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sidjameson
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 629
Location: osaka
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 Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:45 am Post subject: The Best of British |
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Got some very good help with another thread of mine asking about movies so thought I would try again.
For the Brits: What would you say was the best of Britain. It can be geographical as in London. Cultural as in the sense of humour. Historical such as Stonehenge. Anything really.
For too many weeks now I have been talking about binge drinking, life long dollies, dark by 4pm. I want to give a lesson on what the country does have to offer. Any ideas? |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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Sid, maybe this is the wrong place to ask. After all we left. Must have been a reason. I have spent today down a cafe reading the(this is where I get slated) Daily Mail. Reading it I think thank God I don't live in the UK.
Sid, try a lesson on happy slapping. My advaced Turkish students were amazed by the concept. |
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SueH
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Posts: 1022
Location: Northern Italy
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| dmb wrote: |
Daily Mail. Reading it I think thank God I don't live in the UK.
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Gawd, dmb. You're even beginning to sound like a Daily Mail reader! They like nothing better than a good moan too. OK, I'll let you off, it was the only paper available, 'onest guv. |
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sickbag
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 155
Location: Blighty
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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Arundel - complete with castle and cathedral. Or Winchester - more history than you could know what to do with.
You could show them Gosford Park - not particularly representative but fairly amusing.
I am currently reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (by Mark Haddon) with one of my groups. A fantastic book and manageable for any group from intermediate and beyond. |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| dmb wrote: |
Sid, maybe this is the wrong place to ask. After all we left. Must have been a reason. I have spent today down a cafe reading the(this is where I get slated) Daily Mail. Reading it I think thank God I don't live in the UK.
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You've been "Daily Mailed". It's a new verb which means to be frightened by the prospect of being over-run by immigrants. I can see you now reading the headline "UK to be swamped by Turks" and the blood draining from your face and thinking "I'd better go out and vote UK Independence Party before they join the EU and I get surrounded by Turks!" |
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sickbag
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 155
Location: Blighty
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| furiousmilksheikali wrote: |
| dmb wrote: |
Sid, maybe this is the wrong place to ask. After all we left. Must have been a reason. I have spent today down a cafe reading the(this is where I get slated) Daily Mail. Reading it I think thank God I don't live in the UK.
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You've been "Daily Mailed". It's a new verb which means to be frightened by the prospect of being over-run by immigrants. I can see you now reading the headline "UK to be swamped by Turks" and the blood draining from your face and thinking "I'd better go out and vote UK Independence Party before they join the EU and I get surrounded by Turks!" |
I thought 'Daily Mail' just meant 'to be frightened of everything, especially things you do not understand'. |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| sickbag wrote: |
| furiousmilksheikali wrote: |
| dmb wrote: |
Sid, maybe this is the wrong place to ask. After all we left. Must have been a reason. I have spent today down a cafe reading the(this is where I get slated) Daily Mail. Reading it I think thank God I don't live in the UK.
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You've been "Daily Mailed". It's a new verb which means to be frightened by the prospect of being over-run by immigrants. I can see you now reading the headline "UK to be swamped by Turks" and the blood draining from your face and thinking "I'd better go out and vote UK Independence Party before they join the EU and I get surrounded by Turks!" |
I thought 'Daily Mail' just meant 'to be frightened of everything, especially things you do not understand'. |
Well, there are acceptable variants depending on factors such as class, age and gender.
You have to admit that Richard Littlejohn is spot on when he says the UK is being taken over by working-class, dole-scrounging, Jewish-Muslim black lesbians from Liverpool.
But as for that Peter Hitchens, just don't get me started! |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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Anyway, to the OP:
Food: Crumpets and Marmite (not necessarily together).
Music: Er... an obscure band like The Beatles springs to mind. If you can't find any of their music then try The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, The Stone Roses, Nick Drake and Led Zeppelin.
Comedy: Monty Python, Blackadder, Lee and Herring, Eddie Izzard, Billy Conolly, Alan Partidge, Chris Morris.
Sport: Cricket, football, golf, rugby.
Science: Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, the jet engine, the TV. |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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| SueH wrote: |
| dmb wrote: |
Daily Mail. Reading it I think thank God I don't live in the UK.
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Gawd, dmb. You're even beginning to sound like a Daily Mail reader! They like nothing better than a good moan too. OK, I'll let you off, it was the only paper available, 'onest guv. |
Sue, it is either that or the Sun(the Turkish Daily News doesn't count.) |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| I actually prefer the Sun to the Daily Mail. At least the Sun is honest about being a rag. The Daily Mail is aimed at "respectable ladies of the WI". It's the insidiousness that I can't stand. |
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kaw
Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 302
Location: somewhere hot and sunny
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Best of british - ok sad as this may sound - supermarkets - that sell ready meals that you just have to bung in the microwave for 6 minutes - great when you finish work late, cheese.........um................, the variation in landscape, the availability of quality and otherwise newspapers and magazines, 'Superdrug', 'Woolworths....' um.............TV - Little Britain, French and Saunders,Eastenders, films where not everyone has an American accent, autumnal days, bonfire night.......Xmas shopping...... and definately agree with crumpets and marmite. The availabilty of pavements - yep some countries don't have them.....public transport - ok we all moan about it but it's there, the ability to buy cheap air tickets to pretty much anywhere in the world......... |
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nickpellatt
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 1522
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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There are many things in history that can be discussed, but by the same token Im sure every country has wonderful historical things to discuss..
I would look at popular music and its influence on other countries, if your students are young, they may not like the music, but I would think it might still make for a lesson they will listen to and participate in..
Depending on your preferences this can be from the 60's with The Beatles, the 70s with Bay City rollers....to Take That in the 90s?
Sporting tradition might be good too...
Anything cultural id avoid...tried that myself recently and it went wrong! |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| kaw wrote: |
| Best of british - ok sad as this may sound - supermarkets - that sell ready meals that you just have to bung in the microwave for 6 minutes - great when you finish work late, cheese.........um................, the variation in landscape, the availability of quality and otherwise newspapers and magazines, 'Superdrug', 'Woolworths....' um.............TV - Little Britain, French and Saunders,Eastenders, films where not everyone has an American accent, autumnal days, bonfire night.......Xmas shopping...... and definately agree with crumpets and marmite. The availabilty of pavements - yep some countries don't have them.....public transport - ok we all moan about it but it's there, the ability to buy cheap air tickets to pretty much anywhere in the world......... |
Kaw, you missed out pub lunches and pints of Guiness |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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| nickpellatt wrote: |
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Anything cultural id avoid...tried that myself recently and it went wrong! |
How is music not cultural? |
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SueH
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Posts: 1022
Location: Northern Italy
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| dmb wrote: |
| Kaw, you missed out pub lunches and pints of Guiness |
..Or real ale. Mmmmm, highlight of my last weekend in the UK (apart from the wedding/CP I went to!).
So only the current bun and Mail available - is this a special shop catering for EFL teachers? |
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