Brits only: What does Britain mean to us?

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Well, I'm an American and I think-

*vaporizes in a cloud of smoke*

um.. the miniscule size of this thread does not surprise me.
When I moved to France I kept being amazed by how pleased with themselves the French seemed.
They are proud of their food, of their arts & culture, of their landscape, of their clothes/style, of their cinema, of their freedom, of their frenchness, and of their language.

While here I have in typical english fashion managed to pick holes in every one of these supposed french strengths, as follows:::
french cooking is in the same sort of trough between dull provincial bourgoise meat and two veg vestiges of the old great french tradition, and new international cuisine, including increasing amounts of Macdonalds style eating, that England was in 30 years ago, unless you're rich.
French landscape is perhaps their strongest point. Unfortunately they have posted/put american style advertising hoardings up around many towns and villages, and fences around lots of other bits, so that walking in france apart from on a very few recognised trails is on the roads amongst the cars, many of them lovingly preserved old ones belching out 10 times as many fumes as newer models.
French clothing is very tasteful in general. But very very conventional. ( Boring. sshhh!)
French freedoms, to park on pavements, of dogs to mark out the territory of their masters with piles of s**t, etc etc, are often infringements of others freedom, and their education laws are among the most authoritarian in europe ( germany's is worse). England looks utopic in comparison.
French take the most anti-depressants of any european country.
French cinema has been moribund since the 70s, except for a few gems from 80s, hailed as revivals of french cinema!! .
The french language is apparently the least complex in sounds of almost any language on earth, almost monotonous. It introduces children to the smallest range of sounds of any european language.
And yet the french LOVE their country, most won't go elsewhere for holidays. They really don't like american nationalism; it's too like their own.

etc, etc. Anyway, after hatchet job of france, England looks pretty good. What IS it about so many English which makes them tear down anyplace they live? ( tho' i notice an american doing it in Holland!) Including england when they live there. Now i don't live there ( last 10 years) I see many more of the good things.
Educational freedom for one, and a genuinely living language instead of one that needs preserving and policing and protecting as french does apparently!!
Better cooking!!
Friendlier to strangers. Less racist in general. Less sexist in general.

Rainy and cloudy though!

Last edited by ouinon on 08 Jan 2008, 12:55 pm, edited 4 times in total.

I'm from Australia... Britain (especially England) is one of the few places on Earth I'd actually like to live... and there's about an 85% chance I will live there one day. I mean, I wouldn't be embarrassed about where I was born, I wouldn't have to learn a new language, wouldn't have to eat weird food... and British comedy is the best in the world. Not to mention, faster internet, those gorgeous terraces that everyone lives in, travel to the rest of Europe would be cheap (I'm assuming), and... no, that's about it.

I always get the feeling with this country that more could be achieved. I mean, yes, Britain has had a rich history, but our glory days are long gone. Having invented half the sports in the world, the indutrial revolution, governing most of the world, what can this place do next? I will accept that equality is a priority, because without it, the Cornish would never have been able to market the pasty, although I think the Devonish came up with it. I love the thought that thousands of people would rather have someone outspoken like Jeremy Clarkson in charge than an actual politician.

If I find somewhere better, I would probably go...

Scotland means a lot to me

I couldn't give a toss about England

But the thread is about Scotland too.

Why do ppl keep assuming Britain is just England?

I am not British; I am half Irish, and half English.. if I were British I'd have Welsh and Scottish blood too.

Britain is a small continent of its own. I don't see it as European.

I personally like the dialects and changes in words from one area to the other. The English language is astounding.

Britain is like a version of the world in miniature.A world of 4 nations (more if you count the regions that have their own dialects and culture). A land that is becoming more and more cosmopolitan- whoever thought we'd have street signs in Polish in some
towns ? - but still retains ancient traditions.
The English language reflects history - words that have come from Latin,Greek,
Anglo-Saxon,Celtic,French,Arabic,Persian,Indian etc.

I bet if British people went to Poland en-masse we'd get short shrift! Bloody Polish signs. Gah!

I really like britsh comedy like The IT Crowd and Monty Python. Plus, we evolved the English language that the Americans changed slightly and the Australians kept.

A place which holds the undisputed World War championship cup, having won the last two, although fair play to the Germans, they did have two cracks at the title, and you have to respect them for that!

A place which has pulled the rest of the world's backside out of the fire on more than one occasion, through military might or technological engenuity, or just showing them the right way of doing thigs.

It's also a place of contradictions, where else in the world can you call tea the national drink, and yet there's more coffee shops than soft mick on the High Streets, our national alcoholic drink is beer (Ale, not lager, wouldn't rinse the bog out with lager!) and yet most of our time is spent in trendy wine bars, and the biggest one of all, we go out to McDonalds or similar, have the largest, greasiest burger on the menu, with chips, gone large.... and DIET Coke!

Seriously, Britain is a good place, it just needs a nudge back on course, with a Sledgehammer!

History, history, history.

The other night I was watching a programme about the discovery of the remains of a Roman road underneath an old Church in London. Top that anywhere in the world (with the possible exception of Rome, of course.) But the ruins of Abbeys, the plinths, the ancient stone circles, ahh, where can you wander through such things?

And ale, of course, You can keep tea, it's ale that's the bread of life.

And it was nice of the Irish to invent whiskey.

A proud history condemned by politically correct idiots.

Chavs, the laughing stock of the nation.

Too many immigrants.

A homely place, with standards of dignity and justice.

Going to the dogs, thanks to new labour.

Automobiles ! !

Oh sure, the Germans invented it, but look at our proud motor history. Edwardian era Rolls-Royce, the racing Bentleys, E Type Jaguars, and who but a Brit could even think of building a car like Morgan? We invented the SUV, remember the early Land Rovers? The MG Midget, Aston-Martin, the original Mini, these are truly great cars ! !!

When I left the house this morning at 7a.m it was 4 deg C and raining. By 10a.m it was 4 deg C and still raining. At 2p.m the rain had turned to sleet and as I drove home at 3p.m it was heavy snow. I went out to get some stuff from the car at 6p.m and it was raining again. That's British weather for you, and I live in a relatively warm part of the country. However, I do love this island, but not the majority of the people on it. There are too many, and too many of them have nothing better to do than lobby for legislation to restrict the activities of everyone else. It's a country full of do-gooders, foreigners and officious bureaucrats. Lots of Brits can't wait to get out.

It's still raining, and I live on a boat on a river and it's going to flood and all the land's going to disappear...

Admitidly the weather could be better.