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Being British can mean many things to many people and unfortunately many people do not consider them selves as British, this could be the fact that nobody knows what being British is?

I like the saying that sums up how I feel about being British...
"Being English, Welsh, scotish, Irish etc is fate. Being British is a choice"

I believe that Being British in the modern world should be to strive for an open minded, forward looking and fair and just society... And to aid others less fortunate and help the innocent of the world... Corny I know but tuff. I believe any one in the world can become British...
I am still very patriotic and still love the old traditions of being British that all the little chavvies seem to have lost now, all based on respect.

So what do you feel being British is...

Pub Crawls?
tea and scones?
Drunken fights and hooliganism?
The Empire?
Tea and biscuits?
oh oh how about a good fried Brekkie?

Apart from the Empire, which thankfully doesn't really exist anymore, all of these things stand for being British, unfortunately the drunken fights and hooliganism are what most outsiders associate with us first i think, be it voilent football fans, or moronic, drunken holiday makers, the British are a laughing stock the world over sad

Being British to me is all about winding up my neighbours south of the border and them winding me up. British people have a sense of humour like no other. We slag each other off, slag each other's accents. But try to invade us and we all band together, and kick a**.

they are??????? why wasnt i told? evil evil evil evil

I wouldnt know about laughing stock besides it is to do with the world media... If you have ever seen some of the 'football' and baseball riots in the U.S or football riots in spain turkey or S.America then they are twice as bad as any yobbo brawl... but give the Brits credit we have behaved lately.

To be honest though our violent behavoir is inbred into us into our genes and our history. We ARE a hardy little nation and have had to be to survive and have gone through lots of conflict and who is to say that it really is over yet?

If I may offer a yank perspective:

My Grand dad was born and raised in Glasgow Scotland, and as with alot of Scots I have encountered in my life. He considered himself Scots, nothing more, nothing less. Once on the phone to my ex DIL's dad who is Scots, I mentioned that he did not sound like I expected... he snapped back with: that is because I'm SCOTTISH" so apparently that distinction still prevails in the minds of some.

When I think of any drunken brawls and craziness, I tend to think more of the Irish Catholics... in fact I know a little one liner "Whereever you have four Irish Catholics you have a fifth" But there again, possibly because of my dad's family's influence, I don't consider them exactly 'British' either.

So, in summation, when I as a yank think of British I am almost embarrassed to say I kind of think of it as a varient/similar to being English, or as my dad's dad like to say *Limey*. I think of someone like the actor Michael Caine, or Princess Diana, or even an actor from several years ago named Sebastian Cabot as my impression of British. Very dignified and reserved in small houses and rainy weather

Hope It was okay to throw my two cents in. redface

Or a Marty Bell picture... love those... she is sort of like Thomas Kinkaid, but not as well known, and (I like her) better heart

chocolate box Britain lol!! even though it is the furthest from the truth. I have to admit i do sometimes play on that image lol.
Jolly good show old chaps and all that wot wot!