Are you British?

@terry wrote:

. . . . Ruby…it’s far from being brilliantly written. In fact it’s just the opposite. . . .

It was carefully written, personally authentic. Contains, or hints at as much insight as I can muster for now.

Brilliance, however is subjective and thus a real compliment, thank you Ruby it means a lot.

Terry, you seem to be in a real ‘glass half empty’ kinda mood tonight. But then we both share Norris’ Englishness, don’t we?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

@terry wrote:

@rubyred wrote:

@terry wrote:

@wordsworth60 wrote:

I spent the first 11 years or so of my life as “the Englishman”: the first person in my family born in England. People of all types would identify me with the country of my birth – “But I was born here!” seemed to stop people who said “why don’t you go back to your own country?” in their tracks. I did experience racism, but all English people didn’t necessarily like each other, so I dealt with it with all the skills a child of my age could muster.

As I got older, I was told more often that I couldn’t be English, ‘just’ British. It’s only in the past decade or so that I have reverted to calling myself English, partly from defiance and partly because, despite my great affection for the other UK countries, I am not Scottish, Welsh or Irish, so there’s only one bit of British left for me to be. More than that, I am a Londoner, defined by the streets in which I was raised.

An anecdote – on a holiday in France in my teens, an old French woman was very hostile towards me until she found out that I was not from North Africa (her late husband had fought there), but “Anglais”. I couldn’t help liking her.

I think that modern political and geographical boundaries deserve only the scant respect of convenience that they deserve, as legacies of genocide and exploitation. However I also feel there are characteristics that we inherit collectively. Whether we adopt them or reject them is our right.

For me, ‘English’ is confident enough to allow a gentle strength and to own my choices. ‘British’ is entitled to a place amongst other nations and a responsibility to live with the legacy of the past, bad and good. I own them both without rejecting anything of my parents’ heritage.

Would it be fair to describe you as the JC equivalent of Norris from Coronation Street?
I haven’t a clue what your point is.[/qu

I think the “secret” is listening Terry. an honestly written passage, with a twist and a Brillaintly written Sense of Humour? well done wordy :)

Ruby…it’s far from being brilliantly written. In fact it’s just the opposite.

ssshhhhhh Tel..listen ..the sound of silence can be ominous.. the sound of YOU actually listening May be too much too bear. ssssshhh “listen and learn”… Then attend the EDL meeting !

/frowns.

bugger perspicacity im voting for ” anti tory cuts”.. sorry, forgetting its local Scottish elections on Thursday. They gonna get a few damm votes actually. Jim Mcfarlane is the Man :)

I love being Scottish :)

(Starts reading up on the background to the Highland Clearances)

@wordsworth60 wrote:

@wordsworth60 wrote:

(Starts reading up on the background to the Highland Clearances)

Nope, goes back further . . . . . .

OK Derby, nothing to do with Wallace, but the Jacobites did get there in 1745 . . . . Still not sure why they went so far from home.