The British way of life

its traditions, but offers the visitor much more than stately

castles and pretty villages. A diversity of landscape, culture, literature, art and architecture, as well as its unique heritage, results in a nation balancing the needs of the present with those of its past.

newspapers published from London on weekdays. British national newspapers fall

into 2 categories: broadsheets – quality papers, such as The Times or The Guardian – and tabloids, heavy on gossip, such as The Sun or The Daily Mirror.

serious news, current affairs and nature programmes as well as

for its drama. The publicly funded British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which controls 5 national radio networks and 2 TV channels, is widely admired.

RECREATIONS

its cooked breakfasts, afternoon teas and satisfying puddings. Fast food

and take-aways were pioneered here with fish and chips, the sandwich and the Cornish pasty. Modern British cuisine is innovative and varied, but it is also worth seeking out traditional dishes which use first-rate ingredients: beef, lamb and game figure prominently. As an island, Britain has historically been a fish-eating nation, although shellfish, once cheap, have become pricier.

is a British tradition enacted daily in homes, tea-shops and

grand hotels. The tea is usually from India or Sri Lanka, served with optional milk and sugar; but it scented China or herbal tea served with or without lemon. Small, delicately cut sandwiches are eaten first: fish paste and cucumber are traditional fillings. These may be followed by scones, jam and cream, esp. in the west of England. Other options include buttered toast or crumpets, but leave room for a slice of fruit cake or sponge, a chocolate éclair or a regional speciality such as Scottish shortbread.

cricket and golf are popular both to watch and to

take part in. An instantly recognizable English image is that of the cricket match on a village green. Nationwide, fishing is the most popular sporting pastime, and the British make good use of their national parks as enthusiastic ramblers and walkers.

soccer, cricket and tennis, were invented in Britain. Originally devised

as recreation for the wealthy, they have entered the arena of mass entertainment. Some, however, such as the Royal Ascot race meeting and Wimbledon tennis tournament, are still valued as much for their social cachet as for the sport itself. Other delightful sporting events in Britain take place on a local level: village cricket, point-to-point racing and the Highland Games are all popular amateur sports events.

charms. Most major sights are open all year round, but

many secondary attractions may be closed in winter. The weather is changeable in all seasons and the visitor is as likely to experience a crisp, sunny February day as to be caught in a cold, heavy shower in July. Long periods of adverse weather and extremes of temperature are rare. Spring is characterized by daffodils and bluebells, summer by roses and autumn by the vivid colour of changing leaves. In wintertime, country vistas are visible through the bare branches of the trees. Annual events and ceremonies, many stemming from age-old traditions, reflect the attributes of the seasons.

to come alive. At Easter many stately homes and gardens

open their gates to visitors for the first time, and during the week before. Whit Sunday, or Whitsun (the seventh Sunday after Easter), the Chelsea Flower Show takes place. This is the focal point of the gardening year and spurs on the nation’s gardeners to prepare their summer holidays. Outside the capital, many music and arts festivals mark the middle months of the year.

place tables on the pavements and pub customers take their

drinks outside. The Queen holds garden parties for privileged guests at Buckingham Palace while, more modestly, village fêtes – a combination of a carnival and street party – are organized. Beaches and swimming pools become crowded and office workers picnic in city parks at lunch. The rose, England’s national flower, bursts into bloom in millions of gardens. Cultural treats include open-air theatre performances, outdoor concerts, the Proms in London, the National Eisteddfod in Wales, Glyndebourne’s opera festival, and Edinburgh’s festival of the performing arts.

new season is marked by the various party political conferences

held in October and the royal opening of Parliament. All over the country on 5 November, bonfires are lit and fireworks let off to celebrate the foiling of an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes and his conspirators in 1605. Cornfields become golden, trees turn fiery yellow through to russet and orchards are heavy with apples and other autumn fruits. In churches throughout the country, thanksgiving festivals mark the harvest. The shops stock up for the run-up to Christmas, their busiest time of the year.

shopping streets as shoppers rush to buy their seasonal gifts.

Carol services are held in churches across the country, and pantomime, a traditional entertainment for children deriving from the Victorian music hall, fills theatres in major towns. Many offices close between Christmas and New Year. Shops reopen for the January sales on 27 December – a paradise for bargain-hunters.

Brightly lit Christmas tree at the centre of Trafalgar Square

done for centuries: accommodating their own traditions to influences from

other cultures, while leaving the essential elements of their national life and character intact.

The Tower of London