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Uniquely British things

371 replies

ChristmasA123 · 05/12/2022 19:09

I went for a walk earlier and saw one of my favourite things.. a random glove stuck on a railing. Obviously someone had dropped it and a kind stranger has put it somewhere easy to spot. I often see dropped items popped on fences/gateposts like this and it got me wondering.. I wonder if they do that in other countries? I've also noticed how polite drivers are here.. mainly! With that little wave or thumbs up when someone lets you through. I've never seen that driving in the US or Europe. Oh and I love the BBC Christmas ident. It's always so cosy. Are there any other cute/ wholesome things that only generally happen in the UK?

OP posts:
ChristmasTidyings · 06/12/2022 08:27

@onlythreenow if I let my DH read this thread he would say it's the uniquely British arrogance than makes them hanker back to colonial times and think they're still better than the rest of the world. Frankly, it's a distasteful thread and makes me ashamed to be British.

MarshaBradyo · 06/12/2022 08:30

Quite abstract but the feel of London, arriving home and seeing the greenery on the Heathrow Express and arriving to white stucco buildings, or to Liverpool and the activity and lights.

Going over the bridges on the bus

beastlyslumber · 06/12/2022 08:37

ChristmasTidyings · 06/12/2022 08:27

@onlythreenow if I let my DH read this thread he would say it's the uniquely British arrogance than makes them hanker back to colonial times and think they're still better than the rest of the world. Frankly, it's a distasteful thread and makes me ashamed to be British.

British values of humour and tolerance passed you by, eh?

Having said that, it does seem uniquely British to be ashamed of normal, lovely things about Britain. Other people are allowed to love their countries, despite their flaws.

VitaminX · 06/12/2022 08:44

onlythreenow · 06/12/2022 07:51

I don't live in the UK, but most of the things mentioned also happen here, so I really don't understand why you all seem to think they are unique to the UK.

Exactly. Some of the very niche folk traditions, maybe - the cheese rolling might be uniquely British.

A simple Google search can tell you that things like Christingles and yarn bombing don't originate in the UK.

Most of the other stuff is vague personality traits or habits that obviously aren't going to be confined to one country.

I also live outside the UK and this is such a weird thread to me.

MorrisZapp · 06/12/2022 08:47

Sweetest thing I ever saw was one Eastern European lad coaching his two friends in how to say 'cheers' to the bus driver as they got off. Here in Edinburgh 'cheers' has two syllables and we use it in all sorts of different ways.

Their joy in getting it right was absolutely life affirming.

VitaminX · 06/12/2022 08:54

Though maybe the Christingle that is made of an orange is just British!

Anyway, it's definitely going to be the more niche folk traditions that are actually confined to the UK.

Not things like humour or politeness 🙄

onlythreenow · 06/12/2022 09:12

This thread reminds me of the threads about what is great about living in the UK where people say the fact that there are four seasons, as if it's the only place in the world that does!

MarshaBradyo · 06/12/2022 09:16

beastlyslumber · 06/12/2022 08:37

British values of humour and tolerance passed you by, eh?

Having said that, it does seem uniquely British to be ashamed of normal, lovely things about Britain. Other people are allowed to love their countries, despite their flaws.

There’s always someone ashamed or heaven forfend their dh is.

Mostly a nice thread though

ImAvingOops · 06/12/2022 09:22

@ChristmasTidyings ashamed to be British? That's sooo British Grin

Mine are the importance of making a cup of tea properly.
Also turning g perfectly ordinary words into an insult. Especially if you add the word 'absolute' - ' you absolute melt' for example

beastlyslumber · 06/12/2022 09:34

Please, thank you, sorry and excuse me being the most essential words/phrases in the English language.

Men wearing shorts through the winter.

Making snowmen? I don't know if that's unique to Britain but I love the inventive snow creations people make.

MenaiMna · 06/12/2022 09:49

PuttingDownRoots · 05/12/2022 19:13

British people may be the only people who apologise to a person who walks into them....

Haven't you heard of Canada?

Acatnamedfox · 06/12/2022 09:59

onlythreenow · 06/12/2022 09:12

This thread reminds me of the threads about what is great about living in the UK where people say the fact that there are four seasons, as if it's the only place in the world that does!

Why the grinchy attitude doll? Just because it applies to another country doesn’t mean we can’t like that it’s here too, I’m loving this thread.

to you and @VitaminX as a classic white van driver would say here in Britain, “cheer up love”

ChristmasTidyings · 06/12/2022 10:13

@Acatnamedfox but the thread isn't about what people like about living here, is it? It's about what people believe are uniquely British things.

I mean, how can anyone genuinely question if kids building snowmen is a uniquely British activity? Its mind boggling.

VitaminX · 06/12/2022 10:14

Ah, the patronising and misogynistic van drivers, if only they were confined to Britain! I'm perfectly cheerful, thanks. It's just baffling to me when people think they are special for things that are obviously widespread across this big world we live in. It's a very strange and insular attitude. And no, that's not unique to Britain either - the country I live in now also had loads of people who think that only they do x, y, z. I roll my eyes just as much at them.

There are probably a few things that are unique in any country. It's never the sense of humour or the practice of thanking others.

TellingBone · 06/12/2022 10:14

The Shipping Forecast

SunscreenCentral · 06/12/2022 10:29

There's practically nothing at all here that's uniquely British, tbph. Sorry.

The cheese rolling thing, perhaps. That's a pretty niche activity though isn't it?

blueshoes · 06/12/2022 10:31

Seeing rows and rows of the backs of Victorian houses and their long thin back gardens whilst travelling on a train.

MorrisZapp · 06/12/2022 10:35

blueshoes · 06/12/2022 10:31

Seeing rows and rows of the backs of Victorian houses and their long thin back gardens whilst travelling on a train.

Oh god I'm crying now

BirmaBrite · 06/12/2022 10:45

Continuing with the Christmas theme , how about Pantomime ?

BlueChampagne · 06/12/2022 11:00

Cryptic crosswords?

BMW6 · 06/12/2022 11:02

SunscreenCentral · 06/12/2022 10:29

There's practically nothing at all here that's uniquely British, tbph. Sorry.

The cheese rolling thing, perhaps. That's a pretty niche activity though isn't it?

Bill Bryson (travel writer) vehemently disagrees with you.

Try his "Notes on a small island" 😌

MissWired · 06/12/2022 11:08

ChristmasTidyings · 06/12/2022 08:27

@onlythreenow if I let my DH read this thread he would say it's the uniquely British arrogance than makes them hanker back to colonial times and think they're still better than the rest of the world. Frankly, it's a distasteful thread and makes me ashamed to be British.

I've lived here for 45 years and never, not once, have I ever heard anyone hankering after the days of Empire.

What did those days mean for the average British person, after all? Squalor, misery, hunger, poverty. Being turfed off your farm by some aristocrat or mill owner during the enclosure acts / land clearances, and shot if you tried to protest. Herded into mills, mines and factories, working six or seven days a week, and very often not being paid in actual money, but scrip to be spent at the company shop. Maimings / poisonings in industrial accidents, after which you had to beg on the streets to survive.

No voting rights, unless you were one of said aristocracy. Rammed into tiny houses, often living one family to a 13ft square room. Workhouses. Illiteracy and ignorance. Rampant disease. Early deaths, especially amongst children. No rights for women.

No thanks.

I suppose some of the barking mad aristos / industrialists long for the days when they had the working class as their slaves, and let's face it, they're trying desperately to set that back up again, but the rest of us think those were the darkest days the ordinary people of this country ever suffered through.

CaptainMyCaptain · 06/12/2022 11:11

I've lived here for 45 years and never, not once, have I ever heard anyone hankering after the days of Empire.

Neither have I and I have lived here for 65 years.

MillyMollyManky · 06/12/2022 11:12

ChristmasTidyings · 06/12/2022 08:27

@onlythreenow if I let my DH read this thread he would say it's the uniquely British arrogance than makes them hanker back to colonial times and think they're still better than the rest of the world. Frankly, it's a distasteful thread and makes me ashamed to be British.

PMSL, exactly what on this thread makes you think Brits think they're better than the rest of the world? People were asked for "uniquely British things" and have come up with queuing and beans on toast. It's hardly "the first ticket in the lottery of life" 😂

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