British Culture and Heritage

By - Susan Chapel

Britain’s got boundaries?

April 2009 saw a new phenomenon. Unemployed Scotswoman Susan Boyle appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and swept even Simon Cowell off his feet. Within a couple of days she was making front page headlines across the world, and by the end of May the original video on YouTube had well over 60 million views.

This was an archetypal British moment. There may still be a monarchy, but Britain also has one of the longest established democracies in the world. And here was one woman proving the ethos of the most popular show on British TV right: for people who really do have talent, nothing need stand in the way of their achieving great things. Boyle rightly inspires patriotism in British people.

But here’s something a little odd. The song she was singing, "I dreamed a dream", is from Les Miserables, the longest running musical ever at London’s West End. But it’s by a French composer, and is set in revolutionary France.

Ok: so what? Well, one of the most iconic movies ever to come out of Britain was The Italian Job.

And what’s Britain’s best loved and most renowned patriotic hymn? Probably Jerusalem.

Notice a pattern yet? There’s more.

David and Victoria Beckham are one of the most famous living British couples. Royalty of the celebrity world. And yet when did Beckham last play club football in the UK? 2003.

So these are silly examples, but they make a serious point. Britain has always had an eye for the world beyond its white cliffs.

In the 1800s, it had one of the largest empires the world had ever seen. It had a huge sway over much of the world, and didn’t always use its power in the friendliest or wisest way. If many people from ex-imperial countries still feel aggrieved about this, it’s more than matched by an ongoing British embarrassment at the actions of previous generations. Britain’s world dominance has receded over the last century or so, but it is still an important world player with unparalleled opportunities and a lot to offer the visitor.

And of course, Britain is in Europe. Geographically speaking, there’s no doubt about that. But refer to British people as Europeans, and, depending on the company, you might not be making yourself friends. That thirty-mile channel between England and France makes a huge difference.

Some call it an identity crisis. It seems fairer to say Britain is a country of amazing contrasts.

Take the old Imperial measurement system (in America still referred to as ‘English’). The ‘European’ Metric metres and millimeters, milligrams and kilograms, have been taught at school and referred to on products for decades, but speed limits are still in miles per hour. At birth, babies are weighed in metric kilograms, but this is immediately converted into imperial pounds and ounces, because that’s how people still think.

Language and humour

Every year many people with superb English language skills come to different parts of Britain and find the locals incomprehensible. No, your English teachers haven’t been tricking you all these years! The fact is, even though Britain’s a small island, not everyone speaks like Julie Andrews, Judi Dench or Alec Guiness: accents, language use and idioms can vary hugely from city to city, so much so that some areas are considered to have their own dialects (see for example this article on Scouse). Don’t let this discourage you though: the underlying language is the same (unless someone’s speaking Gaelic or Welsh to you) and the differences even become endearing very quickly.

As far as making conversation is concerned: yes it’s true – you can’t go wrong talking about the weather!

The British sense of humour is notoriously dry and sometimes rather oblique. Take this famous British joke:

I went to my friend Sid’s house yesterday and knocked on the door, his wife answered. "Hello," I said "is Sid at home?"

"No," said his wife "I’m afraid that Sid died last night."

"Oh," I said "did he say anything about a tin of paint?"

Bewildering for many people, but British people will find that funny in itself!

Cuisine

Chicken Tikka Masala

English Breakfast

Many people with high-paced lifestyles choose not to spend much time over food and will eat simple or pre-packaged meals. However, the increasing popularity of celebrity chefs has put the spotlight back on home cooking: more and more British people, women and men, make an effort to make their own home food interesting and nutritious: a real hotch potch of many different styles. The government has recently put a lot of emphasis on improving the quality of meals in schools and encouraging a greater awareness of healthy eating: so the bland food often associated with Britain is increasingly off the menu!

Sunday Roast Beef

Pubs, coffee shops, and holidays in Spain

Britain has a well-established drinking and partying culture, especially for the younger generation. Beers and alco-pops are particularly popular, but a huge variety of spirits and wines are also widely available. Smoking is now banned in indoor public places including all bars (we often call them pubs, short for ‘public houses’) and restaurants.

If drinking isn’t your thing, there are normally plenty of other ways to meet people. Nights out in Britain are often alcohol-fueled, but it’s not essential for a good time. As in much of the world, coffee shops are also very popular places for people to gather in the daytime, particularly in cosmopolitan areas and student cities.

Many British people love to experience international travel and foreign holidays. At the same time, it is very popular to return to the same destination over and over again. Often this means that large enclaves of British people end up on the same beaches and staying at the same resorts on the Spanish and Portugese coasts, and probably getting on the nerves of the locals!

Sports and pastimes

 Football   Cricket      Rugby

Rugby and Cricket are also popular sports and are taught in some schools although the national Cricket and Rugby teams havent had much luck lately.

Religion

Officially, England’s Church of England is the established religion. In Scotland, the Church of Scotland plays a similar but distinct role. Although many people, especially in the older generation, describe themselves as connected to the established church, few attend regularly. Britain is probably more dominated by modern secularism and private spirituality. There are many other religious groups in Britain, reflecting its great diversity: whatever your faith background or interests there is probably something for you.