tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8212152.post-76966199596510281562008-03-17T09:33:00.000Z2008-03-17T09:33:00.000Z2008-03-17T09:33:00.000ZAh, St Patrick's Day1 Despite being as English as John Bull, the old saint still brings a lump to my head as I recall, at the age of 10, being lined up by the Irish Franciscan nuns, with my garland of shamrock pinned through my chest, having to repay the debt the English owe to the Irish for centuries of occupation and the potato famine by means of sustained clips around the head, singing "Hail glorious (thump) St Patrick (thump), the Lord of our (thump) Isle...(thump thump thump...)". Some would today call it child abuse but I saw it then as a necessary toughening-up.Geordie Scootnoreply@blogger.com