Keepers of the Kingdom: The Ancient Offices of Britain

Old things have their own irrational fascination and I suppose this book is meant for amusement rather than edification. The authors do suggest that these survivals (which in many cases are recent re-creations of dubious historical authenticity) represent someting positive about Britain. They suggest that respect for tradition produces stabilty. They do not address the possibility that this sort of thing feeds into snobbery and class bias. I was intrigued by the strong Scottish representation and lack of anything Welsh. Symbols of Welsh identity were obliterated by the central government to such an extent that even the flag of Great Britain contains only the crosses of St George, St Patrick and St Andrew. Why was this? Wales was the one country of the British Isles to retain the primary badge of national identity, a separate language. But perhaps this taking the book too seriously. It's enjoyable and often funny and the pictures are great.