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Today marks the official start of the 2012 Olympic Games, held in our fair city of London.

England’s capital city will become the first city to officially host the Olympics three times, having already hosted the Games in 1908 and 1948.

This year the London Olympic Park spans a huge 500 acres, which is the same size as the Alton Towers theme park, but animal lovers out there need not worry as more than 100 toads and 2,000 newts were saved from the site during construction!

Great Britain was one of 14 countries to compete in the very first Olympics in 1896 and since then has competed at every Games. Over the years, our athletes have won a phenomenal 715 medals in the Summer Olympics, and if that wasn’t impressive enough we are the only country to have won at least one gold medal every time.

Our most successful sport over the many years and many competitions has been athletics, bringing us a total of 118 medals, with 49 of those being gold, and 78 silver.

But did you know London only held the 1908 games because an erupting volcano made events in the planned host-capital Rome unsafe.

Come on TeamGB

Image credit; Flickr: Edvvc

On the eve of the Olympics who else could we celebrate but our flag-waving Team GB hero Chris Hoy?

Sir Chris Hoy is a man who has contributed more than most to the vast amount of medals Britain has won over the years and it’s no surprise that he is the first cyclist to have the honour of carrying the flag for Great Britain at the opening ceremony tomorrow, Friday 27^th of July 2012.

The four-time gold medal winner and an 11-time world champion was quoted in the Telegraph, talking about the honour of leading Team GB into the Olympic stadium, “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to have been voted as the flag bearer for Team GB. To lead out your team at a home Olympics is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and one that I can’t wait to experience”.

Not just a muscle machine, Hoy graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Applied Sports Science. Showing he has brains as well as brawn!

If that wasn’t enough to make him the perfect athlete, Chris was the first British athlete to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Since then, he has been named the most successful male cyclist of all time, a true ‘proud to be British’ moment.

Image credit: Flickr; johnthescone

Streaking may not be an entirely British phenomenon, but we have certainly got it down to a fine art.

Nowadays streaking is a fairly common occurrence and rarely does a major sporting event go by without the minor disruption of a display of nakedness. Wimbledon, The Ashes, Royal Ascot, and the Snooker Championships have all experienced their fair share of attention-seeking, flesh-bearing individuals, much to the amusement of sport fans and players alike.

The first reported streaker at a major sporting event was in 1974, at Twickenham during an England vs France rugby union game.

Mark Roberts is Britain’s most prolific streaker, taking his naked exploits worldwide.

Calling himself ‘The Streaker’, his now infamous bare-faced cheeks have graced the international fields of the Superbowl, the European Synchronised Swimming championships and the UEFA Cup Final to name but a few.

He cites his most recent display at last year’s Turner Prize presentation as a ‘pinnacle’ in his history of ‘performance’, for which he was recently cleared of disorderly conduct following a trial.

But beware, those with any naked intent at this year’s London Olympic Games risk a severe fine of £20K should they be caught.

It’s a very curious national obsession, but who doesn’t raise a smile when a streaker provides some light-hearted relief to the action!

Image credit: Flickr; Rob Young

Victoria Wood (born 19 May 1953) is truly a woman of many talents. Perhaps known best for her comedy routines, the comedienne has graced our screens in various guises; actress, singer-songwriter, but also behind the scenes as a screenwriter and director. If that wasn’t enough, Victoria even plays the piano!

It wasn’t ’til the 1980’s that she started to establish her career in comedy after starring in the award-winning series ‘Victoria Wood as seen on TV’, but since then she has become one of Britain’s most loved television talents.

Her sense of humour has also maintained a level of ‘Britishness’ about it, grounded to everyday life, referencing some of Britain’s best known brands and products. Her comedy hinges on her clever observational skills, with her routines taking a sideways swipe at classes, culture and the media.

Aside from her incredible talent, Victoria Wood is loved for representing what were (and, arguably, still are) two very under-represented elements on television; a female and a northern voice. Of all the numerous BAFTAS and awards she’s collected over the years, perhaps the most stark example of how loved she is up and down the country is that she came out top in a poll of people you’d most like to live next door to!

Image credit: Flickr; Steve Joyce / MAG

Jeremy Dickson Paxman, (born 11 May 1950) is an English journalist, author and broadcaster.

Feared by politicians, lauded by the Great British public Jeremy Paxman is considered by many to be the BBC’s attack-dog of hard news, and perhaps one of the most fearsome presenters in broadcasting.

As a journalist and broadcaster, Paxman has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is best known for his regular appearance on BBC 2’s Newsnight- a show where he developed his trademark blunt and forthright interviewing style.

Some of his interviews have a place in British folklore and will be remembered for years to come; the infamous repeated questioning of former Tory leader Michael Howard in 1997 (did you threaten to overrule him?) and another, more recently, with the widely dubbed ‘mauling’ of the Treasury minister Chloe Smith, but that’s what we love about him – the relentless grilling of his hapless guests.

In 1996 Paxman received the Richard Dimbleby Award for “outstanding presenter in the factual arena”. It’s always good to see talent rewarded. So, whether it’s from his appearance on Newsnight, his ruthless stewardship on University Challenge or one of his published books- Jeremy Paxman will always remain a revered figure in Britain, a true national treasure.

 

Image Credit: Flickr; Nick Moise

A simple “please” and “thank you” doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it has given Britain something to be proud of – a longstanding reputation for being a thoroughly polite bunch.

Good manners are something that Brits love to use. For example, it’s always good to see someone cover their nose and mouth when sneezing (much nicer than getting covered in something unpleasant), but hearing “Bless you” afterwards somehow puts a lid on that noisy little sneeze.

Even our very own well mannered James Bond is able to use his gentlemanly charm when foiling a dastardly scheme – and still finds time to kiss the attractive girl in the end –a nice little reward for being polite.

Yes, one could go as far as saying that manners are an important need in Britain.  They are something that Brits are known for and rightly so.

 

Image credit: Flickr; eamoncurry123