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British comedy would be nothing without the infamous Carry On film series, running from the late 1950’s until the early 90’s.

The cheeky humour is notoriously British, and the use of puns and sexually referenced jokes is eponymous with the words ‘Carry On’. Phrases made famous in the late 60’s are still referenced today, be it in daily life, or even by modern day comedians celebrating their favourite comedies.

Perhaps the most famous phrase ‘Oh, Matron!’ uses parodies of the life of a nurse and patient in hospital. The films also parody serious films such as Cleopatra, injecting humour and innuendo into the strangest situations.

The films were notorious for being extremely low budget, and the cast were poorly paid, yet became famous for their characters and the risky use of double entendre, causing somewhat of a social revolution among Britons. And today the social revolution lives on, as British as the Queen, national TV stations still screen the films on public holidays and lazy Sundays, cheering the hearts of the young and old alike.

Keep calm and Carry On!

 

 

Image credit: Capt’ Gorgeous

Roast dinners are simply incomplete without a good old Yorkshire Pudding. Whether you choose the easy option and go for a frozen pudding to be done in a few minutes, or even make your own from scratch, Yorkshire puds are the perfect accompaniment to a perfect British roast.

Made from a very simple batter mix, the delicious treat was invented in the 18th century in the North of England, fast becoming a staple of the British Sunday lunch. It was primarily used for making use of the fat that was lost when cooking a roast dinner.

Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh, has campaigned for Yorkshire puddings to be given a protected status, “The people of Yorkshire are rightly and fiercely proud of the Yorkshire pudding,” she said “it is something which has been cherished and perfected for centuries in Yorkshire.”

And what would the delicious toad in the hole be without its Yorkshire pudding casing, the main motivator for not picking simple sausages and mash in any pub across the country?

Crunchy or fluffy, mini or extra large, Yorkshire puddings have a place on the plate of every roast dinner in the country.

 

 

Image credit: gkdavie

Dr.Martens are seen as the quintessential image of the late 1960’s and 70’s youth revolution. At a time when teenagers were looking to rebel, shock and dress differently Doc Martens provided the staple footwear for this revolutionary generation. For the first time, teens had their own identity and were not the picture perfect, carbon copy of their parents. The 50’s were over!

Whole subcultures sprung from the boots and Skinheads adopted Doc Martens as a wardrobe essential along with their acid wash jeans and Ben Sherman shirts. Scooter riders, punks and new wave musicians followed suit making the boots a highly desirable object. Whole stores sprung up to cope with the immense demand and they diversified into belts, watches and even food!

However, Doc Martens didn’t start life with the rock ‘n’ roll attitude they now possess. In the early 1960’s, the boots were the humble footwear of policemen, postmen and office workers. Proof that footwear can be stylish as well as sensible.

Still encompassing the signature yellow stitching, numerous eyelets and traditional cherry red and deep black colours, Doc Martens are still on the up, with the 2010’s seeing their sales skyrocket in comparison with the last decade.

They are bold and most of all, very British.

 

 

Image credit: Skycladd

The first of December, the day you may officially open your advent calendar! Whether a traditional treat of a picture behind little wooden doors, a colourful image of your favourite cartoon character filled with chocolates in the shape of presents or the more exciting present per day surprise. Advent calendars are guaranteed to excite even the biggest Scrooge at Christmas.

Advent calendars began in the early 19th century as a religious countdown to Christmas, originally beginning with a simple ‘tally’ of the amount of days to go. It was also common to light a new candle for every day leading up to the holiday, in a form of remembrance and celebration. The first printed advent calendar is thought to have begun in the early 20th century, often putting Bible verses behind the calendar doors.

Remaining traditional over the years, the calendars are now celebrated as a part of Christmas for everyone, especially children. Normally shaped like a large greeting card or door, more and more innovative ideas are coming to Britain every year, bringing a little bit of Christmas magic to everyone. Counting down to Santa Clause and counting down to the holiday is what makes a Great British Christmas so great.

 

 

Image credit: comedy_nose

Happy Birthday to a British favourite! The original British sauce to team with a bacon or sausage butty, HP is now 109. From the picture of the Houses of Parliament on the label to Her Majesty’s crest on the bottleneck, HP sauce is truly part of Great Britain, being a staple on almost every dining table for almost 110 years.

Invented and developed by Harry Palmer in the early 1900’s, the sauce was named after his own initials, making him famous for over a century. The unique taste has now become almost synonymous with breakfast, famed for being different from all other brown sauce competitors.

Named ‘the UK’s no. 1 brown sauce’, this condiment is a huge part of a trip down to a greasy spoon café, or even a more upmarket brunch. On the tables of many families, old or young, poor or rich, HP truly appeals to all great Britons.

 

 

Image credit: oskay

The bagpipes – a true sound of Britain. Along with a kilt and a tartan scarf, it’s difficult to get more Scottish. Whether you think bagpipes sound more like a low groaning howl or a happy nostalgic tune, reminding you of Hogmanays and years gone by, you can’t doubt their power to bring a smile to many a Brit’s face.

The history of the famed musical instrument is continually related to both World Wars, used as a morale booster in many regiments, and also as native folk music to deter enemies. Recently the use of bagpipes has become more uncommon, and now is seen as an eccentric and unusual instrument to play. However, the playing of the bagpipe is a notoriously difficult skill to learn, and a complex instrument to master, yet is still being used continuously, probably because of the warm feeling of nostalgia that spreads through the listener’s brain.

Now a regular fixture at many weddings, traditional holidays and funerals, bagpipes are now looked back upon as a great British idea, and a great British instrument.

 

 

Image credit: SteveWagner