Red and white flags are fluttering above Barking Town Hall this weekend for St George’s Day.
To mark 1,715 years since the famed knight died, Barking Market will be decorated with patriotic bunting tomorrow with free flags handed out to shoppers.
“St George’s Day is more than jousting, a suit of armour and a tale about a dragon that was defeated by a brave knight,” said Tom Hook, the council’s director of policy and participation.
“It is about coming together and celebrating.”
The market’s international flurry of flavours fits well with St George’s reported diverse background.
Although he is the patron saint of England, legend has it St George was a Roman soldier of Greek and Palestinian origin, who is held in high regard by Christians and some Muslim texts.
The saint, who is said to have died in 303AD in Nicomedia (modern-day Turkey), is celebrated across the continent in countries including Georgia, Romania and Italy.
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