Today, if you're English…

Trains on the ribble head- it's nothing if it's not the flying scotsman! Two of the best things to come out of Yorkshire.

I waited for a couple of hours in horizontal rain at the bottom of the Ribbleshead Viaduct, waiting for a steam train to cross it on a family holiday in the late 90s once, was totally worth it!

Stonehenge – In England, but is it English?

Stonehenge – In England, but is it English?

Is it English? Completely disregarding Stonehenge.. Is it English is a question as big and ancient as England itself..

Oooooooooooooh – have we mentioned cheese yet? English cheese is bloody great!!!! Grandma Singletons tasty Lancs for me please. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm cheese 😀

Aristotle – do you live in Blackrod?

MrWoppitt – Please die, either quietly, or in an amusing self-destruction a la Fred and Smee

I find it quite amusing that many on here seem to be confused as to what being 'English' is really about…

I'm English. I have no problem being English, and no bunch of right-wing Nazis are going to make me feel bad about being proud of where I'm from. I have a George's Cross flag waving from my balcony, and always want England to win stuff, regardless of the sport. I don't take it that seriously though really. I'm not fussed about St Georges day, especially following the enlightening piece about St Edmund. I'm not a Christian, so I'm not fussed about a saint anyway.

The use of a Spitfire to denote 'Englishness' is insulting to all the other nations of the UK, and all the other countries that fought alongside Britain during WW2. Designed and built in England maybe, but from materials from across the Globe, piloted by men from the entire UK, and other nations too. The wrong symbol.

What makes me 'proud' to be English, are little things, like a game of cricket on a village green, a cup of tea, a pint of nice beer, little Yorkshire puds, people being polite to one another, respect and manners. I'm not saying the last ones are exclusive to England, but they are values associated with Englishness.

The history of this country is rich and fascinating. The number of peoples from foreign lands that have made England their home is amazing. Such diversity and depth of culture.

I don't need some tabloid newspaper to tell me that I must be patriotic on one particular day of the year.

I'm forever English.

is it English? A question as big and ancient as England itself..

British, like many of the other "English" symbols posted.

If your not convinced, I believe it was built by the "Britons" – a generic name for the various Brythonic (ie Welsh / Cornish) speaking tribes that inhabited this country before the Saxon / English invasion.

I understand that "English Heritage" was rebranded because of extensive "criminal damage" to "English Heritage" signs at celtic and pre-celtic sites in Cornwall.

The judge dismissed the criminal damage cases on the basis of the defendents claims that celtic sites in Cornwall were pre-English and therefore had no right to be badged as "English Heritage"

I think it's right to be patriotic – nationalism is where it all starts to get a bit 'tomorrow belongs to me'. I dont see a problem in taking pride in your roots / heritage, just dont use it as an excuse to be detremental to others.

The judge dismissed the criminal damage cases on the basis of the defendents claims that Celtic sites in Cornwall were pre-English and therefore had no right to be badged as "English Heritage"

That's not quite true is it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1768853.stm

rkk01 you're obviously very well researched so I'll take yer word for it..

I couldn't really give a stuff and I was only really thinking that it's very old and goes back furthur than any English/British/Celtic/Whatever tribal thingybob..

All that aside.. possession is 9/10s of the law and I'm a tree hugging slightly more pagan than christian celtic blooded westcountry Englishman.. (although Freeman would better suit) and that bloody great stone monument is in my geographically English back garden.. left there uncollected by god knows who.. so it's mine and English..
thanks

Reggae! I have alwasys been a big reggae fan but only recently came to appreciate how much the music developed in the clubs in London that catered for the West Indian diaspora. Raggae is at least as English as it is Jamaican

Most important thing mentioned on this thread so far is the Magna Carta.

And as far as England is concerned, Alfred the Great.

British, like many of the other "English" symbols posted.

OK, Start another thread for Welsh and Scottish symbols, so we can point out the errors in those as well. 😛

That's not quite true is it.

The way it was told to me it went on to a higher court?? – And anyway, my central point was that the claim of English Heritage (or not) was challenged, and the name of the organisation was subsequently changed to Natural England

FWIW – I don't generally see the point in getting hung up on all this stuff. Most of it is a response to the British / English juxtaposition and assumption.

What a load of ***ocks it's English regardless of who the cheap labour was at the time.
And as for the Spitfire being an English icon, well possibly argueable, but I think it's exploits over the English Channel are what made it legendary so I think that's were the assocaition comes from.
You can go away and google anything into it's component parts in your attempt to destroy anything we hold dear, but these things are English in just the same way the Statue of Liberty is American.

ok.. a last note from me on the Stonehenge thing..
they're not bloody English Heritages stones either..

Admanmatt's pics sum up why it's so **** fantastic to be English! Perfect.

See, that's what being English should be all about; not closing your doors or your minds to diversity, but opening your eyes, welcoming strangers, enjoying what they have to give us. And absorbing that into who we are as people.

From the Village Church Fete, to a Bhangra Festival, from medieval ruins to the latest cutting edge design, from Shakespeare to txt spk, from Scouse to Geordie to Cockney to Brummie; This Is England.

You can go away and google anything into it's component parts in your attempt to destroy anything we hold dear,

You mean like its engine? 😈

You can go away and google anything into it's component parts in your attempt to destroy anything we hold dear, but these things are English in just the same way the Statue of Liberty is American.

Inddeed. Well put. 🙂
Another 'Made in England' icon –

The Sydney Harbour bridge was designed and built by Dorman Long and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough Teesside and Cleveland Bridge, Darlington, County Durham

Maybe we should point out more stuff from around the world that is, in fact, English? 😉

Exactamundo whatever the component parts it's fundamentaly English.

Talkemada – That't the bit or Britshness that makes me feel patriotic and these two as well.

And

Institutions that are about people not things or places. ;]

You're right, Adman. And if all those with their petty squabbles on here could stop for a minute, and think about it, then they'd perhaps start to really see things they should be proud of.

This is a **** brilliant country to live in. Second to none. I am always happy that I do.

PeterPoddy – I do hope you were trying to be obtuse as you managed to contradict yourself beautifully there, well done. 😆

The use of a Spitfire to denote 'Englishness' is insulting to all the other nations of the UK

What a complete load of codswallop.

Falkirk-Mark
Yes apart from Crewe and where ever the other place was Merlin manufacturing did go ahead in Glasgow.
Much in the same way Nissans are/where made in Sunderland, still doesn't make them English or even British IMO.

PeterPoddy – I do hope you were trying to be obtuse as you managed to contradict yourself beautifully there, well done.

D'ya mean the bridge? It was a bit of leg pulling, aimed at the argumentitive contingent, yes, but I can't see where I contradiced myself though…. Unless you thought that I thought the Statue of Liberty was made here too, which I didn't. 🙂

What Imeant was, the SHB is an Australian icon, but it was made in England. 🙂

So what about the English language then? It's a fairly remarkable piece of work by linguistic standards, as I understand it, and actually secretly logs a lot of the progress of England/Britain through the centuries…

What a complete load of codswallop.

Not at all; the pilots who flew Spitfires/in theBattle of Britain came from all over the UK, and indeed all over the Globe.

Claiming the Spitfire as an exclusively 'English' symbol is insulting to the memory of those that died trying to defend Britain and it's colonies from Nazism. The Spitfire should be used as a symbol of the fight against Fascism, not as a symbol of Englishness. Regardless of where the 'planes were built; it was their pilots who gave their lives for our freedom. The Spitfire should serve as a monument to their bravery, not hijacked to serve the desires of Nationalism.

Read the thread!!

It talks about english design and english engineering.

Nothing to do with the war
Nothing to do with the people who flew it.

🙄