 |
FACTS ABOUT ENGLAND |
See also ...
|
In this section I try to give you an idea in words of what England is like through a series of frequently asked questions. What I am not trying to do in this article is to supply "tourist information" answers that only highlight the good things about England. Instead, I am trying to give you an impression of England from the viewpoint of someone who lives here but who has seen other parts of the world. (Click here for some photos of England, here for photos of London). |
| England is a country in
Western Europe with a population of about 49 million
people, according to the census taken in 2001. The
capitol of England is London, located in the south east
of England, and is home to about 7 million folk.
England is a moderately ethnically diverse country, the
percentage of non-Caucasians being about 8%. The
surface area of England is about 50,000 square miles,
and so the population density is about 1000 people per
square mile. Contrast this with the USA, for
example, where the population density is about 80 people
per square mile!
Most English folk see England as splitting broadly into three regions - the South, the Midlands and the North. There are two acknowledged rules of thumb here in England: as a rule, the South of England tends to be wealthier than the north. On the other hand, Northerners are noted as being friendly than Southerners. As one who now lives in the South but went to university in the North, I can vouch for the correctness of this! |
What are Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
| There seems to be a certain amount of confusion about the differences between England, Wales, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom - and not just among us lot. Great Britain is the biggest island of the British Isles, and therefore consists of the countries of England, Wales and Scotland. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (but NOT the Republic of Ireland). Note that Tony Blair is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and not just England. |
How does politics work in England?
| Politics in England
(and indeed the whole of the United Kingdom) is based on
the monarch (i.e. Queen Elizabeth) being head of state.
However, in practice, the monarch has very little, if
any, involvement in the running of the United Kingdom
(UK). Instead, the monarch appoints a Prime
Minister (Tony Blair at the present time) to deal with
governing the UK. Again, this appointment is a
formality - the Prime Minister is in fact elected by the
people of the UK during elections that are held every
four or five years.
There are three main political parties here in the UK. These are the Labour Party (currently in government), the Conservative Party (the official Opposition party at the moment), and the Liberal Democrats. In broad terms, the Labour Party holds left-wing views, the Conservative Party traditionally holds right-wing views, and the Liberals are in the centre. Each "region" of the UK (there are about 650 or so such regions) has its own Member of Parliament (MP), and during elections, votes are cast to elect an MP for each region. The party who gains the largest number of MPs takes overall charge. At the moment, the Labour Party has the greatest number of MPs, and so Tony Blair (head of the Labour Party) is Prime Minister. |
What holidays do we have in England?
| In England we have about eight
national holidays each year. These are: New Year's Day (January 1st) Good Friday (varies) Easter Monday (varies) Early May Bank Holiday (first Monday in May) Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May) Summer Bank Holiday (last Monday in August) Christmas Day (December 25th) Boxing Day (December 26th) It is worth noting that there is no statutory right to time off for bank and public holidays. Time off or extra pay for working on a bank holiday depends on the terms of an employee's contract of employment! England has fewer public holidays than virtually every other nation in Europe. There are plans to declare November 12th as an additional national holiday - I will await with interest to see if this ever comes about! |
What's the English weather like?
| Now onto the
light-hearted stuff - though I should point out that
most of us English are obsessed with the weather! The
English weather has a reputation for not being that
wonderful, and in some ways that reputation is
justified. At the very least, the weather here is
very erratic, especially around this time of the year
and in autumn. Part of the reason for that is our
geographical location - to the east we have land mass of
continental Europe and to the West is the Atlantic
Ocean.
The Metrological Office, who supply all weather forecasts here, has terrible trouble predicting the weather accurately and has had several notable failures, even though it has one of the most powerful computers in Europe to compute the weather. Most notable was the failure in 1987 to predict a hurricane that devastated many parts of the UK! That was notable because the weather forecast on TV confidently assured us that there would be NO hurricane, as people had phoned in for confirmation! In general, the summers are warm here in the UK, with the South having the most stable weather. Temperatures will frequently hit 30 degrees Celsius or more (86 Fahrenheit) in July and August, though temperatures will fluctuate a few degrees either side of this, and it will tend to be cooler in the North. In winter, the most severe weather hits the northern regions of the UK - snow is seen comparatively rarely in the South, though winter evenings will be cold in the central regions. Coastal regions tend to stay slightly warmer in winter than the central regions. As for rain, it's fair to say that we get plenty of rain and one can never quite predict when, for how long and how hard it will be. At the time of writing this item (early May), the weather is alternating on a daily basis between heavy rain and clear blue skies. |
What are the English people like?
| A good question, and in
many ways the answer is that they're no different from
anywhere else. I've been lucky enough to visit a
few countries, and I can say that the English aren't that
much different from the rest of the world! I could
make a few observations, though.
First of all, I would say that the English are, on the whole, a fairly shy and reserved race, at least when they are in the presence of strangers. For example, I have not spoken more than a few words to my next door neighbour, even though she's lived next to me for about 12 months. That's just plain shyness, of course. Once you get an English person on your side, and show him or her that you're a good guy, they'll do anything for you. I would contrast your average Englishman with the average American though. I've related this to a number of people in the past, but I have always been staggered by how friendly Americans are to a stranger. So much so, that it has taken me aback as I know I wouldn't get such an immediate reaction over here. But as I say, once an English person gets to know you, you have a friend for life. England has its fair share of social problems, not the least of which is the alcohol culture among young people. Youngsters love to go out and get drunk of an evening and then look for trouble when the pubs and clubs close. However, unless you go into a town or city centre late at night, you are unlikely to encounter any trouble of that sort, as a visitor. The other traditional problem that we have here is hooliganism at football matches, both here and in Europe. The problem is nowhere near as bad as it used to be, but in some places in Europe the English are not welcome on account of past misdemeanours. To sum up, The English are in general a fairly reserved race, until they get to know you. They'll be totally polite (or most people will be) as they get to know you, and once they do so you'll have a friend for life. |
| Over the years, English
food has had something of a reputation for being rather
bland, boring and not something to make a special visit
for! In my view, this criticism is unfounded,
though of course the quality of food will vary from one
establishment to another.
Traditional British food is of a fairly simple nature, and if well-cooked can be quite delicious. As I hinted above, roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy is a favourite meal for Sunday lunch. Roast lamb, pork and chicken are often eaten, too. Another traditional meal here is fish and chips. Chips are what we call "fries", and the fish is usually cod or haddock, deep fried in batter. A favourite meal out on a Sunday for many English is a trip to a "carvery". One of my personal favourite foods is pasty. Pasty is meat and vegetables in a pastry case, and if you get a good one, then it is food to savour. The ones you buy in the supermarket are generally edible, but not as good as home-made ones. The Cornish pasty is my favourite, and down in Cornwall and Devon they have pasty making contests - boy I'd love to be a judge! I should also mention that curry is a very popular meal too. Curries originate from India, and is meat or fish and / or vegetables in a spicy sauce, usually served with rice. Finally, if you want a tip for some comfort food on a bad day, my own favourites are: Sausages with chips and baked beans, bacon and egg on toast, or bacon, cheese and tomato on toast! |
| There is a common view that
public transport in England is not that good - that
the trains and buses don't run on time, and that the
London Underground is awful, and so on. To some
extent, this is true. But part of this stems
from the fact that there is a very extensive network
of public transport in England, and so there is quite
a lot that can go wrong. To sum up, you will get
where you want to go through public transport in
England, sometimes being ten minutes late, but rarely
more than an hour late.
Trains will take you to all of the major cities in England, and also to most of the major towns as well. The trains are modern and fast, but as I hinted in the first paragraph, are sometimes prone to running a few minutes late. Information is good at stations though, and timetables are available online. The Eurostar trains take you from London through to Paris or Brussels. Virtually all medium to large towns are served by a network of buses that will take you around that town, and also to neighbouring towns. There are various coach services that will take you longer distances, if you prefer not to use the train. Driving in England is perfectly feasible, though of course most overseas visitors will have to remember that we drive on the left here in England! Cars are easy to rent, but most will be manual transmission cars. The standard of driving is variable in England. Most drivers are courteous and considerate to other road users, but you also come across the ultra-slow folk (usually old people) who don't drive over 35 mph, no matter what the road conditions are like - and also the ultra-reckless idiots who don't give a damn and drive way to fast for the road conditions. |
| England has a very wide range of
newspapers, radio stations and television channels.
Some of these are national, and some cover smaller
regional areas. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is one of the best known television companies in the world. The BBC carries no adverts - the majority of BBC funding comes from the "television license", which all owners of a TV set have to pay, regardless of whether they watch the BBC or not! Currently (2008) the cost of the license is about £140 for a colour television set. The BBC provides a number of TV channels. Some of these are: BBC 1: General viewing, game shows, entertainment, etc. BBC 2: Slightly more cerebral content that would appeal to a smaller audience BBC 3 and BBC 4: Only available on digital TV, more minority viewing. BBC News 24: The BBC's 24 hour news channel. Sports fans and those who really do need hundreds of channels to surf need to get satellite or cable television. Sky television is the main source of sport on TV in England. As with its television output, the BBC has a number of regional and national radio stations. Some of the national stations are: Radio 1: For the younger audience, with music and issues chosen accordingly. Radio 2: Lighter music and general entertainment. Radio 3: Classical music. Radio 4: Mostly talk,. relating to news, current events and other items of interest. Radio 5: Again mostly talk, but also provides sports commentaries too. Newspapers in England are produced either for a local or national audience, and fit broadly into three categories: The Sun, The Daily Star and others provide a simplified treatment of the news and tend to major in gossip and scandal type news items. The Daily Express and the Daily Mail have a right-wing slant to their treatment of the news, and appeal to many middle-class people and families. The Times, The Guardian and others provide a more sophisticated treatment of current events and tend to be popular with the more intellectual reader. |
What do the English do for hobbies?
| The English enjoy a wide
range of activities when they're not slaving away at the
office. I guess really we don't many things that
aren't done anywhere else in the world. People who
live near to rivers or lakes enjoy going fishing or
boating or water-skiing. People who live in the
countryside enjoy going out for a walk or a stroll, and
fit folk who enjoy sports will go and play golf or
football for their local team. Many pubs have
their own football team that plays in special leagues
for pub teams.
Talking of pubs, a popular pastime for the English is to go out to the pub in the evening. This is not just for drinking, but is a way of socialising with friends, and many pubs have dartboards, pool tables, and other games to play. Bigger pubs will have live music on a reasonably regular basis, and a lot have "quiz nights" from time to time. Many of the wealthier English families buy holiday homes in France and Spain and other regions of Europe. This causes a certain amount of consternation among the locals in these countries, but we enjoy taking holidays abroad just as much as talking them here in England and Great Britain. As I'm sitting here writing this, I'm struggling to think of any sort of hobby that could uniquely be thought of as English or British. We do the same things as everyone else. There are a few events held around the country that are part of the traditions of that region of the country. In the Cotswolds, there is a traditional event called "cheese rolling". At Cooper's Hill in the Cotswolds, it is traditional to roll a giant cheese down the hill, and people run down the hill chasing after the cheese. The first one to get to the bottom of the hill (and still in one piece!) wins the cheese. |
|
OK, here's some serious stuff! Every country around the world prescribes certain minimum ages before you can legally undertake certain activities. Here are some of the "legal ages" for certain activities in the UK:
|
How about the cost of living in England?
The cost of living is
rising rapidly in England, and is a source of much
consternation to most English folk - this one included!
Below are some typical prices that you might expect to
pay for certain commodities in England and the UK.
Note that £1 (one pound) is approximately equal to 1.4
Euros and about 1.9 US dollars:
The cost of accommodation is particularly frightening, and many young people in the UK are completely unable to buy their first house, as costs are just prohibitive. Of course there are regional variations - accommodation and housing gets cheaper if you move further north. Living near to London is seen as particularly advantageous, and the prices in Didcot (which is very well placed for London) ensure that prices will always stay high here. |
What are some good places to visit here?
| Oh there are many
wonderful places to visit in this wonderful country of
mine! If you love the city life (and can afford
it), then go and visit London. There you'll find a
wonderful cosmopolitan bunch of people amid all the
traditional sights, and they'll all smile as they take
your money from you! Seriously, though, London is
a very special place to visit, just as Paris or New York
are. Other big cities to visit include Birmingham,
Manchester, Liverpool, ... If you prefer the more sedate lifestyle, I'd recommend Exmoor, the Cotswolds or the Lake District. Exmoor is located in the south west of England, and is basically a big and open national park. I adore Exmoor (and have even considered insisting that when I go - hopefully not too soon - I'll have my ashes scattered over the Exmoor countryside! Exmoor is a mixture of hills and woodland, located on the coast. So, you can either walk amid the greenery or go and stroll along the beach. Don't forget to visit Lynmouth, Lynton and Porlock while you're there! The Cotswolds is located in the centre-west of England, and consists of rolling hills, quaint towns and villages and lovely countryside. My parents live in the Cotswolds, so I can go and see all of this whenever I like - aren't I lucky! You have two choices in the Cotswolds; you can spend your time slowly strolling the high streets and back streets of the towns, or you can walk the countryside and get some exercise. Around about now (May) the Cotswolds is starting to fill up with tourists who are enjoying all it has to offer. The Lake District is located in the north of England, and is all about hills and mountains and spectacular scenery. It's been a number of years since I've been there, but I still fondly remember all-day walks around the hills and enjoying the views. Again, the Lake District is very popular with tourists who know how to appreciate something good. England of course has some of the most famous ancient artefacts in the world. Stonehenge is known to virtually everyone on the planet, and there are various other stone circles and symbols around the country. There are hundreds of old castles, in various stages of ruin, and every town in this country has its own unique character and features. If you've never been to England, come and visit us here. You'll love it! |