English grans only

At the moment, pink bodies frying on the beach!

The changing seasons and migrating birds. I know other countries have seasons, too, but not necessarily like ours.

Our total obsession with the weather - it's almost considered an insult if it's not brought up at the beginning of a conversation! I don't think other countries follow this line...

Anyway, must go...isn't it a lovely day!

All the different accents, even within a very small area.

Nice try at appeasement Volver good for you.
All the sunsets are not soft and soothing try a bright orange spectacular Solway one which we do share with Scotland.

I’d also say the changing weather patterns every day a different sky and temperature.

I think that in late spring / early summer the greenness and freshness of the English countryside make it the most beautiful place in the world, superior even to France.
That's the view of an Englishwoman of course.

I’m not sure if I’m qualified to post in here, but as I live in England these are things that I love.

Summer hedgerows in quiet country lanes. Beautiful broadleaved trees in their green summer finery and their flaming autumn colours. Yorkshire pudding. Bakewell tart. Wensleydale cheese. The Yorkshire dales and Lakeland fells. The Pennines. Country fairs. County shows. Dartmoor ponies. Soft summer rain.

Always being able to recognise a facetious comment or situation a sense of irony and the ridiculous.

Oh and the amazing spectacle of bodies moving about under a towel on a crowded beach trying not reveal a body part that may reveal gender, that's of course if that was ever assigned in the first place!

The way some set up a picnic complete with Primus stove fir a cuppa right next to a motorway when acres of glorious countryside is just over yonder fence.

The way we are prepared to queue all night and have gladiator fights to the death to secure a whopping bigger than everyone else 's humongous 120 inch tv and then gracefully walking out with it under one's arm, making sure that you thwack a few of your opponents with it on the way.

Are these unique enough for you Volver???

Aww come on. She's trying!

Village fetes with dog shows, flower and produce competitions. Cream teas, steam rallies, horse fairs. Eccentric traditions like welly throwing, cheese rolling, Morris dancing.
Our ports, from fishing, cruise liners and ferries to containers, I love a busy port.

England, through the eyes of a couple of foreigners...

We had some Norwegian and Swedish ex work colleagues staying with us not long ago.

We live in The Cotswolds - but we took them around various parts of the country.

They both said that England has the most beautiful countryside in the world (and they've travelled around the world a bit). In one of my colleague's own words, a quiet village street on a warm sunny afternoon, or a green country lane, is an experience she will never forget. The other colleague has decided she wants to retire in England - and travel all over the UK.

They both rated London as 'super cool'!

Cities! Every city is unique.

A fabulous coastline with pretty seaside towns all along it. Cream teas, Morris dancers, cricket on the green. Thatched villages. Friendly, welcoming people (mostly). Eccentrics.
My parents emigrated from Southern Ireland and had a tough time here at first. I'm glad they stayed. I love Ireland too.

Goodness, Yammy, you are graceless.

Specifically English (or English diaspora related) as opposed to British: change-ringing.

Well according to my first non English husband, we the English were in his words "double faced" I rather think he meant two faced, that was apropos of me telling him how my friend a German colleague when asked by another work mate who had bought a new dress "do you like it?" she said "no it's horrible!" Yes she was being honest but maybe just a tad too forthright. So there you go Volver two faced, another glorious behavioural facet unique to English people.

Moving on, we like to appropriate other nations' culture, shockingly it seems we, The English, are now also putting our towels out on favoured sun loungers all around the Med, and leaving them there all day Well that's the English for you, as you so rightly pointed out on the other thread, we do hate to be ignored, accept possibly when struggling to get dressed and undressed under a towel on one of our glorious beaches, then I think you'll find in these situations the English would favour being ignored, insomuch it's probably not a good time to strike up a conversation about all that is good and unique about England or they may deem you're taking the piss! which of course you aren't and to quote the words of the late great Hughie Green "I mean that most sincerely"

Absolutely all of the above plus I love returning to England for the slightly damp breeze and fewer biting insects (which make a beeline for me).
You having opinions volver? Well I never. ?

As an English person in Normandy I miss.....
Waitrose and John Lewis. (I used to say shopping but on last visit many of the shops seemed sad and lacking in stock).
Charity shops where I can buy very expensive clothes for a few quid.
The range of foods and restaurants with so many different cuisines on offer.
English gardens and garden centres.
The chance of getting a decent cup of tea.
Can't really say spring and early summer, because Normandy is stunning then too.

Lol have the Scotish at least achieved independence on gransnet?

I can't say much being from England when I have wanted to move to Scotland or preferably Canada for quite some time now

I'm up on Dartmoor at the moment and it's beautiful. Lots of horses and cattle around and not too many people. These west country moors are unique with their granite tors.
Widdicombe-in-the-moor is just ahead of me and it's very English with it's thatched cottages and ancient pubs.
I have to say that I am extremely fond of Scotland having visited my sister many times. It's sad in a way that's she's relocating to England after all these years.
Nice of you to start this thread Volver.

Meticulous attention to keeping a neat garden.

Ditto to the lush green of spring/early summer.
On the morning of dd1s wedding, we were having breakfast in an Oxford B&B with a Finnish lady who was on holiday. It was early June, admittedly beautiful weather, and she said she’d never thought anywhere could be so green. ‘I thought Finland was green, but…’.

Until I’d spent a couple of years in the Med in my early 20s, I don’t think I’d ever really noticed such things, but I certainly did later. And even more so years later, having spent 13 years in Middle Eastern deserts.

A Swedish friend’s son who spent a few years in the U.K. , later told me he really missed the pubs. At the time we were in particularly nice, very trad one in Devon - so I dare say that influenced him, but he went on to say that bars just don’t have the same feel.

Terribull, from experience, Swedes are the same, and from what I’ve heard, also the Dutch - they call it being ‘direct’. A dd also had a Norwegian friend who could be very direct, which often came across to our ears as rude, or at least lacking in consideration for other people’s feelings.

The pubs . The tea. Sense of humour . Variety of accents. Variety of cuisine , bread and cheese. But most of all just so green and lush.

Terri bull I can so relate to your post my EX son in law born on the Belgian border to Germany was polite quietly spoken but his brutal honesty at answering sensitive subjects was spectacular ( not so honest as to get away with not paying fines etc) but if asked a direct question would have no problem telling you a politely delivered brutal honest answer
Once when I gave him a birthday present bought from the sports shop he used and approved by my children after undoing it he handed it back to me thanked me very much but said I will give it you back as I will never wear it thank you
I was mortified and hurt The following year he got an oxfam card with a tree to grow in Africa