Being British
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What does being british mean to you?
Most outstanding to me about being British (English with Scottish parents) is the sense of fair play and justice and wanting respect as you give to others. I am certainly not an EU fan, a long way from wanting a ‘super state’ being ruled from Brussels but I have respect for the individual European countries and for what they stand for. Now is the time to close ranks and be proud to be British, stand along side one another and support ourselves, be selfish to the point where we come first for a change and think of what is best for Britain and its loyal people Rob, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Being British means everything to me. After almost forty years in Brussels, I still have tears in my eyes for an identity that has now become practically virtual. Being born British is reflected in an almost Victorian education. School uniform, being caned (as in bamboo cane) or having a ruler slash your finger tips by a furious headmistress when only six years old. As a child, books by Enid Blyton, Bronte sisters or the silly Beano, the Famous Five (my method of escaping and no television). The Archers, strawberries and clotted cream. The hymns that we sung meaninglessly and repeatedly but today brings tears to my eyes. Being born British was my passport to success. Being British meant the liberators of WW2. Being English, unfortunately, has come to be associated with hooliganism, drunken holidaymakers and dare I continue... Ann Johnson, Brussels, Belgium
The joy of being a 'pom' in the Antipodes? Being the butt of a variety of 'whingeing' jokes, exasperation at our 'better luck next time' attitude to sport, and disbelief at our reserve in times of high drama. Most of all, and most gratifyingly, acknowledgment from all around me that there very few others in the world with the will and resolve not to be intimidated by those with corrupt and perverse ideology Ian Matthews, New Zealand
Being British is: applauding the other team when they score. It’s being courteous to people serving me at a store. It’s giving way at a roundabout (somewhat nerve-wracking here) It’s helping my elderly next door neighbour for the pleasure of it. It’s respecting the values and traditions that were instilled into me by my parents along with a strong community spirit. It’s feeling profoundly satisfied with a Monarch who has served us faithfully for over 50 years Linda, Sydney, Australia
As a British-born dual citizen living in Australia, I treasure my innate British values as a moral compass that I suspect that citizens of "newer" countries do not have. Britain to me is like an old-fashioned parent: it looks after you if you're good, but doesn't lavish you with praise like the Americans would, lest you become big-headed; it will also look after you if you're bad, providing you show the appropriate level of remorse and promise to do better next time. If you're really bad, you're held up as a bad example and punished in front of your peers as a deterrent, but it won't abandon you Lorraine, Australia
Being British is to proud of our history and its Christian values. It is about defending our country, our freedom and these values. It is about integration and acceptance of our values. It is remembering those who have given up their lives for the same and be prepared, without question, to follow in their footsteps. David Thijm, Stourbridge, United Kingdom
Being British is a state of mind, not just a stamp on a passport or a place of birth. If you believe that right and wrong do exist and that the former is preferable, in tolerance for another’s views, in supporting his right to do something of which you disapprove as long as it does not materially harm others, and if you oppose the State interfering unnecessarily in people’s lives, you qualify as British. William Vincent, Sevenoaks, United Kingdom
As a British citizen living long term in Shanghai, China I have come to understand all that is great about being British. In Shanghai, when all are panicking around you, when it is considered acceptable to rush into a lift before you leave, to slam doors in other people's faces and push and shove in queues one comes to learn that there is a fundamental decency to being British. Superficial as these things are, they are fundamental to the way in which we deal with each other and also other cultures. Respect for other people, politeness and an understated personal appearance combined with an inner confidence, these are the values that are fundamental to being British Chris, Shanghai, China
To feel British is something you experience when you are away from Britain. Its green countryside. Safety when walking the streets. The fact that we band together against adversity. So many things have been invented in our country Barry Ashcroft, Barnet, Herts, United Kingdom
Being British means having a respect and intellectual understanding of our institutions, and the continuity of our island life that they represent. It is to understand and accept that change comes about through evolution in society, not revolution. It means that when in doubt, we try and do the right thing and deploy a heavy dose of common sense. It means that when our political party does not win an election, and no matter how fiercely we disagree with the winners, that we become the Loyal Opposition. It means that we will tolerate any point of view, however outrageous, until it stops tolerating us. It means being able to laugh at ourselves and never take offence. It means that we will argue amongst ourselves, but be instantly united if our country is threatened. And, most importantly, it means that our patriotism is intellectual and born of a conviction that does not need to be expressed in words or flags because we are supremely comfortable and confident with who we are as a people. Mark Newdick, Danbury, CT (Expat), USA
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