Flags and national symbols of the parts of the uk.
The red rose is the symbol of England. It comes from the history of the country. This symbol goes back to the War of the Roses, which was the war within the country. In the 15th century two Houses were struggling for the English throne — the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. Red rose was the emblem of the Lancastrians and the white rose was that of the Yorkists. Their rival ended when King Henry VII, the Lancastrian, married Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of the Yorkist. Since that time the red rose has become the national emblem of England. An oak is also depicted as the national symbol of the country.
I n 1194 A.D., Richard I of England introduced the Cross of St. George, a red cross on a white ground, as the the national flag of England until James I succeeded to the throne in 1603.
For many centuries the purple thistle has been Scotland's national emblem. There is a legend that explains why it became the Scottish emblem. According to that legend, ancient Scandinavians (the Norsemen) wanted to plunder the land of Scotland and settle there. So, they landed on the east coast of Scotland. The Scots gathered their army to defend the land. They assembled behind the river Tay and made a camp to have rest after a long march. The Scots were sleeping and did not expect the enemies. When the Norsemen decided to attack the Scots, they took their shoes off not to make noise. But one of the Norsemen stepped on a thistle. That sudden and sharp pain made him scream. So the Scots heard this "alarm" and put the Norsemen to fight. That is how the thistle became the emblem of Scotland.
T
his
is the Royal Flag of Scotland. It is used as is a second national
flag, and also called the "Rampant Lion". It is based on an
older Scottish flag than the St. Andrew's Cross. It should, strictly
speaking, now only be used by the monarch in relation to her capacity
as Queen in Scotland.
S t Andrew, brother of the Holy Petrus, converted Asian people to Christanity. He was executed on an askew cross. His body was brought to Scotland.
In the 11th century St Andrew was claimed to be the only patron saint of Scotland. Since the 14th century Scottish troops have been carrying a white cross on a dark ground. In the 17th century the dark ground became blue.
Wales has got two national symbols. These are the daffodil and the leek. They are both connected to the Patron Saint of Wales. According to the legend, during a battle against the Saxons, St. David advised his soldiers to wear leeks in their hats so that they could easily be distinguished from their enemies. Another link between the leek and St. David is the belief that he had to live on bread and wild leek for several years. However, today each year on St. David's Day the leek is worn in the cap badges of every soldier in every Welsh regiment. But outside the army, many other Welsh people have substituted the leek by the daffodil, perhaps because it looks more attractive and certainly smells a lot better. The daffodil is also associated with St. David's Day, due to the fact that it breaks into blossom on that day. Interesting to note that one of the many Welsh names for a daffodil is "Cenhinen Bedr" which means "Peter's leek".
I
n
1300, King Edward of England made his son, Lord Edward, (born at
Caernarfon Castle), Prince of Wales. In 1536 England and Wales
officially united (under Henry VIII). The first "Union Flag"
became the National Flag. This is the reason why the Welsh dragon is
not in this flag.
The shamrock is the symbol of Northern Ireland. It is also connected to St. Patric, Patron Saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick is most famous for bringing Christianity to Ireland. The legend tells how he used the shamrock, a kind of a white clover with three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity. Apparently, he used it to show how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. The red hand is also a symbol of Nothern Ireland. The Red Hand is in its flag. According to the myth, there was time when the heir to the throne of Ireland was undecided. And they decided to hold a boat-race and the winner (the first who would reach the shore of Ulster) would be the king. One competitor so much desired the country that when he saw that he was loosing the race, he cut his hand, threw it to the shore and won. The hand is most l ikely red because it was covered with blood.
St Patrick, the Irish patron saint lived from about 385-461. His original name was Maewyn. He grew up in Wales. Later he was taken away to Ireland. 6 years later he flew to France and lived in a monstary for 12 years. He became a priest there and took over the name "Patrick".
He went to Ireland as a bishop. St. Patrick built monastries, churches and schools there. He became very popular.
The origin of the flag goes back to 17th March (St. Patrick's Day). Since the 17th century people wear a cross made of paper on this day.
15)Scotland has two different societies. The division between the two regions that goes along the Grampian Mountains is called the “Highland Line”. The Celtic tribes in the Highlands had a common economic system – land and animals were held by family groups – tribes, and shared a common culture. The spread of Celtic Christianity in the 5th – 6th centuries also helped to unite the people. The Angles, who lived in the Lowlands, were very different from the Celts. The land was held by individual people. Due to that the feudal system later developed only in the Lowlands.
England was stronger than Scotland but because of the country’s geography, Scotland was difficult to rule even from its capital, Edinburgh. It was easy for a clan chief to throw off the rule of the king.
The Scottish kings understood that they had better make friends with England. Since Saxon times marriages often took place between the Scottish and English royal families. Edward I was the first king to try to make Scotland a part of England. In 1290 he took the advantage of a crisis in Scotland.But his actions caused the popular resistance movement. At first it was led by William Wallace, a Norman-Scottish knight. But after one victory against the English army, Wallace’s “people’s army” was destroyed in 1297. Wallace was captured and executed. But the day of his death was the birthday of Scottish nationalism. Robert Bruce became a new leader in the struggle. He was able to defeat Edward I’s army, and also his son’s, Edward II’s. In their struggle against the English, Scots found an ally, France. Scotland later paid heavily for this alliance. During the Hundred Years War between England and France the English repeatedly invaded the Scottish Lowlands. By the end of the 14th century, however, Scotland had developed as a nation – the parliament met once a year, the towns grew in importance, mainly because of the wool trade which grew thanks to the help of Flemish settlers. There was a large export trade in wool, leather and fish. There were some benefits from the alliance with France as well. The connection with France helped develop education in Scotland. Following the example of Paris, universities were founded in Scotland at St Andrews in 1412, Glasgow in 1451 and at Aberdeen in 1495.
Scottish kings always had problems with Highlanders: they were disobedient, and the most disobedient were often the best fighters, who might help them in battle against the English.
In the middle of the 16th century Protestantism became the official religion in Scotland. Scots remained better educated than any other Europeans until the end of the 19th century.
In 1707 a union with England was completed by Act of Parliament. The Scots knew that if they did not agree they would finally be defeated. The state got a new name, Great Britain. Scotland lost its parliament but kept its own separate legal and judicial system, and separate Church.
Stuarts used their popularity in Scotland to win back the throne, and in 1745 James II’s grandson, known as “Bonny Prince Charlie” persuaded some Highland clan chiefs to join him in the revolt. First he was successful – he entered Edinburgh and defeated the English. But in 1746 the rebels were defeated by the British army at Culloden, near Inverness. After this rebellion a law was passed forbidding Highlanders to wear their traditional skirt, the kilt. The old patterns of kilt, called tartans, and the Scottish musical instrument, the bagpipe, were also forbidden. By the time this law was abolished in 1782, the old way of coloring and making tartan patterns from local plants had long been forgotten. But the real disaster was economic – between 1790 and 1850 hundreds of thousands of Highlanders were driven from the clan land. The clan chiefs realized that money could be made from sheep for the wool trade, and as they treated the clan land as their personal property, they pushed people off it. Many Highlanders emigrated to Canada, some – to Australia. Clan society had gone for ever. In the second half of the 19th century it became even more profitable to replace the sheep with wild deer, which were hunted for sport. Many old clan lands were sold to new landowners who only occasionally visited their estates. Scotland became the most sparsely populated region in Europe. Now the reality of the day-to-day life in the deserted Highlands is in cruel contrast with the tourist picture of jolly kilted Highlanders playing bagpipes or participating in Highland Games.
17)Ireland was never invaded by the Romans or the Anglo-Saxons. It was a land of monasteries and had a flourishing Celtic culture. Society was based on family grouping and the kings were chosen by election. Five kingdoms grew up: Ulster in the north, Munster in the southwest, Leinster in the southeast, Connaught in the west, with Tara as the seat of the high kings of Ireland. Christianity came to Ireland in about AD 430. The message of Christianity was spread in Ireland by a British slave, Patrick, who became the “patron saint” of Ireland. Christianity brought literacy and began the written history of Ireland. Also it weakened the position of the druids, who depended on memory. This period is often called Ireland’s “golden age”. Culture developed rapidly, though the Irish kingdoms were constantly at war. The “golden age” ended with the raids of the Vikings in 9th century. But these dangers forced the Irish to unite. In 859 they chose the first king of Ireland. Also the Vikings founded the future capital of Ireland, Dublin.
Ireland was conquered by the Normans of England in 1169. Henry II made Dublin the capital of his new colony. The English controlled only Dublin and a small area around it. The Anglo-Irish nobles were almost completely independent, and picked a lot of Irish habits, becoming “more Irish than the Irish”.
It was only Henry VIII (1509 – 1547) who managed to destroy the power of the Anglo-Irish noble families. He persuaded the Irish parliament to recognize him as king of Ireland. But in Ireland the monasteries and the Church were still an important part of economic and social life. In 1580, during Elizabeth’s reign, many Irish rebelled. The rebellion was suppressed with great cruelty. In general, the Tudors fought four wars to make the Irish accept their authority and religion. In the end, they destroyed the Gaelic way of life and introduced English government. The rebellions continued through the 17th century.
Over the next half century the Protestant parliament in Dublin passed laws to prevent the Catholics from taking any part in national life. No Catholic could become a member of parliament, a lawyer, go to university, join the navy or accept any public post. Catholics were forbidden to own a horse worth more than £5. Catholic schools were closed. Catholics were the majority, but they became second-class citizens in their own land.
In 1801 Ireland was united with Britain, and the Dublin Parliament closed. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland lasted for 120 years. The first great victory for Irish freedom was when Catholics were allowed to become MPs in 1829. Unfortunately, this did not save Ireland from the worst disaster in its entire history. For 3 years, 1845, 1846 and 1847, the potato crop, which was the main food of the poor, failed. In these years, 1.5mln (20%), died from hunger. At the same time, wheat was exported to England by Protestant landowners. During the years of “potato famine” at least a million left to the US and elsewhere, but many more followed during the rest of the century. Some moved to the towns and cities of England. The Irish population has still not yet grown to the level of 1840 (8mln). Emigration from Ireland still continues. The Irish who went to the US did not forget their country and did not forgive Britain. Those Irish Americans who became rich and powerful were able to support the Irish freedom movement. They still have an influence on British policy in Ireland.
In 1880s Charles Parnell, a Protestant Irish MP, demanded the right to self-government (“home rule”) for the Irish people. But this right was gained only after a rebellion and a lot of guerilla fighting. In 1921 Britain decided to make peace and agreed to the independence of southern Ireland (5% protestant). Ulster (67% protestant) remained united with Britain. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 led to civil war in Ireland: the republicans insisted that all Ireland should be united and independent. Southern Ireland was declared a republic only in 1937. Northern Ireland became a self-governing province. Today, though Ireland and Britain are separate states, their citizens are not considered foreigners in one another’s country (they have the right to vote in their resident country).
19) Welsh peninsula was one of the territories into which Celts were driven by the Romans and later the Anglo-Saxons. In 779 a huge earth wall, called Offa’s Dyke, was built to keep the Celts out of England. They were called Welsh by the Anglo-Saxons (Weallas – the land of strangers) but they called themselves cymru, “fellow countrymen”. Because Wales is a mountainous country, people lived only in the valleys and the population remained small. Welsh kings after him were able to rule only after they had promised loyalty to king of England.
William I allowed his lords to take land in Wales. By the beginning of 12th century much of the country was held by them. They built castles and mixed with the Welsh. A new class grew up, a mixture of the Norman and Welsh rulers, who spoke Norman French and Welsh, but not English. They were vassals of the English king.
In 1282, after suppressing a rebellion, Edward I began a very expensive program of castle building in Wales. It was Edward I who made his baby son (later Edward II) Prince of Wales. It was meant to show that Wales was now part of England. From that time the eldest son of the monarch is usually made Prince of Wales.
Henry Tudor, who captured the English throne in 1485 and became Henry VII, was half Welsh. At the battle of Bosworth his flag was the red dragon of Wales. It had been the badge of the legendary last British (Welsh) king, Arthur, to fight against the Saxons. At that time the stories of the Knights of the Round Table were popular, and Henry cleverly used the opportunity to show that he was somehow connected with the ancient Celtic king. He named his eldest son Arthur and also brought many Welshmen to the court. Arthur died early and the king’s second son became Henry VIII. He disliked Welsh culture and wanted Wales to become English. For example, in 1535 he forbade using Welsh names on official papers. Henry VIII did not allow Welsh as an official language, but strangely enough he gave permission for a Welsh Bible to be printed. It became the basis on which the Welsh language survived. Although most people gave up speaking Welsh, singers and poets continued to use it. But the gatherings of poets and singers – eisteddfods, which had been going on since 1170 – stopped during Henry VIII’s reign. Eisteddfods began again at the end of the 18th century, bringing back a tradition which still continues today.
The 19th century was important in Welsh history. In south Wales there were rich coal mines which became then the centre of a rapidly growing coal and steel industry. About ¾ of Welsh population moved into the southeast corner of the country. The new working class culture developed on the basis of the traditional one. Brass bands and Nonconformist (Baptist and Methodist) chapel choir groups became very popular.
Though in general Wales suffered less from the English than Ireland, it has always been among the areas with more problems, especially during the periods of economic depression (e.g. 1930 – 33, at the end of 1970s).
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The national character of the English has been described in different ways, but most commentators agree over one quality, which they describe as a serene sense of superiority or “insular pride”. English patriotism is based on a deep sense of security. Englishmen as individuals may have been insecure, threatened with the loss of their job, unsure of themselves or unhappy in many ways. But as a nation they have been secure for centuries. Like any other society, the English like to create an agreeable picture of themselves – the majority like to think that the important national values are tolerance, decency, moderation, consensus and compromise.
The English display a surprising unity in a crisis. They are a well-disciplined people – they have a strong sense for public order. However, the strong sense for conformity is in sharp contrast to the extraordinary toleration of individual eccentricities. This is perhaps explained by their well-known politeness. It is probably no exaggeration to say that they have the best manners in the world. They all know how to hold their knife and fork and how to behave in society. Travellers are often struck by the fact that life in Britain is less noisy. Coarse expressions are hardly ever used. Even the word ‘no’ seems to be avoided – ‘sorry’, ‘I’m afraid not’ are the most typical substitutes.
The single best-known quality of the English is probably their reserve – ‘the stiff upper lip’, the ability to stay calm in a difficult or upsetting situation. The apparent coldness of Englishmen has been almost universally noted by the foreigners. But they also confess that once one gets to know an Englishman better, he turns out to be a very companionable fellow. The English humour, another important characterization, is first of all the ability to laugh at oneself.
The typical feature of the English is their love of games. Games are nowhere as popular as in England. They love playing all of them. They play football and cricket, golf and tennis, they love gambling – races and lotteries. But however childish at their games might be, they are very serious in business.
There is a striking contrast between the reputation of the English as hard-headed practical men and as the men of poetry – the countrymen of Shakespeare and Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth, Byron and Blake. On the other hand, English tradition in philosophy has always been realistic and hostile to mysticism. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, someone described as an ‘intellectual’ usually feels embarrassed rather than flattered. On the whole, they prefer practical common sense to pure logic.
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All cultural stereotypes, however attractive or unattractive they might be, exist for a reason, and can often be traced to specific events in history. It’s hard to understand some common jokes if you’re not acquainted with the widespread opinions about the national characters. Most jokes about Scots are based on the opinion that they are stingy. However Scots themselves would probably disagree with it, saying that they are just thrifty. Also, they say about themselves that they are ‘Penny wise, pound foolish', meaning that they can be very careful or mean with small amounts of money, yet generous, wasteful and extravagant with large sums.
A list of Scottish character traits might also include: passionate, sentimental, hospitable and socially friendly, loyal and fiercely patriotic however misguided this might be, defeatist, alcoholic, rugged, prone to violence, good at engineering. In sharp contrast to the Scottish frugality and common sense is their reflectiveness, a tendency for the maudlin, and a romantic longing for a different state of affairs however unlikely they might be. On the whole, Scots consider themselves talented, and admit that they don’t tolerated stupidity in others, which probably contributes to their cynical sides.
In general the nation of modern Scotland derives from three main racial sources. The Celts, the Scandinavians (or Teutons) and the mysterious and shadowy Picts. These Picts, historically speaking, were the first inhabitants of what we now call Scotland. They were a small tough people. They have left their strain in the blood and occasional marks in the land and language. They were conquered by the invading Celts from Ireland who, incidentally, were called Scots and from whom the name of the modern nation comes.
Later, however, the Celts retreated into the north-western hills and islands, their place in the east and south lowlands being taken by the Scandinavians, Teutons and Angles. Hence the celebrated division of the Scottish people into Highlanders and Lowlanders.
It was a division which marked the distinction between people of different culture, temperament and language. It is from the Celts that there comes the more colourful exciting and extravagant strain in the Scots – the Gaelic language and song, the tartan, the bagpipes, the Highland panache, and so on. It is from the Lowland strain that there comes the equally celebrated Scottish tradition of dourness, implacability and splendid courage in defence, providing a complementary virtue to the splendid Highland courage in attack. The cautious, dry, humourless, mean, red-nosed Scot is, of course, a stock figure for stage, fiction and comic picture postcard use. But in so far as this admittedly highly comical, and sometimes even affectionately regarded figure, touches reality at all he derives from certain Lowland characteristics.
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"The so-called Irish temperament is a mixture of flaming ego, hot temper, stubbornness, great personal charm and warmth, and a wit that shines through adversity. An irrepressible buoyancy, a vivacious spirit, a kindliness and tolerance for the common frailties of man and a feeling that 'it is time enough to bid the devil good morning when you meet him' are character traits which Americans have associated with their Irish neighbors for more than a century" (Carl Wittke, a historian).
In the past, all agreed on the warm-heartedness, inquisitiveness, and social disposition of the Irish; whereas, on the dark side, their indolence, proneness to fight and riot, inclination to lawlessness, and lack of forward thinking were commonly mentioned. The Irish are often teased for what some call "Irish logic." But still they are renowned for their gifts as storytellers and admired for the lyrical constructions of their daily talk. The gift of eloquence, or "the Blarney," is widely believed to be an Irish quality, one that is much prized, and every year thousands of tourists come to Cork "to kiss the Blarney stone." Although English is not the native language of Ireland, in Britain, the Irish literary achievement—the long roll-call of names that includes Spenser, Congreve, Swift, Sheridan, Wilde, Yeats, Synge, Shaw, Joyce, Beckett, and Heaney—has become assimilated into the tradition of English writing. Ireland occupies an almost mythic place in the English-speaking world. The soft music of the Irish voice is admired by speakers of British or American English everywhere. Many people say they prefer the Irish accent to all others .
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An old Welsh proverb says “the Celt always fights and always loses”. This has been true militarily and politically, but during the centuries of endless strife the Welsh have preserved their passion for the national traditions, language, music and poetry.
The Welsh are very proud of their language and culture. Some Welch people learn Welsh before they learn English and some of these never learn much English. About 20 per cent of people in Wales regard Welsh as their mother tongue.
The Welsh are known for their singing. They like singing together. Every village has at least one choir, often more. They sing in competitions, on holidays and of course, at the rugby matches. Rugby is a form of football, and despite the fact that it was developed in England it is the Welsh national game. When the Welsh team are playing at home at Cardiff Arms Park their supporters often try to encourage them by singing the Welsh National anthem, “Land of My Fathers”.
Perhaps, no country in the world has a greater love of music and poetry than the people of Wales. The annual competitions where people meet to dance, sing and read poems, called eisteddfods, are held throughout Wales, from May to November. Usually, only the Welsh language is spoken. The programme may include male and mixed choirs, brass band concerts, children’s events, drama, arts and crafts and the ceremony of the Crowning of the Bard.
The nickname Taffy, sometimes used by the British to call someone from Wales, is now considered offensive. Its origin is uncertain – it may come from the River Taff, which runs through Cardiff, the capital of Wales, or it may be a shortening of “Daffydd”, the Welsh form of “David”.
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Britain is home to some of the world’s greatest sporting events and venues(место проведения (мероприятия, встречи) The UK is the birthplace of some of the world’s most popular sports including football, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, field hockey, badminton .
England's national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as our national sport. Cricket is played on village greens and in towns/cities on Sundays from April to August.The rules of cricket became the responsibility, in the 18th century, of the Marylebone Cricket Club(MCC), based at Lord’s cricket ground in north London.
Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, and has been played for hundreds of years. In the English Football League there are 92 professional clubs. These are semi-professional, so most players have other full-time jobs. Hundreds of thousands of people also play football in parks and playgrounds just for fun.The highlight of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May. Some of England's football teams are world famous, the most famous being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Rugby originated from Rugby school in Warwickshire . It is similar to football, but played with an oval ball. Players can carry the ball and tackle each other. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final each September. For many years Rugby was only played by the rich upper classes, but now it is popular all over the country. There are two different types of rugby - Rugby League, played mainly in the north of England, and Rugby Union, played in the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
The world's most famous tennis tournament is Wimbledon. It started at a small club in south London in the nineteenth century. It begins on the nearest Monday to June 22, at a time when English often have the finest weather. It is traditional for visitors to eat strawberries and cream whilst they watch the tennis.
Netball is the largest female team sport in England. The sport is played almost exclusively by women and girls, although male participation has increased in recent years.
Scotland is traditionally regarded as the home of golf. There are over 400 golf courses in Scotland alone. The most important golf club in Scotland is in the seaside town of St. Andrews, near Dundee.
Horseracing, the sport of Kings is a very popular sport with meetings being held every day throughout the year. The Derby originated here, as did The Grand National which is the hardest horse race in the world.Horse racing and greyhound racing are popular spectator sports. People can place bets on the races at legal off-track betting shops. Some of the best-known horse races are held at Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood and Epsom.Ascot, a small town in the south of England, becomes the centre of horse-racing world for one week in June. It's called Royal Ascot because the Queen always goes to Ascot. She has a lot of racehorses and likes to watch racing.
Table tennis was invented in England in 1880. It began with Cambridge University students using cigar boxes and champagne corks. Although the game originated in England, British players don't have much luck in international championships.
University Boat RaceIn the nineteenth century, students at Oxford and Cambridge, Britain's two oldest universities, were huge fans of rowing. In 1829, the two schools agreed to hold a race against each other for the first time on the Thames River. The Oxford boat won and a tradition was born. Today, the University Boat Race is held every spring in either late March or early April.
Boxing in its modern form is based on the rules established by the Marquess of Queensberry in 1865. In the UK boxing is both amateur and professional, and strict medical regulations are applied in both.
Swimming and Baskerball are also a popular pastime and enjoyed by people of all ages.
Various martial arts, mainly derived from the Far East, are practised in the UK, such as judo and karate.
Darts is a very popular pub game. The game of darts, as it is today, was invented in the north of England in a town called Grimsby. However, the origins of the game date back to at least the Middle Ages.
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Traditional British dishes have had competition from other dishes over the years. Despite this, if you visit England, Scotland or Wales, you can still be served up the traditional foods we have been eating for years.
We have three main meals a day:
Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
Lunch - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
Dinner (sometimes called Supper) - The main meal. Eaten anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Evening meal)
Traditionally, and for some people still, the meals are called:
Breakfast - between 7:00 and 9:00,
Dinner (The main meal) - between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m.
Tea - anywhere from 5:30 at night to 6:30 p.m.
On Sundays the main meal of the day is often eaten at midday instead of in the evening. This meal usually is a Roast Dinner consisting of a roast meat, yorkshire pudding and two or three kinds of vegetables.
The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain.The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to as 'The Full English Fry-up'.
Many children at school and adults at work will have a 'packed lunch'. This typically consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and a drink. The 'packed lunch' is kept in a plastic container.
The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'. A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot brown gravy, (traditionally made from the juices of the roast meat, but more often today from a packet!) on the meat and usually the vegetables. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes.
The Sunday Roast Dinner .Sunday lunch time is a typical time to eat the traditional Sunday Roast.
Traditionally it consists of roast meat, (cooked in the oven for about two hours), two different kinds of vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding. The most common joints are beef, lamb or pork; chicken is also popular.Beef is eaten with hot white horseradish sauce, pork with sweet apple sauce and lamb with green mint sauce. Gravy is poured over the meat.
Alcohol has been part of British culture for hundreds of years. Pubs (or public houses) began to appear along side the Roman road network as it spread across the country, although back then they were all known as Taverns.When the Romans left Britain the Taverns remained, and by the fourteenth century they were resembling the Pubs and Inns we know today, with individual names and accommodation facilities. The emergence of Pubs in Britain was helped in large part by monasteries and abbeys who brewed their own beer to sell to travelling pilgrims.Pubs predominantly sold beer and ale right up to the eighteenth century when the famous ‘Gin Craze’ overwhelmed the country. During this time it was common for poorer people to buy rags soaked in gin to suck on !Pubs became gradually more controlled as licensing was introduced, and in 1914 the Defence of the Realm Act put a curfew of 11pm on the sale of alcohol. Local councils took control of Public House licensing in 2003.
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