14 I Country and People
QUESTIONS
1 Think of the most well-known symbols and tokens of nationality in your country. Are they the same types of real-life objects (e.g. plants, clothes) that are used in Britain?
2 In 1970, the BBC showed a series of programmes about the history of the British Empire. Before the series started, they advertised it. The advertisement mentioned 'England's history'. Within a few hours, the BBC had received thousands of angry calls of protest and it was forced to make an apology. Who do you think the angry callers were? Why did the BBC apologize?
3 In 1991, UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) introduced a new regulation. This limited the number of foreign players who "were allowed to play for a football club in European competitions. For example, a German club team could have only a certain number of players in it who were not German. Under the new regulation a player in the Liverpool team, had Rush, was classified as 'foreign', even though he was
born only twenty miles from Liverpool and had lived in the same area all his life. Many other players of English club teams found themselves in the same position. Many people in England thought that this was ridiculous. How did this happen? Do you think it was ridiculous?
4 The dominance of England in Britain is reflected in the organization of the government. There are ministers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but there is no minister for England. Do you think this is good for the people of the other British nations (they have special attention and recognition of their distinct identity) or is it bad (it gives them a kind of second-class, colonial status)?
5 Are there any distinct national loyalties in your country (or are they better described as regional loyalties)? If so, is the relationship between the 'nations' in any way similar to that between the nations in Britain? If not, can you think of any other countries where such loyalties exist? Do these loyalties cause problems in those countries?
SUGGESTIONS
• Britain, an Official Handbook (HMSO) is published annually and is prepared by the Central Office of Information. It includes facts and figures on aspects of British life such as politics and law, economic and social affairs, arts and sport.
• Dictionary of Britain by Adrian Room (Oxford University Press) is an alphabetical guide to well-known British organizations, people, events, traditions and other aspects of life in Britain.
2 History
Prehistory Two
thousand years ago there "was an Iron Age Celtic culture
throughout the British Isles. It seems that the Celts, who had
been arriving from Europe from the eighth century BC onwards,
intermingled with the peoples who were already there. We know that
religious sites that had been built long before the arrival of the
Celts continued to be used in the Celtic period. For
people in Britain today, the chief significance of the prehistoric
period (for which no written records exist) is its sense of
mystery. This sense finds its focus most easily in the astonishing
monumental architecture of this period, the remains of which exist
throughout the country. Wiltshire, in south-western England, has
two spectacular examples: Silbury Hill, the largest burial mound in
Europe, and Stonehenge (> Stonehenge). Such places have a
special importance for anyone interested in the cultural and
religious practices of prehistoric Britain. We know very little
about these practices, but there are some organizations today (for
example, the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids - a small group of
eccentric intellectuals and mystics) who base their beliefs on
them.
Stonehenge
>
Stonehenge
Stonehenge was built on
Salisbury Plain some time between 30^0 and 2300 bc.
It is one of
the most famous and mysterious archaeological sites in the world.
One of its mysteries is how it was ever built at all with the
technology of the time (the stones come from over 200 miles away in
Wales). Another is its purpose. It appears to function as a kind of
astronomical clock and we know it was used by the Druids for
ceremonies marking the passing of the seasons. It has always
exerted a fascination on the British imagination, and appears
in a number of novels, such as Thomas Hardy's Tess of the
D'Urbevilles.
These days Stonehenge is not
only of interest to tourists, but is also a gathering point for
certain minority groups such as hippies and 'New Age Travellers'
(see chapter i 3). It is now fenced off to protect it from damage.
