Did you know it was St George's Day this Friday April 23? Really? Pat yourself on the back if you did - it's believed that only around a fifth of the population remember the day of England's patron saint. However, a local festival organiser is campaigning to change all that, aiming to reinstate April 23 as a public holiday. Holiday David Crompton, who organises the medieval festival Joust, said, "April 23rd was declared a public holiday by the Oxford synod in 1222, and from 1415 through to the mid 1700s St George's Day was a recognised feast day.  Our national saint's day should be a public holiday.
 | | David Crompton |
"The UK has the least number of bank holidays of any country in Europe - just eight, compared with 12 in Italy, 13 in Austria and 14 in Spain and Portugal. "We believe our national saint's day should be a public holiday." History Of course there's much more to St George's Day than just the chance of an extra day off work... Relatively few facts are known about the saint's life, which is steeped in legend and fable. He is perhaps most famous for slaying a 'dragon' in Libya, rescuing a sacrificial maiden from it's scaly clutches. Sadly, like many of the best tales of medieval valour, this event appears to have little basis in recorded history. Soldier It is believed he held a senior post within the Roman army, and that he was later executed by the Emperor Dioclesian for protesting about the treatment of Christians under his rule. Accounts suggest that his death took place in the year 307. The tale of St George and the dragon does not seem to have been recorded before the 11th century, but the legend spread across Europe as an example of the Saint's great bravery.  | | Gloucestershire medieval festival Joust |
Legend To help rally support for their petition to turn St George's Day back into a public holiday, the Joust festival organisers are staging a short play outside Stroud's Subscription Rooms. Narrated by William of Berkeley (the fasted longbow shot in the land), the 20 minute play tells the original story of St George and the dragon. | St George and the Dragon | | Venue | Outside the Subscription Rooms, Stroud | | Date | St George's Day Friday April 23 | | Time | 11am |
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Despite being the patron saint of England, some believe that poor St George has been rather neglected in recent years. But a local campaign is hoping to change all that...
