Sir.-As a member of the Royal Society of St George, I am overjoyed to see the wave of patriotism in Basingstoke, and one must congratulate The Gazette in organising the campaign.

I hope the borough council takes note and, in turn, will follow suit.

We Englishmen and women are being told, through the national press, that we are not being allowed to celebrate St George's Day, as it will offend.

Who, I would like to know, are those people we are likely to offend?

I am sure it's not the Welsh, Scots or Irish - who celebrate their national day - as they have never protested in the past.

I believe it is my right as an Englishman to celebrate my national day and an infringement of my rights to stop celebrations.

I shall wear my red rose on April 23 and suggest all patriotic Englishmen and women do the same.

April 23 - St George's Day, to some of us - is a day when we can reflect on our heritage, what we have fought for and what, as Englishmen, we will continue to fight for: to spread the knowledge of English history, traditions and ideals; to keep fresh the memory of those in all walks of life who have served England in order to inspire leadership; to combat all activities likely to undermine the strength of England or the Commonwealth; to ensure St George's Day is properly celebrated and to provide focal points the world over where English men and women may gather together.

-Ronald Collins, Westfield Road, Basingstoke.

Sir.-I would like to respond to a letter from T Seery about your St George's Day campaign.

Not long ago - just before Euro 2004 - I had a heated discussion with someone who assured me he was British. I pointed out that although I agreed with him, surely when he was on holiday and someone asked him where he came from, he would say Scotland.

He denied this and insisted he always said he was British and so did everyone else he knew from other parts of the British Isles.

While the football was being shown, various TV shows interviewed the Scots and Welsh, most of whom hoped the English team failed in the first few rounds. All the people interviewed were wearing their own countries' football tops and holding flags.

I noticed that T Seery is Scottish.

We should all be proud of our countries. If all the rest of the British Isles can fly their flags and celebrate, then so should we.

The only time we are united is when we send our team to the athletics.

If a person wants to celebrate his heritage in the country he was born in, then I say "Go for it!"

It's not for the Scottish or anyone else who lives in England to complain if we want to celebrate one day of being English rather than British. We don't stop them from having a day to celebrate.

We are a very welcoming country and most of the people who have moved here have been given the freedom to still celebrate their country and heritage while they live here. However, I believe not all would be so considerate to us if we went to live in their countries.

So let's be proud to be English - there's a lot to be proud of.

-Caroline Pike, e-mail.

Sir.-We were very sad to read the letter from T Seery (July 23) expressing his concerns about your St George's Day campaign.

As someone originally from Scotland, Mr Seery will know how passionate the Scots are about being Scottish, and if he has ever visited Wales or Northern Ireland, he will know their people are equally as proud of their countries.

What is astounding is that the English are not allowed to be proud to be English without everyone causing a fuss.

The lengths people will go to in order to make English people feel marginalised in their own country is of grave concern and trying to associate patriotism with far right parties is, quite simply, outrageous.

Mr Seery refers to "division" - although I believe your campaign is actually achieving unity.

He talks about the campaign "intimidating minorities" yet does not say who these minorities are or why they should be at all intimidated by the majority of law-abiding, decent people showing how proud they are of their country.

English people - whatever their colour, religion or background - should be allowed to be proud of their country and to show it.

England is envied the world over for the things many of us take for granted - freedom, democracy, tradition and history - and we must not let these very things, which attract people to our country in the first place, be eroded.

No English person would dream of going to Scotland and saying that they were upset at the sight of the Scottish flag.

The English must not be put off by individuals who peddle political correctness, encourage the restriction of free speech and try to put England down.

They are the ones who we believe are creating more tension and division.

-John and Laura Midgley, Founders of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, Kennington, London.

Sir.-I think Tony Humphreys from Wales has hit the nail on the head (Gazette letters, July 16).

He says himself that St David's Day is not a public holiday, even in Wales.

He suggests some kind of public display. The Scouts and Guides have been doing this for nearly 100 years - and few of the public ever turned up, and not all Scouts and Guides!

I always celebrate St George's Day but any new national holiday should be inclusive and national - indeed, preferably, international and multi-cultural.

The answer, I believe, is Commonwealth Day (the old Empire Day), which is a public holiday in much of the Commonwealth and in most of the remaining Crown colonies.

Only here, in the heart of it all, does it appear to be almost discouraged. I suspect it is so as not to offend the Americans and fellow Europeans, who seem to be suspicious of the UK maintaining close links with the younger and more vibrant "southern" nations.

So, celebrate St George (privately) but a Commonwealth Day holiday could be shared with the rest of the world that we have influenced so greatly - and the US is eligible to join.

-Tony Morwood-Leyland, Soper Grove, Basingstoke.