[Closed] Which things in the UK are just inherently better?

Road markings... Drives me nuts in the U.S how sporadic lane markings are, and i really miss "give way" and "stop" markings at junctions... It's really easy to blow through a junction out here and think to yourself "was there a sign back there?" 🙄

Bwaarpy, I think you've miss read the OP

Oh, and tax being included in advertised prices... I really miss that!

Nope....we're better than everyone else in Europe at knocking the innocence out of kids. But yeah, this place is pretty and shit......oooh look dry stone walls....

bwaarp... do you really think that child abuse in the UK is worse than anywhere else in the world?

Mrs Binners has just said "mountain bikers with baldy heads and nice bums" . And who's going to argue with that?

Assuming that she was referring to you, rather than your baldy headed nice bottomed friend..... 😀

Yeah stupid UK and its stupid RSPCC, childrens helplines, charities and the banning of smacking etc.
I'm sure the child labourers of Africa and asia are feeling pretty smug.........

alpin - Member

bwaarp... do you really think that child abuse in the UK is worse than anywhere else in the world?

Actually the term he used was "better". I think we can safely assume it was done to provoke a reaction. An activity which is sometimes referred to as trolling.

I'd like to add 'multiculturalism and tolerance' to my previous suggestions.

I genuinely struggled to think of a single thing before opening this thread - I was going to say Heathrow Airport or the Channel Tunnel - but reading it I suppose there are a few good things, so good on you chaps and girls for reminding me of them.

Not sure the UK is better overall though than most places.

Bwaarp - if you hate that much, why not **** off? We've a shedload of Bulgarians and Romanians along soon to replace you. Who the overwhelming majority will just bump along quite pleasantly with. Shut the door on your way out.

Not sure the UK is better overall though than most places.

Depends what you're comparing it to. Better than Western Europe/North America/Australasia? Probably not better or worse, they all have their pluses and minuses. But (with some exceptions) the rest of the world?

I would say that pretty much everywhere (apart from obvious exceptions like Somalia, Yemen, North Korea) would all be likely to have their plusses and minuses. I don't know though as I haven't lived in any of them.

My perception is that the UK is not a great place to live in now, but hard to really know.

Taking our turn at the bar. If its not our turn we will point to the person whose it is.
Our European cousins will not do that. Especially that ****ing German **** on holiday.

Alpin pretty much put up a comprehensive list of things I was thinking of.

Public houses. Nobody does the drinking establishment quite like the Brits.

By late summer, the decision had been taken to build a broad tunnel, 15 feet (4.6 m) high and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, and the company advertised for tunnellers in September. The tunnel would be 3,817 yards (3,490 m) long, and was expected to take four years to complete, beginning in early 1784. In order the speed the work, 25 shafts were sunk along its length, to provide multiple work faces, the deepest of which was 244 feet (74 m). The construction contract was awarded to Charles Jones, who managed to build about one third of it, but then had financial difficulties, and so a number of other contractors were engaged to work on smaller sections of it.[2]
The tunnel was opened on 20 April 1789 after five years of construction. It has no towpath; boats were propelled through the tunnel by legging.[3] There were some defects in the workmanship, as it had to be closed for ten weeks after only a year, while repairs were carried out.[4]

[IMG] [/IMG]

The Daneway end of the Sapperton Tunnel.

[IMG] [/IMG]

The little, light-coloured thing in the distance, just in the middle of the trees, is the Daneway Inn. That's a country pub if ever there was one!

Who the overwhelming majority will just bump along quite pleasantly with.

HARR!

Actually the Bulgarians will be great, loads of idiots will vote UKIP and split the Tory vote destroying any chance of the right holding government for the next 10 years. Which is a good thing.

In the mean time I'm going to move to Vancouver so I can laugh at you from across the Atlantic.

In the mean time I'm going to move to Vancouver so I can laugh at you from across the Atlantic.

So you know what the property prices are like there then? Unless you're cash rich (pretty much a CAD$ millionaire) wave bye bye to property ownership unless you want to live in the van ghetto. Also, if you're over 35, hello to 2+ years waiting on a visa. Since you've done your homework, You're also aware that they currently have a right wing govt? (Well as right wing as ours). I don't think you'll be laughing too hard, but at least the riding will be better.

Yeah but there's Whistler - it makes up for everything. **** Coed-Y-Brenin. If the planet wasn't going to become much warmer I'd buy a mansion for next to nothing in the Philippines with my girlfriend but the way it's going, all the Northern climates are going to be in a stronger and stronger position economically with each passing decade.

Canada has much less overcrowding than the UK and the 1st language is English - unlike Sweden/Norway.

Fair point. And Squamish. And pemberton. And van island. And the kootenays. And the chilcotins. And kamloops.

I like the ability of the British to put up with odious little shits.
We're much better at it than the Canadians.
Which is a shame, eh bwaarp?

Definitely pubs. I dream of UK pubs.

The Canadians aren't bad a putting up with odious little shits either bob. A remarkably tolerant country you'll find. Should you decide to visit.

Eh oop Col. I assume you're just dreaming of pubs, full-stop at the moment.

Which is a shame, eh bwaarp?

He'll be on some Canadian bike forum in a years time complaining about how shit Canada is. Some people just like to whinge. 😉

I like the ability of the British to put up with odious little shits.
We're much better at it than the Canadians.
Which is a shame, eh bwaarp?

Quit player hating 😈 😆 whilst your grandkids are squabbling over an increasingly smaller Britain - with a higher population, a South resembling Southern Italy and more CCTV cameras to keep control of the ever more riotous citizenry.....mine will be living it large in a Northern rim economic powerhouse.....

But sure....the pubs are ammmmmazin....

This had been a nice thread bwaarp, couldn't you have spared it your attention seeking antics ?

I'd like to add the British sense of fair play to my previous suggestions.

After now spending nearly 3 years away I would say:

Humour
Real country pubs
The green and pleasant countryside (including the riding)
A legal system that, on the whole, you can trust

Theres a lot more things I do not miss but I guess thats for another thread?

Overcast days

Nothing at all.

As an ex-pat:

BBC (obviously)

Driving. The driving in Oz (specifically Sydney) is unbelievably shocking.

Morris Dancing.
Former glories.
Cynicism.
Swearing.
Pubs.

Oh, and Cider... I miss Cider...

Village fetes

Quit player hating whilst your grandkids are squabbling over an increasingly smaller Britain - with a higher population, a South resembling Southern Italy and more CCTV cameras to keep control of the ever more riotous citizenry.....mine will be living it large in a Northern rim economic powerhouse.....

I love the lack of bears. Large man eating bears. The kind you get in Canada who like to eat people. (fingers crossed)

Bwaarp, usually I am quite frugal but for people like you, I would happily chip in to pay for your (one way) ticket.

for me id like to put a thumbs up for the NHS, the mrs has just been in for 4 days and they've sorted out her illness (well nearly). at no point did i have to worry about her level of care and whether it would bankrupt us, she had ultrasounds, xrays, ct scans and MRI scans as well as pain relief etc, if i were in the US uninsured god knows what that would have meant. also i like:
countryside (lakes peaks etc) primarily because its fantastic and most places are likely to kill you if you get it wrong.
community, well at least the one i lve in where pretty much everyone says hello!.
sense of humour ( you have to have it when you ride like me )
Finally that perfect summer evening when theres no wind and the sun is warm, sat with family and friends eating and drinking and not wanting to be anywhere ele!

We’ve been living in the Netherlands for 3 years now, on our last visit back our list of things to buy (which I suppose roughly equates to stuff that’s better/cheaper in the UK than here) was; Cheddar & Stilton, Bisto, Mcoys crisps, Cadburys mini-eggs, sausages and of course bacon and also some clothes, which are massively overpriced and poorer quality here.

Other things which are better are, cheap petrol, lower energy prices, lower taxation and the BBC. Specific to here as well would be hills, but obviously some countries do have better hills than the UK.

Whilst the idea of the NHS is great, the only thing that is actually better about it is the fact that it’s free. Yes we have to pay for health care here, but the standard and availability of care is way better than on the NHS (unless you want pain killers of course in which case you get a resounding MTFU).

Which things in the UK are just inherently better? (left in the UK)

The English, take them out of the UK and they're a bloody nightmare!!

Interesting and amusing that so many people think we do so many things 'inherently better' than other nations (whose populations probable think they do too), when the reality is that we're actually in decline as a nation; economically, politically and socially.

But one thing we do very very well indeed, is import. Ideas, resources, people, cultures and habits. Ironic that some other things mentioned (beer, fish and chips, the NHS, music etc) have been developed because of the importation of said ideas, cultures etc. Because the reality is, that this resource poor island with crap weather would never have become anything of note had it not been for this phenomenon. So rather than the introspective naval gazing that doesn't do us much good, we should be taking a good look round and thanking the rest of the world for making us what we are.

Because if we don't, we'll end up as an island populated by jingoistic parochial denialists with an overinflated sense of our own true worth.

Thats not really fair though thx. You can't really say we're that insular. Over the years we've pretty much invaded everyone. 😆

Thanks for tha THX good to see you entering into the spirit!, i dont actually think most people (on here) actually think we are "inherently" better than anyone else and i got the impression that it was supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek. I like this country and i like its many and varied faults, why? beacuse i've learnt to accept some things for what they are and life really isn't fair or just of even fun a lot of the time. On balence though i think that this country does a lot of things well and i love it for that. I certainly know the history of this country and its often murky past but living in the past is not what lifes about. Oh and i'm not getting into and arguement BTW as my cup of tea is getting cold and my biscuits wont dunk correctly if too cold. 😉

Over the years we've pretty much invaded everyone.

Actually you've just highlighted something else we're really good at: Mindlessly obeying the orders of our ruling elites, who generally don't have the needs of greater society at heart, merely using the rump of the population to achive their own self-serving ends. And we're very good at accepting a monarchical society with little more than the illusion of democracy. Pretty good at being subservient sheep actually.

Baaa.

Fish and chips
Beer

We're bloody brilliant designers!! Look at the underground map. Copied by everyone. The concept was simple, but no-one had done it before. That the actual map didn't need to pay any respect to actual geographical location for it to work. Inspired!

Bloody right there. The perfect example of combining ideas to inspire something truly remarkable and unique. Yes, that's what we're really good at. 🙂

You're in a perky mood this morning! Anyway... I think that all comes under the heading 'world-weary resignation', which we're brilliant at.

I'd disagree with you though. Rather than mindlessly obeying the orders of our ruling elites, as you say, I think we're very good at completely ignoring them and getting on with our lives. Some people regard this as apathy. I think its deliberate disengagement. A different thing entirely.

Anyway... the alternative is to end up like the French or Italians. All that shouting and wild gesticulating, while dumping horse manure on town hall steps. How frightfully uncouth 😉

Rather than mindlessly obeying the orders of our ruling elites, as you say, I think we're very good at completely ignoring them and getting on with our lives.

No, we just moan* about it a lot, yet do bugger all to change things, meekly accepting whatever our masters wish.

Some people regard this as apathy. I think its deliberate disengagement. A different thing entirely.

No you're wrong. It's still apathy. 😉

*We're world leaders in moaning, surely? Wherever I've been in he world, the biggest moaners are always the Brits.

We are indeed world class tutters and head shakers. I like the Aussie joke.

How can you tell when a flight has arrived from the UK?

The whining continues after the engines have stopped.

The Aussies are far better whiners than the Brits, they really have got it down to a non stop constant drone.

I thought that was the digeridoos?

Ah, but you see; the British have got moaning down to a fine art; it's like the delicate flick between gully and slip, to the agricultural smash it out of the ground. Less is more. We're far more refined in our moaning.

We're not perfect by any stretch. No nation is untarnished.
But I don't feel apologetic for what other people have done and never will; it's history, can't be changed.

Digeridoos are extinct I thought. That's something else the Brits are good at, extincting things.
Extincting things and rewriting history.

And creating countries by drawing a random line on a map. We're good at that too 😆

@THX

A counter point to almost every part of your argument:

We import

Resource Poor? - in modern times: Oil and gas, in olden times coal and industry. The Romans only came to Britain for the tin and copper.
Our agriculture standards are amongst the highest in the world, the fact that we don't appreciate them is a real shame.

Universities - it is still considered that we are amongst the best universities in the world, Oxford, Cambridge and Hull.

And in modern times our greatest export was the

mindless ability to obey our masters..

Oh and Kelly Brooks. 😀

Queueing obviously

While we may moan a lot when it comes down to it - when the shit actually hits the fan - the British seem to deal with genuine adversity better than a lot of other nations*

*Except when it snows

- no we Exported loads, railways for example...education...parliment...medicine...democracy.

We imported all those except for the railways, and then we needed to import lots of the resources needed to develop them.

Democracy? Are you joking? 😆 We've never had democracy!!

Resource Poor? Yes; we import far more than we produce, and could not sustain our population with indigenous resources alone. Most of our mining has stopped, and we're a nation of net consumers.

Agriculture? We imported virtually all the methods used in modern farming, as well as many of the crops.

Universities - it is still considered that we are amongst the best universities in the world, Oxford, Cambridge and Hull.

Again, we imported the concept and became very good at it. As we are now at selling it to overseas students (rather than supplying it to our own).

mindless ability to obey our masters..
the kind that won the second world war.

We were better than the Germans at this (not least assisted by conscripted troops from the various British colonies).

A counter point to almost every part of your argument:

You've failed spectacularly, but thanks for reinforcing my original point though. 😉

How foolish of me! I though a thread about 3 pin plugs could not get to this level!

thx - You seem to be have really missed the point of how any successful organisation/nation/country/business develops. Of course we import ideas we have been an Island that has explored and traded all over the planet, yes "we" have done some wrong in the past but as a rule the ex-British colonies are in a better state than others.

We have also invented and exported ideas in a quantity out of all proportion to our size, this is probably helped by our history of immigration, emigration and colonisation.

For what its worth I think my favourites are now:
3 Pin plugs
OS Maps
NHS/free health care
Police who do not carry guns all of the time
Beef

Jus to bring this back on track, our superheroes..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-21654930

Superiority complexes.

What is with is this left wing pessimism?
Why do you commies find it so hard to champion, to congratulate, to be happy for?
Is it bitter, bitter jealousy?

I'd say we're inherently better engineers.
Just look at all the engineering talent [b]we export[/b] to other countries.

thx - You seem to be have really missed the point of how any successful organisation/nation/country/business develops

I haven't. Quite the opposite in fact!

We have also invented and exported ideas in a quantity out of all proportion to our size, this is probably helped by our history of immigration, emigration and colonisation.

I'm not arguing that at all. In fact I agree. But the idea that Britain 'invented' such concepts as universities, education, medicine and most laughably, 'democracy', shows just how insular some people can be.

We're extremely good at taking ideas and developing them, and coming up with some stunners of our own. Just that we should not forget the influence the rest of the world has had on our little island, and the importance of the input by 'foreigners'. I think some people do lose sight of that at times. Mind you, others can be guilty of this too; I once heard a well educated American being adamant that 'Kodak invented photography'. 😆

What is with is this left wing pessimism?
Why do you commies find it so hard to champion, to congratulate, to be happy for?
Is it bitter, bitter jealousy?

I think you may have posted in the wrong thread. Because I don't see any of this 'left wing pessimism' of which you speak. Or any confirmed 'commies' posting.

3 Pin plugs

Now you're talking. The undisputed world champion of plugs. Stick that in your socket, Johnny Foreigner! 😀

Getting the serious/pissing around balance about right,

For what its worth I think my favourites are now:
3 Pin plugs
OS Maps
NHS/free health care
Police who do not carry guns all of the time
Beef

A very good list. For me it needs a few additions, though;
Cheese
Beer
BBC

jingoistic parochial denialists with an overinflated sense of our own true worth.

But hay, we are world class at it 😐

Why do people think that positivity about one's own country means negativity about another?

thx1138 - Member

I think you may have posted in the wrong thread. Because I don't see any of this 'left wing pessimism' of which you speak. Or any confirmed 'commies' posting.

Every post you have made in this thread is full of negativity.
Why not stay on topic, or simply refrain from posting?

ETA: Whisky. 🙂

Why do people think that positivity about one's own country means negativity about another?

Erm...

Why not stay on topic, or simply refrain from posting?

Not fully understanding you there, old chap, mainly on account of you seeming to be off on a rant of your own about something. 🙄

I would add that another positive attribute of the British is that we have the ability to discuss things in a calm, reasonable and respectful manner, without flying off the handle and resorting to silliness. Some of us at least are really rather good at that. 😉

Every post you have made in this thread is full of negativity.

Or is it simply that you are interpreting my comments in a negative manner? Sorry if that offends you, but I think I'll say what I want, if that's all the same. Because another positive attribute of the British, is that we have a strong belief in the importance of freedom of speech. 🙂

Curry houses
Sense of innovation
"Fairness"
Our understanding of queuing
Marmite
Dr Martens
Harvey's Best Bitter
Pubs - real ones , not the themed crap!
The way we finally bought into Olympics , after a whole load of apathy onece Holland and Romey had sounded off
The way we know how to drive around roundabouts
The Sunday Times
Cadbury's Dairy Milk. It's not great quality but thats not the point
The Union Flag
Our "modern" music

Erm...

I like English cheese. The English make good cheese.
I like French cheese. The French make good cheese.

Two countries can be good at something. No negativity.

Not fully understanding you there, old chap, mainly on account of you seeming to be off on a rant of your own about something.

It's quite simple, but I'll explain it again if you're having difficulty.
This thread is about things in the UK that are inherently better (the clue is in the title :wink:) , yet you seem to want to dwell on the opposite.

I would add that another positive attribute of the British is that we have the ability to discuss things in a calm, reasonable and respectful manner, without flying off the handle and resorting to silliness. Some of us at least are really rather good at that.

Yes, at least we understand irony. 😉

Or is it simply that you are interpreting my comments in a negative manner?

"the reality is that we're actually in decline as a nation; economically, politically and socially"

Doesn't sound too positive.

"Actually you've just highlighted something else we're really good at: Mindlessly obeying the orders of our ruling elites, who generally don't have the needs of greater society at heart, merely using the rump of the population to achive their own self-serving ends. And we're very good at accepting a monarchical society with little more than the illusion of democracy. Pretty good at being subservient sheep actually. "

Nope, no positivity there.

"Bloody right there."

Ooh, what's this?

"The perfect example of"

Looks promising...

"combining ideas"

Oh no! The inference that the good thing just had to be down to someone else.

"We're world leaders in moaning, surely? "

Back to normal again.

I could go on, but I think I've provided enough examples to ease your comprehension.

Music - considering our size, British Music has and continues to punch well above it's weight around the world.

thx1138

Sorry if that offends you

Firstly, you are not sorry.
Secondly, nothing you write offends me.
Except this:

not least assisted by conscripted troops from the various British colonies

Are you suggesting that all those "from the colonies" that gave their lives were forced to do it?

I am offended as it cheapens the sacrifices made by my family, when they chose to fight.
I understand that is probably not something you can comprehend. 💡

Chips.

loum - Member
Chips.

Shoulder or plate variety?

But not fries. 😀

Trolling

And definitely navel gazing

Hook Norton Ales

We do that better than anyone else

Trail network

Islay and its produce
Deuchars
Haggis
Stornoway Black pudding
Cumberland sausages
Yorkshire Puddings
Access Rights (Scotland)

Manners*

*yes, I'm serious!

It's quite simple, but I'll explain it again if you're having difficulty.
This thread is about things in the UK that are inherently better (the clue is in the title :wink:) , yet you seem to want to dwell on the opposite.

It's very amusing that you seem to think I'm the one having 'difficulty', when it's you that was blethering on some idiotic nonsense about 'left wing negativity' and 'commies'! 😆

Get over yourself and lighten up ffs! I'm perfectly entitled to make whatever comment I like;it be it positive, negative or any shade of grey in between. It's a public forum. A place of discussion and comment. You don't get to dictate to me what I can and cannot say.

I could go on,

You do a bit, rather. 😉

Are you suggesting that all those "from the colonies" that gave their lives were forced to do it?

A great number of them were, yes. As they were 'subjects of the British Empire'. Read up on your History; something we Brits are rather good at writing (there, see? Positive!)

I am offended as it cheapens the sacrifices made by my family, when they chose to fight.
I understand that is probably not something you can comprehend.

Now you're just being deliberately offensive. Bye.

Has no one yet mentioned F1/top level motorsport engineering? Aren't most of the F1 teams based/have factories in the UK?

thx1138 - Member

Has no one yet mentioned F1/top level motorsport engineering? Aren't most of the F1 teams based/have factories in the UK?

Yes, I mentioned engineering.
Nice claw back.

Double Decker, you can't buy any Double Decker in France,as well as Crunchies. Surely there is a market somewhere.

thx1138 - Member

Now you're just being deliberately offensive.

I'm not being offensive, just pointing out that in your frenzy to denigrate the UK you've ended up being exceedingly offensive to some of us who hail from foreign shores.

Bye.

Sorry to see you leave, but do close the door on your way out; don't want any nasty drafts getting in. 😉