More preamble
Riding on French toll roads for 350 miles gave me time to think about what to write for my ‘for and against’ article about moving abroad. I had made my mind up to include a comment about the UK not being alone in having young fat arses and moobs, tattoos and families on their phones around a meal table. A sort of take comfort statement that Germany/Austria have the same.
Additionally in Germany, the great replacement is well and truly underway in the sleepy towns. But then we entered Birchanger Services for one last fuel up. As it was my riding companion’s birthday, a treat from his only mate: a KFC. As I was paying, we shared a bucket for one.
Not one of those working behind the KFC counter were English. All had very good tans. But, as though to make up, there were plenty of overweight white English people (including us) on our side of that counter. It may had been bad timing, but there was one girl with her parents or possibly grandparents, who was hugely overweight. She eventually managed to waddle out, only to be replaced moments later by a young couple of what I estimate to be mid-twenties (both in age and stones of weight)
Now I do not know whether a coach had dropped in on its way to Lourdes, but I would suggest that perhaps these young people had been told by their surgeon that they will not make thirty, unless they have gastric bands inserted. Scary stuff to witness and of course you will be paying for their surgery and NHS treatment for the rest of their lives, for their inability to stop eating. Clearly, the British have raised their game. Seeing that nearly put me off my KFC, and I was starting to feel guilt, not just for eating ultra fattening fast food. More for the thought that the term ‘useless eaters’ had entered my head.
Chapter 2: “when they fly your flag today, are you proud or just ashamed”
‘It means Nothing’ by Stereophonics
I love the Union Flag, as do a lot of people. Including the Aussies and Kiwis, who with a lot of other nations like it that much, that they have incorporated it into their own flags. Outside the USA, the British flag must adorn more clothing and vehicles than any other flag. On thousands of products from German owned Mini taillights to Bangladeshi made tee shirts in their millions.
The Union Flag is iconic and its concept admirable, yet the Welsh do not appear to have been considered.
Although it has been known to have been unintentionally (or deliberately) flown upside down. That is not possible with those flags that are divided into three vertical colours. It could happen to those divided horizontally, but certainly not with the Latvian flag.
The question is: Can you draw the Union Flag accurately? Here are the correct dimensions:
Not as easy to draw as this one:
The flag of the Republic of Latvia is a carmine red with a white horizontal stripe. The colour proportions of the flag of the Republic of Latvia are 2:1:2, the ratio of the height of the flag to its width is fixed at 1:2. Following the occupation of Latvia in 1940, the use or possession of this flag was considered punishable by law. The flag reappeared in the second half of the 1980s when it was widely used during the Awakening movement, and its status as the national flag was restored on 27 February 1990.
The point I wish to make is that generally most citizens of their respective countries are proud of their nationality. Latvia celebrates their heritage every five years at a Festival of music and dance, where the numbers on stage can be up to:
Total 40,892 participants in the festival, of which 15,809 are choir members and 16,848 are dancers.
Around 3,500 people are active in several groups, of which 400 people combine participation in choirs and dance groups.
The number of participants in the Song Festival choir in 2023 was the third largest after the restoration of Latvia's independence - 15,870. The record was set in 1990 at the first Song Festival after the adoption of the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, when the choir had more than 20,000 singers. In 2018, around 16,500 singers participated in the Song Festival. GB: We attended the concert in 2023.
1,790 dance groups participated in the festival – 268 from Kurzeme, 250 from Latgale, 53 from Sēlija, 599 from Vidzeme, 152 from Zemgale, 377 from Riga and 91 from the diaspora. The dancers were the most represented – 695 groups applied for participation in the festival. 457 choirs, 155 folklore groups, 124 traditional trade and art studios, 69 kokle (national string instrument) ensembles, 67 vocal ensembles, 66 brass bands, 55 folk music chapels, 79 minority groups and 23 amateur theatres participated in the event.
I do tease my wife by saying that The Beatles likely had more sales from one song than the whole of Latvian music sold worldwide.
A couple of years ago, Latvia won the play off final of the world ice hockey championship. The next day was declared a public holiday, and the result, which bear in mind made them 3rd in the tournament, was played late at night. So, a lot of Latvians were possibly not aware that they need not attend work the next day. My wife calls it a potato republic. Yet, she and her sons and most Latvians I have met are very proud of their heritage, even though they and the other Baltic states have been serfs for nearly 800 years.
I doubt the UK invented ice hockey, but we sure have invented many sports and been world champions (just the once) at the most popular of those.
PS. The above was written before the Lionesses won the European Championship for the second time in a row. I guess I must be sexist, as I never considered any women’s competitions, sorry! England women have won the rugby World Cup twice. But the fact that I had to look all that up, shows I am not that interested.
Inventing the more popular sports, was what once contributed to my pride of being British. However, since reading that these pastimes were created to keep the masses distracted, if true, then I am not certain if I feel pride in that.
F1 is dominated by British teams and has by far more British winners than any other nationality.
| No. | Nation | Titles | Different Drivers |
| 1 | Great Britain | 20 | 10 (Hamilton 7x, Button, D. Hill, Mansell, Hunt, Stewart 3x, G. Hill 2x, Clark 2x, Surtees & Hawthorn) |
| 2 | Germany | 12 | 3 (Schumacher 7x, N. Rosberg & Vettel 4x) |
Source: https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-results/f1-champions/#country
I do reserve a special place for the Isle of Man TT. It is not the only motorcycle road race in the world, but certainly the most famous and well attended. These racers risk their lives, and it is unusual if riders/sidecar occupants are not killed at these annual events. The winners are dominated by British and Irish riders. Although they are in the main riding German or Japanese produced machines. And that is a subject for another article.
I asked my wife to provide a video from their five yearly music festival; I will leave you with her detailed response:
Your favourite (Unofficial anthem of Latvians from the time of late 1980s, time of Awakening from communist regime and Singing Revolution):
These are the lyrics: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/saule-p%C4%93rkons-daugava-sun-thunder-daugava.html
One of my favourites:
Singing and dancing together:
GB: I met the soloist in this video; she sang in the same choir as my wife. We met at a New Years Eve party organised by another choir member in Riga, when the local Russians set off fireworks at 23:00. Which is midnight Moscow time! That's assimilation for you, get used to it.
Concert of dance:
Here are two songs from the Song and Dance Festival of School Youth in 2025:
Latvian songs that make you emotional (GB: ‘you’ being me):
Viņi dejoja vienu vasaru (they were dancing for one summer); composer: Imants Kalniņš
Original version from the film:
The concert of Riga 810. Soloists (both are children of the composer): Marts Kristiāns Kalniņš (musician & singer) and Rēzija Kalniņa (actress).
GB: Note the difference in Surnames between brother and sister.
Lyrics:
They danced for one summer
They danced for one summer
They danced for one summer
And then, then, then...
Now each to their own fate
Now each to their own fate
Now each to their own fate
Ask what had to happened after that
They danced for one summer
They danced for one summer
They danced for one summer
And even now those lights are still running (spinning)
Look at the treetops or in the sky
Look at the treetops or in the sky
Look at the treetops or in the sky
Lights are running, stars are running
Days are running and turns into weeks
The month becomes more calmer and calmer
And then comes the time when they no longer dance
And when the days, as if intertwined, are wading
As it happens, it passes and subsides
As it happens, it passes and subsides
As it happens, it passes and subsides
But when you are alone again
Close your eyes and again like then
Close your eyes and again like then
Close your eyes and again like then
Lights are running, stars are running
Lights are running...
So we each for one summer
So we each for one summer
So we each for one summer
And even now those lapwings are screaming
Screaming like a question, a blame, a demand
Screaming like a question, a blame, a demand
Screaming like a question, a blame, a demand
Till you are asleep in eternal sleep...
Mazu brīdi pirms gaismiņas GB: the composer is the guy on the keyboards.
Lyrics:
A little while before the light,
when the birds have not yet woken up
and a breeze still sleeps in trees,
when God himself walks the earth,
a little while before.
A little while,
he walks through the huts of the people,
where hunger and sorrow dwell,
where there is no end to suffering,
a little while before.
A little while before the light,
he touches the houses with a light hand
and dries the tears, that cover pale, hot cheeks,
a little while before.
A little while,
when it eases for the world,
God's own peace rests on the earth.
A little while, a little while, A little while, a little while, A little while, a little while, Before the light. A little while, a little while, A little while, a little while, Before the light. A little while, a little while, A little while, a little while, A little while, a little while, Before the light. Before the light. Before the light.
GB: Apologies for all the clips, especially if you do not feel the national pride and emotions in those singers and dancers. There is certainly not a dry eye in this house.