A very Brittish affair ...

Hey Guys,

So today im going to be talking about the very British culture. Anyone from England will know that we are not quite as civilized as we are made out to be. For example in the film The Parent Trap (Lindsey Lohan in her prime , its such a shame –I swear all our child star's are in rehab-Hillary Duff’s about the only one who hasn’t ended up there– Good on he –anyway) If you have ever seen this classic film , there are two twins who meet at a summer camp and neither one of them know the other exist –its quite confoggling-one lives in England and the other in California so they decide to swap lives without the parents finding out. Anyway the British stereotype in this film and many other is that we all have butlers and never swear. We all drink champagne , live in London and wear tweed suits. I guess it’s similar to our thoughts about the USA—cowgirl/country or Californian blonde bimbo.Actually I’m sure people like that exist in both countries , and it’s true watch the programme—’Harrow a very British school’ and it will confirm your beliefs. However the majority of the population here are normal , everyday people ,some chav’s , some city workaholics, some old traditionalists, some modern fashion conscious teenagers , but mostly just everyday.

 

I live in the middle of Cambridge and London so I see a right mixture of cultures. I have to admit I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to modern technology as I tell you every post , I’d rather have a conversation with someone face to face than behind a screen. Recently I celebrated my 16th birthday and me and two of my closest friends went to a beautiful place Called Grantcheser,near Cambridge. If you are over in the Uk or live here I recommend going there! We decided we were going to go for an afternoon tea , one of England's well known traditions this consists of Scones,Jam and clotted cream—so moreish and definitely a heart attack on a plate. This is traditionally served with Tea. Before we ate the scones we decided to have a Ploughman’s lunch , a slightly less well know English favourite , its basically a cheese or ham board with bread , chutneys an apple and some salad. Its called a ploughman's lunch because it is the kind of lunch a farmer/ploughman used to eat in the olden days.

 

 

So today I have decided to look up and tell you about English traditions for you to learn about too—and I have to admit we are a bit of a crazy nation…

Punting—Cambridge is famous for it’s punting. Its basically a long wooden boat that someone stands on the back of to steer. They use a big stick and pull the boat along by paddling the stick on the river bed. It’s really popular along the Cam’s river to view all the universities!

 

Pubs– Not a bar but not a restaurant. It’s a mixture. Its usually in small villages and serves traditional English ‘Pub-Grub’ for instance Toad in the hole’ , ‘Cottage pie’ and ‘Cobbler. 'The fire is lit and the rooms are often dark and cosy.

 

Fish and chips– These are takeaway restaurants found all over the Uk , Its basically battered Cod fillet served with salty chips, coated in vinegar, Served in Newspaper cones with a wooden prong of a fork—often with mushy peas—peas and flour cooked down to goop.

 

Pimm’s and garden party’s—In the summer people sit round in beautiful gardens and eat cake , drink fresh lemonade and chatter. Pimm’s is a fruity drink—similar to the idea of Sangria that is filled with fruit and lashed over ice , served from a big jug. But we can’t sit outside for too long—us brits burn!

 

The Roast Dinner –Every Sunday lunchtime we all sit down as a family and eat roasted meats—for example Beef,Pork,Chciken,Turkey,Lamb,Gammon etc. This is then served with roasted potatoes , vegetables , a Yorkshire pudding ( like a pancake battered bowl), bisto gravy and a sauce (mint,apple,cranberry etc) It is a big tradition in the Uk and most people I know still have a Roast dinner every Sunday!

 

Double Decker red buses— Transport commonly found in the centre of London. A bus that has two decks , an upstairs and a downstairs and its bright cherry red!

 

So that’s it—a few things that make us British. I personally don’t really like the British attitude—that we are better than everyone else and that ‘We are proud to be British’ because I’m not , some people are so ignorant and totally not in touch with the world because of technology and people forget what they have got. I think it’s nicer to live somewhere where the family’s care about one another , talk to each other and the community is tight and well respected—so fingers crossed the world—keep a look out for me in the future!

And just remember myeyebrowsaredark