A big thanks to Jeff Barnes, Chair and CEO of Middlesex Heritage for this letter, outlining what plans were in place for the county to celebrate 'Middlesex Day' - prior to the intervention of the coronavirus pandemic!
As that great Ayrshire poet, Rabbie Burns, has written: “The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men, Gang aft agley”, and that is what has happened this year to our Middlesex Day celebrations due to the wicked Covid-19.
"The best laid plans hatched by the Middlesex Heritage Executive and most ably by Cllr Jane Palmer of Harefield, Middlesex were scrambled by this awful disease sweeping the world. We had arranged a celebration at the Battle of Britain bunker in Uxbridge, Middlesex. The Borough of Hounslow were planning a County sports fest at the Grasshoppers rugby ground, Isleworth, Middlesex, and the Middlesex Regiment would be marching to St Paul’s Cathedral and the county’s regiments memorial. But alas, this will not be happening this year.
On the positive side, Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of and Cllr Tony Louki, Mayor of Hounslow Council are doing us proud by raising the Middlesex flag in our County Town of Brentford.
After the most memorable 2019 gathering at St Mary’s Church, Staines, Middlesex around the Middlesex Regiment’s drum, it has hit us hard not to be celebrating and remembering together in this 75th Year of VE Day but so long as we do something on social media or in in our neighbourhood to wish those you know (and those you don’t) a happy Middlesex Day we will keep our historic county’s name on everyone’s lips and honour the fallen of our Middlesex Regiment.
We will be flying the flag on our social media, please encourage people to join us on
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CountyofMiddlesex/ and
https://www.facebook.com/MiddlesexHeritage/ Middlesex and Potters Bar/South Mimms
On Twitter @MiddxHeritage @SpelthorneUnity @PottersBMiddx
On Instagram: Middlesex Heritage
Keep blasting the myth that the abolition of the 76 year old Middlesex County Council was the abolition of the County of Middlesex which is over 13 centuries old when it was NOT!
Encourage people to put Middlesex in their address – the change in Local Government was precisely and only that: Spelthorne borough might be in Surrey County Council but is NOT in the County of Surrey and Potters Bar and South Mimms may be under Herts County Council but are NOT in the County of Herts. County Councils and Counties are two very different things and one should not be confused with the other.
A Happy Middlesex Day – Jeff Barnes, Chair/CEO Middlesex Heritage
And our thanks also go to Russell Grant, 'Man of Middlesex' and Middlesex Cricket Life Member
In 1987 the receipt of a letter from 10 Downing Street confirming that the axing of Middlesex County Council (created 1889) and did not affect in any way the existence of our County of Middlesex (first documented AD 704) began, in earnest, a drive and impetus in promoting the truth about Middlesex.
The county’s name had suffered, some unhelpful local authorities (that replaced the county council) did their best to airbrush out their Middlesex roots, the uninformed media brainwashed those not in the know with what we would now called ‘fake news’ that Middlesex did not exist in any form.
In 1988 we
needed a date for Middlesex Day and following a poll in members of the
predecessor of the Middlesex Heritage, the Friends of the County of Middlesex,
it was decided to connect to the date of the Middlesex Regiment, and their
heroic stand at the Battle of Albuhera on the 16th May and this date
has continued to be a double celebration of the county and its own regiment.
Can I wish you all a very happy Middlesex Day and thank you for your support in
helping to gain renewed official recognition, for a county that is an integral
part, and indeed older than the kingdom of England and Great Britain, too.
The thanks of all at Middlesex Cricket go to Jeff and Russell for their contributions.
HAPPY MIDDLESEX DAY EVERYONE!
