most well known is Saint Patrick's Day for Ireland. This day is celebrated all over the UK and also widely in the USA.

"What about Burns Night for Scotland, for a well celebrated Scottish poet where the toasting of his words culminates in the eating of haggis? Why then can we not have our own patron saint's day?"

The White Hart will once again be celebrating St George's Day and trying to revive what Jon sees as the "lost essence of being English." He is asking people once again to sign a petition to make the English saint's day a national holiday. He is also asking people to take the day off work!

The St George emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England and was adopted by Richard The Lionheart who brought it to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

Jon said: "Once again we will be decorating the pub with the St George's flag and having a full week of celebrations. From traditional Sunday carvery roast to Morris dancers in the street, we will be celebrating all that is English in a typical English pub.

"With local pubs in massive decline across the country I feel it is time we made a stand for who we are. I am English and proud of it. Why should the Irish have all the fun? On Thursday, April 23 we will be having an English quiz, a full English menu, live music in the bar and even Morris dancers. There will also be a free hat for all the kids who come to watch the Morris dancers!"

If you would like to sign the petition and join the thousands of others across the country who are lobbying MPs, just pop into the White Hart in Holsworthy between Sunday, April 19 and Friday, April 24. The petition will be handed over the bar to MP Geoffrey Cox on Friday, April 24 at 5pm.