English - what makes you happy and unique?

[NiceCupOfTea]

I was going to answer a previous question, but ended up in a quagmire of my own making. I'm genuinely interested in how people on AB feel. History makes an impact as do current social trends. How do English people tick? Don't be negative if you can, but say what makes you feel happy and unique.

(I know similar questions have been answered, but years ago)

[Chessman]

As an Englishman, being English gives us a unique place in the world, the Empire, like it or not, the achievements of this little country are second to none, of course, you have to look at things in the light of the time, a lot of things in English history are today frowned upon, but there are also a lot to be very proud of.

Just going to make a 'nice cup of tea',

[woofgang]

I feel happy and unique because I am me, hadn't previously thought about nationality coming in to it

As a society I think that we are still more accepting and accommodating of diversity that many others. Until recently I would also have said safe and peaceloving but sadly that does seem to be being eroded.

By and large, while we may not have created the empire for very noble reasons, we administered it well.

We do foster and permit diversity of belief and religion....and our humour is the funniest!!

[{Dakota}]

Sorry, I didn't realise England was the only Country in the UK - my mistake!

[woofgang]

Dakota, what's the problem? I live in England, not Ireland Wales or Scotland and have answered about being English.

[Panthera]

I agree with both Woofgang and Chessman about our history and heritage even though we did do things as a nation that no one should be proud of. We were no worse and considerably better than most so called civilised nations of the time.

I too think we are, in the main ( and with some frightening exceptions) a tolerant and accepting society of other nations views and beliefs. I do however feel a sense of resentment amongst my acquaintancies due to "Political Correctness" which in my view is becoming more and more obvious in our daily lives. I can see us becoming less and less tolerant due to this which is very sad. I have just read that 2/3rds of employers interviewed in a recent poll had banned the Christmas tree and decorations from their premises for fear of offending non christians. Are non christians really offended by us celebrating a christian festival in a christian country or am I missing the point.

I am sorry if I have wandered off the subject a bit but I think my comments are relative to the answers to the original question if thats allowed.

[LATECOMER]

Dakota. who rattled your cage ??? . The question is about being English and having a good sense of humour. I take it you are not English ( hard luck!!! )

[LATECOMER]

Hi Panthera. In my job i meet a lot of non christians and the ones i have spoken to are not bothered one jot about us celebrating any religious festival. This story comes around every year. It's a load reindeer droppings.Happy Christmas to you.

[Panthera]

Thank you latecomer. Happy Christmas to you too. In fact Happy Christmas to everybody, christians and non christians alike.

[spudqueen]

Took my son to see the new Harry Potter film at our local cinema last night (independent not a chain) and the National Anthem was played before the film. At least half the people in there stood up, even though I'm not a rabid royalist it made me feel proud.

[Drisgirl]

Woofgang - didnt realise it was only the English who created the Empire and administered it.Learn something new every day on AB.

spudqueen - National being the operative word.!

I think most people have missed the point NiceCupOfTea was attempting to make.

[johnlambert]

you dont have to be a Chrisian to be English. Im a Scot, (living in England and married to a beautiful English lady), and in both England and Scotland we have Hindu's, Muslims etc who are very proud to be English/Scots, depending on where they live in the UK.

I think it's unfortunate that the English seem to have lost some of their identity, it only tends to show itself during sporting events like the football world cup, and then by morons who give the wrong view of the English. I feel extremely proud to be both Scots and British, however I dont ever imagine myself as a European

[woofgang]

Drisgirl, no, but I am English, not Scots, Irish or Welsh, responding to a question about the English, hence my reponse

[Drisgirl]

Still think you all missed the point.I would have said things along the likes of our national - meaning English sporting achievements.Our beautiful National Parks.The way we embrace all cultures and in the main enjoy them.Our pride in our WW1 stalwarts who come rain or shine pay their respects at the cenotaph year in year out - some over 100 yrs old.History embraces all countries in the UK in the main.

Most of what I have said could be said for every country - I even as a Scot can see the positive if you are English and that is what NiceCupOf Tea was looking for I suspect.

[gary baldy]

Fried egg on two slices of thick white bread with ketchup, Vimto, Cadburys Dairy Milk, Fox's biscuits,chips and gravy, old pubs, town halls in northern towns, The Pennines at dawn, long lazy summer evenings, the smell of bonfires in autumn, red phone boxes on quite country roads, shopkeepers in the north, pop music, acid house, dark satanic mills, the industrial revolution, tearful war veterans, football, the bbc, motorway service stations, old ladies at the seaside,alan partridge, fawlty towers, ealing comedies, brief encounter, get carter, the angel of the north, henry moore, l s lowry, the rain, the best (free) health service in the world and freedom of speech.

[woofgang]

The question asked was what makes us feel happy and unique, not what you think makes someone else happy and unique but what each of us thinks. We have answered on that basis, at least I have. With repect it isn't up to you to decide whether any of us have missed the point or what the poster does or does not want!!

You yourself say that the answers you give could be given by the inhabitants of many nations, and while I am proud of the things that you mention, IMHO as you have admitted, they are not uniquely English

[stevie_c2it]

Hey Gary, we agree on something else! Well except the bit about 'acid house' and 'service stations', I would have thrown in: the weather, the yorkshire dales in winter, Sunday roasts, sausages, newspapers (except �The Sun�, but lets not go there again!), Elgar, Keats, the theatre, Geoffrey Boycott (another �Great� man), Leeds United (on the rise again!), sticky toffee pudding and fish and chips!

Woofgang just a word of warning don�t mess with Drisgirl, she bites! Trust me, if she says �we�ve all missed the point� we must have!

[NiceCupOfTea]

Hi all - dodn't mean to start anything off with what I thought was an innocuous question. I asked about being English, rather than British, as the English seem to come in for a lot of flack both within the UK and abroad for various reasons. I wondered if the self-image the English had bore any resemblance to what other nations' image was. I personally love cream teas, the beautiful varied countryside, and the comedy.

[Chessman]

Got to agree with woofgang, the question was about the English, no-one else, and should be answered as such.

[LATECOMER]

Hi NiceCupOfTea. Other nationalities giving the English flak is nothing less than pure envy, but English people don' care what lesser mortals think! Why should we!!!!

[gary baldy]

Stevie c - well i am guessing from your answers (all good i might add except i'm vegetarian and i support Burnley - so for the time being we will be divided on that one!) that i should extend the hand of friendship across the pennines and bring the white and red roses together!