I wonder if anyone has been listening to Neil MacGregor's excellent 15 minute slots on Radio 4? He talks to a few citizens of five chosen countries (today's were Canadians) to inquire what they think of the UK. A slight weakness perhaps (which he acknowledges) is that those interviewed seem always to talk of London as if it were the UK !
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....just lovely to have a week free of artists wittering and Melvyn Bragg talking into his chest....bong ching -
Indeed, eighth!Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post
This morning's programme gave us some insight into the vantage point from which Canadian nationals might perceive us, and the contribution from the young woman coming from the provinces both enlightening and enlightened. My lady friend from Toronto of Hungarian origins, and of 40 years acquaintance, would have been most interested in today's programme.Comment
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It's a shame that foreigners perceive 'London' as the be all and end all of the UK. My mate started a business for split-week holiday breaks between Carlisle and Hull, but went bust after 3 months due to this prejudice. It's hard to know how we can change people's minds about the UK.Comment
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Send enlightened Londoners out on a nationwide propaganda drive!Originally posted by Beef Oven! View PostComment
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Perhaps if a few more international flights came into airports further away from London it might bring people to more people into less unpleasant places than London.Originally posted by Beef Oven! View PostComment
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Unfortunately, most international airlines seem to be in thrall to the prestige that attaches to slots at Heathrow. (To be fair, other airports would probably offer many fewer choices of onward destinations, something which is doubtless important to some of the international jet set).Originally posted by cloughie View Post
(Many years ago, Schiphol launched an advertising campaign in London promoting itself as the 3rd London airport, using the catchphrase 'Hop Jump and ...' yes, you guessed correctly!)Comment
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Unpleasant? My reading was that London is the one place in the country where enlightened attitudes towards multiculturalism have really taken root, though places such as Manchester and Leeds should also be seen in this light. Surely this is a plus?Originally posted by cloughie View PostComment
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... there are many parts of the United Kingdom that I love - but in the end I find London to be the most pleasant of all.Originally posted by cloughie View Post
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Although this is of course a metropolitan outlook, S-A ,based I would think on the outpourings of the London based media.Multiculturalism , and enlightened attitudes to it, has strong roots all over the country.Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
Southampton in the 60’s ( just as one example) had a noticeable and respected asian community, and this certainly informed opinions positively in the white middle and working classes for decades.I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
I am not a number, I am a free man.Comment
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Leicester is another city that works well. It depends how you define the word 'multicultural'. Communities tend to stick together...but with tolerance of other communities. I probably haven't explained it well, but it seems to work. Interesting that in the large sixth-form college (Leicester city schools don't have sixth-forms, so all go there) very few Asian kids go for Arts subjects. The family pressure steers them all to take A-levels and BTechs that will lead to vocational careers such as medicine, optometry, accountancy, law, veterinary science, etc. Leicester is however a very friendly place with a spontaneous bonhommie often lacking in the S.E.Comment
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As I said, this series is a fairly ludicrous exercise. There is nowhere else on earth - and no organisation other than the BBC - which would go in for such a brow beating exercise. NPR, United States. Radio France. "What do the British think of us?" It would never happen. Of course, if anyone can flag up any sort of equivalent programme elsewhere, I will be all ears.
Next, how many people were they going to choose? I suggested if it was one and they were in, say, France it would be a stereotypical, somewhat racist, decision to pick out a bloke on a bicycle carrying onions. Pick a French Muslim instead. Well, I've been listening to Canada. Not 15 minutes but 40 minutes. Three people rather than one. Two of the three were of mildly ethnic background. So far, so good. Except that significant chunks of it involved a focus on Canada. Not Britain. The history rather than present. And a lengthy presentation by the BBC presenter throughout of his own view of what Canada is. All of these things prove my point. In the opening statement, we were told that Canada is diverse. Nothing other than that. Just diverse? Not qualified in any way? It is not as diverse as Britain in terms of its welcoming procedures. It has a points based system which tilts strongly towards favouring the under 50s and the younger you are the more welcoming it is. Further, we weren't told if any of the three were on legalised cannabis. Certainly the woman sounded like she could have been.
As for Europe, they do see us as politically tolerant for want of a better word. They see that in terms of the historical absence of revolution, the lead against fascism and in contrast with many of their own situations the persistent failure of the far right in democratic elections. Many do see us as being of high principle which is why they often elect the British to chair meetings at the UN etc. They see us as football hooligans and the country of punk rock as it is still sold to tourists on postcards in Westminster. They can take the punk bit but not the football yob bit. They choose to see the latter things as being on the fringes so that they can continue to believe in the other version. They are absolutely right to do so. We do too.Last edited by Lat-Literal; 04-01-19, 14:37.Comment
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My hunch is that we are seen across the globe as very slow moving and peculiarly so. On political decisions. Without a doubt, on planning decisions. There is not here any Chinese style going ahead with a hundred airports at the stroke of a pen. No easy additional runways at Schiphol or De Gaulle. That ties in too with tolerance or the lack of it. Britain is a bungler but in the most methodical and systematic of ways. I suppose one could also use the word scrutiny. The general public is unlikely to be persuaded that one bloke or woman at the top has got things so right there is no need to spend a few days studying the small print. And cynicism which is also evidenced by our sense of humour which understandably rarely travels well.
As an island, we are no doubt seen as distant but I would see that as often being an excuse when the Republic of Ireland is an island too, geographically more out on a limb, and yet regarded by many as a cosy mate. And while the Germans and the Eastern Europeans feel they have more to fear from past experience of the Soviet Union, ironically it is this country which sabre rattles against Russia the most and puts huge money in to so-called defence in that area. Also, we are regarded by many as being closer to America but we are not so. Our ideals emanate from Empire. Others' heads are more in a united states of corporatism. It is precisely these differences which underpin differing attitudes to mobility. One is a significant updating of a 19th Century Europeanism focussed on resources. The other is a modish 20th Century onwards "land of opportunity" outlook with its roots on the other side of the Atlantic.
Incidentally, the problem with any current debate is that it is focussed on two versions of that globalism. Neither sudden influxes of large numbers of European people picking vegetables in Lincolnshire nor Far Asian people promoting high tech at Yorkshire and Durham universities says anything much about Britain's identity or indeed the social cohesion it so desperately requires "going forward". Priority for West Indians, people from the Indian sub-continent and Australasians is imo the best way for Britain to work well and define itself clearly to others.Comment
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