Hey, thanks everyone who sent abusive mail after yesterday's rant about the Flag of St. George. Most entertaining.

Here is a far more interesting, and to recent correspondents, probably even more infuriating article from a fellow flag fan published in today's Guardian newspaper.

This is the Cross of St. George, the National Flag of England:

For some reason, it has become associated over the years with the extremist right, with racial superiority and frankly, with little to do with the modern, multicultural England in which I live.

It is therefore, encouraging to see it rise again (albeit due to a football tournament) as a symbol of Englishness. I think most English people are big enough to shoulder the burden of history, and to be aware that the actions of our government or armed forces have not always been pristine. The simple fact is, I'm English. Its taken me an awfully long time to be proud of that - and before they are levelled I must point out that the accusations of racism I have weathered have more than tested me - they've cost me a career and several years of my sanity after all!

The point of this rant? Well - I was moved to write to the BBC about this today too. Why do people adorn their car, desk or home with the Cross of St George augmented with the word "England" emblazoned across it? Its like writing the word "Car" on the side of your Volvo estate, or shaving "Haircut" into the back of your "Hoxton Fin! Let the flag quietly make its own statement, its almost indecent to turn it into a sports club emblem. I'm not asking for this kind of treatment or anything nearly like it!

There is, after all, nothing wrong with being English. Now, about that National Anthem...

The world is changing - my Mother and Father are recommending hardware to me!

They just purchased an Olympus C-160 digital camera and got the first set of prints. By all accounts they were excellent. The camera is small, light and neat, and shares the same style as the Olympus camera a friend of mine brought back from Canada some years back which just worked well for me. I seriously thought of buying an Olympus back then, but then decided on my Kodak DC215 digital which has given excellent service.

I'm a bit confused by the Linux support, but it seems I will be able to access it as a USB mass-storage device at worst, which should be OK. Should arrive for collection next Monday. Thanks Mum and Dad!

One day of my Wessex Rover left, and not much going on. Heard early that the Weymouth 31s were not out today - not entirely sure I could manage another hot, crowded slog down to the coast anyway. Also considered West Wales once again, hoping for a 37. Finally decided just to wander, and not to spend any money.

So, a swift run to Cardiff. Watched the Rhymney 37s for a bit, then to Bath. Tried to buy a new notebook from a stockist who I knew carried them, but found they didn't any longer. The city was heaving with tourists, who seemed to assume that everything had been deliberately made 'quaint' for their pleasure - including the hairdresser 'Nick Brain' - who's name they thought was some sort of clever pun. 31454 and 31128 passed ECS at speed - heard they later resumed the Weymouth diagram.

Back to Bristol - briefly running with pet HST powercar 43130. Up to Cheltenham, then to Newport. High-velocity wander around town, remembering locations of bookshops and watering holes from earlier visits. In the late afternoon heat, the place felt murderous - crowds of drunken Welshmen and even more frightening screaming women outside the winebars and cocktail lounges of Newport! Picked up a slim collection of Nicholas Moore poetry in a shop which now proudly boasted of a licensed 'Adult XXX' section upstairs! Back to Bristol once more...

Long fester waiting for traincrew delayed on a Severn Beach service, during which the Network Rail Measurment Train arrived.

Queues for Weston train full of pointless and factually incorrect complaining which was driving me nuts. A hot and bothersome end to a strange but entertaining day.