Interesting Facts

According to a survey commissioned by Tetley the following are the top 40 traits of being "British". 1. Wearing summer clothing at the first sight of sun 2. Apologising automatically 3. Ability to talk at length about the weather 4. Making a cup of tea in response to a crisis 5. Finding queue-jumping the ultimate crime 6. Forming a queue for pretty much anything 7. The typically British 'stiff upper lip' 8. Grumbling throughout a meal, but not telling staff, so as not to cause a fuss 9. Making sarcastic/dry jokes 10. Having a beer at the airport even though it's before 8am 11. Giggling at innuendos 12. Making a cup of tea when you have no time to drink it 13. Getting sunburnt on the first warm day of the year 14. Finding American forwardness 'a bit much' 15. Avoiding eye contact on the Tube 16. Binge drinking at the weekends 17. Insisting the other person goes through the door first 18. Searching for a fry-up when on holiday abroad 1...

Today is the start of British Pie Week. More on British Traditions, Food and Culture here.

According to Visit Britain, the British Monarchy generates over £500 million a year through attracting overseas tourists. (British culture and heritage, from theatres and galleries, to pubs, Premiership Football, castles and stately homes - generated £4.6 billion in total spending by overseas tourists in 2009, and supported 100,000 jobs, the report said. But within that total one-in-eight of those sites – ranging from the Tower of London to The Palace of Hollyroodhouse in Edinburgh and Ruthin Castle in Wales – are associated with the Monarchy. The report reveals that foreign tourists who visited them generated £500 million of spending, directly and indirectly. I wonder if they'd still come even if there was no monarchy?)

The first curry restaurant in the UK opened in 1809. (Yes, over 200 years ago, an Indian migrant, Dean Mahomed, opened Britain's first curry house to cater to the fashion for spicy food. The restaurant was called the Hindostanee Coffee House, and customers could smoke hookah pipes and recline on bamboo-cane sofas as they tucked into spicy meat and vegetable dishes. Nowadays they are more likely to be swigging pints of lager, and falling off their chairs.) Source: BBC News

To become a Beefeater at the Tower of London you have to have done at least 22 years military service. (Beefeaters aka "Yeoman Warders" must have been senior non-commissioned officers in the Army, RAF or Royal Marines. It is thought that their nickname is derived from their historic position in the Royal Bodyguard, which let them eat all the beef they wanted from the King’s table.  In fact the French nickname for the English is "rosbif", which refers to the English style of cooking beef "roast beef".)

Since the British soap 'East Enders' began in 1985, at least one of its episodes have rated higher than any other British soap opera throughout each decade. (This includes the 1980's, 1990's and so far the 2000's (the naughties?). So much for British culture!)