General Chat

Global

British & proud of it :)

Do some people seem to see being British as bad and English as good? I think of myself as both and don't see that being British is a negative thing - our country has been Great Britain for 300 years and was Britain long before that.

I suppose being British makes us think about the bad things that happened as a result of the empire. I think more and more people are wantiong to claim Englishness as the Scots and Irish have very specific cultural identities and England doesn't.

Great Britain - Wales united with England in 1536. 1707 Act of Union - Scotland united with England 1801 established the United Kingdom which consist of Great Britain plus Ireland. So if you call yourself British - that is, of Great Britain but exclude Ireland. Inm this day and age that dont sound P C - you should all be UKers !! lol Strange how nearly all these replies have been from people in U K and claim they are first and foremost English, Welsh, Scots, or Irish. Why arent there replies from people who have traced their history back through another country and strongly feel they are part of that country too. I will admit that I have family back to 1620 in Germany. Have been to the town where they all lived for several centuries and loved the place. Came back feeling very much part of THAT family. Now I feel European - and that includes U K and I am proud of both the U K and German sides of my blood.

Well Looks like I am the first Aussie on here. Aussie born, Aussie Bred, So were my parents and my 4 Grand parents. So that make me a Bloody Aussie and proud of it !!!!!!!!!

Well, I am Yorkshire born, ancesters from Oxfordshire, Kent, Essex, Gloucestershire, Northumberland. But I am Australian by choice. SuzyQ

Me English mum Welsh - dad English/Welsh g/dad English- gran English /Irish rest of ancestors totaly confused

Some interesting comments here - I noticed most people say English/Welsh/ Scottish, as opposed to British.

I was born in England. My passport says I'm British, yet these days I am supposed to be classed as European. I think of myself as British. And yet, my father and his roots are of English and Irish, my mother's side is fully Lithuanian.

I also noticed a comment ref: your nationality is the country in which you were born...I cannot agree with that. If both your parents are British and you happen to have been born in France, I don't think that makes you French, or necessarily gives you French citizenship. What about all those children born to British Forces serving overseas etc, they get British nationality, citizenship and passport, yet no automatic rights to the country in which they were born.

K

Re Joe's message re tracing family Roots back and including them in your nationality: Of the about 140 ancestors that I have traced. 1 may have been Irish 1 appears to be from Flintshire but appears to have lived in England most of her life The rest seem to have been 50% Scottish 50% English as that reflects one of my parents being Scottish, the other English. I wouldn't count myself really as part Irish or part Welsh because overall I doubt that their ancestry as influenced who I am. I still am proud of them and am interested in their ancestry. (Dont get me wrong - not that I have found out anything yet) However Jo it is a really interesting point that you raised x Lesley

I am Scottish with a bit of Irish,as my grandfather on mums side was Irish. Marion