THE BRITISH WAY

OF LIFE

made by
Sonia Kniazeva
 A PORTRAIT OF GREAT
BRITAIN
Britain has been assiduous in
preserving its traditions, but offers
the visitor much more than stately
castles and pretty villages. A
diversity of landscape, culture,
literature, art and architecture, as
well as its unique heritage, results
in a nation balancing the needs of
the present with those of its past.
RECREATIONS
The British are avid
newspaper readers. There are
11 national newspapers
published from London on
weekdays. British national
newspapers fall into 2
categories: broadsheets –
quality papers, such as The
Times or The Guardian – and
tabloids, heavy on gossip, such
as The Sun or The Daily
Mirror.
 RECREATIONS
British television is famous for the high
quality of its serious news, current affairs and
nature programmes as well as for its drama.
The publicly funded British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC), which controls 5 national
radio networks and 2 TV channels, is widely
admired.
 A FLAVOUR OF BRITISH FOOD
Britain’s unique contributions to
gastronomy include its cooked
breakfasts, afternoon teas and
satisfying puddings. Fast food and
take-aways were pioneered here
with fish and chips, the sandwich
and the Cornish pasty. Modern
British cuisine is innovative and
varied, but it is also worth seeking
out traditional dishes which use
first-rate ingredients: beef, lamb
and game figure prominently. As
an island, Britain has historically
been a fish-eating nation, although
shellfish, once cheap, have become
pricier.
A FLAVOUR OF BRITISH FOOD
 A FLAVOUR OF BRITISH FOOD
Afternoon tea, taken around
4 pm, is a British tradition
enacted daily in homes, tea-
shops and grand hotels. The tea
is usually from India or Sri
Lanka, served with optional
milk and sugar; but it scented
China or herbal tea served with
or without lemon. Small,
delicately cut sandwiches are
eaten first: fish paste and
cucumber are traditional
fillings. These may be followed
by scones, jam and cream, esp.
in the west of England. Other
options include buttered toast
or crumpets, but leave room for
a slice of fruit cake or sponge,
a chocolate éclair or a regional
speciality such as Scottish
shortbread.
 THE SPORTING YEAR
The British are great sport
fans. Soccer, rugby, cricket and
golf are popular both to watch
and to take part in. An instantly
recognizable English image is
that of the cricket match on a
village green. Nationwide,
fishing is the most popular
sporting pastime, and the British
make good use of their national
parks as enthusiastic ramblers
and walkers.
 THE SPORTING YEAR
Many of the world’s major
competitive sports, including soccer,
cricket and tennis, were invented in
Britain. Originally devised as
recreation for the wealthy, they have
entered the arena of mass
entertainment. Some, however, such as
the Royal Ascot race meeting and
Wimbledon tennis tournament, are still
valued as much for their social cachet
as for the sport itself. Other delightful
sporting events in Britain take place on
a local level: village cricket, point-to-
point racing and the Highland Games
are all popular amateur sports events.
THE SPORTING YEAR
GREAT BRITAIN THROUGH THE
YEAR
Every British season has its particular
charms. Most major sights are open all year
round, but many secondary attractions may be
closed in winter. The weather is changeable in
all seasons and the visitor is as likely to
experience a crisp, sunny February day as to be
caught in a cold, heavy shower in July. Long
periods of adverse weather and extremes of
temperature are rare. Spring is characterized by
daffodils and bluebells, summer by roses and
autumn by the vivid colour of changing leaves.
In wintertime, country vistas are visible
through the bare branches of the trees. Annual
events and ceremonies, many stemming from
age-old traditions, reflect the attributes of the
seasons.
 SPRING
As the days get longer and
warmer, the countryside starts to
come alive. At Easter many
stately homes and gardens open
their gates to visitors for the first
time, and during the week before.
Whit Sunday, or Whitsun (the
seventh Sunday after Easter), the
Chelsea Flower Show takes place.
This is the focal point of the
gardening year and spurs on the
nation’s gardeners to prepare their
summer holidays. Outside the
capital, many music and arts
festivals mark the middle months
of the year.
 SUMMER
Life moves outdoors in the summer months.
Cafés and restaurants place tables on the
pavements and pub customers take their
drinks outside. The Queen holds garden
parties for privileged guests at Buckingham
Palace while, more modestly, village fêtes – a
combination of a carnival and street party –
are organized. Beaches and swimming pools
become crowded and office workers picnic in
city parks at lunch. The rose, England’s
national flower, bursts into bloom in millions
of gardens. Cultural treats include open-air
theatre performances, outdoor concerts, the
Proms in London, the National Eisteddfod in
Wales, Glyndebourne’s opera festival, and
Edinburgh’s festival of the performing arts.
AUTUMN
After the heady escapism of
summer, the start of the new season is
marked by the various party political
conferences held in October and the
royal opening of Parliament. All over
the country on 5 November, bonfires
are lit and fireworks let off to celebrate
the foiling of an attempt to blow up the
Houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes
and his conspirators in 1605.
Cornfields become golden, trees turn
fiery yellow through to russet and
orchards are heavy with apples and
other autumn fruits. In churches
throughout the country, thanksgiving
festivals mark the harvest. The shops
stock up for the run-up to Christmas,
their busiest time of the year.

Brightly lit Christmas tree at
the centre of Trafalgar Square
WINTER
Brightly coloured fairy lights and
Christmas trees decorate Britain’s
principal shopping streets as shoppers
rush to buy their seasonal gifts. Carol
services are held in churches across
the country, and pantomime, a
traditional entertainment for children
deriving from the Victorian music
hall, fills theatres in major towns.
Many offices close between Christmas
and New Year. Shops reopen for the
January sales on 27 December – a
paradise for bargain-hunters.
 CONCLUSION
In all respects the
British are doing what
they have done for
centuries:
accommodating their
own traditions to
influences from other
cultures, while leaving
the essential elements
of their national life and The Tower of London
character intact.