Signs In Shops In England

Samizdata.net ^ | 09/11/02 | Perry de Havilland

[Gumlegs]

Pubs, ladies fashion stores, restaurants, banks, cafes, mobile phone stores, boutiques, gift shops...

If you are looking for the real England, you will not find it in the pages of the Guardian, but rather on the high streets and in the shop windows.

I have just got back from lunch and what I saw on the King's Road in Chelsea, here in London, amazed me. There is no law requiring it, no government departments 'encouraging' it loudly, yet shop after shop are displaying signs saying words to the effects of "At 1:46 pm to day, we will be observing two minutes silence in remembrance of the atrocities on September 11^th of last year in the United States." Others are expressing memorial sentiments, still others just displaying small American flags. No doubt these signs will all be gone by this evening, but they are there now.

Some signs are hand written by shop managers, others were clearly printed by a head office... but the signs are there and they come not from above, passed down from the salons of the chattering classes, but from below, from the true heart of England.

There is indeed an Anglosphere and it is very, very real.

[ppaul]

BUMP

[Libertina]

What a great post Gumlegs, thanks very much for the ping, PPaul. After our Brisitsh friends observe a minute of silence in our behalf - do you think that Rather, Jennings et al could do the same?

[Erasmus]

Your namesake's shade stands in the breach against the barbarian in these latter times once again.

[MarMema]

Thanks so much for the ping. Thanks, Britain, for your silence and tributes.

[ohioWfan]

BUMP for Britain!

[Wingsofgold]

We gonna see if any of them got websites an shop with them. :) Thanks for the news.:)

[BOBTHENAILER]

Great job and thanks for the ping. A huge BUMP to the top for our British friends.

BTTT

[RodgerD]

I was driving up Massachusetts Ave in Washington DC at about 6:30 am this morning. As most know, this is "Embassy Row". At the British Embassy there was already an extra-large Union Jack up and fluttering slowly... at half mast.

I hadn't paid attention to the various embassies' flags until I saw the Brits', but I think most that were up were at full staff. The Italians, nice to see though, had theirs at half-staff - along with the EU flag they also (unfortunately) fly.

[NeoCaveman]

God bless the Brits.

[Naspino]

Thanks for the ping. I was in Ireland in May and met a group of people from both England and Australia. They were staunch supporters -- I believe the quote was something like "kill the bloody lot of 'em."

[xJones]

Thanks for the ping, MeeknMing.

Ivan, get your buns in here. "God Bless Our Gracious Queen" and thanks to Britan!!

[Robert Drobot]

Thanks ppaul for the flag. A great thread Gumlegs!!!

If only our governments had the same love of country, and put fear and trembling in the hearts of our enemies at the mention of our name.

DEFEAT
OR
BE DEFEATED!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Thanks for posting this. It is very comforting considering all the "allies" who have betrayed us.

[McGavin999]

In every country of the world there are those who stand with us and those who stand against us. Unfortunately, the media sees to it we only see those who stand against us.

In order to advance their own sick agenda, they are willing to strike through the hearts of their own people, destroy our trust and innocence, make us see only enemies surrounding us.

We must not fall prey to their machinations and turn our backs on our friends believing we are alone in the world.

[Gumlegs]

The internet is a pretty ... subversive thing, huh?

[mvpel]

By the number of British citizens lost in the WTC attack, it rated as one of the largest single attacks on Brits in recorded history.

[MadIvan]

Ivan, get your buns in here. "God Bless Our Gracious Queen" and thanks to Britan!!

My sincere thanks to everyone for their kind wishes. Let it not be forgotten that we are family. And today that familial sense is reaching across the ocean - you've embraced our fallen, we embrace yours, and together we are going forward to eliminate the threat to both our nations.

The only gleam of good that has come out of this terrible attack is that we are reminded, once again, what family between nations can mean.

Best Regards, Ivan

[justsomedude]

load slowly? Worth the wait. I wept. They are more American than many 'Americans.'

[WyldKard]

Well, I definately know that while the UK and the US may not agree on everything, like two brothers may not agree on everything, they still have each others back when the chips are done. We love you limeys!

[ppaul]

....and those jerks across the channel want to call you "Europeans." The British and Americans are made of better stuff. Thank you and God bless you.

Posted by: Jim Hogue on September 11, 2002 04:19 PM

BUMP