The future is overcast.
The future is not Orange.
The Orange Order is a conservative unionist organisation, with links to Ulster loyalism. It campaigned against Scottish independence in 2014. The Order sees itself as defending Protestant civil and religious liberties, whilst critics accuse the Order of being sectarian, triumphalist, and supremacist. As a strict Protestant society, it does not accept non-Protestants as members unless they convert and adhere to the principles of Orangeism, nor does it accept Protestants married to Catholics. Although many Orange marches are without incident, marches through mainly Catholic and Irish nationalist neighbourhoods are controversial and have often led to violence.
On the morning of March 28th 2015 I had taken the train to Scarborough, to spend a few days by the sea. As we passed through Huddersfield and on into deepest Yorkshire, the carriage began to fill up at each stop with men, mainly men.
Men in dark overcoats, men with cropped hair, men sharing an unfamiliar familiarity. Intrigued, I enquired of my cultish companions the what, where, when and why of their collective purpose.
It transpired that they were all adherents of the Orange Order, Scarborough bound to participate in the annual Orange March.
On arrival we parted, but we were to meet up later in the day – I walked down to the foreshore and waited.
This is what I saw.
This year the march was cancelled.
You wouldn’t want anyone to catch anything, would you now?
Modern Mooch 
Shocking to see the photos of an Orange Parade in Scarborough. I knew they used to happen in Manchester, Liverpool Glasgow and other cities that had sectarian histories. But they stopped many decades ago. Do they still happen anywhere else? Please tell me.
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The marches continue away from the contested urban areas, the Lodges themselves, throughout the country, are possibly now less malign in intent. They are a minority clinging on to a sense of identity, however tenuous and archaic. The day of my visit passed without incident or any incivility, marches happen all over:
http://www.bandparades.co.uk/calendar/category/orange-order/2020-03-28
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Certainly not.
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The ora ye order is an orderly god fearing organisation nothing more nothing less in no way sinister , law abiding British Protestants there , the fact that the author seeks to malign them says more about him
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The author, me – is largely non-judgemental, I quote from an internet source in italics, I point out that the Order is of the past, 1688 to be exact, and that sectarianism has no political future, if peace and harmony is our goal.
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Maybe get your facts correct b4 posting. The order was founded in 1795 in Portadown.
Nothing more annoying than people putting there thoughts in when they know nothing about what they are trying to spout.
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I have attempted to present a reasonable and balanced view of the Order and the march – I made no reference to the deeper history, therefore there are no facts regarding the Order’s origins, correct or otherwise, on my blog. There are however some opinions, fortunately we live in a land where each and everyone may express their own opinions freely, providing these opinions do not incite hatred or violence. Your comment has been added and folks will now be clear that the Order was formed in 1795 in Portadown. I do sincerely hope that you are no longer annoyed – Steve the Modern Moocher.
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