Patriotic pride flagging badly

PATRIOTISM is becoming a thing of the past for today’s youngsters – as only 45 per cent of under 25s are proud to call themselves English.

A Yougov poll found most 18-24 year olds have no pride in their national identity and one in ten are embarrassed by it even though “Englishness” is still considered a byword for tolerance and fair play. It’s because they associate the flag of St George with far-right fascists who try to claim it... somewhat ironically, considering our patron saint was a migrant born to Greek parents in Turkey.

And I bet the millennials who feel so uncomfortable with their Englishness still enjoy the things that fill the rest of us with patriotic pride. Like fish and chips, a full English fry-up, traditional pubs, sarcasm, a nice cuppa, and queueing. Ah, no – maybe not queueing.

Because new research shows it’s bad for your health, especially if you’re at the front of a queue.

Irritated people staring at your back urging you to hurry raises stress and can induce panic, say scientists.

Except the people they studied were Germans.

And that reminds me of another couple of reasons for patriotic pride.

With a cafe! Orange squash and a doughnut with pretend cream in rounded off the day. It was a real treat.

And like millions of Brits, I have loved department stores ever since. They’re why we enjoyed the TV series Mr Selfridge and still feel nostalgic about Mrs Slocombe and the Grace Brothers staff in Are You Being Served?

“Ground floor: perfumery, stationery and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food. Going up…”

Those elegant emporiums were the glitzy jewels in our once-shining high streets. But soon they’ll be dearly departed stores and the streets will be full of shuttered shops as smaller businesses sustained by passing trade die too. Because