What does Britishness mean to you?

[Herr Tubthumper]

What does Britishness mean to you?

The University of Brighton & Gresham Blake would like your help in a quest to define “Britishness”.

We are looking for a broad spectrum of the population from different backgrounds, race, gender, religious preference, class etc. to participate in this exciting book on Britishness.

This is your chance to voice your opinion on what it is to be BRITISH!

What does Britishness mean to you? (A personal account)

There is no wrong or right answer; it’s not a test.
If you write 250 words you will fill a page in the book, but please feel free to write as little or as much as you like.
All contributions will be gratefully received. A selection process will take place once all the entries have been received.

All information will be treated with the upmost confidentiality. If your piece is chosen you will able to check you are happy with the statement before it goes to print.

Please feel free to pass on this email to any one else that you think maybe interested.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at

british@greshamblake.com
Please be aware that the deadline for submissions is Easter 2014.

 

[strings]

Politely queuing, then moaning about it.

 

[banjo]

Moaning about the weather.

 

[symyjym]

Apathy

 

[W.C.]

One thing that I always thought wasn't that British, but recently seems to have become so is: Thinking about what is Britishness.

 

[keaton]

"This is your chance to voice your opinion on what it is to be BRITISH! "

I don't what being British means but it definetely does not mean needless capitalisation and exclamation marks.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

One thing that I always thought wasn't that British, but recently seems to have become so is: Thinking about what is Britishness.

This. It's quite sad to see.

 

[happypig]

Not bothering to respond to requests to write a book for someone else

 

[Insel affe]

Hating & fighting the village, town, city along.

 

[Taybha]

Health and Safety before common sense

 

[chimneys]

I'm not British, I'm English!

Language aside, I feel I have as much in common with the French/Germans/Dutch etc as the Scots/Welsh, and on a cultural level there's a lot less animosity and more respect between us and our mainland European neighbours!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Moaning about the weather.

Britain is the only country in the world where the weather forecast includes phrases like "the rain will last until teatime" and everybody understands what time of day is being talked about.

 

[The Large One]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/very-british-problems

 

[vegster]

Being quite good at lots of things but not being the best at anything.

 

[fat old seagull]

Swapping common sense for ridiculous extremes of correctness.

 

[Geestar]

Being proud of your country

 

[Northstander]

My opinion of British is as as follows...a Nation of Moaners ie:

We save up rigidly and work hard for an expensive holiday in the sun - But we get to our destination, we moan its too hot and cannot find a proper cup of tea or english breakfast
Core Language regardless of country or continent is English, if you don't speak it then its wrong
Proud of our green pleasant land - Slate it and we will defend it
Football is not just a game, trust me
We are not a nation of winners, anything we do come first or win, you'll hear about it for the next 10 years
We welcome all cultures and religions
We are traditionalists
We work hard and our weekend begins at 4pm on Friday and finishes Sunday night before we get back to work

 

[bluenitsuj]

Moaning in a football forum, about anything, just to try and be different.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

A police car and a screamin' siren
Pneumatic drill and ripped-up concrete
A baby wailing, a stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamplight blinking

A smash of glass and the rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped-up phone booth
Paint-splattered walls and the cry of a tomcat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls

Days of speed and slow-time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat with damp on the walls

Waking up at 6 A.M. on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearsing in a nearby yard
Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays

Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summer's day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away

Two lovers kissing masks a scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the grafitti about slashed-seat affairs

 

[Badger]

Inventing stuff and letting everyone see our mistakes before doing it better.