Tuesday 2 February 2010

Mr. Chips is in the building

How's the afternoon gone? It was light last time I looked up, and now it's gloomy. I've had a very stimulating couple of hours: droned through a lecture to my captive audience (well done, man who turns up 50 minutes into a 60 minute lecture), then had a really enjoyable seminar. It was one of those afternoons where everything goes right, thanks to a lively and interested group of students.

We decided to get into the arguments about what and who defines 'Culture' by presenting the students with this website, on which people have nominated 'icons' of 'Englishness'. 'Englishness' is a massively contentious term, as befits a constructed category, and as we discussed the choices, really interesting arguments ensued, based on history, class, ethnicity, region… very enjoyable, though I did struggle with the argument that the Bible is an astrological conspiracy!

Have a look at the site and see what you think. Deciding on the nationality of tea and tea-drinking is quite vexed. Some things I see as British, or regional (the Routemaster Bus, the Angel of the North) whereas others are a product of England's highly multicultural history.

5 comments:

Ewarwoowar said...

Slightly amused to see James Bond on that list of all thing English - played by a Welshie, and the 2nd best Bond ever was of course Scottish.

Pierce Brosnan - Irish?

The Plashing Vole said...

Yes, Brosnan's Irish. Who was the Welsh bond? Lazenby was Australian of course.

Ewarwoowar said...

Timothy Dalton.

Not that he played him as a Welsh, mind. It's not like he went "The names Bond....Jones the Bond! Double-oh-sethhvven!"

Anonymous said...

It's a relatively innocuous list but a little self-assured. A little to National Trust to reflect the truth. For example they missed out: Blue WKD, shell suits, privatisation, saucy postcards, Carry On films, the Notting Hill Carnival, train spotters, flasks, socks-and-sandles, Marks and Spercers knickers, fox hunting, the Poll Tax riots, the war memorial, the breville toaster, the Sun, the Daily Mail, Brick Lane, the donner kebab, the canal system, the M25, Wigan Pier, the Rovers Return...

Some marvellous, some not so, but all definitely part of what makes England what it is. Their list, for me, is more Middle England Icons than English Icons.

The Plashing Vole said...

Innocuous is the word: their choices are a bit smug, too touristy and often not particularly English except for location. I might try your list on them next week. Carry On is particularly brilliant.