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.

I love a Yorkshire accent! It’s the best (alongside authentic cockney)

I’m in the West Country and even to my ears our accent is 😳

Our friends were far from familiar with Scottish geography.
Same here a few miles out of town teuchter accent very different from city
A teuchter is a country person.

For me, I love areas of natural beauty like the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors, Lake District.

I love the fact that almost wherever you are in the UK, you can go to the seaside for the holidays.

On a humorous note, I like the fact that we can have a moan about the weather because it’s so changeable. (Ok, the weather itself can be wearisome when it’s constantly raining!)

The different dialects and how different counties have different names for things eg barm cakes

Haha I laughed at that. "I don't know who I am without it".

You don't even know me! I have a very fulfilling life and I do a lot of different things. Thanks very much.

Museums and Art galleries

In my opinion, Some nice things about the U.K are-

The festivals and events.
There is always a literary /art/music festival on somewhere.

The forest walks

I emigrated in 2024 so my views may be a little out of date - certainly no experience of the “new” government - but I absolutely LOVE the UK. I only left due to stagnant wages and, to a lesser extent, the constant moaning/inferiority complex of the inhabitants. If the economy gets back on track, I’m sure I’ll move back. But I just couldn’t spend my core earning years in a country where pay progression barely kept up with COL.

It would be easier to list what I don’t like about UK, because I love so so much about it. If I had to pick one it would be the humour. My heart sank when (American) DP didn’t ‘get’ the UK Office. 😭

The nature here - it's beautiful and uplifting.

The fact we don't really have extremes of weather which means you can be out and about all year round if you have an umbrella.

The law protects different characteristics and despite some morons causing division, on the whole, British governments and institutions celebrate diversity. I say this as a Muslim.

The self deprecating humour is very British and very endearing even if it causes confusion abroad.

Museums and Art galleries. Amazing writers and musicians. General culture.

The fact our history is documented so well that often people can trace ancestors back hundreds of years.

Mustard.

Yes ! count your blessings one by one.sins write history but goodness is silent.!! Its a happy moment!! Stones a sticks are thrown at fruit bearing trees 🌳 😳

@IWasTangoed was with you till the mustard🤮🤮🤮

True

Otters

I’ll agree with all the positive comments so far and add in a Salvation Army brass band playing carols on the high street at Christmas. I absolutely love 🇬🇧 and have lived in other places. It’s good to be home.

Morris dancers and the different obscure traditions in different villages. I don’t really experience these but love hearing about them
Bonfire night and the history behind it - not quite so good as it used to be, getting over commercialised nowadays
The Queen! Growing to love Charles and Camilla too. Just watching the Crown - what history. I’m not a rabid royalist or anything but much prefer this and think it’s more meaningful having a monarch as a head of state
Enid Blyton, Beatrix Potter, Agatha Christie

I keep adding to my list on here, loving this thread thanks op!

A lovely thread and I'm not wanting to derail
Put all the things together that have been highlighted on here

Our Country isn't broken
Issues yes..but not broken.

London is incredible - world-class museums, architecture, food. Loads of green spaces.

Beautiful nature everywhere. Both DH and I do a lot of long-haul trips for our careers, so prefer to take our holidays in remote cottages around the UK.

Our climate - yes, it's warming, but we still reap the benefits of living in a temperate zone.

Not true at all. That is ridiculous.

I have a very full, fulfilling life. I was visited France last week.

What IS interesting is how rude and nasty some British people have been to me on this thread, when I brought it up

You are not changing the stereotype.

Lovely, positive thread. Best we ignore the misery guts trying to derail it

Those uniquely British summer days - the smell of barbecue smoke, cut grass and hot tarmac. Wimbledon, beer gardens, scones with jam and clotted cream. I love it!

My heart sank when (American) DP didn’t ‘get’ the UK Office.

What!!!!

We have some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.
We are such a mishmash of different cultures, it’s fantastic.
Traditions - so many are completely bonkers and it’s brilliant.
Brilliant tales / superstitions.
Food
Comedy
Authors
Artists
Musicians
The Equalities Act 2010
Gay Marriage

I’m a Northerner in the Midlands today, just driving past Banbury Cross which reminded me of another fabulous part of Britishness…

Nursery rhymes and folk songs

GOV.UK actually comes up quite a lot in threads like these. I think the UK civil service is easy to moan about until you get experience of almost everywhere else - Italy comes to mind!

Free museums is mine.

One Foot in the Grave. Rewatching on iplayer and love it.
Beautiful old churches dotted around everywhere
Lovely gardens and love of gardening
Pretty villages
Nice countryside