I was thinking, again, as one does occasionally, about one of my keyrings. It's a St. George's cross sort of strap and emblem- a football thing, and a present from m'dad, and therefore an appropriate thing to attach sentiment to. I avoid carrying it, usually, on account of the fear that it suggests I am in someway associated with the BNP. This being quite promenant among my many nueroses- along with "seeming slightly creepy", "They don't really like me" and being marked as "probably racist"/ "slight nazi sympathies" on some hitherto untaken personality test...
See, at my most poseur-y, I describe myslef as a "white european". I'm british, as says my passport, but my equally british mother's passed on a bit of her double-consciousness to me from her czech mother. or at least the nuerotic side of it.
But on further speculation. Britain as a whole, and England in itself, have been pretty damn good to me and my family. not perfect, but not bad. I like it here. The weather suits me, and I understand the geography. I like the money and the architecture. And if that's not patriotism, I dunno what is. And if I want a subtle display of this, sometimes, it's not that bad. Even if it makes me look like a football hooligan.

I suppose what I'm saying is, "the flag's not yours, it's mine, and I happen to like gays, black people and women, thank you very much."