I just wanted to vent a little for those who don't like us English.


It’s a tricky thing to say, because the English flag, St George’s Day and patriotism generally has long been hijacked by moron right-wingers, but isn’t England great?

Shakespeare
Fittingly, his birthday is the same day as St George’s day, as he contributed so much to the richness of the English language -well as doing his propaganda bit for unity under the Tudors by blackening the name of the last Plantagenet monarch and promoting feelings of English patriotism.

London
Ah, London. Galleries. Theatres. Ethnic enclaves. Parliament and Big Ben, tourist traps, and carnivals; the Tube; Black taxis and red buses; medieval streets and hideous 1960s brutalist developments. Finest city in the World (if you don’t have to live there!)

The English countryside
The English countryside is gorgeous. Across the Vale of Evesham in the spring, the beauty of the Yorkshire Moors, the Lake District, the Cornish coast, the Severn Valley in autumn, we don’t have towering mountains, glaciers, or rift valleys. The English countryside is varied, but moderate and dependable. Just like English people are.

Even the animals that populate our countryside are the same. You don’t get malaria from our bugs. We have no poisonous spiders, and no large animals which can eat you. Our single venomous snake - the Adder - is only as nasty as a wasp sting (and I’ve never seen one, ever).

The Beatles, Stones, Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin and The Clash
For a small country, we’ve produced a lot of world-changing music. We rock. Nothing more to say.

Broadway, Henley
They’re chocolate box-perfect English towns. They’re a bugger to live in, as you can’t put a nail in the wall without someone from the local Council making sure you’re not damaging the character of the area, but they’re damn gorgeous. There are houses in Henley that are older than many countries.

Pubs and proper beer
Pubs - not bars. They don’t need to be all thatched roof or horsebrasses. They don’t need to be picturesque, but do need to be authentic rather than brewery-mandated “English Pub Experience”. They need a sense of community, a character behind the bar, some grumpy regular drinkers, proper beer and probably a resident dog.

Food
People think English food is just fish and chips or curry - and there’s nothing wrong with either of those. But real English food can’t be beaten, and is rarely encountered by visitors. Take great cuts of meat, fresh vegetables like parsnips, sprouts, roast them all and lightly season, serve with a rich gravy and a pint of proper beer and you’ve got the best Sunday family meal in the world.

World War 2
We English bang on about the war a bit, it’s true - but it’s because it’s deeply embedded in our psyche. OK, it was sixty years ago, but the reason it stays there is because, for a couple of years until the yanks could be arsed to help out, England and our Gaelic cousins Scotland, Ireland, Wales stood alone: we mobilised our entire workforce, turned civilian factories to making armaments, ploughed up parks to grow food on, and tore down metal railings as raw material to make guns.

We evacuated our children, split up our families and sacrificed our men, while the rest of the world sat on their hands or laid down their arms, because fascism so repelled us. And why shouldn’t we be proud of that?

The National Health Service
I’m always astonished when I read that in other, allegedly civilised countries, health care is based on ability to pay. God knows, our NHS isn’t perfect, but get this: if you fall sick in the UK you will get treatment of the highest possible quality that the NHS can provide, free at the point of delivery, regardless of whether you’re a millionaire or a vagrant. Now that’s a civilised idea.

Jane Austen and George Orwell
Both used the English language perfectly to celebrate and satirise the England that they loved. Orwell, in particular, is a hero of mine with his fierce promotion of clarity of language, his love of fairness and his defence of the weak. I reckon he should be the eponymous St George today.

English people
I’ve a mix of Scottish and English extraction with a dash of Italian too. My wife is a naturalised Brit, from Thailand, so my kids are utter mongrels, which is itself quintessentially English. Everybody is mixed race here.

We live next door to Naz, a British-born muslim of Pakistani background, and our other neighbours are the Murphys, of Irish descent. Across the road are the Singhs and the Cohens and the Smiths. It’s a crappy grubby urban English proper street, full of proper English people.

Hurray for England.

that was so sweet. what a wonderful post. lov ya tom.

One I forgot to mention.

There's also meeeeeeeee.

I like England, I have a few friends from near London but I haven't seen them in about 7 years.

But you live in Germany, RIGHT?

The high taxes,
The nanny state,
The corrupt politicians
The crap weather
The overcrowded roads,


Oh yeah ... its great!


St George was a German
The Queen is a German
Her husband is a Greek.
Queen Victoria (our greatest monarch, was actually Russian)
The national anthem was written by a German.

Its such a lovely place that you dont even live here!

One day I hope I can travel across the pond to Englan. I've always wanted to visit London.

Actually St.George was Turkish...

Spot on!

He didnt live in England either!

Saturnswirls,

If you do visit London, consider staying in Reading, only 15 mins outside and quite a bit less expensive. Getting into the city is a breeze.


UK1971 -
good for you, from a fellow Brit, although I have to admit I would rather be here in the good old USA - but I ain't lost the british stubborness.

I deeply resent the fact that our British flag is almost non-existent. The George's cross etc, anything to do with a christian symbol is being attacked and removed.

Other than that there are some great things about the country, the food, you cannot beat real farm eggs and bacon, and sausage of course. I could go on....

The War - people sacrificed a lot for that.


Thanks for the post.

I thought you were in Germany also, have you moved back to England, or were you talking about the past?

The only reason I don't live there is because my kids live here in Germany. If it wasn't for them I'd be back there on the next flight.

Politicians are the same all over the world.

The roads may be crowded, but compared to the other countries in the world, the figures are about equal.

The monarchy and history goes back hundreds of years.
And millions of tourists travel to England every year just to see where the queeen lives.

Thanks for the advice Britty!

And Ireland wasn't against the Germans

If I had to live anywhere in the world I would live in Norway.
And supposedly, atleast a few years ago, they had the highest quality of life conditions in the whole world. I can see why as it is a beautiful country.

Dental Patients Pull Out Own Teeth

Updated: 15:04, Monday October 15, 2007
Falling numbers of NHS dentists are forcing many patients to go without treatment or even try pulling out their own teeth, a study has revealed.
Cost is a major factor
Cost is a major factor

Almost a fifth (19%) of those questioned said they had missed out on dental work because of the cost.

The research found 6% had even resorted to treating themselves because they could not find a dentist.

The 5,000-plus patients who were interviewed also spoke of taking out their own teeth or fixing broken crowns with glue.

One person in Lancashire said he had carried out 14 separate extractions with a pair of pliers.

So are your kids English or German.
Not understanding all of this.

I loved touring the UK and since my ancestry is Scottish, Irish, English on both sides with some Native American in there to be sure I am a true American, and a smidge of German on Dads Grandmothers side, I would love to live there. That's my dream. Maybe in the Borders area, not sure. It'll never happen, but, I can dream. It was awsome being there and I felt so at home there. (((Tom))) and I love a rainy day.........or 30, lol!!

They have dual citizenship Don.

Oldsage, you and me both....

Is it too late to kill this thread????


The English are pompous, arrogant, ex-American want-abees..

They all idolize George Bush and strive to find leaders that can kiss his ass faster than he can request it. Preferably before the request is made!!!

One day we will conquer you turn the queen into a white house maid and make England, with a name change, our 51st State!!!

OK now Ill be honest about my opinion of the English and how great they are!!