What do other nationalities think of the British

[Baggingarea]

For non UK MNers, what are your general impressions of the British?

I was watching a documentary recently and a Spanish man said our houses are all dirty. I'd never heard that before but can see why someone might think that with muddy weather etc etc.

What do you think about us? Promise I won't be offended (no racism/sexism/general bigotry though please). Can't vouch for others though.

Think you just go to crap/cheap restaurants, sticky. Just ignoring the british classics of kippers, lemon sole and trout?

Haven’t RTFT but what I will say is that I’m proud to British.

There’s only a couple of other countries in the world where I’d possibly consider moving to, but they don’t have the history/architecture/culture etc and I feel are too modern.

I suppose it’s like the way in which some people love minimalistic modern apartments, I world prefer an aged, terraced town house with high ceilings, original features and character any day of the week.

There’s there the many countries where women are seen as second class citizens. I couldn’t ever imagine wanting to live somewhere like that.

Yep, Britain isn’t perfect but we’re tolerant, have culture and history, London is one of the most important places on the planet financially.

The reason many in Europe aren’t very ‘nice’ about Brexit etc... is because they know they won’t get the financial input from us anymore. Will be interesting to see if that impacts them negatively- I suspect it will!

And for the size we are we’re pretty up there!!

Poorly educated
Ignorant
Reserved
Insular
Inflated idea of their importance
Right wing

More (superficially) polite than most other nationalities though!

And where do you live @enigma16?

maybe Europe is not 'nice' about brexit because of the contempt they think that the UK is now showing them, when they thought we were their friends/allies/partners. there is no brexit 'plan' other than telling Europe to get lost. brexit may affect Europe's budget but 2 dozen countries working together will do better than us on our own.

As for London being a financial hub, it is said that it is a money laundering hub, is that something to be proud of?

the UK did well in acquiring goods and money from the empire.

How long will we 'be up there' when we become a medium sized country with no clout?

@Ginfordinner

And where do you live *@enigma16*?

Sounds like some expat communities...

Class obsessed

I live in the UK, Ginfordinner.

I stopped travelling on my UK passport a long time ago, the British are not liked in many places. I was getting a rough time at an airport (can’t remember if customs or immigration) I pulled my Irish passport out and it was completely different, “o your Irish, we thought you sounded English (I do) here you go just go through...” After that I only travelled on my Irish passport. I was in the US at the time, but had a similar experience in Germany. The only place I’ve been where people were nice about Brits was Fiji, probably because they don’t get that many visiting 😂

In Fiji they were probably too busy bitching about each other (well they were when we went). The two main communities really don’t like each other do they?

I agree with PP up thread that these views are of the English rather than the devolved nations or 'British'. I don't think there is a British identity as we are all so different now. I often hear the above from colleagues abroad or when travelling, but always in reference to the English, not Scots, Irish or Welsh.

I'm British (Surrey born and bred.) However I spent much of my childhood in rural France and the British are seen as quite eccentric but in a positive way - my French friends find the British sense of humour great fun. We are viewed as quirky which I don't mind at all.

I love living in Britain. I love the diversity of cultures, and the landscape is to die for. There's so many beautiful and captivating villages and countryside and so much to see and do. It's a magical island & so much culture and history in a small space. You can't get bored here! I find it fascinating.

I suspect @wightwine is right about London's days as a financial hub being numbered, though. We were an obvious choice when Britain was in the EU, as the native English speaking country within Europe. But without that connection, multinationals will need a new European base.

We are so daft to have left the EU. But that aside, I think we are still one of the safest most tolerant places to live in the world, with half-decent free education and medicine - very few other countries offer both.

I've travelled loads, and lived in the US. Never had any rudeness. Strange.

I bet the poster are from countries that have some bad stereotypes!

Oh and just to clarify: I have carpets in my house which is an old Victorian semi with original features. I love it. It's the friendliest house ever. And it's pretty. And clean I might add.

I also do like to drink lots of tea. Tea is my stable drink of the day. I have a cup of tea when I've completed one activity and am about to start another. If someone's pissed me off or I'm excited about something I make a cup of tea to fully process the emotion. It's how I deal with "emotion!"

I carry on drinking tea like this throughout the day, at various significant intervals and I must also add at this point that I change the cups I use for said tea-drinking depending on the time of the day.

Any tea that is made after 1pm is made in a bone-china cup whereas morning tea is made in mugs. Really. I do this. I'm not making it up. I never ever ever pour the milk into the cup first, along with the tea-bag. Milk goes in last, after it's stewed for about 3/5 minutes.

The first thing any visitor is offered when they come to my house is a cup of tea. I don't understand individuals who don't drink tea. They are an enigma to me. If we weren't meant to drink tea, why else would we have mouths?????

A cup of tea is a cultural complexity that is not understood by people who aren't British IMHO. It is not simply a drink. It is way, way more than that. Only after years of dedicated study in the topic does one begin to understand the nuances of the tea-drinking ritual that is uniquely British. I love it.

@enigma16

Class obsessed

I live in the UK, Ginfordinner.

I should have asked where you are from.

I stopped travelling on my UK passport a long time ago, the British are not liked in many places. I was getting a rough time at an airport

Who are these people that get picked on for being Englidh?

I can honestly say that this has never happened to me or my family. Is it to do with the way some people look? I am a pretty nondescript looking and unassuming 61 year old, and in all my many years of travelling I have never met with any antipathy from the locals of anywhere we have visited. Maybe it is because we actualy try to engage with them, ask what they recommend when ordering in restaurants and support local busnesses?

Last year in Kos the taverna owners made such a fuss of us when we returned for another meal. The lady who owned a local shop selling olive based products and I had a long conversation about her products and she even gave me a free soap with my purchases.

On the positive side:

Great sense of humour
Good comedy
Lovely countryside
BBC (for now!)
NHS
Animal welfare is taken seriously

You are also offered a cup of tea after giving birth. Entirely appropriate given the gravity of the moment.

European having lived in the UK for 20 years, Ginfordinner.

@Ori3

You are also offered a cup of tea after giving birth. Entirely appropriate given the gravity of the moment.

No one offered me tea... well actually it was breakfast time and they game me rice pudding which was bloody lovely.

enigma16 So if you think we are:

Poorly educated
Ignorant
Reserved
Insular
Inflated idea of their importance
Right wing

why did you stay? Have you never met any well educated, open minded, left wing, unassuming, outgoing English people in your 20 years of living here? Really?

Or do you live in London?

We’ve not had trouble travelling on British passports - DH gets loads of crap for his place of birth though... more so on BA for some reason... random checks my big fat arse.

We were flying into Boston a couple of years back and the customs officer was squinting at the passports and staring at us so we prepared ourselves for a looooong check. She waved us all forwards at once (unusual) then proceeded to bend our ears asking about what we were going to see, had we booked XYZ restaurant, not to miss particular sights... also offered to give us the number of her uncle (I forget why - I think to visit him for tea).

NY customs office hate everyone equally.

why did you stay?

Xenophobic
Racist

@Ginfordinner - she stayed because she feels superior to us, of course!!

Not sure you're in a position to be calling others xenophobic