What Makes Britain Great

The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, commonly known as simply ‘Wimbledon’, is another great British institution. The first Wimbledon championship took place back in 1877, making it the oldest tennis tournament in […]

If there is one thing us Brits are known for, it’s having a sense of humour. This is just as well given some of the name calling that has happened over the years. We have been called many things – here are just a few of them…

Afternoon tea, the most quintessential of English customs is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China […]

Unlike in some other countries, in the UK, tipping in restaurants is usually ‘discretionary’. It is not necessary to tip at all if you are unhappy with the level of service you’ve received…

A round of applause is the usual way we Brits demonstrate our approval for something or recognise an achievement, but dignity, civility and decorum are still important…

Social kissing is becoming increasingly popular in Britain, but it is by no means an accepted norm, and is therefore a potential minefield…

Us Brits can be just as warm and friendly as the next person, we just like to be civilised about it. There has to be a dignified distance between strangers, especially in public places. Visitors to our nation can take a while to understand this and some people just stand too close, without any idea how offensive we find it…

The very unpredictability of English weather always seems to take us by surprise: a few weeks of summer sunshine results in near-drought conditions and garden hose bans; a few days of heavy rainfall causes rivers to swell their banks and disastrous floods; a ‘cold snap’ can bring the country to a standstill…

Using the WC should be a fairly straight forward and simple exercise so why is the mention of it surrounded by so much social embarrassment? Find out what etiquette is appropriate here in the UK…