For A Small Island (4 Viewers)

[bringbackrattles]

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 ?

 

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[Otis]

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 ?

Yes, lots.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Yes, lots.

Is that it ?

 

[pastythegreat]

One of my main reasons for voting to leave the EU. For such a small island/nation, we've succeeded in so much. Such a great and rich history.

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[Gazolba]

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.

 

[dancers lance]

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.

I get what you are saying, but I think Rattles was pointing towards, in historical terms, more recent history.

 

[oscillatewildly]

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?

 

[Gazolba]

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?

In Germany, there are several different dialects of German and many regional languages like Alemannic, Bavarian and Sorbian.
There are also different alphabets. England is very homogenous in comparison.

 

[clint van damme]

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 ?

I think you're right, it's amazing how much we've excelled in the arts.
Some of our history is probably not something to be proud of but the same can be said for any country that built an empire. Spain and France, (among others), have got their share of colonial skeletons in the cupboard as well!!

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

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

 

[bringbackrattles]

My dad used to say that the Yanks envy us.When I asked why he replied that you only had to go to Stratford, and look at the American tourists visiting Shakespeare's history etc. They do love him !

 

[Marty]

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.

 

[Ian1779]

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.

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

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.

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......

 

[bringbackrattles]

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 !

 

[clint van damme]

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 !

interesting that you were mentioning bands where as they were mentioning solo artists or duos.

 

[richnrg]

interesting that you were mentioning bands where as they were mentioning solo artists or duos.

it's like the Ryder cup. They're better individuals, we're better as a team.

 

[bringbackrattles]

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 !

 

[pastythegreat]

One smart arse said : " We ain't produced an Elvis Presley. " My reply of Elvis Costello was met by the sound of tumbleweed !

No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.

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[tommydazzle]

I think we've pretty near the top where science Nobel prizes are concerned - and two giants of physics and biology - Newton and Darwin.

As for Elvis Costello - some of the best lyrics ever written imo.

 

[bringbackrattles]

No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.

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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 ?

 

[tommydazzle]

Yup Ray Davis - brilliant songwriter and songs that have never dated. Bowie again a game changer on the music scene (although lyrics pretty random)- went to see him at the Cov Theatre in the Ziggy Stardust tour probably around 1973)

 

[Ian1779]

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......

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.

 

[oscillatewildly]

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.

Say it how it is teach!

 

[Gazolba]

No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.

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Freddy Mercury was born and grew up in Tanzania.
His real name is Farrokh Bulsara.
Neither of his parent's were British.
See how we take credit where it's not really due?

 

[Gazolba]

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

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.

 

[pastythegreat]

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?

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!

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[Captain Dart]

No, I think we done better! We produced Freddie Mercury.

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He was born in Zanzibar & lived there till he was 17, he received part of his education in Bombay. So not really..

 

[Astute]

Nobody has mentioned oir latest invention. Traffic lights on a motorway as we have too many cars on our roads

://www.highwaysindustry.com/traffic-lights-motorways/

 

[pastythegreat]

He was born in Zanzibar & lived there till he was 17, he received part of his education in Bombay. So not really..

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!

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[bringbackrattles]

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.

Where's your patriotism ? Da Vinci would be envious of Percy Shaw's Cats Eyes invention !