Ride a White Horse to Banbury Cross! By Alfred N.Muggins Part 1

10/7/21 (30/5/23, 18/6/23)

Part 1

Rolling countryside,

very pleasant from Daventry into Banbury and Northern Oxfordshire!

It started raining of course, as soon as they left Northamptonshire!

We went to Daventry again, for the second time this week!

Mrs Muggins was drawn by the lure of family heritage,

But she couldn’t remember the road or address of her grandmother.

After using the modern search facilities of mobile telephone maps she located the road,

which fitted the memory, but where was the house?

Daventry streets were lined with little flags, and bunting, across the high streets

: Red White and Blue,

Catching what breeze they could, in bright but grey cloudy skies.

Collections of youths, mainly male, are occasionally seen,

draped in England flags, Red cross on White!

St. George is celebrated again,

Instead of its usual tactful hidden status,

So as not to offend any other ethnic origins of the modern population,

And risk making them not feel at home here.

But apparently football is coming home!

So it once again becomes acceptable to fly the flag.

Well we shall see, shan’t we?

Don’t build up your hopes too much.

Not since 1966, when England beat West Germany to the World Cup,

Have England’s hopes been so high for the Final of the UEFA Cup,

The European contest of nations.

Lacklustre scores in the Group matches and playing safe

Led to plain and uneventful sailing into the quarter and semi finals.

And suddenly here ‘we’ were in the Final against Italy!

Could it be that ‘we’ actually have a good youthful team, which might actually win?

We shall soon see!