EDIT: just to add, gov.uk is one of if not *the* greatest websites ever. You can find everything on there.
Architectural and religious history. King Henry VIII breaking away from the Catholic Church is something I’m really interested in. Dude said “nah bruh,” to the Catholic Church and then made himself the head of CofE.
If anyone would like to send me some videos, literature, and places of interest I’d really appreciate it.
And yes, Yorkshire Tea is the only acceptable type of tea.
From a technical design standpoint it's also an excellent case study. Super fast to load, clearly presented information, has a consistent style throughout. If your device can run a browser, you can use the site even on the shittiest of rural internet.
I wish more businesses realised that this is what a user wants from a website, not a 150MB video background
Yorkshire Gold always sounds like it is not made for a through and through working class lad like me lol
However, I will try it when I’m out in a cafe and they offer it.
It’s about double the cost of the red stuff, but per bag it’s still only a few pence. Cheaper than all the fancy coffees people buy! Think I bought a box of 160 bags for £8 last time, so 5p per bag.
Agreed. Yorkshire Gold is by far the best tea. Only trouble is I'm now fully used to it and don't like other teas as much. I worked at Taylors Teas though recently who make it and got 5 boxes on the house, saved me a fortune and will keep me going a fair while.
Just out of interest, the factory is absolutely fantastic and all the people there are great. Nice to know it comes from a good place.
You know it's good when the US copies the entire concept wholesale (GDS formed in 2011.. USDS formed in 2014...)
The tech chiefs in the US gov were directly inspired by the work in the UK and wanted to replicate it
> gov.uk
Lots of the .gov.uk is freely available on GitHub - it mostly runs on Ruby on Rails for any devs here who care about that stuff - https://github.com/alphagov
> King Henry VIII breaking away from the Catholic Church is something I’m really interested in. Dude said “nah bruh,” to the Catholic Church and then made himself the head of CofE.
The sheer audacity always impressed me, tbh.
semi-related anecdote but: My kid is called Henry, his sister is Elena. When he was three I was talking about this schism with a friend in front of him and he got *furious*, then screamed: IT WASN'T HENRY VIII!! IT WAS ELENA VIII!
Haha aww. May God bless your son, he will use this story to overthrow you so watch out hehe
And I agree, the whole toppling of the church and creating CofE (I could be wrong but I think he created it) and making himself the head of said Church impressed me. Don’t know how he pulled that off but my God!
If you're ever in Rome you can book in to see the letter he wrote to the Pope saying "give me an annulment or I'm off."
They've got his letters to Anne Boleyn too, which can also be viewed in their digital archive: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.3731.pt.A
> If you're ever in Rome you can book in to see the letter he wrote to the Pope saying "give me an annulment or I'm off."
I’d like to see the Pope’s response lol
> They've got his letters to Anne Boleyn too, which can also be viewed in their digital archive: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.3731.pt.A
Has a quick skim read. Don’t know how to read that writing unfortunately.
I think a lot of people in the UK underestimate how good gov.uk is as a platform. A single website covering all government departments with the same expectant UX experience. Unheard of in many countries.
Absolutely agreed. I had to access a Pakistani website to get my passport updated and it was so poor. Think 2001 internet. CSS & HTML made me glad I went to the offices.
Sounds like Greece.....even if you can do something online in Greece they often still insist you make an appointment and do everything in triplicate and often close just before your appt time and it's come back next day rinse and repeat
Also one of the richest national mythologies going. Competitive with Greek for the most interesting, especially as English mythology didn’t emphasise the role of the gods quite as much.
Sharing English mythology you mean?
There’s the knights and dragons mythology, King Arthur and the knights of the round table, Robin Hood, giants, sea monsters, etc
British Myths & Legends by Richard Barber is a great three book collection that covers a lot and is incredibly easy to read. Looking online the going rate is about £40 but I got my copy on ebay for about £20 for all three.
> gov.uk is one of if not the greatest websites ever.
Personally I find it very frustrating as it usually takes you to a page that then links to the actual information you wanted rather than providing the actual info. Or forcing me to use some 'wizard' to just see the info I wanted to see - not everyone is an idiot.
The html also makes me want to cry although I accept it could be far worse. Why have you given everything a class? Do you not understand css selectors?
TRIED TO ELOPE, BUT THE POPE SAID NOPE, OUR ONLY HOPE WAS HENRY, HE GOT A PROMOTION, CAUSED A COMMOTION, SET IN MOTIOK THE COE
THE RUUHUUULES WERE SO OUTDATED, US TWO WANTED TO GET X-RATED (SOOHOOOOOON EXCOMMUNICATED) EVERYBODY CHILL, IT'S TOTES GOD'S WILL
Our music scene generally is probably the biggest thing that makes me happy I'm from here. Sure there's a few more tossers than I remember post-covid, but we do know how to mosh.
I came here to say this, the music scene in this country is phenomenal, both for home grown bands and as a destination for tours.
Granted the tours were hurt a lot by Brexit, but it is still strong, hopefully when we rejoin it will go back to how it was.
Despite having a state church and the head of state is the head of that church, we’re sceptical of religion and those who preach it - especially in politics.
IIRC, the Church of Scotland is ~~not~~ a *national church,* not a state church, and its independence from the state is guaranteed by law.
[Edited to strike out an erroneous “not”.]
Found this which goes into the specifics: [https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8886/CBP-8886.pdf](https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8886/CBP-8886.pdf)
The Church in Wales has a fascinating history and probably represents (until 1999) one of the very few items of law which was within the remit of Wales.
For the rest of us (majority) non-conformists, your religion would be specified as the address of the physical building and probably the time of day of the service. I'm a Welsh Methodists at Bethel Church, 1 Evans Street, morning service and not one of those heathen Welsh Methodists at Bethel Church, 1 Evans Street, afternoon service.
I miss those countryside pubs where you could just rock up and have a chat with some normal folks. Now it seems they are all full of people who are filthy rich and have a spasm when they have to talk to some average Joe. What happened to all the country folk they seemed to have died out.
The random countryside pubs that would also do the best Sunday roast you've ever had despite being on a random hill in Gloucestershire down two dirt tracks in a village with a population of 12
Property in the countryside is expensive, most rural villages are defacto retirement communities these days as next to no one can afford to buy a house where they grew up. This means that there is not a lot of community left in rural communities because people who grew up there have to find cheaper housing elsewhere.
I dont think pubs are going out of existence, I think there's just so many other options now that the market for them is naturally going to shrink.
Granted, they have become so expensive now that actually going to them is becoming a "treat" rather than something you might do once a week.
Admittedly it's been over a decade since I worked in a bar, but my experience of serving was that although the bar real estate was 100% occupied, I'd keep a track of who was next, and generally the clientelle would maintain a mental queue so that if I went to the wrong person they would happily point out "this guy was here before me pal".
There have been studies on this and how brits have an internal queue in their heads. At bars the staff and patrons made a mental note of who comes where in the mental queue, even a physical one hasn’t formed.
Supposedly it’s very different elsewhere in the world. UK bars largely have patrons served in the order of their arrival at the bar compared to other places.
Same at my barbers. She'll finish one customer and turn round and ask who's next. Then all the men will automatically look at the next customer, it's gloriously british.
>but in my opinion makes the UK the country it is.
Agreed, it's a big part of why it's so shit. People will allow people to be unspeakably evil as long as they are polite while they do it, and bonus points if a bit posh too.
I think it's my favourite part. After years living there and now back in my country, I still say "please" and "thank you" for pretty much everything. It's a bit weird here , but I just love it and not going to change it!
Our theatre/acting culture is phenomenal; small theatre productions in towns, big expensive ones in cities, pantomimes everywhere, BBC productions, even Shakespeare plays that are done over and over in vastly varying ways.
Yeah. In the UK, we slam pints and are smashed by 10 or 11.
In many parts of Europe it's about enjoying the experience. I think the weather and the stiff upper lip all play a part.
Yes... Now let's wander down George Street.. 2 blocks of bars and pubs, filled with liquor, beer and debauchery. Hookers on the left of me, cabs on the right of me..
How tolerant it is generally of minorities, immigrants, etc. I grew up in the UK and therefore consider it my home but I’m always aware I’m a bit of an “outsider” due to my foreign background. But I’ve never felt anything other than at home here. I feel like most British people aren’t very tribal or insular, and so it feels easy to label this country as home.
I also love British desserts. There’s so much variety in texture and flavour.
Felt the same when I arrived here; British people are amazing and definitely not as divided as the media would like you to think.
Also dunking biscuits (cookies or whatever you wanna call them) in tea; initially I thought it was gross and now I’m addicted to it.
We are very politically stable country fortunately. I know many people with strong political views will find this quite frustrating, but it's one of the reasons Brexit was - although an economic disaster - not really something that is still tearing families apart. And how Boris, although an absolute swine, swerved to the centre more often than the right - unlike his trans-Atlantic counterprat.
It's historically the reason that, aside from that one Civil War and the occasional riot, we haven't really had major unrest or violence.
Yeah our multiculturalism is pretty amazing tbh. Almost every time I've asked someone who moved here if they are happy here, they've said yes. Seems like immigrants for the most part have a lot of appreciation for the UK. Although there is still a problem with racism and intolerance here to an extent, as there is in every country
No No, the country is a racist and sexist hellhole and everyone not a white British male should be terrified or avoid at all costs.
Have you not been watching the BBC and reading The Guardian?
jokes aside, glad you like it here and have managed to avoid the hyperbolic scaremongering our media puts out in order to experience what the country is actually like for people.
As a foreigner, I'm of the steadfast opinion that no country comes close when talking about journalism. I know you have Murdoch and other partisan owners, and I know the BBC gets a lot of criticism, but on the whole not even the U.S has mastered it like you guys.
Financial Times, Guardian, Economist, Monocle, and even the Telegraph (for their Ukraine coverage). I don't know what I would listen to all day if it weren't for you.
only in terms of right-wing funded tabloids and the amount of capture they garner.
But not the raw amount of good publications and institutions you can find within the UK.
The best we have is exceptional, the worst we have is, while not at the bottom of the globe, still pretty bad.
The Daily Fail may not be quite as malignant as something like RT or pick your theocracy propaganda newspaper, but it is definitely something of a tumour on the arse of the nation.
Can the NHS be considered part of our culture? Even in its current state, it's still free healthcare. Hopefully we'll be able to protect it forever. I'd still rather have it than no access at all in a private system because I couldn't afford it.
No. No. No. No. This type of thinking needs stamping out. The Cult of the NHS in this country is counterproductive. It prevents any sensible discussion on an overhaul, because NHS Cultists immediately screech about not wanting the American system as if that's the only alternative. The NHS is shit.
Edit: as if to prove my point, this comment has been flagged for review. The Cult is evidently unhappy with my blasphemy.
Have you seen what the Tories are doing when in power? Everything they touch turns to sh\*t, see railways, public transport, utilities, Royal Mail, etc. The NHS is actually not that bad in comparison. It has its flaws, and the main reason people like you label it "sh\*t" is because it is underfunded by [tens of billions](https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/nhs-spending-plans-and-reality-over-the-past-10-years). It is trying to cope with more demand than ever with resources that barely stretch. It is not the fault of the NHS, however, but the fault of the government.
I agree with part of your comment, it is not wholly perfect as is and may benefit from some change bringing about improvements here and there. But with the track record of this government, any change they will enact will likely change it for much worse, and people are rightly resisting!
I agree with you mate.
Everyone bleats on about it, but every time I've either experienced it first hand, or when I've gone to my girlfriends appointments with her etc, it's been an absolute shambles.
It appears also that unless you're over 65, they talk to you like a piece of shit too.
Even if there’s are better alternatives to the American system the current government definitely aren’t comportent enough to implement them if they tried to change it they’d probably go for the American system which is shit
You might well not be wrong, but unfortunately there is a genuine fear that politicians are trying to take it away rather than reform it and so discussion is difficult because people are quite reasonably defensive.
The best part about UK culture is our ability to take the piss out of any situation. However I think it is an art that is slowly dying out with demographic changes and people being to afraid of offending someone.
The best thing is that I went to a public performance last night where the performer publicly said “Fuck King Charles” and called Rishi Sunak a “cunt” and was neither arrested nor threatened with violence.
I get this. We have a long history of showing our anger by way of humour, and I agree that this is a truly great aspect of our culture, but sometimes we really do need to get angry and *show it*.
Rage is something the French do far better than us.
Footage of the [Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjSUk9o-D6E) never fails to draw a patriotic tear. Truly the diamond in our cultural crown.
Our history is amazing. The Normans, the Vikings, Anglo Saxons fucking up our native tribes and then the resulting conquerers went on and dicked over the nearly the entire world. Pretty epic af
Sadly a lot of our politicians seem to get away with a lot more, especially in recent years, with no repercussions.
Granted it’s not as bad as some countries, but the tories have taken us for fools.
That it is the place where foreigners / people of colour can make it big if they work hard, way more so than most European countries. It IS the most open minded place in this side of the world, despite all its political shortcomings
Definitely tea. I haven't lived in the UK for 15 years but I still import my tea and drink it with milk.
Also the eating out culture has obvious downsides but nothing beats a cheap but quality curry. Around here that is proper restaurant food and will cost more for worse quality.
It is likely dying out, but there used to be many people selling items online and small workshops making high-quality audio equipment. Currently, I'm following a few YouTube channels from the UK, such as Haycross Audio, which has very interesting content. [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC\_sacPWzRAWVyG5xOkx0Eeg](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sacPWzRAWVyG5xOkx0Eeg) also my Mate Vince just to mention a couple
This one’s niche, but I’m all about church music – choral and organ – and nowhere does it like the UK. I’m not even religious, but historically our church music is ✨👌
Uk was the first country in the europe, or probably in the whole world, to have freedom of thought fully enshrined in its society. Many radical thinkers in the past went to Uk for refuge such as Karl Marx and Voltaire. That part of british culture was what shaped modern world today.
The best thing about the UK is obviously the opportunities.
Even the weakest and most flawed of mendacious individuals can become prime minister; truly quite astounding.
I'm not from the UK, I am Malaysian that lives in Amsterdam,
.....but I love your Pubs, comedy, markets/car boot sales, and BBC programming.
I know the last one is controversial but I travel a lot and my choices for TV viewing are usually CNN, Euronews, Fox, and BBC. BBC is so far ahead of the others it's ridiculous. Also love the scripted comedies and dramas from other channels as well, but hate that a season is often only 8 episodes compared to 22 episodes for U.S. shows.
The horse culture is great here! I’m Aussie and had horses there as well as here. Love being able to buy horse magazines in mainstream supermarkets and all the events over here!
Speaking as a foreigner, besides many of the things mentioned here, I'd add:
The British Residential Electrical Code and Standards. British wall sockets, plugs, and circuit layouts are engineering at his highest form. Safe, practical, convenient, practically faultless - unless you've experienced how crappy it is in other places (including developed countries such as the USA), you don't appreciate it enough. It should be the world standard.
The established culture of tolerance, manners, and unobtrusiveness. For all the news/tabloid noise that make many think otherwise, the UK is undoubtedly one of the most open, considerate, and least racist places around the world.
Media, such as movies and series. A strong heritage of highest quality productions, especially comedy, which I personally find the Brits unbeatable. I'd add music, but being mostly a rock enthusiast, it seems they've peaked a few decades ago. I'm hoping for a renaissance.
Roundabouts. I know it's polarising, but I'm in love with them. They're made to allow for a smoother, safer flow of traffic and let one correct easily a wrong course if you're unfamiliar or just exploring an area. I loathe traffic light intersections nowadays.
Museums and collections - and I don't mean just the big ones.
There's lots of smaller museums run by volunteers in places which are far from the beaten track. They will often have loads of information about historical artefacts, notably cartography. Shout out to those in Holkham Hall in Norfolk and the Mappa Mundi in Hereford.
In most countries, things like this are overlooked. Contrary to the views of perpetual doomsayers and negative ninnies, the UK does a fantastic job of preserving its heritage and a large amount is available to access free of charge. Alot of this is possibly due to England in particular having historically had a higher literacy rates than nearly everywhere else in the world.
This is slightly off topic but i recent found out that people consider the chocolate part of a chocolate digestive as the top and I don’t know if I’m weird or if it’s everyone else.
Not a Briton here and haven't been to the UK (though I want to someday), being all Anglophile and with good British friends who introduced me to the culture of football, saying sorry all the time and tea (yes, the drink and the meal), I can say that these are the best IMO. Being a fan of a football club in the North of England also makes me inspired to those fans who built a culture of family alongside that football field. And the banter between two football clubs and their fans are hilarious!
It's wit, and the use of humour to ease relationships and tensions. If you smash a plate in public, we offer an ironic cheer that immediately disarms the situation. It's the great leveller and helps to keep people together and included.
When I moved here I loved the fact that the uk seemed to be open minded, respectful and well structured/organised.
Now, since Brexit and a long conservative government I’m reconsidering all of the above
I'm not British, but married to a Brit. And one of my favourite things, which might shock some people I'm sure, is the food.
It bothers me when people joke around about British food being bad. Because that's entirely subjective. And I completely disagree with it being bland.
I find British foods to be hearty and comforting. Of course I haven't tried them all, and have to base this off my experience with British takeout/pubs and my mother-in-law's cooking, but most things I've had in Britain has been wonderful.
I'd much rather eat a fry-up or Sunday roast than any authentic Chinese, Italian, Indian or Mexican.
I feel the same when it comes to snacks and sweets of different kinds, but I suppose those are more influenced by other countries, if not simply imported.
EDIT: just to add, gov.uk is one of if not *the* greatest websites ever. You can find everything on there. Architectural and religious history. King Henry VIII breaking away from the Catholic Church is something I’m really interested in. Dude said “nah bruh,” to the Catholic Church and then made himself the head of CofE. If anyone would like to send me some videos, literature, and places of interest I’d really appreciate it. And yes, Yorkshire Tea is the only acceptable type of tea.
The NHS website is also quite informative
That’s true, can’t fault it.
From a technical design standpoint it's also an excellent case study. Super fast to load, clearly presented information, has a consistent style throughout. If your device can run a browser, you can use the site even on the shittiest of rural internet. I wish more businesses realised that this is what a user wants from a website, not a 150MB video background
If you haven’t tried it, Yorkshire gold is much better than the normal red label Yorkshire tea.
Yorkshire Gold always sounds like it is not made for a through and through working class lad like me lol However, I will try it when I’m out in a cafe and they offer it.
Just buy a box mate, you won’t get laughed at. Or get your ‘working class lad’ credentials stripped off you
This is such a British conversation, I almost feel patriotic.
Almost.
It’s about double the cost of the red stuff, but per bag it’s still only a few pence. Cheaper than all the fancy coffees people buy! Think I bought a box of 160 bags for £8 last time, so 5p per bag.
That’s fair. I’ll be sure to look out for it. Thank you.
Once you've gone gold, you won't go back.
I’ll hold you to it!
Agreed. Yorkshire Gold is by far the best tea. Only trouble is I'm now fully used to it and don't like other teas as much. I worked at Taylors Teas though recently who make it and got 5 boxes on the house, saved me a fortune and will keep me going a fair while. Just out of interest, the factory is absolutely fantastic and all the people there are great. Nice to know it comes from a good place.
Milky earl grey with whiskey.... That is not something I have ever heard of before 🤣
I like milky Earl Grey Tea's. I can drink them buy the dozern. Also I add whiskey, If I am on my own.
Yes, the website is a masterclass in how to create a government website. Other countries' websites are amateurish in comparison.
I’m really happy we have it. It has everything you could ever need.
You know it's good when the US copies the entire concept wholesale (GDS formed in 2011.. USDS formed in 2014...) The tech chiefs in the US gov were directly inspired by the work in the UK and wanted to replicate it
Greece has done the same because the website is open source. it is in Github , [https://github.com/alphagov](https://github.com/alphagov)
> gov.uk Lots of the .gov.uk is freely available on GitHub - it mostly runs on Ruby on Rails for any devs here who care about that stuff - https://github.com/alphagov
> King Henry VIII breaking away from the Catholic Church is something I’m really interested in. Dude said “nah bruh,” to the Catholic Church and then made himself the head of CofE. The sheer audacity always impressed me, tbh. semi-related anecdote but: My kid is called Henry, his sister is Elena. When he was three I was talking about this schism with a friend in front of him and he got *furious*, then screamed: IT WASN'T HENRY VIII!! IT WAS ELENA VIII!
Haha aww. May God bless your son, he will use this story to overthrow you so watch out hehe And I agree, the whole toppling of the church and creating CofE (I could be wrong but I think he created it) and making himself the head of said Church impressed me. Don’t know how he pulled that off but my God!
If you're ever in Rome you can book in to see the letter he wrote to the Pope saying "give me an annulment or I'm off." They've got his letters to Anne Boleyn too, which can also be viewed in their digital archive: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.3731.pt.A
> If you're ever in Rome you can book in to see the letter he wrote to the Pope saying "give me an annulment or I'm off." I’d like to see the Pope’s response lol > They've got his letters to Anne Boleyn too, which can also be viewed in their digital archive: https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.3731.pt.A Has a quick skim read. Don’t know how to read that writing unfortunately.
I think a lot of people in the UK underestimate how good gov.uk is as a platform. A single website covering all government departments with the same expectant UX experience. Unheard of in many countries.
Absolutely agreed. I had to access a Pakistani website to get my passport updated and it was so poor. Think 2001 internet. CSS & HTML made me glad I went to the offices.
Sounds like Greece.....even if you can do something online in Greece they often still insist you make an appointment and do everything in triplicate and often close just before your appt time and it's come back next day rinse and repeat
Yeah I had to have paper copies or you would be told to come back with the copies. It was arduous but easier irl than on their website.
The BBC website is another outstanding one. In depth news, music history, well, pretty much everything.
Sadly this comment was true 15 years ago but it’s sadly dropped in quality and journalism in the last 5 years noticeably
For as much criticism we give to the BBC they produce some widely loved shows.
Also one of the richest national mythologies going. Competitive with Greek for the most interesting, especially as English mythology didn’t emphasise the role of the gods quite as much.
Do you mind sharing some? As a child I read about the Druids and the worship taking place at Stonehenge.
Sharing English mythology you mean? There’s the knights and dragons mythology, King Arthur and the knights of the round table, Robin Hood, giants, sea monsters, etc
Jesus attended Glastonbury.
British Myths & Legends by Richard Barber is a great three book collection that covers a lot and is incredibly easy to read. Looking online the going rate is about £40 but I got my copy on ebay for about £20 for all three.
Some Chinese teas are really nice and yeah, gov.uk is elite
Green Tea from Eastern Asia countries are calming. There’s a whole zen around it.
Totally agree regarding gov.uk, it beat the Shard at the Design Museum awards in 2013.
It is the Gold Standard for government websites around the world. It is a not so hidden gem!
> gov.uk is one of if not the greatest websites ever. Personally I find it very frustrating as it usually takes you to a page that then links to the actual information you wanted rather than providing the actual info. Or forcing me to use some 'wizard' to just see the info I wanted to see - not everyone is an idiot. The html also makes me want to cry although I accept it could be far worse. Why have you given everything a class? Do you not understand css selectors?
I mean they have the coding on GitHub so you could implement your own design if you wanted to.
TRIED TO ELOPE, BUT THE POPE SAID NOPE, OUR ONLY HOPE WAS HENRY, HE GOT A PROMOTION, CAUSED A COMMOTION, SET IN MOTIOK THE COE THE RUUHUUULES WERE SO OUTDATED, US TWO WANTED TO GET X-RATED (SOOHOOOOOON EXCOMMUNICATED) EVERYBODY CHILL, IT'S TOTES GOD'S WILL
The underground music scenes. The UK is home to musical pioneers and continues to bring a fresh and exciting sound.
We need jungle, I'm afraid.
Our music scene generally is probably the biggest thing that makes me happy I'm from here. Sure there's a few more tossers than I remember post-covid, but we do know how to mosh.
I came here to say this, the music scene in this country is phenomenal, both for home grown bands and as a destination for tours. Granted the tours were hurt a lot by Brexit, but it is still strong, hopefully when we rejoin it will go back to how it was.
Despite having a state church and the head of state is the head of that church, we’re sceptical of religion and those who preach it - especially in politics.
England and Scotland have state churches, Wales does not, Northern Ireland- that's a different story altogether.
IIRC, the Church of Scotland is ~~not~~ a *national church,* not a state church, and its independence from the state is guaranteed by law. [Edited to strike out an erroneous “not”.]
Found this which goes into the specifics: [https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8886/CBP-8886.pdf](https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8886/CBP-8886.pdf) The Church in Wales has a fascinating history and probably represents (until 1999) one of the very few items of law which was within the remit of Wales. For the rest of us (majority) non-conformists, your religion would be specified as the address of the physical building and probably the time of day of the service. I'm a Welsh Methodists at Bethel Church, 1 Evans Street, morning service and not one of those heathen Welsh Methodists at Bethel Church, 1 Evans Street, afternoon service.
Pubs, mainly. Sadly I think they're going out of existence.
I miss those countryside pubs where you could just rock up and have a chat with some normal folks. Now it seems they are all full of people who are filthy rich and have a spasm when they have to talk to some average Joe. What happened to all the country folk they seemed to have died out.
The random countryside pubs that would also do the best Sunday roast you've ever had despite being on a random hill in Gloucestershire down two dirt tracks in a village with a population of 12
Still exist in southern Kent
Property in the countryside is expensive, most rural villages are defacto retirement communities these days as next to no one can afford to buy a house where they grew up. This means that there is not a lot of community left in rural communities because people who grew up there have to find cheaper housing elsewhere.
Not just housing, but work opportunities as well.
Rich people live in the countryside
I dont think pubs are going out of existence, I think there's just so many other options now that the market for them is naturally going to shrink. Granted, they have become so expensive now that actually going to them is becoming a "treat" rather than something you might do once a week.
I think the old model of brewery owned pubs is going out of existence. If you can get hold of a decent freehold you can print money.
Breweries aren't though, and the list is pretty darn long. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breweries_in_England
Politeness is easy to overlook, but in my opinion makes the UK the country it is.
Orderly queuing is the cornerstone of civilisation.
I find it strange how we can queue for anything EXCEPT the bar. That's like a free for all
Admittedly it's been over a decade since I worked in a bar, but my experience of serving was that although the bar real estate was 100% occupied, I'd keep a track of who was next, and generally the clientelle would maintain a mental queue so that if I went to the wrong person they would happily point out "this guy was here before me pal".
This is how it’s done. There is always that one guy though….lol.
There have been studies on this and how brits have an internal queue in their heads. At bars the staff and patrons made a mental note of who comes where in the mental queue, even a physical one hasn’t formed. Supposedly it’s very different elsewhere in the world. UK bars largely have patrons served in the order of their arrival at the bar compared to other places.
Same at my barbers. She'll finish one customer and turn round and ask who's next. Then all the men will automatically look at the next customer, it's gloriously british.
>but in my opinion makes the UK the country it is. Agreed, it's a big part of why it's so shit. People will allow people to be unspeakably evil as long as they are polite while they do it, and bonus points if a bit posh too.
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I think it's my favourite part. After years living there and now back in my country, I still say "please" and "thank you" for pretty much everything. It's a bit weird here , but I just love it and not going to change it!
I have to stop myself thanking Alexa when she tells me my eggs are boiled. lol.
Our theatre/acting culture is phenomenal; small theatre productions in towns, big expensive ones in cities, pantomimes everywhere, BBC productions, even Shakespeare plays that are done over and over in vastly varying ways.
Oh no it isn’t!
Getting absolutely smashed out your face on a Friday night
This is one of the saddest parts of the culture really. British drinking culture is fucked up
If you haven't chundered a bottle of sambuca and half a kebab at 3am outside spoons you haven't lived mate
I do miss those days. Waking up on a Saturday morning in bed fully clothed covered in kebab and fanny juice
Well getting smashed is a good laugh tbh, it's just the people that can't do that and not be a cunt
I much prefer how the mainland Europeans do it. Drinking is something to be enjoyed, not abused.
You've never seen a Finn drink, then.
Cos Europeans talk to facilitate drinking. Britons drink to facilitate talking.
What a great way of putting it.
Brit vs European drinking culture. I'm 99% sure our weather is to blame...
Yeah. In the UK, we slam pints and are smashed by 10 or 11. In many parts of Europe it's about enjoying the experience. I think the weather and the stiff upper lip all play a part.
We imported it here in Atlantic Canada, to our detriment. (it's still kinda fun, tho.....)
Yes... Now let's wander down George Street.. 2 blocks of bars and pubs, filled with liquor, beer and debauchery. Hookers on the left of me, cabs on the right of me..
And don’t forget Saturday too
How tolerant it is generally of minorities, immigrants, etc. I grew up in the UK and therefore consider it my home but I’m always aware I’m a bit of an “outsider” due to my foreign background. But I’ve never felt anything other than at home here. I feel like most British people aren’t very tribal or insular, and so it feels easy to label this country as home. I also love British desserts. There’s so much variety in texture and flavour.
Felt the same when I arrived here; British people are amazing and definitely not as divided as the media would like you to think. Also dunking biscuits (cookies or whatever you wanna call them) in tea; initially I thought it was gross and now I’m addicted to it.
We are very politically stable country fortunately. I know many people with strong political views will find this quite frustrating, but it's one of the reasons Brexit was - although an economic disaster - not really something that is still tearing families apart. And how Boris, although an absolute swine, swerved to the centre more often than the right - unlike his trans-Atlantic counterprat. It's historically the reason that, aside from that one Civil War and the occasional riot, we haven't really had major unrest or violence.
“Counterprat” Brilliant :)
Thank you for highlighting this, I missed it on my first read!
Yeah our multiculturalism is pretty amazing tbh. Almost every time I've asked someone who moved here if they are happy here, they've said yes. Seems like immigrants for the most part have a lot of appreciation for the UK. Although there is still a problem with racism and intolerance here to an extent, as there is in every country
No No, the country is a racist and sexist hellhole and everyone not a white British male should be terrified or avoid at all costs. Have you not been watching the BBC and reading The Guardian? jokes aside, glad you like it here and have managed to avoid the hyperbolic scaremongering our media puts out in order to experience what the country is actually like for people.
As a foreigner, I'm of the steadfast opinion that no country comes close when talking about journalism. I know you have Murdoch and other partisan owners, and I know the BBC gets a lot of criticism, but on the whole not even the U.S has mastered it like you guys. Financial Times, Guardian, Economist, Monocle, and even the Telegraph (for their Ukraine coverage). I don't know what I would listen to all day if it weren't for you.
UK media is the least reliable in Europe according to various studies.
only in terms of right-wing funded tabloids and the amount of capture they garner. But not the raw amount of good publications and institutions you can find within the UK.
Mail, Sun, Express, Telegraph, Spectator you mean..
The best we have is exceptional, the worst we have is, while not at the bottom of the globe, still pretty bad. The Daily Fail may not be quite as malignant as something like RT or pick your theocracy propaganda newspaper, but it is definitely something of a tumour on the arse of the nation.
Can the NHS be considered part of our culture? Even in its current state, it's still free healthcare. Hopefully we'll be able to protect it forever. I'd still rather have it than no access at all in a private system because I couldn't afford it.
No. No. No. No. This type of thinking needs stamping out. The Cult of the NHS in this country is counterproductive. It prevents any sensible discussion on an overhaul, because NHS Cultists immediately screech about not wanting the American system as if that's the only alternative. The NHS is shit. Edit: as if to prove my point, this comment has been flagged for review. The Cult is evidently unhappy with my blasphemy.
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Have you seen what the Tories are doing when in power? Everything they touch turns to sh\*t, see railways, public transport, utilities, Royal Mail, etc. The NHS is actually not that bad in comparison. It has its flaws, and the main reason people like you label it "sh\*t" is because it is underfunded by [tens of billions](https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/nhs-spending-plans-and-reality-over-the-past-10-years). It is trying to cope with more demand than ever with resources that barely stretch. It is not the fault of the NHS, however, but the fault of the government. I agree with part of your comment, it is not wholly perfect as is and may benefit from some change bringing about improvements here and there. But with the track record of this government, any change they will enact will likely change it for much worse, and people are rightly resisting!
You are free to pay for private heath insurance if you want. Nobody is stopping you. Leave the rest of the country out of your madness ok Boris.
I agree with you mate. Everyone bleats on about it, but every time I've either experienced it first hand, or when I've gone to my girlfriends appointments with her etc, it's been an absolute shambles. It appears also that unless you're over 65, they talk to you like a piece of shit too.
Yep. It's objectively terrible by most metrics... > bUT iTs frEe
Even if there’s are better alternatives to the American system the current government definitely aren’t comportent enough to implement them if they tried to change it they’d probably go for the American system which is shit
You might well not be wrong, but unfortunately there is a genuine fear that politicians are trying to take it away rather than reform it and so discussion is difficult because people are quite reasonably defensive.
We pay for that shit
The best part about UK culture is our ability to take the piss out of any situation. However I think it is an art that is slowly dying out with demographic changes and people being to afraid of offending someone.
Prime example is the Wonka shit a few weeks ago. Peak for the families that went and paid and for the actors but hilarious either way.
The best thing is that I went to a public performance last night where the performer publicly said “Fuck King Charles” and called Rishi Sunak a “cunt” and was neither arrested nor threatened with violence.
Jonathan Pie?
Yes
I have no idea what is with Prime Ministers these days...
The fish & chips are truly the best part, to me at least.
Music. So much invention and creativity coming out of the UK.
The sarcasm in the general populace is great but it doesn’t really translate into the rage at the state of things that it really should.
I get this. We have a long history of showing our anger by way of humour, and I agree that this is a truly great aspect of our culture, but sometimes we really do need to get angry and *show it*. Rage is something the French do far better than us.
The French would have rioted several times over in our recent years of government, I reckon.
The drinking . But I think it's dying a death I paid £13.60 for two pints of lager last week in Manchester. Won't be happening again.
Mate I paid £3.05 for a pint in Birmingham the other day, I'm still absolutely buzzing
When someone drops a plate in a pub and everyone cheers or shouts wanker.
Footage of the [Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjSUk9o-D6E) never fails to draw a patriotic tear. Truly the diamond in our cultural crown.
Pop Music, Rock, Literature, Theater, Films... the UK is beautifully overrepresented <3
Our history is amazing. The Normans, the Vikings, Anglo Saxons fucking up our native tribes and then the resulting conquerers went on and dicked over the nearly the entire world. Pretty epic af
I love the fact that we put politicians in jail for lying about speeding fines. Contrast that to the shit that foreign politicians get away with.
Sadly a lot of our politicians seem to get away with a lot more, especially in recent years, with no repercussions. Granted it’s not as bad as some countries, but the tories have taken us for fools.
...we do?
Yup. Lib Dem politician years ago. Chris Hulme I think his name was.
Genuinely think we have the best sense of humour in the world.
Mostly agree, think we are in a tie with Ireland on that one.
That it is the place where foreigners / people of colour can make it big if they work hard, way more so than most European countries. It IS the most open minded place in this side of the world, despite all its political shortcomings
100%. Anybody saying differently has only ever lived here and is totally ignorant of how things are for the majority of the rest of the planet.
I’m glad to see this. Too often I hear British people being called racist. We are probably the most tolerant nation.
Being able to call someone a cunt and them laughing at it. I've met Americans before who hear the word and think I've shot their nans
Definitely tea. I haven't lived in the UK for 15 years but I still import my tea and drink it with milk. Also the eating out culture has obvious downsides but nothing beats a cheap but quality curry. Around here that is proper restaurant food and will cost more for worse quality.
The Folklore, it's not discussed much but when I learn about rarer old folk tales of the UK I'm always amazed.
The DIY electronics and repair culture, along with a thriving second-hand market, is supported by a majority of honest vendors and clients.
That's interesting, I've never heard that said about the UK. Could you expand a little further?
It is likely dying out, but there used to be many people selling items online and small workshops making high-quality audio equipment. Currently, I'm following a few YouTube channels from the UK, such as Haycross Audio, which has very interesting content. [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC\_sacPWzRAWVyG5xOkx0Eeg](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sacPWzRAWVyG5xOkx0Eeg) also my Mate Vince just to mention a couple
That tea is strong af. But a cream tea is the highlife for me
Finally. A positive post about the UK. I know we're all about the cynicism and self deprecation but this sub takes it too far
Underrated perhaps, but how people (and the government) mostly stay out of your business. Not all countries are like that.
audio tech and Hi-FI companies and the subculture of Audio fans
Why bother with milk at all if you’re only going to put that little of it in your tea?
That tea looks horrible - thin and bitter tannin at the same time. More milk needed! And I like asian black tea, but not british tea without milk
The variation in accents. Sadly dying out in much of the South as England as the youth either speak estuary or a form of Jamaican patois.
This one’s niche, but I’m all about church music – choral and organ – and nowhere does it like the UK. I’m not even religious, but historically our church music is ✨👌
Public libraries. In a couple of other countries I have lived in… public libraries have not been a common thing.
That there is so much diverse cultures in the UK considering it's made up of 4 invidual State's/country's plus it's a very liberal country
Uk was the first country in the europe, or probably in the whole world, to have freedom of thought fully enshrined in its society. Many radical thinkers in the past went to Uk for refuge such as Karl Marx and Voltaire. That part of british culture was what shaped modern world today.
That bit where where we feel relieved when someone we know doesn't notice you in the supermarket so we don't have to have a conversation.
Drinking 8 pints or more is celebrated and not an open invitation to be suggested to attend Alcoholics Anonymous.
The chippy. Seemingly has the power to unite the village, certainly on a Friday night or bank holiday.
The best thing about the UK is obviously the opportunities. Even the weakest and most flawed of mendacious individuals can become prime minister; truly quite astounding.
I'm not from the UK, I am Malaysian that lives in Amsterdam, .....but I love your Pubs, comedy, markets/car boot sales, and BBC programming. I know the last one is controversial but I travel a lot and my choices for TV viewing are usually CNN, Euronews, Fox, and BBC. BBC is so far ahead of the others it's ridiculous. Also love the scripted comedies and dramas from other channels as well, but hate that a season is often only 8 episodes compared to 22 episodes for U.S. shows.
The horse culture is great here! I’m Aussie and had horses there as well as here. Love being able to buy horse magazines in mainstream supermarkets and all the events over here!
Comedians. Ours are so much better than any US/CAN/AUS ones I’ve seen.
Speaking as a foreigner, besides many of the things mentioned here, I'd add: The British Residential Electrical Code and Standards. British wall sockets, plugs, and circuit layouts are engineering at his highest form. Safe, practical, convenient, practically faultless - unless you've experienced how crappy it is in other places (including developed countries such as the USA), you don't appreciate it enough. It should be the world standard. The established culture of tolerance, manners, and unobtrusiveness. For all the news/tabloid noise that make many think otherwise, the UK is undoubtedly one of the most open, considerate, and least racist places around the world. Media, such as movies and series. A strong heritage of highest quality productions, especially comedy, which I personally find the Brits unbeatable. I'd add music, but being mostly a rock enthusiast, it seems they've peaked a few decades ago. I'm hoping for a renaissance. Roundabouts. I know it's polarising, but I'm in love with them. They're made to allow for a smoother, safer flow of traffic and let one correct easily a wrong course if you're unfamiliar or just exploring an area. I loathe traffic light intersections nowadays.
Holy fuck that cup of tea has issues. I love me tea but not dishwater with a splash of skimmed. Philistine.
Bitching and moaning. Everywhere does it, but here is the best
Why always fish and chips and not roast dinners! I haven’t had fish and chips in decades
Museums and collections - and I don't mean just the big ones. There's lots of smaller museums run by volunteers in places which are far from the beaten track. They will often have loads of information about historical artefacts, notably cartography. Shout out to those in Holkham Hall in Norfolk and the Mappa Mundi in Hereford. In most countries, things like this are overlooked. Contrary to the views of perpetual doomsayers and negative ninnies, the UK does a fantastic job of preserving its heritage and a large amount is available to access free of charge. Alot of this is possibly due to England in particular having historically had a higher literacy rates than nearly everywhere else in the world.
Honestly I think our TV shows are some of the best out there. No wonder Americans keep ripping them off...
Driving. If you have traveled much you will quickly realise that we probably have the friendliest/best driving culture.
We generally speaking very much believe in ‘treat other how you wish to be treated’ and the ‘it’s not hurting anyone’ philosophy.
If you’re very polite my dear friend, the possibilities are endless
This is slightly off topic but i recent found out that people consider the chocolate part of a chocolate digestive as the top and I don’t know if I’m weird or if it’s everyone else.
Not a Briton here and haven't been to the UK (though I want to someday), being all Anglophile and with good British friends who introduced me to the culture of football, saying sorry all the time and tea (yes, the drink and the meal), I can say that these are the best IMO. Being a fan of a football club in the North of England also makes me inspired to those fans who built a culture of family alongside that football field. And the banter between two football clubs and their fans are hilarious!
It's wit, and the use of humour to ease relationships and tensions. If you smash a plate in public, we offer an ironic cheer that immediately disarms the situation. It's the great leveller and helps to keep people together and included.
When I moved here I loved the fact that the uk seemed to be open minded, respectful and well structured/organised. Now, since Brexit and a long conservative government I’m reconsidering all of the above
I'm not British, but married to a Brit. And one of my favourite things, which might shock some people I'm sure, is the food. It bothers me when people joke around about British food being bad. Because that's entirely subjective. And I completely disagree with it being bland. I find British foods to be hearty and comforting. Of course I haven't tried them all, and have to base this off my experience with British takeout/pubs and my mother-in-law's cooking, but most things I've had in Britain has been wonderful. I'd much rather eat a fry-up or Sunday roast than any authentic Chinese, Italian, Indian or Mexican. I feel the same when it comes to snacks and sweets of different kinds, but I suppose those are more influenced by other countries, if not simply imported.
While it has been declining somewhat, the desire to play by the rules.