Was once quite proud to be british. Reckon it started with my 18 months national service?? New type uniform with berry, shirt and tie, first group to have sheets and even the new, SLR rifle in March 1949. -- A Man!!
My progress to a Machine Tool Engineer, taught me, high precision work and that nothing could be made without them. I have held positions in British, Canadian and German companies and was in my element untill the later part of the 1960s-- The start of imports and the sad decline of british manufacture. Britain went down fast. We lost our motorbikes,cars,domestic appliances and our clothes, with ever increasing speed. Now, I am disillusioned and not so proud of our downfall. The End Product?? Being a Senior Citizen on a below european standard pension!! -- What is Your Story??

Hello Mac, Sadly to say, there is no such person as True British!! It is either, Scottish, Welsh, Irish or English!! Which appears to have come about by Deliberation.
Just what the real reason is for this,Who Knows?? -- Yes, Our Country, with it's people, used to be, 'Great Britain!! Why would anyone want to change it's Status?? So much has been 'Given' away, what else is left??
Remember how 'Socialism' was FOR The Working people??
But Don't forget, People do have 'short' memories!!

Hi Mac,I would like to quote a few words by the Editor of 'The Best of british'-- He was asked at a BBC interview in June --'What is Britishness'??  He Stated -"My view was that I no longer knew. Go back 50 years when great britain was a better place in which to live, although we had less (and didn't seem bothered)and the overwhelming opiniion would have been one of pride,unity,fairplay and loving(and knowing) thy neighbour. Not now. Many feel the world changed when National Service ended. Come the 1970s. everything spiraled out of control and the real sense of Britishness went out of the window" --- There is more, but space, dictates!!-- This is in July's - 'Best Of Brtish'
In My 77th.year - I am in Agreement with Him!!

I dont know why Phoenix..................unless they are all away !

I only wish I had the answer phoenix !!!

I beleive and \i have sed before they were good old days because you wre young. Remember 61/2 day working week, no sick pay, no paid holidays,it was vitually slave labour in the factorys, only the war changed that.In the home, no electric, no bathroom, outside toilets, no central heating, pegged rugs on the floor.Like most people of my age I like to wallow in a bit of nostalgia, but really thet were hard days.

Yes! Those days were hard -- But harder more for our mother's, with never a moments rest?? -- But for us?? I believe it gave us a good basic understanding of life ??
 Nothing, but Nothing, comes easy!! We needed to Work and pay our dues?? We learnt Respect and Disipline, and to help othere's!! --- Is it there Today??

Hi Mac, As previously stated. My personal preference was for the 50/60s before the great change came about!! Nobody in their right mind would want the hard days of our parents back!!-- During the war period, our school went Potatoe Picking and yes, that was hard for all involved!! Times most certainly have moved on and Education is a tricky word ?? lots of children still leaving school, cannot do maths, spell, or read as they should -- Somehow?? they are losing out and that is not right!!