History...

...and I have spent the past few days taking an American group around London, a mix of ages and professions, and with children too....we've been looking at Westminster, Churchill War Rooms, the Tower...

On Tuesday there was a moment when we were all together waiting for a boat along by London Bridge, and to keep us entertained some one asked one of the smallest children to sing us a couple of songs, which she did  shyly but very delightfully. Then, standing looking serious for a moment, she announced, very solemnly, something else that she had learned by heart. "I pledge allegiance" she said "to the flag of the United States of America and to the union for which it stands..."  and so on, carefully, through to the end with "liberty and justice for all". It was quite unexpected and  rather touching, the small voice falling into the room with a startling clarity. She goes to a small church-based school, and had been taught the Pledge there...

Looking back, it is a moment to capture, just as, across the Atlantic, the USA was going through one of its most momentous experiences.

The Election had not been much discussed among us, and although  there was unanimity in the group in disliking the Clinton ideological agenda there was no passionate affirmation of the alternative candidate.  They had all cast their votes by postal ballot before flying to Britain for this gathering, and I didn't interrogate them about their choices.

There is a lot of genuine patriotism in America and I do hope that poor Mr Trump turns out to be worthy of the office to which he has now been called.