Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

lostinrates

DH and I failed...joint efort...does that make it worse?...but we did laugh a lot doing it.

Things we think make British culture are the fairness of queuing systems...people might jump but there are no separate queues for special people, that smiling in lifts or transport gets you more space, that gardens are definitely desirable, that supermarkets get a ''niceness'' ranking, that world food is to be explored and enjoyed! That beer is room temperature and at the very least NEVER over ice, that discussing the way to get somewhere is a good small talk conversation...that sort of thing.

Some of the things that always feel British to me are going though...like not needing a pound or a token for a trolley.

carolt

Britishness...like your list, lir.

What do we all see as the essence of Britishness?

I'd say (contrary to what this forum would suggest!) a general tolerance of others, a sense of political apathy, or rather dislike of getting too heated about politics (both of which qualities I rather like - why we don't have a Le Pen figure here, can't be bothered to have much in the way of riots and revolutions and generally distrust nations that do...); poor quality ice-creams, good parks, a general dislike of anyone, particularly female, who is too successful; good chocolate (though will that last now Cadbury's belongs to the Yanks?); a fondness for the underdog; an innate sense of self and individuality (few nations do eccentrics as well as the British - it's why we excel at fashion and pop music); um...wonderful roast dinners and a good line in stodgy nursery puddings (all hail apple crumble and custard)...

I know there are loads I've forgotten.

Interested to see what others think - someof those listed above are comments I've heard over and over again from non-British people, that I agree with.

But I'm sure there is so much more; partly because I find myself having to teach the kids stuff all the time, that I take for granted but isn't obvious at all - like who you tip and how; or lir's 'how to queue' point.

Anyone else?

vivatifosi

I'd go along with those carolt. The thing that I notice most - except perhaps the Highlands of Scotland - is that Britain is actually very pretty rather than dramatic. The Americans have the Grand Canyon, we have the Cheddar Gorge; the French have the Alps, we have the Cotswolds; we don't have the spiders that want to kill you of the Australians, but we don't have the Great Barrier Reef either. Instead its like living in a very pretty model village. Sometimes when I hear music played over film of the scenery of a country it is grand and orchestral, whereas we are a green and pleasant land.

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

ice cream.

You've just reminded me, I bought some lovely magnums last week.... off to get one now.

They're dead posh, individually boxed, like a box of chocs. You have to peel the plastic retaining sticker and it lays inside on its own atop a piece of corrugated paper, like you get on top of chocs when you first open the box.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9mFfRBPkPlY/SrK9zkrUOjI/AAAAAAAABH8/aXZ2YOhP1nU/s400/Ecrin_Ouvert_Magnum_Temptation_Amande_Caramel-bb2ee.jpg

carolt

vivatifosi wrote: »

I'd go along with those carolt. The thing that I notice most - except perhaps the Highlands of Scotland - is that Britain is actually very pretty rather than dramatic. The Americans have the Grand Canyon, we have the Cheddar Gorge; the French have the Alps, we have the Cotswolds; we don't have the spiders that want to kill you of the Australians, but we don't have the Great Barrier Reef either. Instead its like living in a very pretty model village. Sometimes when I hear music played over film of the scenery of a country it is grand and orchestral, whereas we are a green and pleasant land.

True.

We also have - since a decade or so ago - some of the most boring, identikit town centres known to man; and are pleasantly messy.

I really like the fact that Englishwomen on the whole aren't very groomed. Frenchwomen, Italians, even Americans, generally make an effort and it shows, whereas (although I know some who do) large numbers of Englishwomen really can't be bothered.

Oh, and we do irony. Americans (generally) don't. We're cynical and pretty pessimistic. And the majority of us seem to combine hating Europeans with the habit of holidying there twice a year and possibly retiring out there.

What a strange lot we are.

carolt

pasturesnew wrote: »

you've just reminded me, i bought some lovely magnums last week.... Off to get one now.

They're dead posh, individually boxed, like a box of chocs. You have to peel the plastic retaining sticker and it lays inside on its own atop a piece of corrugated paper, like you get on top of chocs when you first open the box.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9mffrbpkply/srk9zkruoji/aaaaaaaabh8/axz2yohp1nu/s400/ecrin_ouvert_magnum_temptation_amande_caramel-bb2ee.jpg

I WANT ONE.

Do Tesco's sell them??!

PasturesNew

carolt wrote: »

I WANT ONE.

Do Tesco's sell them??!

No idea. No Tescos here.

I bought them on the cheap as the CoOp closed down, now awaiting a tiny Asda in that slot.

I think the price is about £4 for 3. I picked up two packets of three boxes for 90p/3. So 30p each.

Bargain

I've scoffed 3 in the past week ... now 4 actually. So still 2 left.

PasturesNew

Logged onto Tesco site. Magnum Temptation, 3 in a box for £3.49

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=264403183

You peel off that wrapper, which is a firmer variety of the type of wrappers Crunchies have, with the silver on the inside. And inside there are three individual silver boxes. Each box contains one ice cream.

For some bizarre reason, the Caramel variety seem much cheaper, at £1.74
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=264403177

And that's not a special price.

carolt

The aptly-named 'Magnum Temptation'.

They're my basket now - £1.74 for a pack of 3 from Mr T. :drool:

Edit: cross post.

My branch is cheaper than your branch, clearly.

By a LOT.

PasturesNew

carolt wrote: »

The aptly-named 'Magnum Temptation'.

They're my basket now - £1.74 for a pack of 3 from Mr T. :drool:

Edit: cross post.

My branch is cheaper than your branch, clearly.

By a LOT.

A lot of people always say "London's expensive".... whenever I have actually compared like-for-like, direct matches of goods and services London's always cheaper than where I live.


Here prices are aimed at rich folks with 2nd homes etc, holidaymakers.

Everything's expensive in Cornwall, except houses where men in trackie bottoms live (see my other thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2784530 )