The question of who it is exactly who runs the country of England is an interesting one to research.
Many foreign people often think that the Queen and Royalty of England are, naturally, the people in charge. As we shall find out, it’s not quite that simple..
England is run by the British Parliament. England is of course the largest country in Britain. The other countries are Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Parliament is basically a mix of important people and groups who together, run the the country.
England is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional Monarch as the ‘Head of State’.
English (British) democracy works on the basic principle that the people of England and Britain elect Members of Parliament (known as ‘MPs’).
The Government has some principle officials, namely: The Head of State – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Then, Prime Minister (Head MP) – The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP. (Rt. Hon. stands for ‘Right Honourable’ and is a mark of respect). So Parliament itself is made up of the House of Commons, together with another ‘House’ called the House of Lords and then the Monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth).
Yes, alright! But what does Parliament actually DO?
Ah, ok ok. Essentially the Parliament has one main job – the creation of Law. Parliament passes new laws, amends laws, discusses laws and then other matters such as taxation. Foreign matters are often discussed along with domestic issues.
The Houses of Parliament sit next to the river Thames, a river that runs right through London. The impressive buildings are the subject of many a tourists photography!
Each MP who sits in the House of Commons (which sits inside the Houses of Parliament) has been elected, as I mentioned. Each individual MP ‘represents’ one of 659 constituencies in the U.K. Each of the constituencies has one ’seat’ in the House of Commons, so called because that is where the MP gets to sit while the House debates the various issues of government.
MPs are also grouped by the particular party they belong to. There are three main political parties in the system; New Labour, The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The party that gets the most ’seats’ elected by the people becomes the ruling government.
2001 saw the General Election won by New Labour. They won an impressive 413 ’seats’ (i.e. 413 constituencies voted a New Labour MP into power). By comparison, the Conservatives won 166 ’seats’ and the Liberal Democrats got 52. As it happens, we’re coming up to the next General Election at the moment. May 5th, 2005 will once again see the English people voting for who will run their country.
Most people would see different wedding traditions, but if there is one that can be traced from the English style, that is of spreading flowers on the pathway towards the altar before the bride walks towards it. Such a practice stems from the belief that the bride will live through her life happily and lovely.
This practice is usually done by a small girl who dons the same design or dress of the bride herself. This is to avoid being singled out by any jealous evil wishers who might envy her life of happiness in the duration of the ceremonies.
Also, brides are also advised to carry a silver horseshoe to the hem of their wedding dresses. In the olden days, brides were even asked to carry actual horseshoes for good luck. The former is what most brides apply now since good luck is what any newlyweds will always be after.
The Royal Coat of Arms of England has a specific function – it identifies the Head of State. The Head of State today is the Queen of England.
The English Lion supports the shield from the left hand side while the right is upheld by the Unicorn. In this case, the Unicorn is a symbol of Scotland.
Many people often ask why the Unicorn is shackled to the shield – is this to imply something about the relationship between England and Scotland
Alas, no, the Unicorn is chained because in the days when this coat was created, a unicorn unshackled was considered unlucky, as they were mythically very dangerous beasts!
The coat of arms features the motto of England, described below.
The Motto of England
Dieu et mon Droit is written on many things such as money and indeed, the coat of arms. It is French for ‘God and My Right’. This motto was first used by Richard I, King, in 1198. Henry VI adopted it as the motto of England later.
The Coat of Arms also includes another motto:
The Motto of the Order of the Garter:
Honi soit qui mal y pense means ‘Shamed be he who thinks ill of it’.
The shield amidst the coat of arms shows the royal emblems that refer to specific parts of the United Kingdom.
The Three lions of England, the Harp of Northern Island and the Unicorn of Scotland. The shield of England with the three lions is popular now thanks to English football.
Richard the Lionheart used the symbol originally on a scarlet backgroud. It was a symbol of power and the English Throne used extensively during the crusades.
‘England expects that every man will do his duty.’
These famous words were used by Admiral Nelson to inspire his battle squadron at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The battle was to be his last.
His death was a great loss to England. His leadership was renown for his compassion towards his men, and he was famous for the respect he gave those under him.
On the flip side, the Admiral was also known to be a glory-seeker,
As a commander he was known for bold action and sometimes disregarding orders.
His occasional defiance garnered him several victories against the Spanish and also at the Battle of Copenhagen where he memorably ignored orders to cease battle by placing his telescope to his one blind eye and pretending he couldnt see the signal from the other ships.
Under his leaderhsip, the Navy proved time and again its supremacy over the French.
In England we tend to eat three meals a day. Many people eat their biggest meal in the evening which is often called supper or dinner. Breakfast is usually between 7am and 9am.
What do the English eat for Breakfast?
Well, this varies alot from person to person and some people skip breakfast altogether (although it is widely considered unhealthy to do so by most English people).
I expect you think you already know what an English breakfast consists of (or dare I say it, the ‘full English Breakfast’). Most people would say that the English breakfast was eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread.
Cereals have become the healthy choice although many of the popular cereals on the market today are quite the opposite, full of sugar and other unhealthy elements.
Regardless, there are healthy cereals packed with whole grains which provide a good source of energy and are often had with milk.
A traditional winter-time alternative to cereal is hot porridge, which is a gloopy white substance that most children positively dislike!
I always had to eat mine with chocolate, which my mother was happy to allow as even porridge with chocolate is better for a young child than no porridge at all!
Women in England are given equal rights to men, and this is a very important part of English society now.
It wasn’t always this way, and it took the bravery and courage of some famous women and men to make the change. Here are some simple points about women that may differ to your country (or may not!):
It’s completely acceptable for women to drink beer. Women can drink anything men can and most of society will not find it odd. However, many men still feel that it is not attractive to see a women drinking the more tradition ‘male’ drinks like a pint of beer or very hard spirits.
It’s also normal for women to wander around alone. Just like men, women in England can go anywhere they want and do anything they like (within the law!). It is very normal to see women on their own walking from place to place, just like men. You might be asking yourself why this is notable – if so, consider yourself lucky!
Another important social event is eating out! Women in England are socially free to eat alone in restaurants. It is not seen as odd or notable to be female and alone while eating your meal in a cafe or restaurant. This is something not all countries can take for granted!
It is standard in England for women to hold positions of authority in the Armed Forces, police, politics, law and every aspect of society and business.
There are no legal restrictions on what a woman can achieve in terms of a career in England.
Some women still complain that men stop women from succeeding in business sometimes, but equally so some men complain that companies will be more likely to hire women because it makes the company look good in the eyes of society, so men are losing out on some jobs.
Both things probably do happen sometimes, but this is the result of an equal society.
As promised, here is another installment of our light hearted look at English Slang.
When a word is indicated by a ‘*’ it means that it is not in common usage nowadays in England, but once was.
Oftentimes, slang comes around in phases so one word might not be used now but in future it may be.
This often depends on popular media such as movies and newspapers who have been responsible for the use of mane slang phrases over the years.
The first word is the slang word, then the proper English word closest to it, followed by an example of how to use it.
Airy-fairy – lacking in strength, weak. ‘Don’t give me that airy-fairy excuse! Hand your homework in on time! ‘
Aggro – Aggressive behaviour, troublemaking. ‘Don’t be so aggro, we can work this out.’
Airhead – A silly person, someone who doesn’t think well. ‘Why did she get that question wrong? She is such an airhead! ‘
Alky / alkie – An alcoholic . ‘My uncle is such an old alky – he never stops drinking!’
Ace! – Brilliant, really good. ‘This food is ace!’
Action man – someone who does alot of macho things, someone trying to be tough. ‘Peter is a real action man, look at him trying to impress the ladies. ‘
All-nighter – an event which takes place all night or at least for longer than most events of the same type. . ‘Are you going to the club tonight? I fancy doing an all-nighter ‘
All to pot – messed up, everything went wrong. ‘The trip was ace until I broke my leg, and then it all went to pot. ‘
Ankle-biters – young children, babies . ‘What a cute little ankle-biter he is!’
(going) Apeshit – angry, being very aggressive, violent. ‘Someone told Jon he was fat, so Jon went apeshit and punched him on the nose!’
Learning English is a difficult task – we fully sympathise with you if you are trying to do it!
Most English people do not know the full range and function of the English language – using it is as natural to them as breathing!
One all too common complaint made by people attempting to learn English is that there are too many slang words and other types of word that cannot be understood or even found in the dictionary.
Without further ado then, here is our first in what will be a series of English Slang blogs and articles.
The first word is the slang word, then the proper English word closest to it, followed by an example of how to use it.
- Bottle – fortitude, courage. ‘Do you have the bottle to tell her you like her?
- Chucking it down – heavy or annoying rain. ‘Oh no! It’s chucking it down outside and I have to walk home!’
- Chuffed – pleased, happy, proud. ‘I feel chuffed to have passed my exam’
- Cheesed Off – annoyed, fed up, angry. ‘She was so cheesed off when she found out I had eaten all her chocolate!’
- Gobsmacked – very surprised, astounded. ‘When she told me I was fired I was gobsmacked.’
- Gutted – Unhappily surprised, negatively affected. ‘I feel so gutted to have lost the fight – I thought I was going to win.’
More soon..!
Famous throughout the world for their considerate helpfulness and assertive authority that even extend till these days to not carrying a loaded firearm, the ordinary English police are a globally recognised figure in all respects. They have been portrayed in many TV dramas, and their everyday duties have never ceased to stir one’s imagination.
The average English bobby is much respected all over the world for his consideration, efficiency as well as ability to do his job. He is also renowned as being honourable and morally upright and is among the very few unarmed police patrols in the crime-dogged world. Even though the uniform has gradually changed over time, there is little doubt it is still highly recognisable.
The English police did and to a large extent still do represent citizen security and the spirit of community that made them such a symbol of England for a number of years. Many say that the good English bobby is simply the envy of the world. In addition, they also argue that the English police should never be stripped off their bobby status as they always handled the situations in the kindest possible manner.
One of the things that people will always remember is the good old English Bobby being marched out by their sarge at the beginning of their shift. The most popular sight was probably the police standing in the street phone boxes calling their station, or the glossy blue light flashing telling the bobby to answer the phone. Another very familiar sight was the sarge attracting the attention of the tired constable by tapping the pavement with his truncheon.
I myself am a fan of police drama The Bill in which the English police are always capable of sorting out the most difficult offences. It is also fascinating to see them getting tough on crime and giving people a sense of security watching the show on TV. The English police in the drama are always in large numbers and even the worst offenders will have a hard time dealing with them.
Unfortunately though, in reality we no longer see that many English constables anymore. I reckon there should be more police back on the streets to help tackle the street crime in England. Countless times I have heard awful stories of people being murdered even in broad daylight which is appalling. Hardly can anyone understand what is going on here. The government has apparently generated a lot more tax revenues than ever before but it seems very little is spent on street policing.
Harrods is the most famous shopping mall in England, and probably the world. I made quite a few trips to central London before I ever visited Harrods. To be honest with you, I must say that I have never really been a shopper. However, I reckon that a trip to Harrods is more than a shopping trip. It’s like a visit to the most spectacular museum of shopping.
The place is massive and you are provided with a map as soon as you step your foot into the door that is filled with amazing, luxurious and stylish items. It is simply amazing. There’s always something you would definitely want to buy though everything seems really pricey.
One of my mates used to work in one of the restaurants there and he kept telling me how fascinating it was to work in such an environment where you get to meet an awful lot of people, some of whom the so-called upper class when they come to do their shopping. And the average wage in Harrods is relatively higher than elsewhere too and that’s one of the reasons my mate was quite miserable when he had to leave the job and went home where the wages are peanuts.
It is true that much of the stuff in Harrods can be bought elsewhere, usually at lower prices, but as you may know many people come here simply to get something with the Harrods logo on it. A lot of trade is done in this way, whether the items bought are genuine souvenirs or merely ordinary products but in Harrods packaging.
Another friend of mine got really annoyed with me once when I said to her that the Xmas puddings were much better in Tesco for £1.99 rather than the outrageous 8 Pounds she was about to pay for a Harrods one. My mate then called me ignorant. Well, what was I supposed to say?
I also many times noticed that the owner of Harrods Mohammad Al Fayed had a shrine to his son Dodi and Princess Diana. I had a quick peep and thought it was really tacky. Pictures of the lovely couple and the engagement ring he was about to give her in Paris. I just think that they should be left in peace without any sort of reminders, well at least in a crowded department store like Harrods.
During my time in England I tended to stay clear of this fabulous department store though I was really impressed with it. As far as I’m concerned, most of the people who shop there are too filthy rich and I’d feel uncomfortable dealing with them.
I still remember one day when my good mate insisted that I buy her a nice souvenir from Harrods for her birthday. I had to force myself to take the London Tube all the way to Knightsbridge and upon my arrival, they just sent me to a small area where a lot of cheap souvenirs were sold – I didn’t realise that Chavs are not allowed there!
Powered by WordPress | Custom theme by Randa Clay | Copyright © English Blog | Top
Posted on Aug 26, 2010 by