Yes, lots.Got talking in the pub about music and football recently as you do.But it got me thinking for a small nation the U.K. has produced so much.
In music,sport, arts,film,writers,artists,inventors, and much more. We all might have a moan and groan about our lot etc, especially our dodgy politicians, but when I hear that Britain is the envy of the world it may be because of our history and culture ? Any thoughts ?
Is that it ?Yes, lots.
To play the devil's advocate, a lot of things pioneered or invented by other nations have been overlooked or deliberately suppressed. As they say, the victor gets to write the history.Got talking in the pub about music and football recently as you do.But it got me thinking for a small nation the U.K. has produced so much.
In music,sport, arts,film,writers,artists,inventors, and much more. We all might have a moan and groan about our lot etc, especially our dodgy politicians, but when I hear that Britain is the envy of the world it may be because of our history and culture ? Any thoughts ?
To play the devil's advocate, a lot of things pioneered or invented by other nations have been overlooked or deliberately suppressed. As they say, the victor gets to write the history.
When you start researching all the things the Chinese, Egyptians, Aztecs and Incas, for example, achieved, it puts everything into perspective.
But I agree, as you say, we have done well for a small nation, assisted by all the colonies we invaded and took advantage of though.
A lot of it has been due to our superb educational system, which produced people who had the talent, character and knowledge to make these achievements possible.
In Germany, there are several different dialects of German and many regional languages like Alemannic, Bavarian and Sorbian.I've said for a long time that I can't get over the fact that for such a small country we have such a wide and varied selection of accents.
I know a native of Bavaria will have a different accent to someone from Hamburg but do accents differ greatly in the big european countries such as Germany or France, let alone Russia?
Got talking in the pub about music and football recently as you do.But it got me thinking for a small nation the U.K. has produced so much.
In music,sport, arts,film,writers,artists,inventors, and much more. We all might have a moan and groan about our lot etc, especially our dodgy politicians, but when I hear that Britain is the envy of the world it may be because of our history and culture ? Any thoughts ?
We were an amazing nation that has done so many great things for the world, but everything changes, and in this case not for the better.
I agree - I think we will produce far less in the future. We now reward the talentless and those prepared to sell themselves cheaply. Kids care more about someone who finished 9th on some 2-bit celebrity shite than someone who may have designed/created something that have a huge impact on the lives of millions.
I started it off in the pub by saying Britain has produced the best musicians and bands ever. For every Beatles, Stones, The Who, someone came back to oppose it with : Dylan,Simon and Garfunkel, and Springsteen. It ended in a draw !
it's like the Ryder cup. They're better individuals, we're better as a team.interesting that you were mentioning bands where as they were mentioning solo artists or duos.
One smart arse said : " We ain't produced an Elvis Presley. " My reply of Elvis Costello was met by the sound of tumbleweed !interesting that you were mentioning bands where as they were mentioning solo artists or duos.
No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.One smart arse said : " We ain't produced an Elvis Presley. " My reply of Elvis Costello was met by the sound of tumbleweed !
Good shout. But Elvis set the bar high. How about Bowie ? Top of his game for decades. And for songwriting the much underrated Ray Davies ?No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.
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Depressing to hear your outlook Ian as I understand you're a teacher?
....I'd like to cling to some small hope that for every sun-bed loving tattoo-browed selfie-obsessed coffee-pop swilling celebrity wannabe......there is a clever, imaginative and ambitious youth just getting on with learning & developing great ideas......
Say it how it is teach!Yes - I am, and the thing is there are some truly amazing kids with sensational ideas that I worry will be ignored and not be given opportunities in the same way as an arsehole-bleaching, sleeve wearing fucktard with zero talent.
Freddy Mercury was born and grew up in Tanzania.No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.
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Many of those inventions could be disputed.Yep........Even if you forget about our relatively small size, the UK is unrivaled when it comes to its contribution & impact on the world.....
Arts, literature, music, science, technology, medicine, engineering, industrial design etc........
just look at this list of inventions for starters.......is it any wonder why we are called GREAT Britain
Greatest 50 British inventions: full list
If memory serves me right he actually grew up in a British colony in India! Think he went to school in Bombay or something! Moved to the UK when he was about 15-16ish. Spent more of his life here and was a British Citizen. All of this is good enough for me to use him as "one of our own"! Especially if it's to be used as a trump card against the yanks!Freddy Mercury was born and grew up in Tanzania.
Neither of his parent's were British.
See how we take credit where it's not really due?
No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.
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I think you'll find his childhood was spent in the most part in India, how is being at an boarding school in Bombay from the age of 8 until he left for the UK at 17 "part of his education?" I'd say that's his entire childhood!He was born in Zanzibar & lived there till he was 17, he received part of his education in Bombay. So not really..
Where's your patriotism ? Da Vinci would be envious of Percy Shaw's Cats Eyes invention !Many of those inventions could be disputed.
The ancient Chinese, Greeks and Egyptians laid the groundwork for many of those things.
People like Archimedes and Leonardo Da Vinci were true geniuses.
Inventors don't come up with an idea in a flash from nothing; they build on the groundwork of people who came before them.
You should read Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything". He goes into detail about many of the inventions and discoveries that were really made by other people but for one reason or another someone else got credited for it. It's a fascinating (and very funny) read.
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