The Mayor, Mr Ambrose and the Dean of Lichfield at Friday's dinner with the portrait of the Queen and the bowl of red roses, symbols of St George's Day.

The former Bishop of Burnley, Bishop G. E. Holderness, now Dean of Lichfield, returned to the town on Friday - St George's Day - for the annual dinner of the Burnley Society of St George. More than 80 members attended the dinner, the 32nd, which began with the colourful tradition of the Ritual of the Roast Beef of Old England. In the "ritual" the carver, with a four-strong torch bearing escort, presents the roast beef joint to the society president, who performs the initial cut before returning it with a tankard of ale to the carver saying "Take this tankard Mr Carver, for you will need it." The ceremony is symbolic of the original knighting of the loin of beef, giving it the name "sirloin".

The objects of the society are to propagate the allegiance to the Crown and Constitution to imbue that all members should have pride in their English birth, and to work for the "uplift, welfare and betterment of all Englishmen". Toastmaster at the dinner was Mr T. Cronshaw and "The Queen" was proposed by president Mr H. Ambrose, and "The Day" by Bishop Holderness. The Mayor of Burnley, Ald E. J. Willis, proposed the toast to the society, and the toast to the guests was proposed by Mr G. Ratcliffe. Burnley's MP Mr Dan Jones responded to this.