When was the last time we beat the Germans on penalties? Well done, Chelsea! (AW)

Cry God for Harry! England and St George!

April 23rd has been St George's Day since 1222. St G is also patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice; soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis. And Scouts. So he spreads himself a bit thinly. The whole business with the dragon came about because the story, which was made up by a medieval French bishop, chimed in with a similar Anglo-Saxon legend, and then Caxton printed it in a book called The Golden Legend, making it very popular. AW

The Titanic centenary

This is the flag of the merchant navy, to commemorate all those who died or survived the sinking 100 years ago today. Especially to the memory of my relatives, Arthur West, who died, and his wife Ada, who was pregnant with their third child, and their two little girls, who survived. Arthur climbed into the lifeboat to give his wife milk for the baby and then climbed out again. AW

Falklands anniversary

The process that would lead to the liberation of the Argentinean people from the yoke of a murderous regime started 30 years ago, when they were unwise enough to invade the Falkland Islands. We are flying the flag of the Royal Navy, to salute the 67 Royal Marines who mounted an heroic defence against an initial Argentinean force of 1000, plus armoured vehicles. SW

Olympic Flag

Olympic flag

Celebrating "Pedalling" Victoria Pendelton and Jess Varnish's excellent "Finish" at the Velodrome.

Sardinia's Lost Warriors

Sardinia

Going on display soon in Cagliari is an exhibition of life-size soldiers carved from solid rock 2,700 years ago. Only 27 have been reconstructed of the original 33, so the squad is far smaller than the famous Terracotta army but, like them, they guarded the graves of the Great and Good. It is believed the invading Carthaginians smashed them into 5,000-odd fragments, and it has taken eight years to rebuild the three-dimensional jigsaws into the original archers, shield-holders and swordsmen that will be put on display in the summer.

Sardinia is a fascinating holiday destination, and its flag portrays either the severed heads of Moorish invaders, with St George's cross, or it celebrates the sacrifice of St Maurice, a Roman soldier saint who was martyred with his Theban legion for refusing to take part in pagan rites.

Charles Dickens' 200th birthday

Kent County

Although born in Portsmouth, not Kent, Dickens spent much of his childhood in Chatham, and lived in his adult years in Broadstairs and Higham, where he wrote many of his most famous novels. He was rightly lauded for highlighting the terrible conditions in London slums and for his opposition to slavery. I just wish he'd hadn't made the heroines in his novels such vapid, swooning sots. Happy birthday anyway, Charles. AW