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Britain is known for its love of comedy, and we have a impressive selection of comedians to suit all senses of humour!

Peter Kay is by far up there with the best comedians especially after winning comedian of the year in 1996, he never fails to make the nation laugh with his anecdotes. The ticket sales speak for themselves – he sold 1.2million tickets for one of his tours making this officially the world’s most successful live stand-up comedy show!

He has won several awards for his comedy, including four British comedy awards!

It’s no surprise to see Peter Kay as a National Treasure, whenever a glum day comes along he never fails to put a smile on people’s faces, and this is why he is so loved.

 

 

Image credit: Humour Blog

Mr. Bean – a television programme guaranteed to make anyone laugh! From granddads to toddlers, Rowan Atkinson did a fantastic job of entertaining the nation acting as this loveable character.

14 twenty five minute television episodes were created, with the last one being aired in 1995. However numerous films have also been created since then, to keep The Bean alive!

Rowan Atkinson developed the character whilst studying for his master’s degree at Oxford University. He describes Mr. Bean as “a child in a grown man’s body.” The series is made of very physical humour, borderline slapstick, as Mr. Bean rarely speaks just mumbles and grumbles!

For the five years the show was aired it gained a huge UK audience, which included a staggering 18.74 million viewers for an episode aired in 1991!

The figures speak for themselves; Mr. Bean is loved by everyone in Britain! And yes I say that as a fact!

 

Image credit: Jack Pearce

Music sensation Oasis formed in 1991 and took the the UK music scene by storm. They were just four normal boys from Manchester (our own home town) with the ability to make award winning rock and roll music.

They band was originally known as The Rain and consisted of Liam Gallagher on the vocals and tambourine, Paul Arthurs known as ‘Bonehead’ on guitar, Paul McGuigan on the bass guitar and Tony McCarroll on the drums and percussion. Later, The Rain were joined by Liam’s big brother Noel Gallagher on the lead guitar and vocals. Noel only accepted on the condition that he was band manager and able to oversee everything the band did!

In 1993, the band was signed and until their split in 2011 they earned 8 number one singles, 8 UK number one albums, 15 NME Awards, 9 Q Awards, 4 MTV Europe Music Awards and 6 Brit Awards! They even won one for their outstanding contribution to music which was voted for by BBC Radio 2 listeners.

If those facts and figures weren’t impressive enough, the boys sold 70 million records worldwide. In 2010, after a run of 22 top 10 hits in the UK they were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest top 10 UK chart run by a group! Amazing.

This is enough proof as to why they make us proud to be British (and Mancunian!) and its fair to say their music will be listened to and celebrated for years to come.

 

 

Image credit: jcfrog

There’s no denying that us Brits have a true/love hate relationship with public transport! However the fact that our capital is home to the second largest transit system in the world is an achievement which deserves to be applauded.

Commonly referred to as the Tube, The Underground is a rapid transit system spans across 406 kilometres of track, along 11 different lines and serves 270 stations. The underground has come to be an iconic feature of London, a must visit for tourists, a popular backdrop for many Hollywood films and for many, an integral part of the daily commute.

Astonishingly, construction of The Underground started back in 1861 and operation of the system began in 1863. Since then, it has continued expanding and today transports over a billion passengers each year.

So here’s to The Underground, transporting Brits from A to B since 1863.

 

 

Image credit: al3xadk1n5

I went to the doctor the other day. He said “you’ve got a very serious illness.” I said “I want a second opinion.” So he replied “ok, your ugly as well.”

 

 

Image credit: Tim & Selena Middleton

Originally the language of peasants, while the nobility spoke French and Latin, English is now the most widely used language in the world. With around 2 billion speakers and 400 million native speakers, we can truly speak English with pride!

The history of the language can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxons who brought with them what is now referred to as Old English. Later down the line thanks to a bit of influence from Latin language and a visit from our Norman friends, the language we have come to know and love today steadily took formation.

At present English is the official language of 54 countries, the language of the business globe, and is taught as a key subject in many countries. It’s nice to know the language rooted in Britain is one of the most dominant language in the world – definitely something to be proud of!

 

Image credit: mrpolyonymous