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Empire Day

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Stitcher

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I only have vague memories of Empire Day. What about others?
 
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"Remember, Remember
Empire Day,
the 24th of May."

A day that would …“remind children that they formed part of the British Empire, and that they might think with others in lands across the sea, what it meant to be sons and daughters of such a glorious Empire.”, and that “The strength of the Empire depended upon them, and they must never forget it.” (1902-1958)
 
What a load of tommy rot it was Aidan...especially when it was all but over. Destroyed the psyche of at least a generation when it would have been much more productive to move in a more realistic and co-operative way of equality. What would the result have been if super tankers and transports had been built in place of Black Night missiles and TSR2s and even Brabazons. Thus improving commerce amongst the Commonwealth countries and giving Clydeside something to build. Maybe we were just limeys...ghost walking in a dreamworld of non-reality. Derided as Limeys also or so it seemed.
 
We were given rather a false view of "The Empire" in our primary school geography books.

They would say " Here is a picture of happy ladies picking tea for your cup or jolly farmers cutting sugar cane for your tea "
It never said we had to pay for it........
 
Nothing wrong with Empire Day,when the empire was replaced by the Commonwealth only one country,didn't want to be a part of it,the rest wanted to keep their links with Britain.:)
The idea was first thought up by an Irishman Lord Meath,who thought Queen Victoria's birthday would be appropriate... 24th May,it is still celebrated by millions in Canada on Victoria Day.
Pride and patriotism,is sadly lacking nowadays,so perhaps we should revive Empire Day.
In the meantime Stitch,keep posting these memories from a time when we did ,rightly, have pride in who we were.:)
 
Thanks for that Ray, can I say I agree with you. I heard a famous man of Caribbean origin talking about his life, I will not name him in case I shouldn't. It was some time ago and it touched on this very subject. He said his granddparents worked cutting sugar cane and did not know what it was to be hungry. Everyone was safe and had access to the basics for a happy and carefree life. At the time of the broadcast he said it had all changed and the island was dominated by guns and drugs and some of the elders were wishing for the old days to return.
We have many Sikhs who were proud to serve in the British Army in WW2. On some of our frequent visits to places like Shugborough Hall for The Proms and the like we often talk to people from other countries who are so glad and proud to be part of Britains history.
 
It is all too easy to view the days of Empire as either a joke, or as something inherently bad; it would also be wrong, more often than not. In the days of dog eat dog, the British Empire could be seen as a benign guard-dog. And yes, we could all offer exceptions; but as they say, it is often the exception that proves the rule. As Stitcher and Ray say, the end of British jurisprudence was, and still is, deeply regreted by millions.
 
The British Empire might have had its good points but I do not think any Country has the right to invade other countries and attempt to force its way of life on its people, isn't that why we went to war with Hitler. I was in East, West and Central Africa in various Colonies and was not very proud the way the local citizens were treated, although those working for the RAF were looked after albeit poorly paid. I would like to add I later completed a tour of duty in Hong Kong and Singapore were locals were treated more equally so perhaps it was just Africa ??? Eric
 
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There was always opportunity to relish the Empire with your neighbors whilst waiting for the lav on a cold evening in Summer Lane. The whole thing was remarkable and beneficial to some but ultimately untenable at the human level and pretty much forgotten outside now. At least we can reminisce and dissagree in English.
 
Do you really think these countrys would have advanced so far without the British being there? I think
the people in India and other places would still be very backward without our help. Bernard
 
The older people in some Commonwealth countries do think that way Bernard. I have had a Hindu friend for about 40 years and I have a friend from Afghanistan. They are very proud of their British citizenship and are glad to be here because they enjoy the quality of life compared to what they would have in their countries of origin. When we are chatting the Hindo chap always talks about what his father said about life being better for those in close proximity to the British. They talk about their sadness with us losing our Englishness.
 
I go regulary to a Chinese Resturant in Cambridge and Michael Li forever bemoans the fact that Hong Kong is losing its "Britishness" and says his relatives who remained behind hate the way the Comminst Chinese now run the colony.
paul
 
Trade and commerce were the driving force behind the empire.Brummies in particular had good reason to love it,from brass chandeliers made at Southgates in Summer lane,to bicycles made at hercules and numerous other goods that were sold to the empire.
The great civil engineering projects of Canada,were built by The Royal Engineers,using British made materials.The string of lighthouses along the West Australian coast were made by Chance Bros.and are still in use.An 160 year old crane on the waterfront in Mallaca,Malaysia,was made in Birmingham.
I certaintly have a few negative thoughts on the empire,but on the whole it was a good thing.:)
 
Bernard/Sticher agree with you both, could say the same about the Romans coming here benefitting this country, but its still wrong in principle for one country to invade another whether its beneficial or not. Eric
 
A lot of countries benefited from the empire and the legacy is there to this day all over India and Africa with the fantastic rail networks that the British built ,but from the moment we departed things changed often for the worse and without the protection of the British crown many countries in Africa are still in turmoil under dictator despots such as Mugabe,
The partition in India and the birth of Pakistan with millions killed by their previously friendly neighbours because of being the wrong religion in the wrong area and being forced to move hundreds of miles leaving their property behind must have left many wishing that the British had not left.
 
Hello Izzy, that is how a few of my friends feel and they tell me that what they call 'BACK HOME' their families are not truly happy beacause of people who wish to dominate by bullying. We should all have a small interest in this because as has been rightly pointed out in an earlier post, all the countries of The British Empire benefitted with railways and the like. All Made in England and almost everything MADE IN or near BIRMINGHAM. That makes it Birmingham History.
 
Is that how the coversation outside the frozen outdoor lav in Summer Lane would have gone I wonder.
 
We are still doing it Rupert giving money abroad when we are struggling over here
 
I agree with you alf, most of the money we send to africa goes straight into a swiss account of the neanderthal who supposidly runs that country whilst 1000's of elderly who struggled through war and peace to support this country are left to rot.
paul
 
Stitcher
Interesting to see British Empire Exhibition memorabilia. I have a aluminium rotary calender from a late 1800's exhibition that gives you day, date, month & year from 1900 to 2000. Sadly it cant cope with the 21st century
John
 
Hello John, what a brilliant thing to own; I suppose that calendar, like all items that really do last a lifetime or more were destined to exstinction, because once you got one, you never had need for another one. This meant that a company did or would need a team of people working around the clock thinking up new inventions, and any new products would need to use the same workforce and the same or similar machinary and premises. That is why some of the food products on the 1930s thread are still selling today, they will be the original product with minor improvements at intervals over the last 100 years.
 
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