Great things about Great Britain

[wheretoyougonow]

It feels like the world has gone slightly mad around us and everything is very negative. I want to start a thread about the positives of living in Great Britain.

I am sure there will be many a negative to the positive e.g great nhs experience vs waiting times but let’s keep this as a proud thread. There are lots of things that we do well. Can be light hearted or serious.

My initial thoughts are:
When I had a sudden medical episode where I was dying, within 40 minutes I was in hospital with a medical team who saved my life.
When there is an international major sporting event, in my area, lots of flags are displayed of different countries. No one bats an eye to this.
We have a great variety of restaurants.
Our homegrown tv programmes are often awesome.
I (mostly) love our comedians and sense of humour.
When there is an International crisis we can be brilliant. The young lads stuck in the Thai cave being an example.

Music. All genres, we are really really good at it and
therefore we are spoiled for choice for numerous gigs we can go to.
Theatre, actors and musicals, Marvellous.
Literature. Fantastic novelists, old and new.
Country fairs and Garden shows.
Trees.
I love our trees.
Wonderfully inclusive , tolerant people.
Mostly.
Beautiful buildings , architecture and street scapes,
Quirky things and eccentric people.
We embrace it all with the live and let live attitude.

Beautiful mild weather. No endless snow in the winter, never too hot in the summer to go out, loads of things grow here. I've just been out and the woods are bursting with greenery 💚

Thank you for the lovely responses. I agree with so many of them. One poster said they love the rain. I do as well. As Billy Connolly famously said, ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing’. I’m sure many will disagree with that but that quote always stays with me when the rain comes.

The Peak District.

Oh no, I’m disappointed to hear that. I thought we could turn it round and have a lovely chat about what we’re each having for tea.

I’ve been having a massive craving for just bread and butter, so I have a door stop wedge of crusty brown bread, slathered in butter, and a bag of salt & vinegar crisps. What about you?

What apology are you talking about?

Tony Blair wrote a statement stating that regretted how the UK caused the Irish famine.

It was later said that Tony Blair did not write the statement or even approve it.

The man that did write the statement said that he tried to contact Tony Blair for approval of the statement but Tony Blair didnt answer the phone . The statement was prepared quickly for a famine commemoration service in Ireland

From a news article
the statement recognised the famine as a "defining event" in the history of Ireland and Britain and said: "Those who governed in London at the time failed their people through standing by while a crop failure turned into a massive human tragedy."
Sir John considered this "fell well short of an apology" and was "no more than a statement of fact".

Yawn again!

It’s like having a fly buzzing around your head isn’t it?

I really want to order sushi (not very British!) but am trying to get up the energy first - not doing well today.

Parks, protests and pubs.

Probably one of the greatest things we have without realising it is workers rights. Not that they're perfect but they're a lot better than most of the rest of the world. Also not perfect but better equality for everyone in respect to work and other parts of life. Yes there is still discrimination but again we experience a lot less of this than other places. The UK is also a lot safer to live in day to day than many other places in the world.

To mention things that aren't 'good because they're not bad' as I have above, I'd echo those who've posted already and say our sense of humour. It's a huge part of our culture which might not be obvious to you I've you've always lived here. We've also produced some of the best comedy, literature and art in general in the entire world. Much of it is either free or very easy to access for everyone.

Yorkshire. Our history, our towns, villages, hills, farms, dales, sports teams, our humour, our togetherness, the plethora of accents that can differ by merely travelling a mile down the road.

The Lake District.

No one likes to hear the bad side. It's natural.

That is why there is always a reluctance to listen, when these topics are brought up

Honestly, why don’t you start your own thread with all the reasons you think GB is mediocre?

I have never ever tried sushi, which is quite shocking at my age. I love fish but not a big fan of rice, so I think that’s putting me off. Do you have something with it?

And I know that feeling, but nothing tastes nicer than the food you’ve been fancying all day!

Lol. So you think everyone should agree with the OP?

When has that EVER happened on Mumsnet?

Because there aren’t any 😉😉

My local does a mixed salmon sushi platter and I usually order a few tempura shrimp and a serving of edamame to go with it.

I suppose I don’t notice the rice as much IYSWIM? But sushi rice isn’t the same as what you get with a curry for example, so you might love it. I love the seaweed too mmmm.

Although I LOVE spring I do sort of mourn the loss of ‘winter’ food. Stews, toad in the hole, mash and gravy. We’re at an in between stage now where I’m never quite sure what to make, we’re not at the point of cold stuff and salads yet.

History, culture, food, tolerance, cohesiveness and good manners.

I mean you’re right about the manners, just look at this thread, despite the attempts to provoke!

Quite a few in Ireland too I believe despite far fewer immigrants and a much smaller population?