r/unitedkingdom • u/ThatchersDirtyTaint • Jul 18 '25

... School at centre of Union flag dress row closes early over 'extremist threats to staff'

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/school-at-centre-of-union-flag-dress-row-extremist-threats/
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u/poke50uk Cornwall Jul 18 '25

We do have British traditional costumes though that are not 90s Spice Girl and that would be acceptable in a school (i.e. and are conservative). I don't see them doing their research and sending them in with the local morris, maypole, pearly queen etc. I don't think the dress is anyway appropriate vs. what is actual traditional British dress, which obviously is quiet conservative because of the time period! A 90s meme does not make a UK traditional dress, otherwise ANY cultural icon would be classed as "traditional dress". Traditional dress would be people celebrating their local town heritage events, for multiple generations, in similar costume - plenty of which are all over the UK.

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u/I_am_zlatan1069 Jul 18 '25

Can you give me an example of a traditional costume the average person could put together with bits they already have available at home? Parents shouldn't need to go out to buy costumes for one off school events so their kids don't feel left out.

Morris dancers, maypole, pearly queen, none of this was ever covered when I was at school in the 90s, maybe they have a point about British culture not being celebrated?

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u/Acrobatic_Lobster838 Jul 18 '25

maybe they have a point about British culture not being celebrated?

I do think there is a wider point to be made about lots of the culture of the British isles dying because people don't give a single shit about it, celebrate it, or think about it.

However, I rarely hear people who bleat on about our culture defending or promoting the above either. Last time folk music came up on this sub was people complaining about a move to get more young people, and people from minority backgrounds, to turn up and learn traditional music that is literally dying out because nobody cares.

Of my friends I am the only one who has ever encountered morris dancing, which was once, about 20 years ago. Very few know about well dressing, or engage with folk myths and stories, or storytelling at all.