Getting Behind The Red, White And Blue
Britain is having a party and the World is invited. The summer-long celebrations kicked off in spectacular style with grand events to mark The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (after a false start at last week’s Eurovision) and will continue through to the closing of the London 2012 Paralympic Games in September. Towns and villages up and down the country have been swept up in Jubilee fever, with virtually every high street bedecked in enough Union bunting and banners to raise even the coolest spirit.
If there was a time to see Britain in full glory, this is it. London is ablaze with red, white and blue, festooned in flags to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and to welcome athletes and visitors to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Events like these whip up a great atmosphere and much of the country will rejoice at street parties or barbecues, lunch with family or down the pub with friends.
Naturally, pubs, restaurants and shops are getting in on the act and merchandising has gone crazy, too. Eggs to earrings, teapots to train tickets, a full range of items has been stamped with a British flag, with the implication that it would be somehow unpatriotic not to buy them
Sixty Years on the Throne
To mark 60 years on the throne, the Queen has been on walkabout through Britain. Thousands of well-wishers line the streets wherever she goes, waving flags, wearing silly hats and smiling from ear to ear. There is something quite heartening, quite charming about it. One of the many highlights of this four-day holiday weekend has been a spectacular 1000-boat flotilla of boats large and small on the River Thames, with Her Majesty leading the water-bound cavalcade on a specially built royal barge. Inclement weather could not dispel the joy and jamboree as tens of thousands lined the riverbank. Millions more around the World watched the event live on TV.
Like many of the World’s nations, we wear our colours with pride at times of national celebration or international sporting events. Throw a party or national celebration and we will come out in our droves, whooping and waving with the best of them. In 1953 the flags were unfurled for the coronation of our new Queen, whose reign we celebrate this year. In the Swinging Sixties, London became a cultural beacon and the Union flag enjoyed a flush of favour with artists, musicians and fashion designers, before the mid seventies saw the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and punk breath new life into the flag in their different ways. The plastic flags and funny hats were out in force again in 1981, when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, before Britpopand Cool Britannia wrapped up the century in the British Union tricolour.
Again this summer, such opportunities will present themselves in an embarrassment of riches and nothing is going to stop us from throwing off our alleged reserve to parade the red, white and blue with pride. But, away from the national celebrations, we tend to shy away from outward signs of patriotism. We do have our moments of pomp and glory but this collective outpouring of national sentiment is relatively uncommon in modern day Britain. Flag waving can be seen as somewhat gauche, vulgar. When we look to the US, for example, we find it a bit odd that flags are commonly flown from offices, schools and homes. It all seems somewhat overdone and unnecessary. In Serbia, too, the nation’s colours are never far from view. From civic buildings to village farmhouses, the flag is seen as a badge of honour and identity, and even the walls of roadside shacks can be tattooed with the nation’s colours.
Flags Stir Feelings & Emotions in UK & Serbia
Flags always generate strong feelings and stir emotions. They can be bold banners to stand behind, creating a precious sense of unity and belonging. Other times, they can carry the weight of a tainted regime or be desecrated in defiance of a government. And, all too often, racist, xenophobic factions can hijack flags as potent symbols of misplaced jingoism. However flags are used, their power cannot be underestimated.
Wearing allegiances on your chest can have unexpected benefits, though, as I found out this week. Being black, my car shows every smudge and it had become shamefully dirty inside and out. Even the chrome wheels were pitifully caked with grime. It was definitely time for a full valet job so I decided to take it to a nearby car cleaning business. Nothing too unusual there, except that this time I received a hefty discount from the local Balkan boys with their cloths and polish – and all because they noticed the Serbian football shirt that I was wearing. I’ll have to try that one more often…
Going back to that time thirty five years ago, I remember that Britain was awash with excitement over The Queen’s Silver Jubilee. In summer 1977, the flags were out, parties were planned and shops were stuffed with royalist memorabilia. Just like today, summer rain threatened to ruin the celebrations but even that could not dampen our spirits. Even punk got in on the act, riding the royal bandwagon with Jamie Reid’s safety-pinned image of Cecil Beaton’s Queen being seen everywhere. Punk was peaking. Notably, The Sex Pistols’ God Save The Queensingle was released to carefully choreographed outrage, resulting in it being banned by the BBC and the band being arrested during a performance on The Thames. Malcolm McLaren had pulled off another masterstroke, delivering manna from PR heaven.
Memories of Meeting the Queen
I was nine years old at the time. Probably my most outstanding memory from the Silver Jubilee is of meeting The Queen and handing her a letter written the night before. Not just a card, an actual letter. I remember kneeling beside my bed writing it with such care, in my best handwriting. I did not even tell my parents what I had done. The first they knew of it was when an excited teacher brought me home that evening and told my mum how I had met the Queen and she had accepted my letter.
The biggest surprise came a few weeks later, when the post lady knocked on our door to deliver a letter with the seal of Buckingham Palace. It was addressed to me. Opening the embossed envelope with more care than was usual, I revealed a thank you letter from The Queen, expressing her appreciation for my best wishes. I got quite a kick out of that. Remember, I was only nine.
To remain strong, resilient and cohesive, people should feel free to celebrate their heritage and display their nation’s flag with pride. Regardless of feelings about the principle of monarchy or the state of the nation, I believe that there is much to celebrate about Britain today. That must be worthy of a bit of flag waving, I should say. So break out the bunting. Vivat Regina!
W!LD RooSTeR has been commissioned by Wannabe Magazine to write a series of personal observations. Click here to read the Serbian version (with translation by Ranko Trifković) or click for an interview in English or Serbian.
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