It all starts this weekend, Euro 2004 - it's a football tournament.

As I have said or written before I feel I am very patriotic, and you may recall the problems when I fell off the flagpole earlier in the year.

Now the flagpole often flies the cross of St George, except for last weekend (see below). But, having seen all these car flags around, I'm tempted to take my flag down.

I'm not trying to sound elitist in any way or form, but why does it take a football tournament in Portugal for us to come out with our national colours?

Would it not be nice on St George's Day next year for everyone to fly the flag again, on the cars, on the flagpoles, in the shop windows?

And I do want England to win the tournament, but it is after all, only a game. The flag on the pole at the weekend was the Union flag.

So I flew the flag for the boys (and girls) who went ashore in Normandy 60 years ago.

Some years ago I walked the beaches that they'd disembarked on, finding them almost by accident.

I then got a book about War Walks that took you on a tour.

There really is a feel about the place, and I would recommend anyone to go and take a look and soak up the atmosphere, and go to the museum in Caen. You won't be disappointed.

It must be a bit galling, when we hear about D-Day, for all those people who were fighting all over the world, and don't seem to get the same publicity that D-Day did.

Yes, I know it was the start of the invasion of Europe, but last weekend I spoke to a guy who at the time was fighting in the Mediterranean, and felt they'd missed out. I think they were known as the "D-Day dodgers" following a comment made by an MP.

Some time ago I was chatting to another guy who I met in a caf in Worcestershire. He came out with the amazing fact that he went ashore twice on D-Day!

He went in with the first wave, got hit, went out to a ship, got patched up, then jumped on another landing craft going back in that evening.

Just a note; John Banners Touring Cricket team are playing tomorrow and Sunday on Droitwich Road, both games for charity. It's free to get in, as indeed it should be!