According to the new "Rough Guide to England" travel book, England is a nation of "animal-loving, tea-drinking charity donor who love nothing better than forming an orderly queue."
That, and "an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts," the guide warns tourists:
Gone, it seems, is the image of a genteel country awash with Englishmen politely tipping their bowler hats, groping through the London fog and being kinder to pets than kids.
The writers confess to bafflement over the quirky English, concluding that of the 200 countries the guide reviews there is none "so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse yet as insular, self-important and irritating as England."
They said the English are proud of their multi-culturalism and are united by one thing -- their sense of humor.
But there are constant contradictions. In a country priding itself on patriotism, they have a Scottish Prime Minister, an Italian football coach and a Greek married to the Queen.
Even with all that, my trip to London some years ago was the best vacation I've ever had! Link
I've only been to england once, the people were nice.
No, he's more greek than German. Originally a Greek-Danish prince and a member of the Danish-German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which includes the royal houses of Denmark and Norway and the deposed royal house of Greece. Not that it makes much difference nowadays. Most of the royal houses of western Europe have somewhat "entwined" familial ties anyway (read red-necks with money).
I am British and I love it here, especially when the weather is as beautiful as it is right now.
"The world has shifted from Anti-Americanism to Post-Americanism"
England may have its bad points but they don't negatively affect the rest of the world on any scale similar to that of America.
I would rather live in a country that is proud of it's multi-culturalism than in one that is ashamed of it.