I love the UK.

Germanshepherdsmum I too love the soft and gentle climate here. We do have extremes at times but not for long, and having spent time in countries where savage weather makes life unbearable for some of the year, I have become even more grateful. Some years ago we were in new York when a hurricane was due to strike at the weekend; there were so many frightened people. We have much to be glad about.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202406/medium-402944-20180526-193414.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202406/medium-459590-20180526-193613.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202406/medium-900081-20180526-194209.jpg

Luckygirl🙂

We have a Motorhome and I love touring England although it mostly turns north when we get out of the drive! We live in North Yorkshire and have so many beautiful dales around us, followed by Northumberland, Scotland and the Outer Hebrides. It just gets better and better. Last year we even managed Orkney and Shetland.

We do go abroad a lot and have just got back from three weeks touring Canada and I must admit I love England the best!

I don’t know how many times I’ve sailed into Dover. But I still get slightly emotional when I see those white cliffs.

I too love living in this country - it has so much beauty, of such different kinds, and is a 'green and pleasant land' - because of rain. We do not always like rain but without it our landscape would be parched and brown for much of the year. I feel so very lucky to live here - and for other reasons too, like having the rule of law (even if it is imperfect..)

Probably feel less fuzzy if I shaved my legs.

I couldn’t agree more annsixty. There is no place in the world that I love more than our beautiful green and pleasant land.
What a lovely thread, just sitting reading about how much so many of us love this place has made me feel warm and fuzzy.

apologies to the great mr gus elen.
here is the proper reference. folksongandmusichall.com/index.php/if-it-wasnt-for-the-ouses-inbetween/

crazyH

Some of you live in such lovely parts of the country with such lovely views. I do have super views, but only from my upstairs windows !

puts me in mind of the old music hall song:
oh it really is a wery pwetty gardin, . . .
wiv a ladder an some glasses,
you could see to 'ackney marshes,
if it wasn't for the 'ouses in between.

l've never wanted to go anywhere else.
apart from ireland for other reasons, and to germany once for a conference, wish i hadn't bothered, having to apply for a passport. long expired, so not even useful for ID.
i haven't been anywhere for nearly 20 years.
and that was derbys.
my life changed. the carefree days were over.
if i ever did go anywhere again, it would not be anywhere that required a passport.
but i have no urge to do so.
agree with the OP; all we need and much to marvel at here in UK.

Joseann

“Cossy
I too think we have a beautiful country. Lots and lots of green spaces and lots of national parks and some amazing beaches.

People, in my opinion, don’t hate the geography of the UK, just the economic and political situations, which actually prevents a substantial amount of people enjoying it all to the full.
I don't understand how the economic situation necessarily prevents people from enjoying the area in which they live. Obviously travelling around the UK becomes difficult without money, but nature surrounds everyone, even if you just sit in a London park, walk in a forest or wander along a beach. Cornwall, for example, is a very poor county, but this is made up for by the riches on the doorstep.
I love our cities, towns and countryside. Such diversity on a small island.“

You are absolutely correct, nothing to stop anyone enjoying their immediate areas, but for those wishing to travel slightly further afield the cost of fuel and accommodation can be vast.

I’m aware people can go camping, but this isn’t suitable for all.

I cannot argue though that from Lands End through to John O Groats, we have some spectacular scenery, as does Ireland, both sides.

Some of you live in such lovely parts of the country with such lovely views. I do have super views, but only from my upstairs windows !

Sometimes, when I look at the state of the country - the tired and dilapidated state of so many cities, the rundown hospitals with their overworked staff, the homeless in the underpass and the endless political argument and mud-slinging - I ask myself why I live here and why I didn't emigrate years ago.
Then I go out to the garden in SO's little bit of South Yorkshire and look at the view. How could I even think of going elsewhere?

Gin

Yesterday I went to Hidcote Gardens in the heart of the Cotswolds and went through such beautiful scenery and delightful honey-coloured stone towns. At the weekend we are off to Devon, one of my favourite counties.

Usually we holiday.in SW Scotland where the rugged coast is a joy to explore. Anyone else know Dunure? This is the favourite place of the whole family.

Dunure is a very special place to my family! As children we used to climb the big rock on the quayside.

I do love the UK very much. I think it comes to some of us later in life, to quote my step-granddaughter when she was mid teens when I was trying to sell her the concept of Center Parcs "I don't feel I've been on holiday unless I get on a plane" I can remember feeling like that, I wanted something entirely different from homegrown experiences, food, culture, balmy heat, exotic aromas. I never thought I could embrace holidays in the UK the way I have over the past few years, appreciating its verdant beauty, but I do and for a small island there is a plethora of umpteen places that offer a gamut of spectacular scenery and monuments of historical interest. I've been lucky I've been to a lot of far flung places, places I could only dream about, now I'm much happier to not get on a plane and just pack up the car and drive somewhere that doesn't involve air miles.

As much as I love visiting other countries, I do absolutely adore my home country, Scotland. There's nothing like the feeling I get when I cross the border and instantly feel 'at home'. Stunning scenery, from amazing beaches to rugged mountains, steeped in history, great food too - what's not to love (apart from the midges, lol!)
We do have some beautiful places throughout the UK though - we spent many family holidays in the UK when our children were young, and even if we didn't always have great weather, they still loved getting out and about and exploring. I can only think of one place I really didn't enjoy (I think someone else has already mentioned it on here - begins with B - but the children loved it).

I see that I missed off the K in my very first sentence.

I realise that I have been rather negative but the countryside has changed enormously during my lifetime.

Certainly the historic sites, the gardens, galleries and museums are fantastic. Sadly many of them are short of funding to keep them going and, whilst you appreciate these there are many who don't and oppose funding. They just don't realise the benefits to be gained from visiting a beautiful garden or looking at paintings.

Yesterday we attended a ‘festival of voices’ concert in Dorchester Abbey - choirs from Gdd1’s primary school and 3 or 4 other schools. A spectacularly beautiful old building, in an incredibly pretty village, on a beautiful summer’s evening. As dd said, it doesn’t get much better than this.

The U is beautiful, especially in Spring. But, how many of you can remember what it was like in the 50s compared to the present day. When I was a child we used holiday with my Mum's family in S Wales. We walked for what seemed miles over the dunes to reach the beaches which were usually devoid of other people. Now the motorway towards Swansea crosses those dunes.

In Kent, where my DH live as a child, a pristine landscape has been destroyed also by a motorway.

There are hundreds of examples of similar destruction.

And not forgetting the Isles of Scilly!

Jersey and Guernsey are certainly beautiful. They were my little piece of home I could easily reach for day trips when living in France. You are very lucky dogsmother.

Please could we extend this thread to the British Isles?
Otherwise the Channel Islands are not part of the UK and they are amazingly beautiful too ( a bit of a biased opinion).
But yes having seen a lot of the world I agree we are very fortunate and this is a special place.

I love the Isle of Wight - it so reminds me of the Essex countryside where I was brought up near Canvey Island - the rows of one-story buildings with the sea all around. It is like a throw-back to the 1950s.

I was brought up on the Isle of Wight - magical!

I should like to thank you all so much for the appreciative and delightful replies.
I love it that we think our little Island is so beautiful and worth visiting all of it’s different and wonderful areas.