St Georges Day April 23rd - Page 3

**Double Trouble** · 24th-April-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

it's a lot better than somewhere you fear for your life due to violent factions or insanitary drinking water. It's all relative.

Sorry, off topic...

Undoubtedly that is the case for some but there have been many debates I've listened to on radio and TV where there are plenty who come here for a meal ticket and a place to live.

Many people who come here because of "violent factions or insanitary drinking water" have to go through several Safe countries before they get to England, but they don't stay in those places because they know they will be looked after here...at the tax payers expense.

stewart38 · 24th-April-2008, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

If by "everyone" you mean those who are refugees or economic migrants from very poor countries, then the answer is simple - because although life in the US or Britain might not be perfect, it's a lot better than somewhere you fear for your life due to violent factions or insanitary drinking water. It's all relative.

Im talking about 1st world countries

Reasons why they come here are my thoughts ??

Australia (no jobs or rain at home)
Sweden (too cold at home and too many Ikea products)
Germany (to many Turks in their home land)
New Zealand (too many sheep at home)
Isreal (too many bombs)
South Africa (too near Zimbabwe)

Give me one country in the world better to live in then UK apart from USA

France is a safe country but they still want to come here ???why ??

Astro · 24th-April-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stewart38

I dont know if your English you seem to be ashamed of your location but you sum up what is basically wrong with many Englishers

Their ashamed of their nationality, i hope over the next few decades this will change

Saw the English flag on the post office van, I assume the local paper will report it as 'racist'

I am English, and I understand what you're saying. Someone put a Union Jack up one day for some celebratory reason (may have been ST.George's Day, a few years ago) and was intimidated into taking it down by the rest of the community.

Quote:

ps why does everyone want to live here or in the USA if its so bad ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

If by "everyone" you mean those who are refugees or economic migrants from very poor countries, then the answer is simple - because although life in the US or Britain might not be perfect, it's a lot better than somewhere you fear for your life due to violent factions or insanitary drinking water. It's all relative.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Trouble

Many people who come here because of "violent factions or insanitary drinking water" have to go through several Safe countries before they get to England, but they don't stay in those places because they know they will be looked after here...at the tax payers expense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stewart38

France is a safe country but they still want to come here ???why ??

It's easier to migrate to England if you have a passport from an English Colony/ex colony, like -

India
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe/Zambia)
Nigeria
Kenya
Ghana
Banglasdesh
Pakistan
Jamaica
Barbados
Grenada
British Guyana
Australia/
NZ
Canada
Ceylon (new name?)
Lots more, but don't know them all.

Anywhere where cricket is played.

stewart38 · 24th-April-2008, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astro

It's easier to migrate to England if you have a passport from an English Colony/ex colony, like -

India
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe/Zambia)
Nigeria
Kenya
Ghana
Banglasdesh
Pakistan
Jamaica
Barbados
Grenada
British Guyana
Australia/
NZ
Canada
Ceylon (new name?)
Lots more, but don't know them all.

Anywhere where cricket is played.

Wrong answer

see below

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Trouble

Many people who come here because of "violent factions or insanitary drinking water" have to go through several Safe countries before they get to England, but they don't stay in those places because they know they will be looked after here...at the tax payers expense.

Anyway of thread

**Twirly** · 24th-April-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astro

It's easier to migrate to England if you have a passport from an English Colony/ex colony, like -

Ceylon (new name?)
Lots more, but don't know them all.

Anywhere where cricket is played.

Ceylon = Sri Lanka these days.

And we do have a reputation for tolerance and immigration. Even before the 1950's and 60's (maybe historically that's being invaded by the Saxons, Normans, Vikings, etc. - they just do it a bit more peacefully these days!).

Maybe that's one reason why this "let's celebrate being English" thing doesn't work - what exactly does being English mean, how do you define who is English?

**Kel_Warminster** · 24th-April-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

Maybe that's one reason why this "let's celebrate being English" thing doesn't work - what exactly does being English mean, how do you define who is English?

"English", or "British" Twirly? Some colleagues and I were discussing at work how being English may be detrimental, whereas British seems more all-encompassing?

Funnily enough, it being St Georges day, and two of my workmates being staunchly Welsh, set the whole conversation going. They would rather say they're Welsh than British.

**Twirly** · 24th-April-2008, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kel_Warminster

"English", or "British" Twirly? Some colleagues and I were discussing at work how being English may be detrimental, whereas British seems more all-encompassing?

Funnily enough, it being St Georges day, and two of my workmates being staunchly Welsh, set the whole conversation going. They would rather say they're Welsh than British.

In the context of this discussion, definitely English. I think that people have fewer problems defining themselves as Scottish, Irish or Welsh for some reason. And I suspect that many people have stronger regional identities (Geordie or Cornish, etc.) than they do English.

I wonder, do the English think of themselves as "British", whilst the Scots, Irish and Welsh have their own national identities first?

As an aside, it does make me laugh sometimes how we (presumably as a hangover from days of Empire) have managed to get the rest of the world to refer to us as "Great" Britain. Has any other country got the audacity to add such a grand prefix to their country's name and get other countries to actually use it?!

**Double Trouble** · 24th-April-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

(presumably as a hangover from days of Empire)

Its short for Greater, where Greater is refereing to the outlying islands and territories of the UK as well as the main island of england, scotland and wales.

**Twirly** · 24th-April-2008, 03:04 PM

But isn't it a bit out of date now?!

**Minnie M** · 24th-April-2008, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluey

.........its mine today so Im celebrating the day twice!!

Happy belated Birthday Bluey - really sorry I missed it - looking forward to giving you a birthday hug this weekend

Astro · 24th-April-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

Ceylon = Sri Lanka these days.

And, not forgetting Hong Kong.

Quote:

And we do have a reputation for tolerance and immigration. Even before the 1950's and 60's (maybe historically that's being invaded by the Saxons, Normans, Vikings, etc. - they just do it a bit more peacefully these days!).

And the Romans.
Nearly the Spanish, but the weather was against them.
Nearly the Dutch, but ditto
Nearly the Germans.

Stewart, I'm sure we must treat these victims more humanely than the French.
But also they may have family here already if they are coming, from say, Zimbabwe - an ex colony.

**Gav** · 24th-April-2008, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astro

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

Ceylon = Sri Lanka these days.

And, not forgetting Hong Kong.

Is Hong Kong called Sri Lanka now too?

(I'm Sri Lanka, and so are the rest of my former colonial islands - I'll get my coat...)

stewart38 · 24th-April-2008, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Trouble

Its short for Greater, where Greater is refereing to the outlying islands and territories of the UK as well as the main island of england, scotland and wales.

My understanding without a google

Great Britain = England Scotland Wales
UK = England Scotland and Wales and NI
British Isles = England/Scotland/Wales/NI and Eire

although with google some say GB = UK

ps British Empire = The countries in Atlases that were coloured pink cira 1900 (without google)

Makes you proud of St George

stewart38 · 24th-April-2008, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astro

Stewart, I'm sure we must treat these victims more humanely than the French.

I would NEVER suggest we put a ring of onions around there head make them where a black cap or put them on a wobbly bike with a loaf of bread bewteen their knees

Jhutch · 24th-April-2008, 05:32 PM

Yes and it was used to distinguish it from lesser britain (brittany). For what its worth the french and german words for great britain also mean big rather than amazing (grossbrittanien (sp.), grande bretagne) if i am right?

You dont see people from the lesser antilles complaining that their islands are being judged less worthy than the greater antilles (although maybe they do)

**Stuart M** · 25th-April-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

As an aside, it does make me laugh sometimes how we (presumably as a hangover from days of Empire) have managed to get the rest of the world to refer to us as "Great" Britain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Trouble

Its short for Greater, where Greater is refereing to the outlying islands and territories of the UK as well as the main island of england, scotland and wales.

Never heard of the term "Greater Britain" before, and I can't find a reference to it (Googling "Greater Britain" only finds it used in the titles of books about politics and sociology, it seems). I doubt anyone nowadays would consider it in good taste to mention such an idea either: the last two European nations who spoke of being "Greater" were, erm, Germany (1933-1945) and Serbia in the 1990s.

The largest island of the British Isles is called Great Britain, and conventionally the term includes Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides, Scillies, Anglesey and the IOW as well. I can see where you're coming from with the term "Greater" here, just that I've never heard of it used in any official political capacity, not even by King James VI who basically invented the concept.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twirly

Has any other country got the audacity to add such a grand prefix to their country's name and get other countries to actually use it?!

Yes. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino for one, although since it consists of one mountain in central Italy, a) we can let them away with it and b) it's probably accurate. There's also the tragically inaccurate "Democratic People's Republic of North Korea" for another, and you know what? GB doesn't even have a monopoly on the word "Great", you know. What delightful company we keep, eh?

**Gav** · 25th-April-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart M

Never heard of the term "Greater Britain" before, and I can't find a reference to it (Googling "Greater Britain" only finds it used in the titles of books about politics and sociology, it seems).

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical Historia Regum Britanniae (circa 1136), the island of Great Britain was referred to as Britannia major ("Greater Britain"), to distinguish it from Britannia minor ("Lesser Britain"), the continental region which approximates to modern Brittany.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart M

I doubt anyone nowadays would consider it in good taste to mention such an idea either: the last two European nations who spoke of being "Greater" were, erm, Germany (1933-1945) and Serbia in the 1990s.

Pretend it never happened, lest we upset people in some random, non-politically correct way. Don't mention the war!

Jhutch · 25th-April-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart M

Never heard of the term "Greater Britain" before, and I can't find a reference to it (Googling "Greater Britain" only finds it used in the titles of books about politics and sociology, it seems). I doubt anyone nowadays would consider it in good taste to mention such an idea either: the last two European nations who spoke of being "Greater" were, erm, Germany (1933-1945) and Serbia in the 1990s.

We do have the terms Greater Manchester and Greater London but it is a bit different for countries i suppose

**SteveK** · 29th-April-2008, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stewart38

Im talking about 1st world countries

Reasons why they come here are my thoughts ??

Australia (no jobs or rain at home)
Sweden (too cold at home and too many Ikea products)
Germany (to many Turks in their home land)
New Zealand (too many sheep at home)
Isreal (too many bombs)
South Africa (too near Zimbabwe)

Give me one country in the world better to live in then UK apart from USA

France is a safe country but they still want to come here ???why ??

Can't comment on some of them, but the impression I got of the reasons was:
France (restrictive job laws, so easier for young professionals to get a job in the UK)
South Africa ("affirmative action" in SA job market, which is demoralising for the competent people)
New Zealand (Baa

24th-April-2008, 03:04 PM	#49 (permalink)
Twirly Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: SE London Posts: 3,476 Status: On my hols! Rep Power: 2 Rep.: 1212	Re: St Georges Day April 23rd But isn't it a bit out of date now?! __________________ Life is a journey. Death is the destination. So you’d better make sure it’s one hell of a journey!

24th-April-2008, 05:32 PM	#55 (permalink)
Jhutch Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Balham, S. London Posts: 831 Status: No Status Rep Power: 1 Rep.: 122	Re: St Georges Day April 23rd Yes and it was used to distinguish it from lesser britain (brittany). For what its worth the french and german words for great britain also mean big rather than amazing (grossbrittanien (sp.), grande bretagne) if i am right? You dont see people from the lesser antilles complaining that their islands are being judged less worthy than the greater antilles (although maybe they do)