As if you didn't know, April 23^rd is St. Georges day – the patron saint of England (and Moscow oddly enough), famed for slaying a dragon (yep, another believable story that one!) and was killed for refusing to fight against the invading Christians during the Holy war and consequently was made a saint.

Work this one out: He was Turkish (yep George was not his given name), he had never stepped foot on our great land we call Brittan, was killing dragons but not fellow Christians, was canonised by the pope the head of a religion that was not recognised by Henry VIII when he wanted to move along the conveyor belt of wives and yet St. George remained up there!

So England has St. George, Scotland St. Andrew who at least made it to Scotland - well in his tomb apparently, Wales St. David (at least he was a local lad) and Ireland St. Guinness…..no Patrick (another yarn there with snakes insted of dragons).

Today is also William Shakespeare's birthday or Billy Waggledagger to the locals. He would have been 444 - just, considering he died on his birthday too, which, would have put him in the Guinness book of records were still alive………...... 

I've never found his work very easy to get along with, yes, he was a talented man, but so was Vincent Van Gogh and……..hold on…..I see a connection: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears". Where was I? Oh yes, - talented -but dose that mean you have to like it?

I remember many a boring lesson in school discussing meaning, hidden meaning and the literal flow of Mr S's work:

Teacher: " The love of Desdemona for Othello appears at first such a violation of all probabilities that her father at once imputes it to magic , what impact dose this have on the relationship between the three……….You boy?"

Me: "(mmmm Alison's hair is so shiny today, I wonder if she's up for a snog behind the bike sheds?) ….....Errr, dose he hire those three witches that caused Macbeth to talk to skulls sir?

Teacher: "GET OUT!"

And I never did get that snog!

Happy St Georges day!