The First Blog of Augustus Lazarus Cooke (Gus)

Hello everyone! My name is Augustus Lazarus Cooke, known as Gus, and I am a Working Labrador. I was born on 6^th September 2009 so that makes me 8 weeks and 2 days old. My Kennel Club name is Threevalleys Masterminded. All the puppies born at Threevalleys Gundogs are given racehorse names, so my sister Jenna is Threevalleys Celtic Shot and our friend Foxy is Threevalleys Imperial Call. We all have Working Champions and Field Trial Champions in our pedigrees so we are very well bred but not at all big-headed.
You wanted to know about my name? I'm Augustus because my Humans liked it. My second name, Lazarus, is because I had to be revived when I was born. Charlotte rubbed me to get my circulation and breathing going and just as she thought I was a goner I gave a big gasp and started breathing. There were only three of us that survived and we were never short of food or attention so we have grown up quickly. Charlotte and Ali played with us and talked to us all the time and if you heard me speak you would think I was Welsh as I've learnt their speech patterns. I'm known as a thinker but my Humans pronounce it tinker. Do you think they're Irish? (That's my father's call name – he's a very handsome fox red chap.)
I've been here three days now and it's a long way from my birthplace in Shropshire.It felt very strange the first night. I missed my brother and sister and Charlotte and Ali and Badger the Italian Spinone. Everything smelt different but all the humans were so pleased to see me and that made me happy. I think I'm going to like it here. My Humans are going to be very easy to train. I have an excellent singing voice; it is musical and loud – it stems from being born almost Welsh I suppose. I am very persistent and strong-minded so I think I'll soon lick them into shape.
It's a nice house to live in – lots of space to gallop around in and lots of things to chew, some of which they say I shouldn't but I have seen teeth marks on the furniture from cats, dogs and small humans so why should it be any different for me?

I'm in the conservatory and Winston's the other side of the door. I like chasing him!! Dominie's in the kitchen too - she's very old.

My Humans are very pleased with me; they say they can almost see me growing. My back legs are straighter now and I'm really very well coordinated even though I'm little. I'm tired now; I have to sleep lots so I can grow big and strong, maybe even as big as Frodo? I haven't got spots – I don't think Labradors get those but I have got a little white chin so maybe I could get spots too? This is one of my favourite places to lie down and chew - and it's near Monty and Winston as it's their cat tree!

Hwyl fawr am nawr! (That's Welsh for 'Goodbye for now!')

There’ll always be an England . . . ?

From The Queen's Royal Lancers Website: Forever England

Goodbye to my England, So long my old friend
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end
To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh that's fine
But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.

The French and the Germans may call themselves such
So may Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane
But don't say you're English ever again.

At Broadcasting House the word is taboo
In Brussels it's scrapped, in Parliament too
Even schools are affected, staff do as they're told
They must not teach children about England of old.

Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw
The pupils don't learn about them anymore
How about Agincourt, Hastings, Arnhem or Mons?
When England lost hosts of her very brave sons…

We are not Europeans, how can we be?
Europe is miles away over the sea
We're the English from England, let's all be proud
Stand up and be counted - Shout it out loud!

Let's tell our Government and Brussels too
We're proud of our heritage and the Red, White and Blue
Fly the flag of Saint George or the Union Jack
Let the world know - WE WANT OUR ENGLAND BACK !

Barry received this in an email yesterday and while it made both of us smile it gave us pause for thought. What has happened to our English identity? It's true that we don't have an identifying costume like the Scots, Irish and Welsh (or the Dutch, French, Swiss, Native Americans, Maasai).
So, on England's national day, we don't see colourful national dress because we haven't got one. We could all dress as Morris men, I suppose, or don bowler hat, striped trousers and carry a brolly or impersonate red-headed Elizabeth I or Boudicca (formerly known as Boadicea)
Our patron saint is St George and his day is April 23^rd, the day of his death and also the date of death of William Shakespeare. We don't celebrate St George's Day, though it is a provincial government holiday in Newfoundland, and the people of Albania and Kosovo observe it with rituals and religious services. In fact we don't seem to celebrate our Englishness much at all. The greatest regular outflowings of national pride are to be seen – and heard - at the Last Night of the Proms or at cricket matches when the Barmy Army comes into its own.
England's sense of nation is slowly disappearing, I fear, and now we are no longer able to answer 'English' in the boxes on forms that ask for nationality it can only be a matter of time before England becomes a country of the past. In many senses it already is – we have an archaic legal system, little or no manufacturing industry, an anachronistic Royal Family, we have exported our expertise and allowed it to be developed by other nations. I like being British but I also want to proclaim my Englishness. Great Britain comprises four nations but now only three of them can tick a box to demonstrate their clan. I want my grandchildren to be able to say that they are English as well as British and to acknowledge their German and Asian roots too.