And it’s a racing cert that an English market town is awash with Guinness mid-March but what of down the road and a history of London‘s Paddy’s Day?
We’re all recovering from the last few days when half the population of Ireland got jinglier of pocket through four days at the Cheltenham Festival.
When their favourite, in this case Gallopin des Champs, comes romping home.
Norah’s story: Norah Casey in Trafalgar Square in 2002
Of course Paddy‘s Day has become something of a misnomer over the years.
What started out as a one-day break from Lenten sacrifices when us youngsters got to eat sweets has grown.
A weekend bender
The craic: The Irish rule in Cheltenham
And in these more heathen days it’s a bevvy-up that stretches out over a whole week.
Which is why Cheltenham designated March 16 as their Paddy’s Day which, of course, extended into the real day.
While March 18 at the start of Paddy’s Weekend, has become a recurring celebration of Irish rugby excellence.
Or whenever it lands.
When Ireland win the Grand Slam and in the best possible style with victory over the Old Enemy, England.
Of course, you don’t have to be sporty to indulge in Paddy’s Day revelry.
And Daddy’s Little Girl has been living it up in the Dublin of her youth (insert your own city in here).
Paddy’s Day, of course, has been celebrated around the world by ex-pats for hundreds of years.
The London Irish
Green for go: Ireland regularly win around St Paddy’s Day
But London’s St Paddy’s Day celebration is oddly and shamefully no long-held tradition.
And only within this Fiftysomething’s lifetime.
Its history too is tied up with an old travel companion and Irish businesswoman par excellence, Norah Casey.
For those of you lucky enough to still live in Ireland.
Norah is instantly recognisable from Dragon’s Den.
But she also more than made her mark in 22 years in Britain and at the helm of the Irish Post.
Not least in leaving her legacy with the first St Patrick’s Day Festival in London in Trafalgar Square in 2002 and which you can pencil in your diary for next year.
Livingston, we presume
Greening it up: Global Paddy’s Weekend celebrations
Which she organised with the-then Mayor of London Ken Livingston.
Norah informs us that it had been written into the bye laws of Trafalgar Square that no Irish gathering was to be held there.
Nor was an Irish flag permitted to fly in the square where Nelson looks down on us all.
Maybe the Admiral’s revenge for blown to smithereens on O’Connell Street, Dublin.
It had been written into the byelaws of Trafalgar Square that no Irish gathering was to be held there, nor was an Irish flag permitted to fly.
And so back in 2002 tens of thousands of Irish packed the square to hear The Dubliners and Mary Coughlan sing to the crowds.
As Norah so poignantly put it: “I don’t mind admitting that I cried.. but so did Ken and the whole team.
“Along with everyone else there, I felt so proud that finally we could celebrate being Irish in London.”
So if you’re in Trafalgar Square today as I was last week, and celebrating Ireland’s victory over England and their Grand Slam just remember.
What Norah and Ken and countless others did to ensure you enjoyed your London’s Paddy’s Day.
Yes, sure, if you want to lighten the load in your wallet.
Like clockwork
Tubeway Army: London Underground
One rider, of course, is the network for trains that go underground, the Tube, which works like clockwork.
And where you can swipe your bank card and so avoid queuing at ticket offices.
While their joined-up Oyster card, like the Leap card in Dublin and across a raft of cities makes a mockery of my own city, Edinburgh’s crumbing transport links.
It’s not the only area Scotland’s capital needs a good clean-up and a new facelift.
On a podium
Piece of history: With Stonewall Jackson in Virginia
Take our statues, those we put on a podium to look down on us.
Something of a hobbyhorse of your chronicler statues, as much as I’d love to see the royals and empire builders brought down to earth I’m realistic.
And while we do we should be redressing the balance by putting up more statues of our women, animals, cultural, sports, entertainment and international icons.
And maybe even objects of national endearment like the National Express coach.
Because be sure if it had been around in Dick Whittington’s Day he’d have hopped on it.
Out of Africa
Statue ahoy: Sailormen
It was rewarding too to see a celebration of post-colonial empowerment.
London In the statue of Malawian John Chilembwe which occupies the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.
Where he towers over the colonial ruler and where he is now the only African and person of colour thus celebrated.
The fourth plinth should be something we all hold onto.
It is an idiosyncrasy in the square dominated by Admiral Horatio Nelson, victor of the Napoleonic naval battle, that there is another plinth up for grabs.
Three corners are occupied by the ruling elite, King George IV, Henry Havelock and Charles James Napier.
Havewho, Napiehow? Yes, quite. Havelock and Napier were bigwigs during the Indian Raj.
The fourth plinth
Jesus: And Mark Wallinger
The reason why we should embrace the fourth plinth, originally meant for King William IV, 180 years ago, is that it is now a rolling statue.
No, not like Edward Colston who was rolled into the river in Bristol.
But every couple of years an artist’s new statue goes up.
Mark Wallinger’s Ecco Homo of Christ in 1999 making way to a number of others including an Anthony Gormley erection (stop it)!
To just now and Samson Gambalu’s Antelope which will come down in a year.
To accommodate Teresa Margolles’ 850 Improntas, casts of the faces of 850 trans people from London and the world.
The fourth plinth truly does sound like the solution, the future… London a national monument.
And something I’ll be recommending to Edinburgh council.
To pull down the spaceship of Walter Scott and replace it with the city’s most famous citizen, Sean Connery.
Which meant bringing the exact brick through US Customs from Diagon Alley for the universe that is Universal Orlando.
And we imagine he would have had to conjure up some magic excuse for the guards there.
Our favourite reads have, of course, been natural stories for our favourite rides.
And water splashes so naturally when you’ve got the most famous river trip story whaddya gonna do?
The Huck stops here
Finn’s can only get better: Huck Finn
Mark Twain’s iconic rascals Tom Sawyer and Huck Finnmake a splash at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.
Riverblast has 80 along the 567ft river channel, making it ‘America’s Biggest Water Battle.’
Child’s play
Hamming it up: Peppa Pig
Of course not everything has to be a thrill ride and here in the UK its child’s play for adults when they pack their kids off to the Thomas the Tank Engine and Peppa Pig parks.
Tam being a carriage is, of course, a touring attraction giving us all a chance to see him and his friends.
While Peppa is the pick of PMs with Boris Johnson waxing lyrical about her adventures back in the south of England in Romsey, Hampshire.
So while we look back nostalgically on the Magwitch, Peggotty and Pickwick recreations you’ll find the Dickens of theme parks on this literary red letter day.
They’d not understand you at the Hong Kong races or your Chinese takeaway but for the day that’s in it we’re all channeling our best Yorkshire… so ey up Happy Valley.
Copper Catherine, her needy sister Clare, psycho Tommy Lee and rootless Ryan have given us all our best water cooler moments these past weeks.
Menacing: James Norton, who plays Tommy Lee
That is if any of us still worked in an office.
Though the upside is we can skive off to watch blockbuster TV series like Happy Valley.
Hebden Bridge the real star
Lancashire hot pot: Sarah Lancashire, who plays Catherine
The uncredited star of the show is, of course, the setting.
With Hebden Bridge forcing its way into our consciousness.
And we’re happy to add Catherine’s travails to our list.
What they don’t tell you though is the hidden Hebden Bridge.
That it is credited with being the lesbian capital of the UK.
With the BBC no less flagging up its credentials.
‘The lesbian dining company business card in the foyer of a bar, the same-sex greetings cards in the shop window.
‘And the more obvious clues in the names of some of the businesses, such as the homeware shop, Home…Oh!’
The perfect furnish
Welcome: Hebden Royd
Its place on the map of gay culture stems we’re told from the bohemians who moved in as HB transitioned from a mill town to an arts and crafts hub.
So where to stay in Hebden Bridge… well, we’re reliably informed that there are a number of cosy pubs, B&Bs, family hotels and hilltop retreats.
The central Hebden Royd House caught our eye, probably because it sounds like it’s got to have a link to Happy Valley.
Home is: Where the hearth is
Owner Sue, who we’re told used to run a popular soft-furnishings shop in the town presents the hotel as a tasteful six or seven-room property and will provide rates.
She will recommend too the best shopping and eating out in the town.
Poetry in motion
Room at the inn: Ted Hughes pub
The 18th-century Stubbing Wharf located along the Rochdale Canal will certainly pique the interest of anyone of an artistic bent.
As the former Poet Laureate set his poem Stubbing Wharfe here.
While if you want to get out into the countryside then there are dozens of gorgeous trails on your doorstep too, including the Calder and Pennine Ways.
Although maybe give Tommy Lee Royce right of way if he comes up on your rear wheel.
And so like all the best TV series we have to say goodbye to our favourite characters eventually, we can say hello to Hebden Bridge.
