THE Millom Pensioners Association is holding an afternoon tea on Sunday, April 23, to celebrate St George’s Day.

You can raise your cup to England’s patron saint from 2pm at the Pensioners Hall on the corner of Mainsgate Road.

Tickets cost £4 from committee members, or call 778189.

Last year the group, which is raising funds for building improvements, organised a party to celebrate the 90 th birthday of the Queen and in 2015 held an indoor street party to mark 70 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Our pictures are from 1987 and show work to replace the roof on what is called the “tin chapel”.

Back in April 1904, this is what the Barrow News had to say about St George.

It noted: “Of late years there has sprung up a desire to stimulate the seemingly apathetic interest taken by Englishmen in their patron saint, and for the celebration of St George’s Day in a more patriotic manner.

“For the fourth year in succession, the Barrow branch of the Royal Society of St George have celebrated the day by dining.

“This branch has now nearly 100 members and its members assembled to the number of about 60 at the Imperial Hotel.”

The Barrow branch chairman in 1904 was mayor and brewer George Heath.

St George is an international man of mystery and is venerated in many countries – including Russia, Estonia, Germany, Ethiopia, Bulgaria and Romania.

For people in the 15th century, the generally accepted view was that George arrived at an Egyptian or Syrian town as a dragon’s breath was bringing pestilence to the land.

Sheep and then young people were sacrificed to the dragon – although in Denmark it is eggs and young people.

Lots were drawn for the human victims and eventually it was the turn of the king’s only daughter.

George attacks the dragon’s mouth or throat with his lance and subdues rather than kills it.

The dragon is led into the town and George offers to kill it if the people convert to Christianity.

He then leaves – without the princess!

It didn’t end well for George.

The possibly Roman soldier was tortured – some say for up to seven years – to make him reject his faith in Christianity.

He was eventually beheaded around 303 AD only to be brought back to life by the Virgin Mary as her champion.

By the medieval era he had emerged as a very English figure, clad in armour and riding a white horse.

He was a major figure of veneration for English knights going to fight in the Crusades.