The year 2003 could be summed up by two freezing cold days. On February 15, nearly two million people marched through London to stop the war in Iraq.

On December 8, about half as many cheered the England rugby team as they paraded the World Cup through the same streets.

February 15 was a day of anti-war banners and December 8 was a day of St George's flags.

At the beginning of the year the British public seemed angered and determined to show they were against a war.

By December much of the public was tired of protesting and succumbed to the more familiar embrace of nationalism.

The England rugby bus, sponsored by a mobile phone company, drove along Oxford Street providing free advertising for the superstores along the way.

At one point, BBC2 and ITV showed live pictures while BBC1 and Channel 4 covered it on the news. There was no escape from this memorable occasion.

The protest on February 15 did hit the headlines but - even though it involved more of the population - it was not beamed live on all channels.

When did England become one giant advertisement for corporations? There is nothing wrong with being proud that England won the World Cup but a true patriot is someone who is willing to protest and change their country when it goes astray.

The two very different days displayed two very different sides of England.

-Daniel Savery, Brighton