Just a bit of fun today :D

There are a number of distinctive people types in the British Isles.  There are of course the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish but it goes beyond that with regional differences between the varying English people as well. There contributions should not be dismissed as they add to the rich tapestry that is the very thing that makes us quintessentially British. The obvious example being that Tikka Masala has long displaced fish and chips as Britain's favourite takeaway. Recent years have also seen great shifts as many central Europeans have migrated to Britain and that is without mentioning the legacy of Empire and the Commonwealth.

This hasn't necessarily been always glorious or honourable - ask the Windrush Generation - but here in 2024 we are what we are and dwelling on the past, just for the sake of doing so is pointless. This does not mean that we shouldn't take responsibility for past behaviours but there needs to be a sense of needing to moving on beyond. In our personal lives and element of moving on is letting go of the past and it thus follows that as a collective we ultimately need to do the same thing.

Anyhow this is just a lighthearted look at those who have given Britain's individual nations our named identity.

The English

“You may become British but you will never be truly English”- George Mikes (“How to be an Alien”)

The English are a peculiar people who have many stereotypes associated with them.  Some are more obvious than others.  The English drink tea (with milk) at 4:00 in the afternoon.  English food is terrible and boiled to death.  They are a well-mannered and respectable people who are very loyal, but a little closed and reserved until you get to know them properly.  An Englishman is a friend for life once you become his friend.  They are fiercely independent and don’t like Europeans, as they are very xenophobic.

They love the royal family and are very patriotic.  The greatest English attribute is their sense of fair play and good sportsmanship as illustrated in the phrase “it’s not the winning that matters – it’s the taking part” and the thought of cheating at anything is one of the most abhorrent thoughts that an Englishman could have.

In addition there are stereotypes about the differences between the North and the South of England.  The Southerners (anywhere south of North London) think the Northern English are poor, uneducated, working class, uncivilised and rowdy people who can’t even speak English properly!  Whereas the Northern people think of Southern people as aristocratic (“posh”) and rich, but negatively they don’t know what real work is as all they do is work in offices and “nice jobs” without getting their hands dirty.

As a generalisation all the non-English peoples of Britain are perceived as resenting the success and wealth of England.

The Scottish

The Scots are the most Northern of the British People.  They have a reluctance to express enthusiasm for anything in direct terms - thus, "It's no bad.”  Scots also have a tendency towards what can only be described as sentimentality.  Scots are seen as being “dour and miserly”.  However – partly because of the influence of Braveheart (which was almost 100% fabrication as Hollywood often is) - the main stereotype of the Scots is that they are a quaint, rural people, honest and friendly, dressed in tartan and kilt, fond of the bagpipes and their haggis, simple yet shrewd, clever with their hands and tight with their money, living slow, antiquated lives in a wet country covered with heather, highland cows, and great castles.

The Welsh

The Welsh are seen as largely a rural people who raise sheep on small homesteads. There are more sheep than people in Wales, which among the crude has led to a crass stereotype which I am not going to propagate here. They are passionate about rugby and are fiercely patriotic.  The English often see them as being little more than peasants as they have been subjugated to the English for most of the last millennium.

The Irish

Please remember Northern Ireland is part of Britain whereas the Republic is an independent country in its own right. We all occupy the British Isles but the Eire is not a part of the UK.

The Irish Stereotype is one born of tragedy, most peoples knowledge of the Irish comes from the media profile of “the troubles”.  They are often made out to be a stupid yet kind and gentle people who are often the butt of English jokes.  They are very hospitable people who like nothing better than to drink and tell stories of old legends and the “good old days”

Unpacking the complex relationship between each of the home nations, and especially our relationship with Ireland deserves more than just a few paragraphs and I may well write an article on it one day.

As always stay safe and stay well my friends.