Company shut for St George's Day

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/kent/6577769.stm

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A Kent businessman feels so strongly St George's Day should be a holiday in England he is giving his 40 staff the day off on Monday.

Tim Allard proudly flies the cross of St George at his home near Folkestone, and wants more people to follow suit.

He runs Ashford-based cavity insulation firm Lion Insulation and wants the day to become a Bank Holiday.

"I'd rather do something practical than stand back and watch our heritage being dismantled," he said.

"There are thousands of other company bosses who must share my own deep concerns. It would only need a few to take the same step for this idea to snowball."

'Proud to be English'

Mr Allard said he would continue to declare 23 April as a holiday for his employees in future years.

Staff have welcomed the day off, with one saying: "We should have the right to be proud to be English."

Bob Peedle, of the Royal Society of St George, added it was a day when people could feel they were English.

"The Scots do it very well on Burns Night and St Andrew's Day, and the Irish on St Patrick's Day, and the Welsh on St David's Day.

"We haven't done it. We ought to."