The Royal Oak, symbol of England

PA 122/10 Forget St George. A University of Nottingham academic thinks that Oak Apple Day (May 29) is a better symbol of Englishness than the dragon-slaying martyr. Dr Markus Eichhorn makes the case for a new English national day in a new series of online videos examining the different aspects of trees. "St George is a peculiar national symbol," said Dr Eichhorn, an expert on trees in the University's School of Biology. "He was Turkish, he never visited this country and he has no particular associations with England. What better symbol of England than the oak, he argues, which has been a key element of the country's culture, geography and economy for thousands of years? Dr Eichhorn points to the old English legend of the Green Man, a mythical character who represents the annual cycle of regrowth. He is often depicted with hair and a beard of oak leaves.