Icons, symbols and institutions

Whan you say ENGLAND- what do you think about??? These are the symbols which first come to your mind when you consider the Great Britan and its culture.....

BRITANNIA is the personification of British nationalism. She is portrayed as a young woman in a neo-classical gown and helmet, seated by the sea. She is holding a trident in one hand and a shield, decorated with the Union flag, in the other. BRITANNIA

S ince his first appearance in 1989, Mr Bean has achieved a massive following around the world - he's now recognised as the most popular British comedy export since Benny Hill - with some people even thinking of him as a sex symbol. MR.BEAN

THE BEATLES The Beatles could not have happened without Liverpool, where John, Paul, George and Ringo all grew up listening to the rock and roll records of the fifties. And when Brian Epstein first saw the Beatles playing at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1961, he knew from the first moment that they would be bigger than Elvis, and made it all happen.

The flag is normally - but incorrectly - called the "Union Jack" because it represents the union of England, Ireland, and Scotland. It is correctly called the Union Flag, as a jack is a flag that is flown on a jackstaff. The Union Flag combines the crosses of St. George for England, St. Andrew for Scotland and St. Patrick for Ireland. (The St. Andrew's and St. Patrick's crosses are saltires - diagonal crosses.) St. George- EnglandSt. Patric- IrelandSt. Andrew- Scotland THE UNION JACK

The British BOBBY is one of our most cherished icons, called after the founder of the modern police force, Sir Robert Peel. The local policemen may also be known as the "Plod" after the delightful policeman character Mr. Plod in Enid Blyton's "Noddy" stories, or as a "copper," from his habit of "copping" (seeing what they are up to and catching) wrongdoers. BOBBY

Monty Python isn't a person, but a group of british actors that performed their famous comedy programme "Monty Python's Flying Circus" on BBC from 5. Oct 1969 to 5. Dec MONTY PYTHON

TOWER BRIDGE The Tower Bridge, named after its two impressive towers, is one of London's best known landmarks. This Victorian Bridge is now more than 100 years old.

A lthough most people today think of Henry VIII as a fat tyrant, in his youth he was admired for his intelligence, good looks, good nature and athletic ability. One of his contemporaries wrote that he was "one of the goodliest men that lived in his time, in manners more than a man, most amiable, courteous and benign in gesture unto all persons." HENRY VIII

David Beckham is one of England's true ambassadors for the game of football. Renowned for his spectacular goals and his celebrity lifestyle, he is an idol and hero to many. DAVID BECKHAM

JOHN BULL The Americans have Uncle Sam, Britons have JOHN BULL. He is a fictional character, used to personify the British nation, and is always depicted as an elderly gentleman, rather portly in build, wearing full riding kit complete with breeches and boots, and a Union Jack waistcoat.

SPICE GIRLS T he record breaking quartet (former quintet) known as the Spice Girls was not only a pop group, it was a phenomenon! The first six singles have all been a UK #1 hit. The debut album, Spice has sold in more than 21 million copies.

The ROBIN is Britains national bird. No other British bird has the same red breast, which is present in both sexes, and it is the one bird everyone can identify even if they can name no other bird! Robins are so familiar because they are so tame : this seems a characteristic of British robins, which elsewhere in their range are shy woodland birds. THE ROBIN

HARRY POTTER The Harry Potter books are primarily aimed at older children, but have fans of all ages. There is also a series of films of the same name and based directly on the books.

ENGLISH TEA Tea has been an important drink in Great Britain for hundreds of years, and is drunk throughout the day in most British households. Last year the British population as a whole drank more than 200,000,000 cups of tea every day!

CRICKET –. At a local level, cricket has county teams, works, club, village and even school teams, and families play their own versions of the game on playing fields and beaches every summer. Cricket is a leisurely game: test matches take up to five days, and three or two-day matches are usual at the higher levels of play. CRICKET

Birthdate: September 9, 1960 Birthplace: London, England Occupations: Actor, Producer Quote: "Am I tired of playing repression? Personally, I enjoy it. A lot of American actors are always saying, 'Emote! Emote!' But people don't emote in real life. They behave, and they're very complex." HUGH GRANT

The English Sense of Humour A man walks into a doctor's office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. "What's the matter with me?" he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, "You're not eating properly." What is the longest word in the English language? "Smiles". Because there is a mile between its first and last letters! A man was injected with a deadly poison, but, it did not kill him. Why? He was already dead!

Sir Isaac Newton Scientist and Mathematician If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants. Sir Isaac Newton Newton defined the laws of motion and universal gravitation which he used to predict precisely the motions of stars, and the planets around the sun.

BRITISH WEATHER Dr Johnson, an English writer of the 18th century said, 'When two Englishmen meet their first talk is of the weather.' This is still true!

A BRITISH LION is really a member of a Rugby Football team good - the Lion is the emblem of England. It is actually a "lion passant gardant" - a walking lion, looking out at you full face, and was first used by Rollo, Duke of Normandy. The third was added by Henry II, and Henry VIII added a crown to the lion. In heraldry, the lion stands for "deathless courage" and the lion passant gardant for "resolution and prudence" BRITISH LION

T raditionally many Britons have started the day with something called a full English breakfast: toasted bread, spread with butter, jam, marmolade or honey, followed by a fry-up or cooked breakfast of fried bread, sausages, bacon, mushrooms, eggs and tomatoes.Served with hot tea, with milk added. A FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST

The BULLDOG symbolises the very essence of Britishness. He is solid, reliable, unshakeably loyal, very individual, VERY nice when you get to know him - and kind of cute in his own funny little way! He also bears a startling resemblance to Winston Churchill, Britain's great wartime leader whose memory is still held in great esteem by the majority of the British. THE BULLDOG

Prince William, the "handsome" heir to the British crown, is perhaps the most scrutinized person on the face of the earth. The young man who will one day be King has captured the hearts of millions of girls and women and has provoked positive interest in the Royal Family once again. PRINCE WILLIAM

Elizabeth I ( AD) E lizabeth I was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Although she entertained many marriage proposals and flirted incessantly, she never married or had children. Elizabeth, the last of the Tudors, died at seventy years of age after a very successful forty-four year reign.

SHAKESPEARE

RED BUSES What you will certainly see in London is a famous red bus.

A good pub will have "atmosphere" - a cheerful and friendly landlord, helpful and chatty bar staff - if they are also decorative then that is a bonus - and "locals" willing to gossip with any visitor.A good beer is served at cellar (storage) temperature - which given the climate, is decidedly NOT warm! ENGLISH PUBS

CURRENCY Unlike most other members of the European Union who use the euro, the unit of currency in the United Kingdom is the pound sterling. It is devided into 100 pence.

RING GAMES etc., are accompanied by singing and rhymes. Ring-a-ring-o-roses is the simplest of all the ring games and is played by even the smallest children. They join hands and dance round in a ring, singing...and on "we all fall down" - we do indeed "all fall down!" to much giggling and laughter. This is a very old rhyme and is attributed to the Black Death of the 14th century. Ring-a-ring-o-roses A pocket full o' posies. Atishoo! Atishoo! We all fall down!

THE END Anna Wołowska II a