US Brits are not showy about our patriotism. It’s one of those quiet attributes that flies almost entirely under the radar for the majority of the year, only appearing in brief flourishes and when the time is right.

If you ever travel in America - or just watch a film or series based there - you’ll see the Stars and Stripes fluttering from houses and buildings, as much a part of the landscape as the Rockies or the Empire State Building. We are far more understated.

But these last few days have been one of those times when our patriotism as come to the fore. The celebration of Her Majesty’s remarkable tenure, with 70 years of service to the nation, has given us time to pause and reflect.

Over the last week I’ve travelled the length and breadth of Furness, holding surgeries, meeting constituents, visiting businesses, and enjoying the intermittent sunshine. It’s been a pleasure to see bunting fluttering in the wind everywhere I’ve been, from Broughton to Barrow Island.

One of my favourite songs is The Kinks’ Village Green Appreciation Society. As it’s a constant earworm, I play it with embarrassing frequency. My daughter was humming along recently and asked me what it the song was actually about. I told her that it was parody about being English and all the silly things that we care about and identify with (strawberry jam, Desperate Dan, village greens etc.), but actually, this Jubilee has made me think again.

It may seem like stringing out the bunting and holding celebrations for the Monarchy is all a bit 1950s, but actually the events that were arranged across Furness are about more than that. They reflect a community that is comfortable enough to celebrate itself and its country readily, and which recognises the quiet and dignified way in which The Queen has pursued the duties of her office for the last 70 years.

In many ways, she has been the glue that has bound us all together, and this is one of those times when we’ve been unafraid to celebrate that, and all the funny, quirky, unique things that make us British.

Her Majesty has been no stranger to Furness over the years. She first visited in 1956 and has returned multiple times since, notably to open Barrow’s covered market, and also to launch the first Barrow-built nuclear submarine, HMS Dreadnought, on Trafalgar Day 1960. Dreadnought is now laid up in Rosyth for decommissioning while her successor in name is being put together in the shipyard as I write this, entering service in the early 2030s.

Many people have put it to me over the last few months that Barrow should have a lasting monument to its boat-building heritage in town. I can’t say that I disagree. So I’ve recently spoken to the Defence Secretary and also the Chief Executive of the Submarine Delivery Agency about liberating HMS Dreadnought from Rosyth and floating her back to her home in Barrow.

Neither objected and so, while there are many hurdles to overcome, I hope that we might have taken the first step towards bringing Dreadnought home for the community to enjoy.