Yorkshire folk have been urged to remember Britain's least popular saint tomorrow - the patron saint of England, St George.

A new survey says that ten times more Englishmen celebrate St Patrick's Day than St George's Day on April 23.

It also found that only a handful of English people quizzed knew the date of the patron saint's day, the same day as Shakespeare's birthday, but every single one of the Welsh and Scots asked, knew the dates of St David's and St Andrew's Days respectively. The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Peter Vaughan, said the Mansion House would be flying the York flag as usual.

"If anyone asked me where I came from, I'd say England and I'd say I lived in Europe," he said.

"I don't celebrate St George's Day, but neither do I celebrate St Patrick's Day. But I might raise a glass to St George tomorrow now that you've reminded me!"

Over in the East Riding, though, the Mayor of Wetwang, Richard Whiteley said he was so patriotic he had started celebrating St George's Day already.

"I'm watching Henry V with my son, James, which is by Shakespeare and all about St George's Day.

"It's the Laurence Olivier version and a very patriotic film.

"I'm very pro St George's day and I am sure the day will be observed in Wetwang."

He said he would encourage everyone to have a very happy St George's Day, as he had on last night's edition of Countdown.

Lesley Lockwood, operations manager at York Tourist Information Centre, said she was not aware of many St George's Day events in York, and put this down to Easter Sunday falling on the same day.

"We have one or two societies celebrating St George's Day and I'm sure we will be back on track next year. It's good to be proud of St George's Day. I think things like that need to be celebrated and I will be encouraging people to do it next year."

The survey was carried out by Yates's Wine Lodges and all its English pubs - including York's - will be flying the English flag tomorrow.

janet.hewison@ycp.co.uk

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