General Chat

PS: In my tree, I have reasonably close ancestors who are: Swedish, Latvian, Welsh, and Romany Gypsy (thought to have come over from Italy in late 1800s). Bit of a dolly mixture lol.

I know exactly how you feel. My kids used to go to a 98% asian school, obviously Im not racist or they wouldnt have gone there in the first place lol! All the parents were very kind and friendly, I never had any problems. But when England were playing (footie) and my kids had England flags painted on their faces, everyone at the school looked really nervous...like oh God this is going to start a riot. Im very patriotic, having ancestors who died fighting for England, and always put a big flag out the window when England are playing (couldnt care less about football but am proud of my country), but there was an air of tension on my old street, as about 6 of us had the flag out. People thought we were NAZI'S!!! Suppose thats what comes of living in a big city...

Where did this come from? Over two years old! Aileen xxx

Well I have some French Huguenot ancestors who came to London in the late 1600s and some Scottish blood on another line but am proud to be English, especially proud of my London ancestry.

im very proud to be ENGLISH ive never heard of any english men/women who arent i even have a george cross flag flyin in my daughter bedroom window,1 in my partners car and 1 on the ceiling above my bed. we r very proud of our country im not a rasist person by any means but a couple of yrs back we were banned from flyin our flag during world cup or euro football matches due to other religions saying we were racist its an outrage not that any1 listened because like ive said we r PROUD to be ENGLISH limmy xxx

I hate the fact I have to have BRITISH on my legal documents..... I'm English and will always be English so why is it not allowed on my passport?

The title of this thread is very deceiving. I was going to post a reply of how proud I was to be Scottish. Lovely scenery, friendly people, great food, wonderful achievements in science, medicine, engineering etc. Downside, international football – back to the drawing board! How many others would have done the same. Instead the originator goes on to say… The English aren’t proud to be English, and low and behold the Scots, Irish and Welsh get a hammering on this thread because we are. So, lets hear it from the English. Why aren’t you proud to be English. My husband who is English would like an answer to that question. Funny he says that everyone he knows is proud of their heritage. Where is this pocket of England that has a problem then?

Joan - I don't make fun of the Welsh or Scottish, but I have seen and heard Welsh and Scots making fun of the English. And I have also seen and heard the English making fun of Welsh and Scots. It works both ways. It frustrates me when you say UK people assume England, and I live in England! Not just the Middle East, it's like that in America! I don't care about who reads the news. Huw Edwards is easily understood so I don't see a problem there at all. Ann - I completely agree with you about the segregation in N Ireland. But we weren't born there, so how could we possibly understand?!? My grandad was born there. He was a protestant. Admittedly he didn't live there in the extremely bad times of trouble caused by extremists on either side, but he had the same view as me. Why can't they just get along? Chloe

I have to say I have never quite grasped the concept of being 'proud' of where you were born, it isn't something you have acheived but merely an accident of nature. I am surprised by some of the views and think there are some who are misinformed as to the role of the Scottish Parliament. It appears to me that some of you think the Scottish MP's in Westminster are making decisions only affecting the English? Scotland is still part of the UK as far as I'm aware, we don't have independence yet! Therefore Scots still have every right to vote for and have Scottish MP's sit in The House of Commons. The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood is there to make decisions on a local level for Scotland regarding education, policing, hospitals etc. The Scottish MP.s who sit in Westminster are there to represent Scotland on national issues such as employment, foreign affairs and defence, so the suggestion that they should be banned? I think not! Scotland put up with a Tory government that it did not vote for for long enough without banning those the country did vote for to represent them in parliament!! Yes the cost of Holyrood was shocking at over 600 million pounds; which will come out of the tax payers pockets; but perhaps if Scotland had been allowed to keep the revenue from it's oil fields( over 150 billion pounds) instead of it all going South, then we as a country could have paid for it with no expense to tax payers. Scotland must surely be one of the poorest oil producing countries in the world. As for Scottish newsreaders speaking English....well hardly surprising is it? It is afterall the language we speak up here, unless Peter, you thought we all spoke the Gaelic LOL Christine

Segregation in N. Ireland could be eased and perhaps eventually solved if all the children were integrated at school and both sides learned that the others are human and don't have horns. Unfortunately the priests insist that all catholic children are educated in catholic schools and taught Irish history whilst the others (non-roman) are educated in state schools and taught British history. There are some integrated schools but few and far between. Unfortunately Cromwells armies rampaged over the north of ireland as well and left not a living soul or beast on Rathlin Island to mention but one but also rampaged here as well. War in any century and any place always brings the worst to the fore. The people in the north of ireland and I have no reason to believe that the people of eire are any different are very friendly, helpful to strangers, the countryside and beaches are beautiful and the humour has to be heard to be believed. In the north you would be asked not would you like a cup of tea but rather 'would you take a drop of tea in your hand'. I always that this vision of tea being poured into my hand! Another was when you have a headache which comes and goes all day will be described as 'my head has been on and off all day! There are dozens and dozens more. I know a little about N. Ireland having lived there from late sixties to the late seventies (the height of the troubles) and had friends from both religions but was always told I would not understand because I was not born there! Ann

Strange but cant say I have heard any of my lot saying 'those English' down in westminster ?? I have heard some things said but Westminster has never been mentioned! Shaz

Chloe Yes, it was the British Empire, but I believe most of those in power at the time of the Irish famine were English. Fortunately none of them were anything to do with me as my ancestors were firmly working/labouring class and probably only just scratching a living themselves. The Irish famine was a cause of some of Ireland's problems today, not least because those lucky enough to survive the emigration to America could stir up sympathies for their homeland, but the list of atrocities in Ireland goes way back, beyond Cromwell's butcheries in Drogheda. I am completely with you in that more violence is not the solution. nell

English Empire!?! It was the BRITISH Empire, wasn't it? That should imply that all countries were involved, and yet only England takes the blame. As for the potato famine - it makes me so frustrated the segregation in Ireland. Back in 2000 we went to Fermanagh and Armagh (N Ireland) to see where my grandad grew up, and the defined segregation in the towns was overwhelming. Irish Republic flags on one side, Union Jacks on the other. I think the IRA have committed a lot of atrocities on England (not Scotland and Wales) all in the name of the potato famine (isn't this the root of all the problems?), and N Ireland still being a part of the UK. How they can justify killing any innocent is beyond me, makes them as bad as those in power all those years ago. It would be nice if everyone got on and were represented correctly in parliament. It makes me laugh when you hear Scots complain about 'those English' down in Westminster.... eh most of them are Scottish! LOL. Only heard a few Scots say it, but still makes me laugh. Chloe

Well I am Scottish and Very Very Proud to say so. I also come from Glasgow and have to say that most of our Local news readers are infact Scottish Peter!! Also my own cousin happens to be a Newsreader in England and I am sure you would have no problem in understanding him infact the next time I see him I must slap him for making his accent sooo .... Non Scottish!! Why is it that Chloes question was to ask us if we are proud of what we are... English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish? and straight away someone has to start with the old... Scottish this and Scottish that and yet you wonder why sometimes the Scots have a problem with the English. Its the same when a Scots person does something bad then the papers report 'Scotsman does so and so' but Oh let him do something good and how does it read then? 'British man does whatever' Oh and before anyone wants to jump up and down shouting about Big Shaz having a problem.... I am living in England my children were all born here and my eldest son (almost 19) supports England, hangs his England flag out when they are playing and also wears England shirts and drinks from an England mug. He has been like this since he was a child and yes it was me who bought him his first England Shirt, Mug and Flag! Shaz Proud to be Scots!

Yes but Ann those absentee Landlords where English, what is known as the Landed Gentry. Queen Victoria did not have any interest in Ireland and only worried about the Capitol Dublin (known as the second city of the Empire) and Dublin was not affected the same as the rest of the Country. That is not to say the Irish themselves couldn't have done more, but by the time their staple diet had been ruined it was too late. I agree with Nell it was a tragedy on the Country that should never have been allowed to happen, it did and it will never be forgotten, nor should it. This is not to say that that my Ancestors in England faired much better, in the Victorian times the working class suffered terribly, so the rich could live in the lap of luxury and rule with an iron rod over the people who created the wealth. My opinion of course, no disrespect to you. I am (what I myself call) a mongrel (many nationalities in my blood) I am not proud of being anything but part of the human race and do not care where anyone comes from. Pat x

Helen a lot of people do not realise that the potato blight which caused the Irish Famine was also here in England at that time and caused a great deal of hardship. If memory serves me right it began in I. of Wight. However the exporting of grain from Ireland was usually done by Irish Land Agents acting on behalf of absentee landlords. Ann

Not sure that you can be proud of something which is not an achievement of your own doing. If I am proud to be English, and of English excellence, particularly in the field of literature - Shakespeare etc, then I must also be ashamed to be English when I think about the many wrongs done in the name of the English Empire all over the world. I have just finished reading a book about the Irish Famine and it makes me sick to think that it was allowed to happen and that English men in a position to do something turned their backs on people who were forced to starve to death. It wasn't in the dark ages it was in 1847 in a Christian country. nell

LOL Chloe, BTW, what an interesting ancestry you have, Lucia :-)

And what about Cornwall? LOL. Aren't they wanting independence?

I did Psychology. Going to do a masters in Social Work. As for ancestry, I have German, Irish, English and French ancestry. My nana was German, my grandfather (different side of family) was Irish. I am very proud of my heritage, even though I can't trace them very far back at all! And the rugby - why are England playing so craply?!?