Luke Pollard MP Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
June 4th is the feast day of Saint Petroc, closely associated with the county of Devon and for whom the Devon flag (above) is dedicated. For that reason, Devon Day is now celebrated on this day each year.
Luke Pollard MP, born and bred in Devon, wrote on his Facebook page:
“Wishing everyone on Facebook a very happy Devon Day!
“I’ve always felt lucky to come from one of the UK’s most beautiful counties – but there’s a lot more to Devon than just the stunning views. Here are my top 5 reasons to be proud of Devon.”
Luke’s Devon Day top 5 is as follows…
5. Michael Foot. A brilliant Plymouth MP between 1945 and 1992, and leader of the Labour Party for three years. A principled man, a brilliant orator, and a staunch defender of his hometown. I always feel proud to have been one of the organisers of the Michael Foot Memorial in Freedom Fields Park – a true Plymouth legend.
4. Our heritage. We’ve got history everywhere. I want us to tell our full story, not just selective parts, and the Box does this superbly. Whether it is the Box looking at our proud naval tradition, our experience during the war or the development of our city, the Royal Albert Museum in Exeter (the smaller Devon city…), the National Marine Aquarium, the amazing natural landscapes in Dartmoor or the newly refurbished Elizabethan House on the Barbican, we have a lot of history as a county and we should shout louder about it.
3. Beaches. Thousands of Britons head to Ilfracombe, Exmouth, Bigbury and Croyde Bay every summer, and for good reason – whether you want to swim, sail, or sunbathe, nowhere else in the country does beaches like Devon. We’ve got some of the best coastline, nature, seaside pubs, and fish and chips in the country.
2. Devon cream teas. One of my team recently mentioned that they usually put the cream onto their scone before the jam. Fortunately, they offered a swift apology and just about managed to hold on to their job 😊 Unlike our Cornish neighbours, we in Devon know the importance of tradition, and of doing things in the right order. That’s why our delicious Devon cream teas are famous throughout the country. It is always #creamfirst for me.
1.Plymouth Argyle. Devon may have two coastlines, two National Parks and two historic cities, but it only has one proper football team. I’m proud to be an Argyle supporter and seeing the superb work at the vaccination centre at Home Park makes me hugely proud of our club, and our NHS. There’s no feeling like celebrating a goal at Home Park, and I’m counting the days until I can get back there next season. Green army!