What is this "British" culture of which you speak?

It's British to like to be by the seaside.

Merrymouse. I agree the British weather is off putting for any attempt at migration across the English channel!

Grandhighbooba, sorry if you took offence. It was not meant. I certainly know about the English culture, I'm not Scot or Welsh, so have not had a lot of dealing with them. I think I could only really appeciate the different culture of Scotland and Wales if I had lived there. I have however lived in Italy and Spain and feel they definately have a sense of their own culture, which is sadly lacking here, I feel that the lack of appreciation of our culture and history and English peoples sense of 'belonging' has fueled resentment towards immigrants and immigration. Something I think was not fueled by the immigrants themselves, but by the last labour administration and its policies, in particular local councils. I don't and have never thought this country was multicultural, and I don't now.

"This country has only known 'mass' immigration in the last 20 years"

On the other hand, post ice-age, in previous centuries, you could only get to Britain if you could row here. It's not surprising really that it is was more your Roman, Viking or Norman than your African or your Indian sub-continental who visited.

Weather would have been a bit unattractive too before central heating.

didn't.

The Empire (or we) conquered other countries, they did'nt come here. Not multicultural as only 5% come from ethnic minorties. 95% are white British. This country has only known 'mass' immigration in the last 20 years mostly in the last 13 thanks to the Labour party.. Before that the country in the 50s 60s was predominently white/British. Look at old photos!

Tea with milk.

(Tea obviously imported from a continent far, far away).

Our cutlure is multicultured and also historically so because of the empire.

Society changes.

For me British is Boots the chemist, great music, mad humour, moaning, looking awkward on beaches inspite it being an island and outward looking. Oh and drinking too much in public places.

I wouldn't say we are tolerant purely as I don't like that word as it tell me have something to tolerate. I'd rather say embracing.

I've lived abroad and what I missed most was the multiculturalism and what it affords in terms of food, culture etc. I'm not a great fan of the monoculture. But I also like it that when I'm in france or italy or spain I do feel that I'm in that country. I guess you don't get that so much here in London but by the same token that's why I enjoy and take advantages of other places and am also happy to be back home where british culture is a whole heap of often contradictory things.

virginbolleux - well put.

Although now we have BBC online and iplayer, 4ondemand, dvd's of shows etc I don't miss telly quite as much.

I do however miss a lot of the other things you write about so eloquently (see me being polite and British there). Also miss fish n chips, butchers' shops, the swish of rain aginst the window of a double decker bus (etc).

(yup I am now officially homesick)

oh and the Beano and Just William, and Lord Snooty, and Edward Thomas, and Henry Fielding, and Kenneth Williams

the humour ..how could I leave that out?

By the way, the telly. The telly is bloody amazing. You fall on the BBC in a state of euphoria when you relocate home.

British culture.

There is a culture of respect, politeness and altruism. It may seem unbelievable if you've never left Britain but I have never seen the gentleness of British politeness to strangers in any other country. It may even seem unimportant but it is enormously important to everyone's quality of life.

Culture of impressive support, state subsidy and interest in the arts. This is very striking. Coupled with the wonderful BBC and its reaching out to other countries.

Our amazing literary and historical heritage. Nuff said.

Culture of fierce tolerance.

The state culture of supporting the unfortunate and providing according to need. The NHS is the flag-bearer for this. Not that Britain is alone, but it's part of the European cohesion on welfare which makes me proud and relieved.

OP. I take it you are an adult? How can other people tell you what the culture of Great Britain is? If you don't already know it? Every country has its own unique culture and Britain has had one for hundreds of years! Unlike say America a new country, which still has its own culture, of course the Red Indians had their own culture before white people settled there. Or is this thread a wind-up?

Morrismen (and I was once given a long lecture on why they are the last word in macho and not girly bell-wearing leg-shakers) just don't care. :)

Chil1234 - actually you are quite right and that is one of the good things about the English culture.

Although doesn't explain the morris dancers...

"Personally I think one of the beauties of our culture is that we do embrace so many others"

I fully agree with you. And I think it's that word 'embrace' that is so crucial.... inclusive, tolerant, becoming part of the whole. When a group with a different culture - and that could be absolutely anything frankly - opt not to be 'embraced' and included but to stand apart and declare themselves 'other' then that's when problems begin.

However @strandeadatsea... I think it's also an integral part of English (as opposed to British) culture that we are not natural flag-wavers, costume wearers and so forth. (International football matches exempted) 'Reserved' is our middle name! :) Many of us are quite comfortable with our identity rather than in a crisis and don't need silly extrovert displays a la St Patrick's Day etc. to express national pride.

And I agree with everyone else - it would be nice to be able to be proud to be English, celebrate a national day, have a national costume etc. Here where I live they are intensely proud of their heritage - this month it is Creole month and in a couple of weeks time all the school children will be wearing their national Creole dress to school. Can you imagine that in England?

Well strand - how you can you tell we brits have a certain colour of skin.

I love a drink and tan much better than most people. Goes to show we brits come in all colours and sizes and that's what makes britain to me - difficulty in classifing us.

Sigh. I know Brits all have different cooloured skin. There are lots of British Afro Caribbeans living here. And I have a lot more in common with them than other nationalities with the same coloured skin as me. It's not about skin colour but it is about shared experiences.

Personally I think one of the beauties of our culture is that we do embrace so many others. Ie our cuisine is so much more interesting than in Italy where I really struggled to find a restaurant selling anything that wasn't Italian (some would say that is because olde style British food isn't much cop so we have had to reinvent ourselves via the food of our immigrants. And I would say they would be right!).

The closest other country I can think of like this is the States where Tex Mex, Jewish, Italian American etc food is considered American.

Am I making any sense? Not really. Oh well I know what I mean!

To see the difference between Scottish nationalism, which is not discouraged, and English nationalism, you only have to consider that there is the Scottish National Party, but can you imagine the uproar if there was ever an English National Party? It will never happen.

The Beano and the Dandy - absolutely fantastic. Now we can forgive you for Gordon Brown, Charles Kennedy and Menzies Campbell I like Alex Salmond, though.

Yes I think Britain is a bit of an artificial construct, naybe a bit like Yugoslavia. In order not to awaken English nationalism, which might destroy the Union, I think English identity and culture has been downplayed by the ruling elite.

Didn't realise St. Andrews was so nice. I do know they have a great university there. Will put it on my list of places to visit.

GrandhighBooba, yes they love Scotland abroad. I was surprised, but in Italy and France they used to plan their holidays and they used to ask me about Scotland. I didn't know much about Scotland, and didn't think they would want to hear about Rab. C. Nesbitt, so I couldn't say much. They all went to Scotland for the beautiful green scenery and the Highlands. I must go too one day. I have been to beautiful Edinburgh, the Athens of the North.

The English have been deliberately denied their own culture, to subsume them into Britain. That is why they are so unknowledgeable about their own culture. It is often not taught to them. This is different to the Scots, Welsh and Irish, where their cultures and history are taught.

The same in Italy, they are very proud of their culture and no one in Italy would even question whether they had a culture (apart from the fact that there is the separtist Lega Nord in the North which has a Germanic Lombard culture and feels a difference to the Roman and Greco culture of Naples, Sicily and Magna Graecia). The Irish celebrate St. Patrick's day worldwide, but up until recently St. George's Day was a complete non event.

The British had a world empire and the ruling elite had a world view, which is why local English nationalism was never as high on the agenda as in other countries.