A Dorchester musician is singing out next weekend in a bid to reclaim St George’s Day.

John Bullock and the y’Strel’s Band are giving three performances of traditional English songs to prove that the ‘far right’ are not the only ones with a claim to ‘Englishness’.

They want to reignite people’s pride in the country instead of sweeping our nationality under the carpet as something to be ashamed of.

And instead of giving the saint’s day a jingoistic slant, the songs will celebrate all the things that make England what it is.

“We will be looking at the bigger picture,” said John. “We will be singing I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside and When Father Papered The Parlour because holidays and DIY are two of the things that are important to us.

“We might also sing Roll Out The Barrel and I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles – you need a football song in there.”

More traditional songs will also get an airing.

“We won’t be singing Rule Britannia but we will do Hearts Of Oak and the British Grenadiers because I have no problem with fighting men,” said John, a former pacifist.

“But I do damn Tony Blair for leading us into a dishonourable war and putting those men and women in a position where in years to come their sacrifice will not be honoured because the war is an embarrassment.”

The move to reclaim St George’s Day is being promoted by Folk Against Fascism, which is taking a stand against the BNP’s bid to appropriate traditional English music.

“I have to say God bless Nick Griffin for kicking us awake and making us appreciate our Englishness and our history,” said John.

“The trouble now is that if you celebrate St George’s Day you are seen as a racist.”

These musical events are also a celebration of ordinary English people who have fought and still fight the wars and who built England.

“It’s about ordinary people who built the factories and worked in them.

“It’s time to celebrate our Englishness.”

John will perform a solo set of English folk songs and popular ballads at Char-Char’s tea room, South Street, Dorchester, on Friday from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

You can also catch the band the following day at the New Inn, Eype, where they will be singing English and chorus songs with community singing from 8.30pm.

Y’strels will repeat this at Tom Brown’s in High East Street, Dorchester, from 9pm on Sunday.