britain Archives – Mummascribbles

The British public are a real mixed bag. Some are really passionate about the country and place they live in while others spend more time moaning about it than anything else (a real British talent of course!). I know I am forever complaining about the weather (seriously, where is our summer?!), moaning about public transport (sardines anyone?), and yet love writing about and photographing the beautiful countryside that we have on offer.

Whichever side of the fence you fall on, there are things that really put the ‘Great’ into Great Britain. Okay, the weather might not make it onto the list, nor will the endless amounts of queuing for…well, just about everything, and the television and movies we make might be a bit of a mixed bag – but there are some standouts!

So with all this in mind, here are five of the things that make Britain Great:

Seasides
A white sandy beach in the Maldives might be the dream, but for some (like me!), that’s all it will ever be without winning the lottery. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t feel the waves lapping on the shore and catch the sun while you eat an ice cream on the beach. Britain has some amazing seaside locations with plenty for the whole family, and in recent years “staycations” have exploded in popularity.

The credit crunch forced many people’s hands to begin with, but now they are genuinely choosing the British seaside rather than an overseas holiday, allowing the management in the area to revitalise the seafront to provide more modern facilities and entertainment. We love a good staycation and always try and make sure there’s a beach trip somewhere in there!

Exploring the springtime beach!

Making the most of bad weather!
As mentioned, we don’t have the best weather. Even in the summer (i.e. now!), you can’t be guaranteed that you’ll go a whole day without it clouding over or you having to dive for a hoodie or coat. Yet when it does rain we all know how to have a good time and make the best of a bad situation.

Some choose to get their heads into a good book, others will use the opportunity to have a cup of tea and play online bingo on their tablets while others will brave the conditions and hit the shops – we’re all different but we’re so used to it now that we’re almost immune to a bit of rain! (Even if we can’t put the shorts and flip flops on as often as we’d like). Rainy days can be hard when you have children cooped up indoors, I always try and embrace the rain and get the boy out in his mac and wellies!

Exploring in the cold!

Food and drink
MasterChef and The Great British Bake Off have reignited our passions for food and drink. Now we’re trying to make more elaborate meals at home as opposed to oven chips, and heading out more often in search of amazing foods without the jaw-dropping price tags they used to come with.

Even the good old British pub has been revitalised in recent times and it’s always been the main place to congregate for people living in the villages with a bit of time on their hands and fancying a bit of a gossip! I do love a good gossip over a glass of wine – not that I live in a village!

Plus, when the sun does come out, we have ice cream (yay!), and Pimms (bigger yay!), to get through! Is there anything better than sitting in the sunshine with a refreshing, fruity glass (or jug) of Pimms, or getting stuck into a ‘99’ before it starts dripping?! I think not!

The Royal Family
I think we’re lucky to have a royal family. Other nations have an elected President or leader, but we’ve got Her Majesty and the family to give us something to talk about. If you bump into anyone from overseas, you’ll always have common ground for conversation if you mention the Queen – or, in more recent times, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge and their children, or Prince Harry! Whether it’s reading about the latest debacle he’s been involved in, cooing over the photos of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, or trying to spot them on a day trip to Buckingham Palace, I sure do love those royals!

Culture
It’s not all about getting out and about in the fresh air though, you have plenty of more relaxed things to do in Britain with all kinds of cultural experiences. Just about every city in the country has a museum to keep you entertained (and to educate the kids – and yourself), while there are libraries and sight-seeing tours to help you to understand more about the local area that you never knew! Although saying that, if you go to the Natural History Museum in the middle of half term, I can’t guarantee it’ll be relaxing!

Doing his best roar at the Natural History Museum!

So there you have it. Five things that make Great Britain great. What would you add to this? And if you are from overseas, what do you love about Great Britain when you visit? I’d love to hear.

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