Five experiences I love having in England

The Guardian is attempting to convert all of us from being boring old cynics, blabbing on about how much we hate England, to a country full of optimistic patriots in love with where we live. Should the Guardian stop trying to fight the great British tradition for complaining, or could there be a turn around in public thinking where in conversation we begin to refer to “the government” as “our government”?

As part of this attack on our outlook for our country I was asked by the Guardian to talk about things I love about England. I think you can guess what the first will be..

• Enjoying the great outdoors on a bike
• Chavs
• Being inside when it’s raining outside
• Soaking up the atmosphere in London on a Friday evening
• Singing as loud as I can at music festivals
• Participating in an orderly queue

I know there are 6 there but who doesn’t love taking part in an orderly queue? Having travelled all round Europe, I can safely say that no-one knows how to queue better than the English. There should be an X factor style competition with people forming orderly queues with judges to rate the best queue. If there’s anything I love more than queues it’s how the word “queues” is spelt. Anyway, back to the serious business…..

Enjoying the great outdoors on a bike

Cars harm the environment, make the streets unfriendly to people and put a strain on the finances – money that I would rather spend on other things. So I choose to cycle. Luckily, I live in England and I have plenty of places I can go cycling. My favourite place happens to be the streets of London. I’m always discovering something new that I would never of come across sitting in a car or on the tube. If London isn’t for you then there is plenty of beautiful English countryside and canal routes to cycle along. My next mini-holiday in England will a trip to the white cliffs of Dover.

Chavs

Before I proceed, for anyone who does not live in England the modern age Chav is someone who enjoys dressing in sports gear when not performing sports, and is generally bad tempered and unruly. What I love about the unique “Chav experience”, that does not exist in any other part of the world, is how clever they think they are using words such as “innit” and “safe”. I think in a way it makes me feel better about myself and creates a strong community between all those who are not chavs. When I first meet someone these days the first thing I think is: “good, he is not a chav”. A recent rebranding for London even suggested we should use chavs as the brand of the capital:

 

Being inside when it’s raining outside

You are sitting inside, feeling nice and warm in your slippers, the fire is on and you look outside the window watching the rain come down. Listening to the sound of a raindrops hitting the window. One of the things I love about England is that you can have this unforgettable experience on most days of the year!

Soaking up the atmosphere in London on a Friday evening

When cycling around London on a Friday evening, after everyone has finished work, the atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. You simply cannot help getting caught up in it and watching people chat enthusiastically about their weekend plans. This is what makes Friday my favourite day of the week in London.

Singing as loud as you can at music festivals

England has a huge choice of music festivals from the hippie Glastonbury to the hardcore Download festival. If you couple this with the thriving music scene the country has then you are onto a winner. I have attended a couple of festivals in the past and you always end up having a fantastic time mingling with like minded people. There is nothing better than watching your favourite band and singing along with the rest of the crowd.

What are your favourite three things?

Images courtesy of: Ashley Rose, MrLerone and RR and Camera.