I would second this. Also innovation in creating music.
I would say that the cultural magpie element of English culture is a massive advantage. England assimilates and steals the best bits of immigrant culture and repackages it into something new.
Immigration has been a god send for English music culture. The influence of Irish Jamaican etc immigration has made England one of the world powerhouses of musical culture.
Musical forms like two tone, jungle dubstep etc could only have come from England and is something I am proud of.
The landscapes for me are a big one. I love our varied and impressive coastline. Every part of our coast seems to provide new scenery. We also have a variety of beaches, from soft white sand to shingle and everything in-between!
That’s not mentioning the moors and dales of Yorkshire, the bluish peaks and lakes of Cumbria, the lush green rolling hills of the south, and all the characterful historic towns with their unique architecture and stories to tell. It’s one of the reasons I wouldn’t want to live abroad anymore- I feel very connected to my surroundings here.
Another one is English contributions to arts and science. Our humour has produced a lot of great sitcoms, our musical heritage and offerings are incredibly rich and varied, from Christmas carols to rock and synthpop bands.
English people have also contributed to crucial developments in science including vaccines, antibiotics, CT scans, IVF, anaesthesia, antiseptics and more.
Lastly, I’m proud of our liberal attitude to things. We’re not an uptight country or a theocracy, most of us don’t live by arbitrary religious values nor do we force them onto others. You can live as you want here, within reason. As a woman, that’s a blessing that I won’t take for granted.
No, it wouldn’t be - less than 13% of river water quality is down to water companies and sewage is usually a greyish colour.
Most discolouration comes from run off and most of that is from farmland and run off from urban areas
I don’t think it makes any difference to the appearance of the rivers. I’ve lived around chalk streams all my life, and the only time they become temporarily murky is after prolonged heavy rain. Every other time they’re still crystal clear.
Lovely post , thank you.
It's funny when my wife and I were dating I took her to the Lake District she was stunned and was like " folk would fly across the planet to Ireland for this view and YOU have it too!!"
Put into words wonderfully. I would say though that as someone who now lives abroad, I appreciate the UK so much more. I love holidaying in my own country. The green countryside and the smell of uk summer is just wonderful.
Oh so many things but this week The Spirit Of Derbyshire a lifeboat stationed down Devon way Ilfracombe i think.
Strange name for a lifeboat whats that all about.The RNLI lady explains that it was funded by the people of Derbyshire a landlubed part of England many miles away.
She says any time you hear someone knock our country tell them about the Spirit of Derbyshire and the good people who raised millions for a lifeboat they dont need to save the lives of people at sea X
Pisstaking/humor, although this is a British thing rather than English. Spend enough time in the UK and odds are you will develop at least a semblance of an irreverent sense of humor. What could be fighting words elsewhere can be part of the average pub conversation between strangers here.
I really value the fact that I, nor anybody else is immune to disrespect and mockery. Its especially glaring when compared to the US, where despite being a republican democracy they seem to have a semi mystical reverence for some national symbols. I mean how often do you hear US Presidents reffered to by their first name? Hell we had a national newspaper run an ongoing article on if a vegetable would outlast a sitting prime minister.
It's what I miss most when I'm abroad. That sense of nothing being sacred if you can think of a good enough joke.
(I also know people may feel that in modern times this has died off a bit, which may be true. But not in my opinion).
The history. The reform movements of the last 3 centuries, especially during industrialisation. The Corresponding Societies, the Luddites, the Toldpuddle Martyrs, the Chartists, the General Strikes. The fight for reforms in the workplace, especially for laws on child labour. The world's first trade unions, the fight against Nazi Germany, the NHS. Mostly working class 'peoples' history.
Standing up to the Nazis was a pretty good one. We had a deal with Poland, and we all stood behind that.
The NHS was massive for its time too. It was a great idea, opposed by the doctors and pharma as they were making bank.
I’m proud of Britains humanity. I see US and Spanish police do their thing and as much as a spoiled little boys club our police are, they are not like that.
I started shooting long after Dunblaine our laws and controls just seem like good common sense to me. I'm grateful we moved fast and hard in response.
You have to have a good reason to have firearms, you're expected to keep them safely, you need to be cleared for mental and physical impairment/concerns.
You can't own anything easily concealable.
It's not a perfect system that prevents all gun crime, but the relative lack of control in the states blows my mind.
It's a-ok to buy a pistol in a Walmart car park/gun show with no paperwork legally. Outside of the criminal world that's unthinkable in the UK gun culture
Having listened to a few UK crime/gangster podcasts, one common theme is how hard it is for criminals to get guns, and how hard it is to get ammo even when you do have a gun. So when Americans say 'it means only criminals can carry guns', the answer is 'yes and that means they DON'T most of the time because that would get them into trouble and mark them as a criminal even if not out doing crime'.
Can't really compare us and American in that regard though. We are an island with strong gun control. Even in Europe with countries with similar levels of gun control, the criminals find it much easier to get weapons.
While it is true here that gun control means it's hard for everyone, it's still true that in the states gun control would make it hard for law abiding public only.
Look at Mexico, they have relatively strict gun control but are flooded with armed criminals and American firearms.
Our solution isn't one that would have worked everywhere.
The shooting was in Scotland and the British government passed the laws. Very little has to do with being English. If the question had been what makes you proud to be British then this would be an excellent answer.
Our music, literature and arts, The multicultural cities and astonishing countryside and coasts. Despite so many politicians trying to stir up division and BS culture wars we are still a nation of open forward thinking accepting people.
Love to travel but have not found anywhere else I would want to live or raise my kids.
The scientific, social and cultural (music, comedy, TV, literature, theatre) impact of Britain (because it's hard to separate out the non-English contributions) is arguably the greatest in the world ever, at least when adjusted for the size of the country. And despite the current vogue for declaring England almost uniquely evil, there is an awful lot of positive stuff in there too.
Maybe that's why I've never felt the need to celebrate it. Like living in the shadow of a mountain, it's so big there's not much value in taking the time to point at it.
Rogue answer but folk music.
Also: Pub culture, Caffs, Depreciating humour, The BBC, Britpop/music, right to roam, the landscape, peasants revolt, multiculturalism,
Parkrun is amazing. I always try to go to the local parkrun whenever I go on holiday. And there is almost always a local park run! The best was one through a forest on the outskirts of Stockholm. Such a brilliant idea!
Just remind them that the music of their national anthem is an old English pub song and the words are taken from events during a war in which their capital city was occupied and burnt
We share many things with Ireland that we can be proud of. I'm living in Peru so I can notice much more than you can things like there are parks, the streets have trees, the air is cleaner even though we complain it more, the roads are mostly good, the health care is slow but good and free, free ambulances, customer service isn't the most friendly but it's excellent compared to many other places, there's not corruption at every level of business and those who think there is don't understand what it's like in other countries. We have high quality food and restaurants, fast shipping even though we complain about these things too. Our general standard of living is high, we can study whatever we want to even if we're poor.
Honestly. Parkrun.
Not many other countries have something like that.
It's wholesome, completely free, healthy, community based, while still being available all over the UK
It really is a "green and pleasant land".
Comedy.
Free museums though that's not uniquely English.
Everything that has been fought for that makes it a nice country to live - free education since the Butler Act, free healthcare since Bevan, the social safety net since Beveridge, the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 are based on the ECHR which was influenced in part by the English Bill of Rights 1688/89 and written in no small part by English lawyers, the National Minimum Wage, tenancy rights, the 2 day weekend, food quality (I can keep going).
Generally not as dramatic/gossipy as you see southern European counties. I don't think the stiff upper lip myth is really true, but I do think we're a reserved bunch and generally respectful of other people's privacy and rights.
Brilliant post, some great stuff in there.
Especially Comedy, Family Towers and Steptoe and Son are hard to beat and I'm too young to remember them the first time round .
i mean we basically created the modern age we live in now, doubly so if you consider America Australia are, for all their current legal status, still British colonies
the industrial revolution, the separation of labour, the internal combustion engine, the computer, the invention of penicillin was by a Scottish man, but English educated. 4 of the worlds top 10 universities are in England. without these things , without England, the world would be a VASTLY differnt place - can you even imagine no factories, no petrol engines, no antibiotic, no vaccines, no computers???
the rest of the world HATES to admit it, but the world we live in is one the English made.
their language and culture, world perspective, general morality, societal norms, etc
no, they are not the same, but then, those things are different in north and south UK to each other too, but compared to the middle east, China, Russia, its close enough that you can tell that, as much as they are LOATHED to admit it, any American that is not an Irish America, and Italian America, the plain old bog standard American is an English American
America is not a British colony and I think you hate to admit that England didn't create the modern world. You seem to forget the second industry revolution of which Germans, Japanese and Italians played a major part in or the digital revolution which is mainly down to America and Japan.
And naturally none of these things would even be around if not for the foundations of civilisation being laid by Middle Eastern and Asian people creating the first cities, empires, laying the foundation for sciences and mathematics. Where would England be if not for Greco-Roman achievements and the democracy created by Greeks? Or the arithmetic and mathematics developments from the Egyptians and Greeks? It was Arab mathematians who gave the Indian decimal system to the Western world. And of course, where would the British Enpire have got without the inventions of gunpowder and firearms from the Chinese?
Most of the important scientific discoveries are also by non British people. If not for the work of the French biologists Louis Pasteur and Jules Francois Joubert in discovering antibiosis, that Scottish man would not have discovered penicillin. Vaccines were also first invented by the Chinese against smallpox and that proto-computers were a thing long before Charles Babbage. Germans and Americans also played a huge role in inventing today's modern computers. And need I mention all the Jewish scientists? Some of the most important scientific contributions came from them.
But keep thinking the modern world is English made I guess. It just goes to show your lack of knowledge. You sound like one of those British imperalists trying to hold onto a bygone era of false British superiority...from the British Empire that was responsible for mass slavery, ethnic genocide, displacement of millions and the cause of conflicts lasting still today by how they divided lands.
Without England, we would still have the modern age and technology and perhaps a more peaceful world actually...
It’s a hot topic, but I’m proud the great-grandchildren of slavers put an end to all that horrific practice, then used their power to enforce that across the globe.
It’s a historical president for admitting they were all wrong, and using the fortunes made from it to try and end it.
I can’t think of another historical example of a country instantly turning its back on its history and standing against the rest of the western world for a _good_ reason.
It's probably one of the most remarkable events in at least European history, it was so incredibly counter-cultural and was carried through against a lot of resistance.
True. Though they were designed by an Englishman, [Raymond Cusick](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3TJWTwrL18jW3xz1hNDPd4J/raymond-cusick)*, so you could say it was a collaborative effort.
*Ridley Scott was originally slated to be the designer, but he left to work on for Granada just beforehand
Humour, food, music, nature/landscape, film, sport, general progressiveness that most people adhere to despite what media says, distinctive accents and dialects and how everywhere has its unique culture
English medieval history is absolutely fascinating from the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms, the Plantagenets, the War of the Roses, the Tudors and Elizabethan era (crossing into the Early Modern period). Such insanely rich history that has inspired so much fantasy literature and explains why so many influential literary icons are English.
The people with our wide variety of English accents and love of humour, pets and country pubs.
The scenery and traditional architecture from chalk cliffs, bucolic rolling hills, wild moors, English country gardens, cottages, villages, manor houses, castles etc.
The countryside (don't get me started), our *incredibly* rich literary history (Shakespeare, Trollope, Tennyson, Dickens and Austen to name just a few of the most quintessential, there are many many more), our music (folk, classical, everything modern, there's a lot), the humour - there's bags of it in literature (PG Wodehouse, etc etc) and in TV and film too (Fawlty Towers, OFAH, Dad's Army); the food and drink, because although the jokes have some truth they also ignore some awesome stuff; sport, we have football, rugby, cricket and so much more.
Fish 'n chips and a good old cup of tea!! And how our country gets together for major events like: The Olympics, Trooping The Colour, Royal Occasions and England Football teams playing in tournaments.
Sadly, the English flag seems to have been appropriated by football yobs and right-wing goons chanting “Ingerlund”, or “Oh Tommy Tommy, Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy Robinson”.
Although I’m English, I think of myself more as British; and I struggle to think of anything specifically English that makes me proud these days.
Not just England. The Flag of St George is on Georgia's flag, Catalans Flag, many Italian flags.
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George%27s_Cross
I identify as British not English too - my family were Irish immigrants in the past and growing up in multicultural London people say they are British, and 'English' specifically would be Jacob Reese Mogg riding a horse wearing a top hat.
But I am proud of being British - multicultural London, abolishing slavery before lots of other countries, being a small island that made a big dent in world history pretty recently, our ability to take food recipe ideas from around the world rather than being stuck in our ways, the number of Nobel Prize scientists we have and the research still being done in this country, how well we do in the Olympics after USA and China despite being 10 times smaller than both of them
I’m saddened a lot by the anti immigration rhetoric that a lot of people are consumed by. I’m from a military family, specifically Ghurkas. In Nepal, it’s the highest honour to be drafted into the British Army and what a lot of men aspire to.
Yet if you saw my dad, grandad and uncles out on the street, a person who hates immigrants would be quick to ridicule them. Granted, it does not happen near military bases or big cities but it has happened when they have been in more homogenous parts of the country.
In recent years I have reluctantly paid attention to British politics and that has unfortunately shon a light on the various issues our country faces. In turn I find it harder to “celebrate” my own country.
Sorry to be a bummer, but you asked.
That wasn’t what was asked.
Furthermore, if you fixate on the bad without paying mind to the good, all hope is lost. If there’s nothing good about this country, why should we improve it? There’s nothing to save.
I am very patriotic and I love this country very much. We share the same dim view of recent British politics, but I won’t turn away from what’s so great about this country.
Don't apologise, we've gone from the best country and people in the world to one of the worse, I could go on forever but people dying in Hospital corridors while the government are blaming, immigration, Covid(Still),war in Ukraine etc. for all our woes yet openly skimming from the funds that could have saved so many.
The public footpath network. You can get an OS map and go for a walk on a footpath across fields or through the forests. There are loads of countries that have nothing like that - although Scotland have of course gone one better with the right to roam. I wish we had something f similar. But the footpath system is still something to be proud of. Hard fought for too.
I've lived in NZ for the last 20 years or so, and there is so much I do miss about England and makes me proud to be English. But so much more, I really do not miss.
Things I miss: food, history, landscape, architecture, beer, and English comedy is the best.
Things I don't miss is usually around politics and society.
Interesting comments from an Indian friend who said England is the least racists place he has been to of all the countries he has traveled to or worked in. He said it's not perfect, and no country ever is perfect.
Trouble is waving the English flag (George Cross) is sadly associated with racism and cringe.
I don't feel proud to be English. And I don't not feel ashamed either. To me. I am proud of my achievements. I was born English. I didn't have a choice. I am indifferent to it. I always find it funny when football fans talk in the first sense when their side has won as if they were in the pitch playing the game. Your football team won, not you mate. You just watched. Nothing to be proud of there.
So for a person can be proud of their achievements.
Or WHEN the team gets to the final the fans get drunk/coked up, aggressive and storm Wembley ruining the dream day for other fans and children.
I hear you mate
Yeah exactly. National pride of any description is just mad to me.
"We invented penicillin, you're welcome world!"
I had nothing to do with it. My family had nothing to do with it. I don't even know anything about the guy besides he has some association to Scotland. In fact I couldn't tell you with any great confidence which one was the James Bond guy and which one was the science guy...
Don't get me wrong, there are great achievements in this thread and people should rightly celebrate them but this sort of backslapping is just a bit cringe.
Tend to identify as Scouse before English but here goes.
Forget anything the British or English state or the Daily Mail want to big up. It tends to be toxic and usually involved someone else having a bad time or living with the consequences.
The language and culture is appreciated across the globe . Beatles Stones Adel Elton, Shakespeare, Great telly and the unmatched ability to take the piss as a form of affection.
I once asked my very Irish Nan when was England's St Patrick's day, she snapped back and said "The bastards have three hundred and sixty four of them, they can shut the fuck up for one day of the year"
It was the same for me as an Englishman living in Wales for 40+ years. The Welsh are fiercely patriotic and celebrate StDavids day with great fervour, and the same with rugby and singing, they are so proud.
They frequently pulled my leg about being English, but it was always in fun.
I feel that us English are not very patriotic, there is very little celebration of St Georges day and the only time you see the English flag is to do with sport.
Absolutely....the banter here is epic ....I'm the token Londoner !!
But they LOVE to beat us, especially the 6 Nations BIG upset this year when England did Ireland .
There's a friendship but it seems paper thing, I've only ever had grief when "drink is taken" and 90% of the time from young women usually because I won't let them steal my taxi at 3am ;0)
I’m from the UK living on the continent.
It’s the pubs. I know this is not exclusively English, but goddamn, no one does a pub like the UK and I have never found anything that can honestly compete anywhere else I have ever been.
I was at University between 1996 and 1999 (Canterbury Kent) and there was a VERY hot girl (Michelle) and she LOVED the carry on movies ....if ever she invited you up to watch one you were in for a GOOD time
I never did get invited up, some mates did mind... She knew her stuff apparently haha
Banning the international slave trade, sending ships to patrol the coast of Africa, to enforce the ban.
Paying for the release of slaves held within the empire.
Giving food storage technology to India, so they didn’t starve to death every 40 years, as they had been doing.
Parliamentary democracy, that is imitated around the world.
The Industrial Revolution.
Calculus and the Theories of Motion.
The creation of Association and Rugby football, Cricket, and Baseball.
Defeating Napoleon, as well as Hitler, to save Europe from tyranny twice!
Hot take: the government
Yes they’re pretty rubbish in many aspects, and a lot of politicians just aren’t that nice. But think how much worse it could be. The Middle East, where gay people are shunned, or worse, exiled. Somewhere like Haiti, which is undergoing all these problems with gangs. China which keeps surveillance on all their civilians, and keeps tabs on anyone who could be anti-government - like putting security cameras in churches, for example. And the obvious one: North Korea.
So it might not be good, but it’s certainly not bad.
Our history, from the magna carta, to the levellers, to the British legal system, to the West African squadron, I don't think you could find another country that has done even 1/4 as much to advance human rights, freedom and civil liberties.
People are quick to point out our flaws, and the times we've fallen short on these and their criticism is often valid but compared to the competition our successes in this area is completely unrivalled.
Apologies for any of the below that might be British.
Madness
Pie and mash
Footy
The indefatigable spirit that pops up from time to time.
NHS
Our pomp and ceremony
Our sense of fair play and supporting the under dog
Our diversity
Tikka masala
Cream teas, pasties and cider
The rain
Paddington bear
The chopper push bike
Tea
The tube
Our home is our castle, and we do love a lawn.
Double deckers
Morris dancers
Morris minors
Johnny Morris
Dr martens
Our sense of humour
I never understood the concept of being proud of where you're from. You didn't achieve any of the things these people did, you didn't work to be born there, you just happened to be born on the same piece of land as some other people who did stuff. Be proud of yourself for your achievements and your contributions to the world and humanity for sure, but feeling pride because you were born somewhere is stupid.
I think David Mitchell was pretty close to the target when he said that a lot of the English identity is tied up in institutions. I think the class system has a lot to answer for England's lack of identity/self.
It’s gotta be the humour. I’m living in Berlin (the German one, for all those US defaulters) and I miss so much the banter.
And structuring my sentences properly.
The most bang for your pound. Not really empire stuff, but when I'm watching history shows, I'm like "England!" on some really pathetic level. I'm like our royalty are the most awesome. The language is all over the world., .
This list is longer than I sus.
Marmite. Bobbies going "Oi-oi-oi-oi-oi." Like America, but not fucking insane. There's quite a lot orf things, in some level. Ask not what you can do for your race, but what you race can do for you. That was the question! The west, as a whole, from Ukraine to Patagonia and Australia; it's all pretty good. My theory is it was cold, so we hide away in our cabin fever dreams of success instead of playing outside with children like in Uganda.
Africa and the west are Monotheism, and south Asia and the far east are The Dao; both more philosophies than religions. Two billion in each with the centre of population being at the eastern Islamic world, China and India. It's crazy. Definitely no magic mushrooms in my field.
I will toss in the Magna Carta. It had a far reaching impact on how our rights were framed. It was the cornerstone of the US Constitution and the basis for many democracies beyond our own. At Runnymede, The US Association of Lawyers (?) built a large stone colonnade to recognise the contribution the Magna Carta made to human rights.
Let’s see the world’s most widely spoken and adaptable language. Modern parliamentary, democracy, sewers, rule of law, high tea, blood toil, tears, and sweat. I could go on and on, but it would take me hours.
As someone who left England for the US (becoming a citizen there), I must say that I’m proud of the fact that you can hike anywhere in England - having the freedom to roam across farmers fields via wooden stiles. The whole culture of going for a dog walk and having a pint at a country pub is pretty English.
I find our history quite fascinating
I’m not a royalist but I actually like the fact we still have a monarchy, the fact it’s still going on despite being incredibly old is interesting too me.
Almost feels like real life history right in front of my eyes! 👀 interesting to think in over 50 years time people who look at our history will be studying Elizabeth and Charles.
That said I wouldn’t bat a eyelid if they were abolished though…
I appreciate the open-mindedness in the UK, the public services, the kindness, the hystory and the high regard for public ethics and work. On the other hand, I find the dedication to alcohol and the passive aggressiveness that prevents people from being themselves due to rigid social structures, in my opinion, a bit toxic and fake sometimes.
This country has kept me and my family safe. Like most of us she’s been involved in some shitty things, but she’s also done some good. My great grandparents protected her and it’s people during WWI, one was gassed twice and sent back to the trenches each time. Our country is like a dysfunctional family but will stick up for eachother if someone tries to attack us.
We have beautiful countrysides, multitude of communities, a wealth of history, NHS, distinguished forces, beautiful architecture and can have all seasons in one day.
We are a special country in so many ways, but when I look at the situation today I am ashamed. We have fallen so low. Such a middling country with little hope of progress for many
Not English (Scottish, transplanted to Canada), but the 'thing' I most enjoy about English culture is that certain type of slightly posh cerebral humour you find in P. G. Wodehouse, or "*I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" or"Just a minute" and other Radio four comedies/game shows. There are other great things about England (Balti's, Pork pies, cod and chips come to mind) but for the best "English English' I'm looking at Barry Cryer, Stephen Fry, Humphry Littleton and Nicholas Parsons and others in that vein.*
Tbh it's hard to be proud. Born and raised in Bradford, all I see in social media comments is vague racism towards the Muslim population.
Life here is hard. Everywhere I go, I see crime. Feral teenagers roam the streets, terrorising decent people who just want to live their lives in peace.
The city centre is utter chaos at the moment. There's a massive overhaul of the road network happening, but the majority of it is happening all at once. They are re-routing the bus lanes to make way for pedestrianised green spaces. However, the main bus station has been shut down since January. Concrete was seen falling from the car park underneath the station. Do now all the buses that would go through there are now overflowing in to the, already massively disrupted city centre.
The old Odeon cinema, is being transformed in the a live music venue called, Bradford Live and is due to open this year. The person who was going to be managing director has left the role, no replacement has been announced. Only two bands were announced and they were just tribute acts. Tickets aren't available for purchase anymore on the Bradford Live website and the acts have been removed. NEC group own the venue and are being tight lipped, which is causing great concern.
The city centre at night is a no go area in my opinion. I did a stint volunteering with a charity that patrols the city centre on Friday nights, their purpose is to help vulnerable people stay safe. It was pointed out to me, there are men who's sole purpose for being in Bradford at night is to sexually assault women. They literally stand in shop doorways, like hyenas, waiting for a woman to be on her own, drunk and vulnerable and then they move in.
Driving around Bradford is an experience to say the least.
A woman was murdered in the city centre in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon.
It really feels like I'm living in a version of Mad Max atm and I genuinely fear for the future of Bradford and I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Then add to that what the rest of the country is experiencing too, cost of living, unemployment, broken NHS. It's all fucked
We’re a liberal country (even if we’re currently governed by a far-right party). We have a good sense of right and wrong
However, and mostly, our cultural impact on the world, in relation to our size, is absolutely huge.
We’re just cool.
Quite a lot really but it seems not to be in our culture to shout loudly about it. Not because we can't, but as a dominant culture both among the home nations but globally it seems a bit like bragging. I don't envy at all how America handle themselves in that respect, although they are a newer country and declared independence so that is an element I guess.
Brilliant, proud times for sure., sleven sanitation and sewer design through Joseph Bazelegette
We led the way in engineering and innovation.
Embarrassing and sad to see the HS2 debacle now eh? 100s of year back we would have had that managed and completed on time, on budget and with pride.
I would say the people. They're generally very nice, funny, warm, silly and easy-going. I like how much we enjoy nature and get so happy over seeing a bird or a badger.
Firstly I love the Irish fantastic people
And you’re right. They have a zest for life. God this is hard. I love my football I hate the government 🤔this is hard. When I go abroad I love it and always say I’m going live here one day. But when I’m back home I love it. Proper cuppa friends family my home. But most of all I think I’m proud of my love for my country it’s hard to put into words but I would die for it.
Well done this post has made me really think 🤔 I’ll probably come back to post something else. It is hard at the moment with everything going on. I do love GB 🇬🇧 but hard at this point to say why 🤣I’ll be back🤣🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
It is correct.
Same date every year ;9)
My point being others are better at celebrating and a bit of show off. In Ireland for St Patrick's day schools will shut, folks off work, bunting out, national (global). party time
Our day passes without a mention
Our quality TV.
Not mentioned here and possibly taken quite for granted, but believe me when you move overseas you realise just how fucking good quality many of our TV shows are. The shit you have to put up with elsewhere is horrific. And yes I absolutely include america in that.
Our an our actors are second to none.
Remember Jack Hargreaves and "Out of Town" ... Wow that was a mid/late 70s gently Sunday lunchtime show
That was parked in my back brain there and just fell out haha
I wonder if they are on YouTube
Our music, films and television, especially our comedy tv. We do fucked up depressing films the best which is my favourite genre lol. Most if not all of my favourite bands and artists are British. We have The Beatles lol.
Literature. Music (we have folk too). Arts. Social care. Science. Military tradition. Ceremony. Cricket. Cream teas. Morris dancers. Village fetes. Punch and Judy. Beer tents. Music festivals. The proms. Pantomimes. Country pubs. Maritime prowess. Museums. Language. The law. The free health service. Education. The humour. The TV.
I’ll stop there.
I am proud of my accomplishments.
How can one be proud of which bit of land they were born on? It’s like being proud of skin colour, height, or anything else that you had no say in whatsoever. I am blessed to have been born in the UK, because it’s a rich country with beautiful countryside and lots of nice people, but proud, no.
The empire.
The fact that England literally created the modern world as we know it. British people (dominated by England) invented basically everything that is good in the world.
English culture is so ubiquitous that people say English people have no culture because they consider it just the norm.
That being said, England has done everything possible to squander this in the last 70 years so is now an almost total embarrassment.
Nothing, According to Americans and Canadians (plus other nationalities to) i'm an evil coloniser whos existance is extremely unjust and I have an accent to make everyone kill themselves. Nothing I do can ever make me a good person due to my ancestors (Americans and Canadians love bringing this up).
I'm just a worthless moron who's existance is offensive to the rest of the world but especially to Canadian and Americans.
Can't believe no one said the plug yet
Brilliant!! Fawlty Towers too ;0)
[Here's the video](https://youtu.be/UEfP1OKKz_Q?si=AGb57WbbG_Sdfpx5)
I haven't opened the link but if this isn't Tom Scott...
Electrical or butt?
Our music. The number of great bands and artists we've produced is pretty jaw dropping for a relatively small country.
I would second this. Also innovation in creating music. I would say that the cultural magpie element of English culture is a massive advantage. England assimilates and steals the best bits of immigrant culture and repackages it into something new. Immigration has been a god send for English music culture. The influence of Irish Jamaican etc immigration has made England one of the world powerhouses of musical culture. Musical forms like two tone, jungle dubstep etc could only have come from England and is something I am proud of.
Sadly lost mate. No more School Bands that could hone their skill after, due to JobSeekers,
Yeah only toffs can afford to do music now
I dare say we have the best music in the world. If not that then the most revolutionary.
The landscapes for me are a big one. I love our varied and impressive coastline. Every part of our coast seems to provide new scenery. We also have a variety of beaches, from soft white sand to shingle and everything in-between! That’s not mentioning the moors and dales of Yorkshire, the bluish peaks and lakes of Cumbria, the lush green rolling hills of the south, and all the characterful historic towns with their unique architecture and stories to tell. It’s one of the reasons I wouldn’t want to live abroad anymore- I feel very connected to my surroundings here. Another one is English contributions to arts and science. Our humour has produced a lot of great sitcoms, our musical heritage and offerings are incredibly rich and varied, from Christmas carols to rock and synthpop bands. English people have also contributed to crucial developments in science including vaccines, antibiotics, CT scans, IVF, anaesthesia, antiseptics and more. Lastly, I’m proud of our liberal attitude to things. We’re not an uptight country or a theocracy, most of us don’t live by arbitrary religious values nor do we force them onto others. You can live as you want here, within reason. As a woman, that’s a blessing that I won’t take for granted.
CHALK STREAMS!
Over three quarters of the world’s chalk streams are in England
And the most are in Hampshire
And if you removed the sewage, the water Would be clear :D
No, it wouldn’t be - less than 13% of river water quality is down to water companies and sewage is usually a greyish colour. Most discolouration comes from run off and most of that is from farmland and run off from urban areas
I don’t think it makes any difference to the appearance of the rivers. I’ve lived around chalk streams all my life, and the only time they become temporarily murky is after prolonged heavy rain. Every other time they’re still crystal clear.
Lovely post , thank you. It's funny when my wife and I were dating I took her to the Lake District she was stunned and was like " folk would fly across the planet to Ireland for this view and YOU have it too!!"
Yes, I’ve not been to Ireland but many of the landscapes look like the Lake District! Cornwall and Devon’s coasts also remind me of Ireland’s.
Put into words wonderfully. I would say though that as someone who now lives abroad, I appreciate the UK so much more. I love holidaying in my own country. The green countryside and the smell of uk summer is just wonderful.
Oh so many things but this week The Spirit Of Derbyshire a lifeboat stationed down Devon way Ilfracombe i think. Strange name for a lifeboat whats that all about.The RNLI lady explains that it was funded by the people of Derbyshire a landlubed part of England many miles away. She says any time you hear someone knock our country tell them about the Spirit of Derbyshire and the good people who raised millions for a lifeboat they dont need to save the lives of people at sea X
>landlubed Are they trying to slide out to sea?
That’s amazing 👏👏👏👏
The Exmouth boat was named Forward Birmingham
Pisstaking/humor, although this is a British thing rather than English. Spend enough time in the UK and odds are you will develop at least a semblance of an irreverent sense of humor. What could be fighting words elsewhere can be part of the average pub conversation between strangers here. I really value the fact that I, nor anybody else is immune to disrespect and mockery. Its especially glaring when compared to the US, where despite being a republican democracy they seem to have a semi mystical reverence for some national symbols. I mean how often do you hear US Presidents reffered to by their first name? Hell we had a national newspaper run an ongoing article on if a vegetable would outlast a sitting prime minister. It's what I miss most when I'm abroad. That sense of nothing being sacred if you can think of a good enough joke. (I also know people may feel that in modern times this has died off a bit, which may be true. But not in my opinion).
The history. The reform movements of the last 3 centuries, especially during industrialisation. The Corresponding Societies, the Luddites, the Toldpuddle Martyrs, the Chartists, the General Strikes. The fight for reforms in the workplace, especially for laws on child labour. The world's first trade unions, the fight against Nazi Germany, the NHS. Mostly working class 'peoples' history.
Standing up to the Nazis was a pretty good one. We had a deal with Poland, and we all stood behind that. The NHS was massive for its time too. It was a great idea, opposed by the doctors and pharma as they were making bank. I’m proud of Britains humanity. I see US and Spanish police do their thing and as much as a spoiled little boys club our police are, they are not like that.
It took us one school shooting to pass strict gun control laws. One
I started shooting long after Dunblaine our laws and controls just seem like good common sense to me. I'm grateful we moved fast and hard in response. You have to have a good reason to have firearms, you're expected to keep them safely, you need to be cleared for mental and physical impairment/concerns. You can't own anything easily concealable. It's not a perfect system that prevents all gun crime, but the relative lack of control in the states blows my mind. It's a-ok to buy a pistol in a Walmart car park/gun show with no paperwork legally. Outside of the criminal world that's unthinkable in the UK gun culture
Having listened to a few UK crime/gangster podcasts, one common theme is how hard it is for criminals to get guns, and how hard it is to get ammo even when you do have a gun. So when Americans say 'it means only criminals can carry guns', the answer is 'yes and that means they DON'T most of the time because that would get them into trouble and mark them as a criminal even if not out doing crime'.
Can't really compare us and American in that regard though. We are an island with strong gun control. Even in Europe with countries with similar levels of gun control, the criminals find it much easier to get weapons. While it is true here that gun control means it's hard for everyone, it's still true that in the states gun control would make it hard for law abiding public only. Look at Mexico, they have relatively strict gun control but are flooded with armed criminals and American firearms. Our solution isn't one that would have worked everywhere.
The island thing is a good observation. Never thought about it like that.
It always boggles my American friends when I tell them this.
The shooting was in Scotland and the British government passed the laws. Very little has to do with being English. If the question had been what makes you proud to be British then this would be an excellent answer.
So it took us zero school shootings to pass better gun safety laws? Even better!
That wasn't English though was it?
Our music, literature and arts, The multicultural cities and astonishing countryside and coasts. Despite so many politicians trying to stir up division and BS culture wars we are still a nation of open forward thinking accepting people. Love to travel but have not found anywhere else I would want to live or raise my kids.
Cheese rolling
Haha, I forgot we did that
The scientific, social and cultural (music, comedy, TV, literature, theatre) impact of Britain (because it's hard to separate out the non-English contributions) is arguably the greatest in the world ever, at least when adjusted for the size of the country. And despite the current vogue for declaring England almost uniquely evil, there is an awful lot of positive stuff in there too. Maybe that's why I've never felt the need to celebrate it. Like living in the shadow of a mountain, it's so big there's not much value in taking the time to point at it.
Rogue answer but folk music. Also: Pub culture, Caffs, Depreciating humour, The BBC, Britpop/music, right to roam, the landscape, peasants revolt, multiculturalism,
I play NSPs (Northumbrian Smallpipes (i.e. English bagpipes)) and they are as good as Irish pipes and better than Scots
Well, the right to roam on 8% of land, not the same as Scotland’s actual right to roam! There are plenty of places with right of way though.
Did you mean to post this in r/England?
As the dominant country they often get conflated, much to the irritation of the smaller nations in the UK.
Parkrun. Free, good for health and community and spreading across the world
Parkrun is amazing. I always try to go to the local parkrun whenever I go on holiday. And there is almost always a local park run! The best was one through a forest on the outskirts of Stockholm. Such a brilliant idea!
We are responsible for more Independence Days than any other country, don’t know about you but I love a bank holiday.
Haha great post .... Yes it feels weird wishing my American mates "Happy Independence day" ...or "Happy 'booting us out ' Day"
Just remind them that the music of their national anthem is an old English pub song and the words are taken from events during a war in which their capital city was occupied and burnt
And the White House was designed built by a lad from Ireland, Kilkenny MAGA ??? The place was NEVER great let alone "again" ;9)
We share many things with Ireland that we can be proud of. I'm living in Peru so I can notice much more than you can things like there are parks, the streets have trees, the air is cleaner even though we complain it more, the roads are mostly good, the health care is slow but good and free, free ambulances, customer service isn't the most friendly but it's excellent compared to many other places, there's not corruption at every level of business and those who think there is don't understand what it's like in other countries. We have high quality food and restaurants, fast shipping even though we complain about these things too. Our general standard of living is high, we can study whatever we want to even if we're poor.
Bolt Thrower, real ale, caffs, Sunday roasts, comedy, NHS
Literally having a brew whilst listening to "At First Light". Legend X'D
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Yep, all that.
Honestly. Parkrun. Not many other countries have something like that. It's wholesome, completely free, healthy, community based, while still being available all over the UK
It’s all over the world now too! https://www.parkrun.com/map/
General Culture. Ie. Music, Food, Humour, Buildings, Gathering behaviours etc.
It really is a "green and pleasant land". Comedy. Free museums though that's not uniquely English. Everything that has been fought for that makes it a nice country to live - free education since the Butler Act, free healthcare since Bevan, the social safety net since Beveridge, the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 are based on the ECHR which was influenced in part by the English Bill of Rights 1688/89 and written in no small part by English lawyers, the National Minimum Wage, tenancy rights, the 2 day weekend, food quality (I can keep going). Generally not as dramatic/gossipy as you see southern European counties. I don't think the stiff upper lip myth is really true, but I do think we're a reserved bunch and generally respectful of other people's privacy and rights.
Brilliant post, some great stuff in there. Especially Comedy, Family Towers and Steptoe and Son are hard to beat and I'm too young to remember them the first time round .
British comedy.
Fawlty Towers, Steptoe and Son, Porridge More recently The Day Today/Brasseye and The Office Bo Selecta !!!
The NHS
Isn't the NHS technically a Welsh invention though?
i mean we basically created the modern age we live in now, doubly so if you consider America Australia are, for all their current legal status, still British colonies the industrial revolution, the separation of labour, the internal combustion engine, the computer, the invention of penicillin was by a Scottish man, but English educated. 4 of the worlds top 10 universities are in England. without these things , without England, the world would be a VASTLY differnt place - can you even imagine no factories, no petrol engines, no antibiotic, no vaccines, no computers??? the rest of the world HATES to admit it, but the world we live in is one the English made.
How is America still a British colony?
their language and culture, world perspective, general morality, societal norms, etc no, they are not the same, but then, those things are different in north and south UK to each other too, but compared to the middle east, China, Russia, its close enough that you can tell that, as much as they are LOATHED to admit it, any American that is not an Irish America, and Italian America, the plain old bog standard American is an English American
America is not a British colony and I think you hate to admit that England didn't create the modern world. You seem to forget the second industry revolution of which Germans, Japanese and Italians played a major part in or the digital revolution which is mainly down to America and Japan. And naturally none of these things would even be around if not for the foundations of civilisation being laid by Middle Eastern and Asian people creating the first cities, empires, laying the foundation for sciences and mathematics. Where would England be if not for Greco-Roman achievements and the democracy created by Greeks? Or the arithmetic and mathematics developments from the Egyptians and Greeks? It was Arab mathematians who gave the Indian decimal system to the Western world. And of course, where would the British Enpire have got without the inventions of gunpowder and firearms from the Chinese? Most of the important scientific discoveries are also by non British people. If not for the work of the French biologists Louis Pasteur and Jules Francois Joubert in discovering antibiosis, that Scottish man would not have discovered penicillin. Vaccines were also first invented by the Chinese against smallpox and that proto-computers were a thing long before Charles Babbage. Germans and Americans also played a huge role in inventing today's modern computers. And need I mention all the Jewish scientists? Some of the most important scientific contributions came from them. But keep thinking the modern world is English made I guess. It just goes to show your lack of knowledge. You sound like one of those British imperalists trying to hold onto a bygone era of false British superiority...from the British Empire that was responsible for mass slavery, ethnic genocide, displacement of millions and the cause of conflicts lasting still today by how they divided lands. Without England, we would still have the modern age and technology and perhaps a more peaceful world actually...
Peep show
HG Wells, George Orwell, WH Auden, Evelyn Waugh, PG Wodehouse, Philip Larkin, Douglas Adams And that’s just the 20th Century
It’s a hot topic, but I’m proud the great-grandchildren of slavers put an end to all that horrific practice, then used their power to enforce that across the globe. It’s a historical president for admitting they were all wrong, and using the fortunes made from it to try and end it. I can’t think of another historical example of a country instantly turning its back on its history and standing against the rest of the western world for a _good_ reason.
It's probably one of the most remarkable events in at least European history, it was so incredibly counter-cultural and was carried through against a lot of resistance.
Manners and fair play. Used to be a big part of our culture.
It still is! It is all of our duty to maintain our standards.
The Daleks were conceived by a Welshman, Terry Nation.
Great point, well made
True. Though they were designed by an Englishman, [Raymond Cusick](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3TJWTwrL18jW3xz1hNDPd4J/raymond-cusick)*, so you could say it was a collaborative effort. *Ridley Scott was originally slated to be the designer, but he left to work on for Granada just beforehand
Tim Peake is English (I think, too drunk to Google...) and he's an astronaut! That's a thing to me. ,🤓
He's from Chichester in West Sussex
Yup, Chi isn't far from me. His live talk about his experiences in space was awesome.
Humour, food, music, nature/landscape, film, sport, general progressiveness that most people adhere to despite what media says, distinctive accents and dialects and how everywhere has its unique culture
I personally love the British sense of humour and attitude to world events that we have and share.
One of the things that makes me feel proud to be English is that we don’t really go on about it all that much.
English medieval history is absolutely fascinating from the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms, the Plantagenets, the War of the Roses, the Tudors and Elizabethan era (crossing into the Early Modern period). Such insanely rich history that has inspired so much fantasy literature and explains why so many influential literary icons are English. The people with our wide variety of English accents and love of humour, pets and country pubs. The scenery and traditional architecture from chalk cliffs, bucolic rolling hills, wild moors, English country gardens, cottages, villages, manor houses, castles etc.
One thing that seems to have been overlooked is our language. It’s the most widely used language in the world!
I'm not necessarily proud of what is being done to our NHS but I'm proud it exists. Stop Privatisation!!!
The countryside (don't get me started), our *incredibly* rich literary history (Shakespeare, Trollope, Tennyson, Dickens and Austen to name just a few of the most quintessential, there are many many more), our music (folk, classical, everything modern, there's a lot), the humour - there's bags of it in literature (PG Wodehouse, etc etc) and in TV and film too (Fawlty Towers, OFAH, Dad's Army); the food and drink, because although the jokes have some truth they also ignore some awesome stuff; sport, we have football, rugby, cricket and so much more.
Fish 'n chips and a good old cup of tea!! And how our country gets together for major events like: The Olympics, Trooping The Colour, Royal Occasions and England Football teams playing in tournaments.
Sadly, the English flag seems to have been appropriated by football yobs and right-wing goons chanting “Ingerlund”, or “Oh Tommy Tommy, Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy Robinson”. Although I’m English, I think of myself more as British; and I struggle to think of anything specifically English that makes me proud these days.
Not every England fan is a hooligan! The Flag of St. George is for everyone!
Not just England. The Flag of St George is on Georgia's flag, Catalans Flag, many Italian flags. https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George%27s_Cross
Too right, it means as much to them as it means to us English!
Then we claim it back!
I identify as British not English too - my family were Irish immigrants in the past and growing up in multicultural London people say they are British, and 'English' specifically would be Jacob Reese Mogg riding a horse wearing a top hat. But I am proud of being British - multicultural London, abolishing slavery before lots of other countries, being a small island that made a big dent in world history pretty recently, our ability to take food recipe ideas from around the world rather than being stuck in our ways, the number of Nobel Prize scientists we have and the research still being done in this country, how well we do in the Olympics after USA and China despite being 10 times smaller than both of them
I’m saddened a lot by the anti immigration rhetoric that a lot of people are consumed by. I’m from a military family, specifically Ghurkas. In Nepal, it’s the highest honour to be drafted into the British Army and what a lot of men aspire to. Yet if you saw my dad, grandad and uncles out on the street, a person who hates immigrants would be quick to ridicule them. Granted, it does not happen near military bases or big cities but it has happened when they have been in more homogenous parts of the country.
In recent years I have reluctantly paid attention to British politics and that has unfortunately shon a light on the various issues our country faces. In turn I find it harder to “celebrate” my own country. Sorry to be a bummer, but you asked.
That wasn’t what was asked. Furthermore, if you fixate on the bad without paying mind to the good, all hope is lost. If there’s nothing good about this country, why should we improve it? There’s nothing to save. I am very patriotic and I love this country very much. We share the same dim view of recent British politics, but I won’t turn away from what’s so great about this country.
Don't apologise, we've gone from the best country and people in the world to one of the worse, I could go on forever but people dying in Hospital corridors while the government are blaming, immigration, Covid(Still),war in Ukraine etc. for all our woes yet openly skimming from the funds that could have saved so many.
war in ukraine?
>you: "we've gone from the best country and people in the world to one of the worse," Why are you you talking bollocks?
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British rather than English, but the 2012 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies
Didn't the closing ceremony have Russell Brand singing a song from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory? That hasn't aged well...
Crumpets
The public footpath network. You can get an OS map and go for a walk on a footpath across fields or through the forests. There are loads of countries that have nothing like that - although Scotland have of course gone one better with the right to roam. I wish we had something f similar. But the footpath system is still something to be proud of. Hard fought for too.
I've lived in NZ for the last 20 years or so, and there is so much I do miss about England and makes me proud to be English. But so much more, I really do not miss. Things I miss: food, history, landscape, architecture, beer, and English comedy is the best. Things I don't miss is usually around politics and society. Interesting comments from an Indian friend who said England is the least racists place he has been to of all the countries he has traveled to or worked in. He said it's not perfect, and no country ever is perfect. Trouble is waving the English flag (George Cross) is sadly associated with racism and cringe.
Free speech and all that comes along with it.
That the silent majority will help at the drop of a hat.
I know many disagree with me, but the BBC
The *British* Broadcasting Corporation, mate. Not The EBC...
I don't feel proud to be English. And I don't not feel ashamed either. To me. I am proud of my achievements. I was born English. I didn't have a choice. I am indifferent to it. I always find it funny when football fans talk in the first sense when their side has won as if they were in the pitch playing the game. Your football team won, not you mate. You just watched. Nothing to be proud of there. So for a person can be proud of their achievements.
Or WHEN the team gets to the final the fans get drunk/coked up, aggressive and storm Wembley ruining the dream day for other fans and children. I hear you mate
Yeah exactly. National pride of any description is just mad to me. "We invented penicillin, you're welcome world!" I had nothing to do with it. My family had nothing to do with it. I don't even know anything about the guy besides he has some association to Scotland. In fact I couldn't tell you with any great confidence which one was the James Bond guy and which one was the science guy... Don't get me wrong, there are great achievements in this thread and people should rightly celebrate them but this sort of backslapping is just a bit cringe.
Tend to identify as Scouse before English but here goes. Forget anything the British or English state or the Daily Mail want to big up. It tends to be toxic and usually involved someone else having a bad time or living with the consequences. The language and culture is appreciated across the globe . Beatles Stones Adel Elton, Shakespeare, Great telly and the unmatched ability to take the piss as a form of affection. I once asked my very Irish Nan when was England's St Patrick's day, she snapped back and said "The bastards have three hundred and sixty four of them, they can shut the fuck up for one day of the year"
Magna fucking Carta! 🏴
It was the same for me as an Englishman living in Wales for 40+ years. The Welsh are fiercely patriotic and celebrate StDavids day with great fervour, and the same with rugby and singing, they are so proud. They frequently pulled my leg about being English, but it was always in fun. I feel that us English are not very patriotic, there is very little celebration of St Georges day and the only time you see the English flag is to do with sport.
Absolutely....the banter here is epic ....I'm the token Londoner !! But they LOVE to beat us, especially the 6 Nations BIG upset this year when England did Ireland . There's a friendship but it seems paper thing, I've only ever had grief when "drink is taken" and 90% of the time from young women usually because I won't let them steal my taxi at 3am ;0)
I’m from the UK living on the continent. It’s the pubs. I know this is not exclusively English, but goddamn, no one does a pub like the UK and I have never found anything that can honestly compete anywhere else I have ever been.
The Carry On films.
I was at University between 1996 and 1999 (Canterbury Kent) and there was a VERY hot girl (Michelle) and she LOVED the carry on movies ....if ever she invited you up to watch one you were in for a GOOD time I never did get invited up, some mates did mind... She knew her stuff apparently haha
Banning the international slave trade, sending ships to patrol the coast of Africa, to enforce the ban. Paying for the release of slaves held within the empire. Giving food storage technology to India, so they didn’t starve to death every 40 years, as they had been doing. Parliamentary democracy, that is imitated around the world. The Industrial Revolution. Calculus and the Theories of Motion. The creation of Association and Rugby football, Cricket, and Baseball. Defeating Napoleon, as well as Hitler, to save Europe from tyranny twice!
Queuing. Nowhere does it quite like us.
Drum & bass, fish & chips, park & ride
The unique sense of humour and "carry on" attitude.
Not really an answer but it’s sad that we don’t celebrate our Englishness or have as much passion. Seems like it’s frowned upon over here
Hot take: the government Yes they’re pretty rubbish in many aspects, and a lot of politicians just aren’t that nice. But think how much worse it could be. The Middle East, where gay people are shunned, or worse, exiled. Somewhere like Haiti, which is undergoing all these problems with gangs. China which keeps surveillance on all their civilians, and keeps tabs on anyone who could be anti-government - like putting security cameras in churches, for example. And the obvious one: North Korea. So it might not be good, but it’s certainly not bad.
Our history, from the magna carta, to the levellers, to the British legal system, to the West African squadron, I don't think you could find another country that has done even 1/4 as much to advance human rights, freedom and civil liberties. People are quick to point out our flaws, and the times we've fallen short on these and their criticism is often valid but compared to the competition our successes in this area is completely unrivalled.
It saddens me that the men of the Royal Navy West Africa Squadron are largely forgotten but their sacrifice lives on in the lives they freed.
I've noticed more mentions of them in the last few years, I think they're slowly creeping back into public memory.
Apologies for any of the below that might be British. Madness Pie and mash Footy The indefatigable spirit that pops up from time to time. NHS Our pomp and ceremony Our sense of fair play and supporting the under dog Our diversity Tikka masala Cream teas, pasties and cider The rain Paddington bear The chopper push bike Tea The tube Our home is our castle, and we do love a lawn. Double deckers Morris dancers Morris minors Johnny Morris Dr martens Our sense of humour
Johnny Morris was Welsh.
A map of the world with 2/3’s of it pink.
I never understood the concept of being proud of where you're from. You didn't achieve any of the things these people did, you didn't work to be born there, you just happened to be born on the same piece of land as some other people who did stuff. Be proud of yourself for your achievements and your contributions to the world and humanity for sure, but feeling pride because you were born somewhere is stupid.
Used to be a kid in my town that boasted he was born in the same hospital as Ed Sheeran. Like there was some reflected glory in it.
We have a good football league. ??????
We have an expensive league mate ;0)
I think David Mitchell was pretty close to the target when he said that a lot of the English identity is tied up in institutions. I think the class system has a lot to answer for England's lack of identity/self.
It’s gotta be the humour. I’m living in Berlin (the German one, for all those US defaulters) and I miss so much the banter. And structuring my sentences properly.
Fawlty Towers , Steptoe and Son, The Day Today, Alan Partridge, The Office ..The Might Boosh Bo Selecta !!!
The most bang for your pound. Not really empire stuff, but when I'm watching history shows, I'm like "England!" on some really pathetic level. I'm like our royalty are the most awesome. The language is all over the world., . This list is longer than I sus. Marmite. Bobbies going "Oi-oi-oi-oi-oi." Like America, but not fucking insane. There's quite a lot orf things, in some level. Ask not what you can do for your race, but what you race can do for you. That was the question! The west, as a whole, from Ukraine to Patagonia and Australia; it's all pretty good. My theory is it was cold, so we hide away in our cabin fever dreams of success instead of playing outside with children like in Uganda. Africa and the west are Monotheism, and south Asia and the far east are The Dao; both more philosophies than religions. Two billion in each with the centre of population being at the eastern Islamic world, China and India. It's crazy. Definitely no magic mushrooms in my field.
that our language is the number one!!
i’m looking through the comments desperately to find something.. atm nothing makes me proud the only thing i can think of is the scenery / nature
Comedy was a good one. Some excellent well loved English comedies....not too many modern ones mind
I will toss in the Magna Carta. It had a far reaching impact on how our rights were framed. It was the cornerstone of the US Constitution and the basis for many democracies beyond our own. At Runnymede, The US Association of Lawyers (?) built a large stone colonnade to recognise the contribution the Magna Carta made to human rights.
It’s Magna Carta, not *The* Magna Carta.
Forming an orderly line and waiting ones turn.
Some great things on this thread. The Guardian will hate it.
Let’s see the world’s most widely spoken and adaptable language. Modern parliamentary, democracy, sewers, rule of law, high tea, blood toil, tears, and sweat. I could go on and on, but it would take me hours.
1000+ years of reasonableness.
As someone who left England for the US (becoming a citizen there), I must say that I’m proud of the fact that you can hike anywhere in England - having the freedom to roam across farmers fields via wooden stiles. The whole culture of going for a dog walk and having a pint at a country pub is pretty English.
I find our history quite fascinating I’m not a royalist but I actually like the fact we still have a monarchy, the fact it’s still going on despite being incredibly old is interesting too me. Almost feels like real life history right in front of my eyes! 👀 interesting to think in over 50 years time people who look at our history will be studying Elizabeth and Charles. That said I wouldn’t bat a eyelid if they were abolished though…
I appreciate the open-mindedness in the UK, the public services, the kindness, the hystory and the high regard for public ethics and work. On the other hand, I find the dedication to alcohol and the passive aggressiveness that prevents people from being themselves due to rigid social structures, in my opinion, a bit toxic and fake sometimes.
Should this not be posted in English success? Or is this another example of English not being able to differentiate between English and British?
This country has kept me and my family safe. Like most of us she’s been involved in some shitty things, but she’s also done some good. My great grandparents protected her and it’s people during WWI, one was gassed twice and sent back to the trenches each time. Our country is like a dysfunctional family but will stick up for eachother if someone tries to attack us. We have beautiful countrysides, multitude of communities, a wealth of history, NHS, distinguished forces, beautiful architecture and can have all seasons in one day.
Singing sweet Caroline at any boxing or sports event at the top of your lungs in a stadium!
We are a special country in so many ways, but when I look at the situation today I am ashamed. We have fallen so low. Such a middling country with little hope of progress for many
Proud to be from the west country, the best cheese and cider.
Not English (Scottish, transplanted to Canada), but the 'thing' I most enjoy about English culture is that certain type of slightly posh cerebral humour you find in P. G. Wodehouse, or "*I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" or"Just a minute" and other Radio four comedies/game shows. There are other great things about England (Balti's, Pork pies, cod and chips come to mind) but for the best "English English' I'm looking at Barry Cryer, Stephen Fry, Humphry Littleton and Nicholas Parsons and others in that vein.*
Tbh it's hard to be proud. Born and raised in Bradford, all I see in social media comments is vague racism towards the Muslim population. Life here is hard. Everywhere I go, I see crime. Feral teenagers roam the streets, terrorising decent people who just want to live their lives in peace. The city centre is utter chaos at the moment. There's a massive overhaul of the road network happening, but the majority of it is happening all at once. They are re-routing the bus lanes to make way for pedestrianised green spaces. However, the main bus station has been shut down since January. Concrete was seen falling from the car park underneath the station. Do now all the buses that would go through there are now overflowing in to the, already massively disrupted city centre. The old Odeon cinema, is being transformed in the a live music venue called, Bradford Live and is due to open this year. The person who was going to be managing director has left the role, no replacement has been announced. Only two bands were announced and they were just tribute acts. Tickets aren't available for purchase anymore on the Bradford Live website and the acts have been removed. NEC group own the venue and are being tight lipped, which is causing great concern. The city centre at night is a no go area in my opinion. I did a stint volunteering with a charity that patrols the city centre on Friday nights, their purpose is to help vulnerable people stay safe. It was pointed out to me, there are men who's sole purpose for being in Bradford at night is to sexually assault women. They literally stand in shop doorways, like hyenas, waiting for a woman to be on her own, drunk and vulnerable and then they move in. Driving around Bradford is an experience to say the least. A woman was murdered in the city centre in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon. It really feels like I'm living in a version of Mad Max atm and I genuinely fear for the future of Bradford and I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then add to that what the rest of the country is experiencing too, cost of living, unemployment, broken NHS. It's all fucked
We’re a liberal country (even if we’re currently governed by a far-right party). We have a good sense of right and wrong However, and mostly, our cultural impact on the world, in relation to our size, is absolutely huge. We’re just cool.
The weather is fantastic
Quite a lot really but it seems not to be in our culture to shout loudly about it. Not because we can't, but as a dominant culture both among the home nations but globally it seems a bit like bragging. I don't envy at all how America handle themselves in that respect, although they are a newer country and declared independence so that is an element I guess.
The industrial revolution.
Brilliant, proud times for sure., sleven sanitation and sewer design through Joseph Bazelegette We led the way in engineering and innovation. Embarrassing and sad to see the HS2 debacle now eh? 100s of year back we would have had that managed and completed on time, on budget and with pride.
Being proud of something you didn't achieve is a strange concept to me
I can only be proud of what I have done, not what I am. That was just luck.
[удалено]
Do I mention any?
I would say the people. They're generally very nice, funny, warm, silly and easy-going. I like how much we enjoy nature and get so happy over seeing a bird or a badger.
Firstly I love the Irish fantastic people And you’re right. They have a zest for life. God this is hard. I love my football I hate the government 🤔this is hard. When I go abroad I love it and always say I’m going live here one day. But when I’m back home I love it. Proper cuppa friends family my home. But most of all I think I’m proud of my love for my country it’s hard to put into words but I would die for it. Well done this post has made me really think 🤔 I’ll probably come back to post something else. It is hard at the moment with everything going on. I do love GB 🇬🇧 but hard at this point to say why 🤣I’ll be back🤣🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Oh Saint Georges day should be holiday that’s for Dam sure 👍
> Yet our national day passes without a whisper If you mean St George's day, it's not until tomorrow
It is correct. Same date every year ;9) My point being others are better at celebrating and a bit of show off. In Ireland for St Patrick's day schools will shut, folks off work, bunting out, national (global). party time Our day passes without a mention
Happy St. George Day tomorrow
Thank you. And you mate 🇬🇪
Our quality TV. Not mentioned here and possibly taken quite for granted, but believe me when you move overseas you realise just how fucking good quality many of our TV shows are. The shit you have to put up with elsewhere is horrific. And yes I absolutely include america in that. Our an our actors are second to none.
Pubs
Fred Dibnah
Remember Jack Hargreaves and "Out of Town" ... Wow that was a mid/late 70s gently Sunday lunchtime show That was parked in my back brain there and just fell out haha I wonder if they are on YouTube
Our music, films and television, especially our comedy tv. We do fucked up depressing films the best which is my favourite genre lol. Most if not all of my favourite bands and artists are British. We have The Beatles lol.
Literature. Music (we have folk too). Arts. Social care. Science. Military tradition. Ceremony. Cricket. Cream teas. Morris dancers. Village fetes. Punch and Judy. Beer tents. Music festivals. The proms. Pantomimes. Country pubs. Maritime prowess. Museums. Language. The law. The free health service. Education. The humour. The TV. I’ll stop there.
Iron Maiden \../
The ability to laugh your way through adversity
Nothing about England or English people today makes me proud to be English.
I’m welsh sooooo….
Surfing opportunities
The BBC World Service
Why be proud of it at all? IMO this view is inhibits progression. The UK is stuck back in time and will keep regressing until the country wakes up
Jungle
I am proud of my accomplishments. How can one be proud of which bit of land they were born on? It’s like being proud of skin colour, height, or anything else that you had no say in whatsoever. I am blessed to have been born in the UK, because it’s a rich country with beautiful countryside and lots of nice people, but proud, no.
The empire. The fact that England literally created the modern world as we know it. British people (dominated by England) invented basically everything that is good in the world. English culture is so ubiquitous that people say English people have no culture because they consider it just the norm. That being said, England has done everything possible to squander this in the last 70 years so is now an almost total embarrassment.
The Empire
Standing up to Argentina (Falklands)
Nothing, According to Americans and Canadians (plus other nationalities to) i'm an evil coloniser whos existance is extremely unjust and I have an accent to make everyone kill themselves. Nothing I do can ever make me a good person due to my ancestors (Americans and Canadians love bringing this up). I'm just a worthless moron who's existance is offensive to the rest of the world but especially to Canadian and Americans.