To wonder what the good points of living in the UK are?

[waddlecakes]

If you were selling it abroad as a country people should live in, what would you say are the things you love the most about it?

Shopping, supermarkets and the fact you are never far from the sea. I'm a good four hours from the sea and I miss it every day. Looking at the Christmas bargains threads the fact that you can buy stuff at competitive prices. Here every bit of tat is overpriced and the customer service is shite.

Oh, the NHS is brilliant (though I prefer my local health system) and the BBC is the envy of the world, and I can never understand why so many people criticise it so much.

I have just returned from holiday in USA and as soon as I got home I appreciate how orderly everything is here, and England still has that timeless quality probably because of our history, and I could immediately take off with my dogs walking and walking in glorious countryside completely safely.

On mornings like this... I adore my home country.

Curious how sunshine changes your mood - on Saturday I'd have written a seriously whingey reply about how horrible this place is!

The single most important thing is the equality of opportunity that does still exist despite hidden barriers of access that finance and the class system create.

I've lived in America for ten years. I'll tell you what I miss.

Public footpaths and open countryside
Better newspapers
Little to no Lyme Disease
Nicer fruit
Nicer tap water
Short driving distances
NHS
(Mostly) good comprehensive schools
Question Time
Mild temperatures year round
Country pubs

BBC, especially some of the children's programmes. Particularly the ones which are made for both levels - adult/child, like Dr Who, Horrible Histories etc. I don't think you tend to get these elsewhere.
NHS
Multi-culturalism, I didn't realise until going abroad how normal it is in the UK to just accept that not everyone looks the same as you. In some countries (and not the obvious ones which have a race problem) you get people still staring at black people when they get on the bus etc Plus we get the benefit of loads of different foods etc, in the supermarkets, restaurants, amazing shops with imported fabrics etc.
Freedom of speech on TV is a good one - I hadn't thought about that.
YY not insane climate (although it is damp)
Not too many bitey or poisonous creatures
Many diseases eradicated/not heard of (rabies, polio, malaria)
Beautiful old buildings which house all sorts - to live in, libraries, schools, hospitals. Fascinating history and culture basically everywhere.
Definitely never being further than about 2 hours from the sea. I love the sea.

I am from America, but have lived here for about 7 years. Here is what I like:

• NHS - never, ever, ever let this go!
• Decent vacation time from work
• A decent maternity leave period
• Far less hysteria in TV news - Jon Snow and the Channel 4 crew are a breath of fresh air compared to Fox and MSNBC.
• OBEM - the documentary-style British version is so much better than the reality-TV USA version. The approach to shows like these is just lower-key and more educational.
• Question Time - nae chance you'd get anything remotely that civilized in the US
• Sense of humor - people take themselves far less seriously over here
• Countryside on your doorstep - maybe more of a Scotland thing, but I can go on a 20-minute drive and be out of the city.
• Public transport
• Drivers are far more polite and far more likely to follow the rules of the road over here than where I am from.

We have good drinking water and plumbing.

Things are usually not on fire or covered in water (although the water one is getting a bit more common).

We can vote and don't get shot for it.

Doctor Who seems to like us best out of the whole world (and everywhere else).

We have access to contraception and rights over our own bodies.

As someone upthread said, we have York. And Bridlington. And Lyme Regis. And Autumn. And hedgehogs.

I live in a town but can cross the road and walk for five minutes and I'm in woodland and countryside. I once saw a stag in the back garden. And yet I'm still only five minutes from a supermarket and have a good bus service almost on the doorstep.

Ooh I absolutely love that DolomitesDonkey mentioned butteries! Happy memories of childhood holidays in Aberdeenshire with my dad's family.

Equality well we are working on it
Freedom of speech
Not living in a society where you live in fear of those that rule and mistrust people
free education
Free healthcare for all
clean water
A good Welfare system
low crime rate
Corruption and bribes are not a way of life here
Diversity
History
culture a culture that has evolved and not restricted by religion
great food from around the world
The best chocolate

and of course having the greatest city in the world that I am lucky enough to live in

Good standard of living.
Beautiful scenery and countryside.
NHS.
National Trust places.
(Some) wonderful beaches.
British sense of humour and spirit.

Beautiful scenery.
Fertile soils for gardening.
History and traditions.
Tv.
Climate.
Healthcare and welfare policies.

NHS.
People are polite and friendly.
Variety of everything.
People are generally helpful - if they don't know something they will help you find someone who does.
Cultural events - lots of them, always someting on you can go to.
Choral music.
So many mother and baby activities!
Convienience culture.
Clear visual presentation of information.
Being able to eat out without remortgaging the house - oh you have no idea how much I long for pizza express!

The roads are terrible though!

and more...

insect bites here don't give you diseases. Mammals don't have rabies. Libraries with lots of wonderful books. British flowers, trees and gardens. Abortion rights. Free contraception for all. Dress how you like - you see people in towns on summer days where the men have no shirts and the women are wearing bikini tops, it isn't pretty but it is ALLOWED.

Wouldn't exactly use it as a selling point but I do like the fact that the British are less uniformly houseproud and definitely as a nation less good at DIY.

They don't do that thing that the Swedes do where you are expected to take every visitor around your house (including bedrooms) and show off your beautiful home. Which means you have to go to the trouble of keeping a beautiful home when you could be MNetting

In general the UK is the "Naice" version of a country, everything is a bit "Naice and medium" en masse we have medium and undramatic (and unlikely to kill you):

freedom

weather

manners

politics

medicine

landscapes

pricing

location

wildlife

etc etc etc

Do they really do that Cory? getting our house ready for selling has aged me about 10 years I think, no way could I do that regularly!

Love living here - think we're lucky to not have our children starving, we're not likely to die during childbirth, and we're not at war - everything else is a bonus, really.

There is even a word for it, Pootles: it is called "husesyn".

No, this country will do for me: less houseproud than the Swedes, less well dressed than the French, but immaculately high standards in the entertainment industry- the nation that has its priorities right.

The NHS.

A broadminded inclusive society (mostly). Belief in civil rights and freedom.

A huge diversity of truly beautiful countryside from moor to mountain, weald to wold, marshes, cliffs and spectacular beaches - all in a relatively small area, so it is easy to experience a huge range in a short space of time.

The history is very rich, evident and easily accessible. On one beautiful walk you can take in pre-historic features, a fabulous NT property and ye olde ancient pub with real ale.

World leading contemporary culture, much of it accessible free in galleries, museums, public art and events.

A briliant range of cultural festivals, Bonfire night, village fetes, halloween, numerous local quirky things.

Cakes. Great big slices of excellent victoria sponge, NT Chocolate cake, flapjacks, bakewell tarts and puddings, ginger parkin...

Good natured pragmatism. Making the best of things. Little sense of being uptight.

Fabulous cities: Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham, London, add your own favourites - but all great cities with a fantastic sense of place and culture, agod combination of local tradition and accent and future forward thinking.

Cafes. Small independent good quality caffs. (as well as unpleasant ones and over-cupcaked ones)

cory they do that in my area too in France (next to Germany so it could be a German thing). People pop in for coffee and expect a tour. I remember in my old flat a not very close friend came round for coffee and cake and when I didn't show her upstairs she wandered up herself while I was in the kitchen. I never used to clean upstairs unless we had guests - it was basically just a spare room and storage area, read junk rooms. I was mortified. And when people show me round their houses I feel a bit awkward being shown into bedrooms and kind of hover at the door.

We are good at queueing - obv - but this, in my opinion, is helped by the fact that checkout staff tend not to get the hump if you don't have the exact change (yes, France, I'm looking at you).

And if you don't have it, they then start suggesting approximations you could give in smaller coins, and then they'll give you the 47 centimes etc etc.

No - you're the shop, and I have a 10 euro note. If you would just give me the change without fuss, we could all be out of here a lot sooner.

Breeeeeathes

Cups of tea solving every problem known to man.