Being British

Kieran Hughes, Maureen Hughes

• Publisher: Pen & Sword History
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9781844680757
• eBook ISBN:
  9781526704139
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: British History

A smashing guide to the customs, history, and idiosyncrasies of Great Britain—from geography and landmarks to education, food, language, and royalty.
 
Being British is the perfect book for everyone who lives (or wishes they lived) in our wonderful country. Here the British will discover what they already suspected, and that is that many of the GREAT historical figures of all time were British, many of the GREATEST inventions were British, as well as many other patriotic facts. They will also be reminded of all great and unique customs and traditions inherent in our beautiful land, and probably learn of some they never knew existed too, as well as laughing at the things that only The British could do!
 
Being British is also an excellent companion for all tourists and new inhabitants who are struggling to come to terms with and understand the way in which we British live and conduct ourselves and our lives.
 
"As it gives a 'once-over lightly' introduction to 'British' culture, this volume will probably have wide appeal. Tourists and potential immigrants are likely to peruse it with great and earnest interest." —NZ Crown Mines

Chapter 1

The Geography of Britain and Its Counties

Q. What is the Difference Between the United Kingdom and Great Britain? Worryingly this seems to be a question that many British people fail to answer correctly. The answer is quite complicated and transcends both politics and geography.

1. The United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

2. Great Britain comprises only England, Scotland and Wales.

3. Britain comprises England and Wales.

4. The British Isles comprise England, Scotland and Wales, several islands, of which Great Britain is the largest, and the Republic of Ireland as well.

England, formerly known as Engla Land, covers an area of over 50,000 sq. miles and its capital is London. It is the birthplace of the English language and this is spoken by the majority of the English population.

Scotland covers an area of over 30,000 sq. miles and its capital is Edinburgh. Although it does have its own language, the majority of Scottish people choose to speak English in everyday life, albeit it with an accent that, although very attractive to the ear, some may find difficult to understand.

Wales covers an area of over 8,000 sq. miles and its capital is Cardiff. Wales, like Scotland, does have its own language but, unlike the Scots, many of the Welsh people are bilingual and conduct their everyday business in their own language, particularly in the north of the country.

Northern Ireland, commonly referred to as Ulster, was once part of Catholic Ireland until Elizabeth I (1558–1603) suppressed three rebellions in the area and invited Scots Presbyterians to settle in the region after confiscating Catholic lands. Anglican Englishmen settled in Ulster in the seventeenth century after further rebellions, thus reinforcing a Catholic– Protestant divide. Protestant settlements flourished in Ulster on the back of preferential political treatment. Northern Ireland became a political entity when the six counties accepted the Home Rule Bill of 1920, with a semiautonomous parliament but indirect rule from the Cabinet. Today, there is still a Catholic majority in Southern Ireland and a Protestant majority in Northern Ireland.

A Walk Around the Counties of Great Britain

Great Britain is divided into the countries of England, Scotland and Wales and then subdivided into counties. The residents of each of these counties are territorially very proud of their cultural heritage and geographical presence, so much so that to some extent when one crosses the county border it is sometimes akin to crossing a country border! Most British people are fiercely proud of where they were born; and it is just that – where they were born and not where they necessarily grew up or have lived for most of their lives. There is no definitive number of counties as borders change – generally for administrative reasons. For the purpose of this book, though at the risk of offending some, a number of counties have been selected for closer examination; the only reason for omitting others is lack of space.

England

County	County Town	Famous For
Bedfordshire	Bedford	If you enjoy beautiful gardens, then here you will find The Swiss Garden, originally laid out in the early nineteenth century.
Berkshire	Reading	Also known as ‘Royal Berkshire’, it is the home of the magnificent Windsor Castle. Here you will also find the world-famous Eton School where many English monarchs and heads of government have been educated. Also, the village of Thatcham, which claims to be the oldest inhabited village in England. Or alternatively spend a day at the races at Royal Ascot.
Buckinghamshire	Aylesbury	In Buckinghamshire you will find Chequers, the country residence of the Prime Minister in office; the house is not open to the public.
Cambridgeshire	Cambridge	The home of the world-famous and historic seat of learning, the University of Cambridge, with its colleges dating as far back as 1284. In this county one can take a leisurely punt on the river or visit Ely Cathedral, also known as ‘The Ship of the Fens’.
Cheshire	Chester	The history of this north-western town dates back over 4,000 years. Here you might be lucky and catch the Chester Mystery Plays, which are played out every four years.
Cornwall	Truro	Renowned for its tales and legends of King Arthur, as well as its delicious Cornish pasties, Cornwall has an abundance of attractions for its visitors including secluded sandy beaches and the popular surfers’ beaches.
County Durham	Durham	Known as one of the ‘Beautiful Counties’, it is the home of Durham University, Auckland Castle, which is the official residence of the Bishop of Durham, and Durham Cathedral.
Derbyshire	Matlock	Derbyshire nestles in the heart of England and is dominated by the Peak District, England’s first National Park. Several stately homes can also be found in the county.
Devon	Exeter	The birthplace of Agatha Christie and Sir Francis Drake, Devon has many beautiful beaches, not to mention those wonderful cream teas of scones and clotted cream – not the place to visit if you are on a diet!
Kent	Maidstone	Kent is known as the Garden of England. Canterbury Cathedral has been the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury since the sixth century. Kent is nestled between London and the Strait of Dover. The county forms the southeastern corner of England and is a mere 21 miles from France.
Shropshire	Shrewsbury	The home town of Maureen, Shrewsbury is a market town at the heart of rural Shropshire (once referred to as Salop). This medieval market town is home to 70,000 people and has 600 listed buildings including the Castle and Shrewsbury Abbey, which are at the heart of the town. Charles Darwin was perhaps the town’s most famous resident.
Surrey	Guildford	The county is known for its abundance of trees and leafy lanes; so beautiful are they that the branches of a tree lining one side of a lane frequently reach over to join the branches of a tree on the other side of the lane, and so form an archway.
Yorkshire	York	Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties and is divided into three different regions, called Ridings – East, North and West Riding. Bordering the North Sea, it has numerous pretty fishing villages and is famed for its wild and desolate North York Moors. The historic county town of York, dominated by York Minster, is one of the most visited towns in England. Meanwhile, yorkshire-england.co.uk highlights an important change in 1974, stating that ‘the three ridings of Yorkshire were abolished and York, which had been a county in its own right, independent of the ridings, was incorporated into the new county called North Yorkshire’.

Chapter 2

British Landmarks

People often ask where they should visit when holidaying in Great Britain, be they British or from foreign shores. Well, the initial answer has got to be: ‘How long have you got?’ You would need a year-long holiday, and still you wouldn’t see all that Britain has to offer. It is a country rich in history, sparkling with beauty and calm in the serenity of a green and wonderful land. One of the major problems in compiling this book was deciding what to include and what to omit. This chapter alone could fill several books, but space precludes that so we have att...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction and Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1 The Geography of Britain and Its Counties
• Chapter 2 British Landmarks
• Chapter 3 Food
• Chapter 4 Royalty
• Chapter 5 Alternative Royalty – Pearly Kings And Queens
• Chapter 6 Places of Interest
• Chapter 7 The English Language
• Chapter 8 Education
• Chapter 9 Travel
• Chapter 10 Customs and Traditions
• Chapter 11 Phoneboxes and Postboxes
• Chapter 12 Britain’s Beaches
• Chapter 13 The Best of British Designs and Inventions
• Chapter 14 The Arts
• Chapter 15 Worship
• Chapter 16 Worst of Britain
• Bibliography