Britain. What a crappy place, eh? Road pricing, dwindling pensions, crumbling schools, shambolic public transport. It all seems to be getting on top of us at the moment. So, in response to this nationwide epidemic of low morale, here are a number of reasons why Britain is Great.
1. Things we take for granted. Heat, light, clean water, uncensored media. We complain that our fuels bills are outrageous, and sometimes they are, but at the touch of a button we can be sitting in a warm, well lit house, watching 1000 channels on Sky. It's expensive, but it's all something which we take for granted, and which we would miss beyond measure if it wasn't there. Imagine getting home from a miserable day at work and finding you've no central heating, no running water, and the tv has packed in. Sometimes we forget how awfully lucky we are.
2. The history. Australia and the USA, or "The Colonies" as Stephen Fry calls them, look at us with envy because of the heritage which we have amassed. History is all around us, from Stonehenge to the Tower of London. And the best part of it is that, in the main, we have preserved our history rather than bulldozing it. The magnificent Natural History Museum in London is a shining light in what historians can achieve. But it's not just in the capital that we can find history. From the Black Country museum, which has a working tram, a mineshaft and a canal basin, to the Museum of Welsh Life outside Cardiff, where important historical buildings from all over Wales have been reassembled bit by bit and help to explain how we used to live. A society cannot progress without an appreciation of it's past.
3. The architecture. Just look up, look around you, next time you're in town. It's the best way of going back in time. The plastic shop fronts which we see everyday can conceal hundreds of years of architecture. And it varies so wildly across the country, from the magnificent Georgian Esplanade at Weymouth, to the gothic Castle and alleyways of Edinburgh. But sometimes it's not particularly tourist spots which can boast the finest architecture, sometimes you can find it in the last place you expect. For example, the exterior of St Pancras is almost Cathedral-like, but rarely seen as most of it's travellers head straight for the underground station.
And in London's financial district, the City, the "Gherkin" stands opposite the Lloyds Tower as wonderful examples that not all modern constructions are eyesores. Even football stadiums are great examples of what we can achieve, and the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff soars above the city skyline without scarring it.
4. The NHS. It gets pilloried everyday in the media for hospital closures, waiting lists and MRSA. But what people forget is that it's completely FREE. This is unheard of outside of the UK where medical insurance is imperative. And we have choice as well because if we don't want to wait for a free operation, we can go private and pay for it straightaway!
5. Greenery. Even in the centre of London there are St James's Park, Hyde Park and Regents Park, providing beauty spots and somewhere to unwind amongst the hustle of bustle of one of the busiest cities in the world, whilst simultaneously oxegenating the air for all its residents. But this green and pleasant land extends beyond this from the moors of Devon, to the Yorkshire dales and the Lake District. There is such natural beauty around; the mountains of Wales, the Jurassic coastline of Dorset and the canals of Norfolk.
6. The people. We live in one of the most cosmopolitan societies in the world, and we strive to be tolerant of one anothers cultures. Earlier this month London hosted four international football friendly matches, none of which included the home nation! South Korea, Greece, Denmark, Australia, Nigeria, Ghana, Portugal and Brazil were all supported by their colourful fans and the reason the games were played in London was because of the high prevalence of such nationalities in the capital, that it made more sense than to play the matches in their home countries. We can be so proud of ourselves for helping to create such a multi-national culture.
It can be Great in Britain. We just need reminding every so often.
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