Quite right! Why you should be proud to be English – and Rowling vs Campbell
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Apr 23, 2026 A debate about what makes England worth celebrating, from pubs and parishes to literature and the countryside. A look at national character, bank holidays and who counts as English. A lively ranking of monarchs and a defence of underrated queens. A heated culture-war clash over Rowling versus Campbell, examining tone, tactics and gender debate dynamics.
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Pub Blessing At A St George's Day Service
- Madeline Grant recounts a St George's Day service where her vicar husband blessed locally brewed beer and the congregation sang Jerusalem.
- The episode uses this example to argue for reviving parish-based celebratory traditions in pubs and churches.
Shakespeare Links St George To English Culture
- Shakespeare's coincidence of birth and St George's Day frames him as central to English cultural identity.
- Madeline and Michael argue his language and coinages join the particular English with the universal, reinforcing national pride.
Don't Add Bank Holidays Without Substitution
- Avoid adding more bank holidays without tradeoffs because they affect the economy and stem from outdated holiday structures.
- Michael Gove recommends substituting an existing bank holiday if one wanted to create a St George's Day holiday.