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Days when you know why you live in the British Isles


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There are plenty of things I loath about this country but so many more which give genuine pleasure and a sense of well being...

 

Our history, not all of it good but it belongs to us all and is as rich as any other country's on Earth.

 

Our beautiful and surprisingly varied landscape, once you're a few miles out of the cities it can be pretty, pastural, mystical and in places stunningly brutal. The differences you can see as you pass from one county to another make driving on A and B roads a pleasure most of the time. Taking a wrong turn while you're out in the sticks can lead to some delightful views when you come a cross a village you've never seen before, and they can be very different - a village in the Cotswolds or Hertfordshire can both be very 'chocolate boxey' but in different ways, and they're not that far apart when you consider how small England really is. A Cornish fishing village will look very different from one on the Scottish coast.

 

Watching the seasons change.

 

Our inventiveness and the industrial revolution which affected much of the civilised world.

 

Our music, literature and sense of humour.

 

And not forgetting Worcestershire Sauce!

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Contrary to a lot of people I like the weather better than anywhere else, (usually) not too hot or cold and even being out in bad weather can sometimes be quite enjoyable in a strange way. It has its periods where it's dull and damp for a bit too long but overall I'd rather have British weather than something traditionally "nice". I spent 15 months in the south of France and started finding the endless sunshine rather dull. Not too little sun to really, desperately want it and not too much that I don't appreciate it when we get it.

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Guest Isambarduk

"The climate is what you expect; the weather is what you get."
 
Often attributed to Mark Twain, but never properly cited as far as I can tell. 

 

Still, the climate in the UK is undoubtedly very friendly, although sometimes the weather is not.  Having lived for some time in a continental temperate climate where the weather was nearly always 'nice', I tend to agree with Rugd1022.  I didn't really appreciate the UK climate--weather until I returned, having lived somewhere else.

 

David

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There are plenty of things I loath about this country but so many more which give genuine pleasure and a sense of well being...  

 

Our history, not all of it good but it belongs to us all and is as rich as any other country's on Earth.    Agree.  :good: 

 

Our beautiful and surprisingly varied landscape, once you're a few miles out of the cities it can be pretty, pastural, mystical and in places stunningly brutal. The differences you can see as you pass from one county to another make driving on A and B roads a pleasure most of the time. Taking a wrong turn while you're out in the sticks can lead to some delightful views when you come a cross a village you've never seen before, and they can be very different - a village in the Cotswolds or Hertfordshire can both be very 'chocolate boxey' but in different ways, and they're not that far apart when you consider how small England really is. A Cornish fishing village will look very different from one on the Scottish coast. Agree.  :good: 

 

Watching the seasons change. Agree.  :good: 

 

Our inventiveness and the industrial revolution which affected much of the civilised world. Agree.  :good: 

 

Our music, literature and sense of humour. Agree.  :good: 

 

And not forgetting Worcestershire Sauce!  Let's keeps things in perspective, shall we....

 

 

Contrary to a lot of people I like the weather better than anywhere else, (usually) not too hot or cold and even being out in bad weather can sometimes be quite enjoyable in a strange way. It has its periods where it's dull and damp for a bit too long but overall I'd rather have British weather than something traditionally "nice". I spent 15 months in the south of France and started finding the endless sunshine rather dull. Not too little sun to really, desperately want it and not too much that I don't appreciate it when we get it.

 

It all depends on were you live on the continent, but I find the British weather be be very homely.  :D

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But perhaps in the Purbecks we have an unfair advantage, a combination of more sunshine, and less rain than other parts of the British Isles, once across the Wareham Causeway it's like a different country, even the mobile phone thinks it's in France !?!?

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But perhaps in the Purbecks we have an unfair advantage, a combination of more sunshine, and less rain than other parts of the British Isles, once across the Wareham Causeway it's like a different country, even the mobile phone thinks it's in France !?!?

I used to live in Langton Matravers, fortunately most of my work was also inside Purbeck. Very rarely did we take our passports to cross Wareham bridge int the rest of the world.

 

Where in Purbeck do you live. we may of crossed paths.

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I was using the 'royal we', I live just outside, but spend a lot inside. With Bere Regis inside what is now Purbeck District Council, I live about a mile north of there in Winterborne Kingston. I used to spend all my spare time on Swanage Railway, where I joined as a volunteer in 1986. Me, and the other half had lunch at The Bankes Arms, Studland ( home of Isle Of Purbeck Ales)last Thursday, in the beer garden, on one table next to us was a family from Dallas on a cycling holiday, on another table, the other side of us, was a family from South Africa, all assured me they were having a good time - a time to be proud to be British ;-) .

Edited by bike2steam
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I may of seen you around the station then without knowing. Yes Purbeck seems to grow bigger each year, a bit like the city of London.

 

I must admit that in the summertime we stayed in the hills, away from the throngs.

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I must admit that in the summertime we stayed in the hills, away from the throngs.

Understandable, it does suffer from it's own popularity, no need for the area to advertise, my sister owns a holiday home in West Lulworth, fully booked every year. Good excuse to use the Castle Inn when her place needs some repairs :-).

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The differences you can see as you pass from one county to another make driving on A and B roads a pleasure most of the time.

 

That's what I like so much. You stop and take a picture of nowhere in particular, and then years later you find the pics again and wish you could go back in time:

 

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Edited by martin_wynne
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Understandable, it does suffer from it's own popularity, no need for the area to advertise, my sister owns a holiday home in West Lulworth, fully booked every year. Good excuse to use the Castle Inn when her place needs some repairs :-).

My brother used to run the Weld arms in East Lulworth.

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That's what I like so much. You stop and take a picture of nowhere in particular, and then years later you find the pics again and wish you could go back:

 

attachicon.gifnowhere4.jpg

 

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Do you remember where you took the pics? The building with the curved corner looks fascinating.

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When I was still working we regularly had changes of bosses. One based in Wigan decided we needed a team get together and booked us into a hotel in Lakeside after  a few beers sat  by the waters edge looking out along the lake in the glow after sundown life seemed perfect. However blagging a footplate ride on the L&H before going home it seemed even better!

Don

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Reasons to be cheerful (The Lucky Blighters Living In Dear Old Blighty Mix, issued on Brunswick Green vinyl)...

 

Moreton-in-Marsh (you don't get this in your average Turkish prison or in downtown Beirut...)

 

post-7638-0-10291400-1407593052_thumb.jpg

 

Hatton (not much of it about in Gaza or the Ukraine..)

 

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Paddington (our towns and cities may be full of CCTV cameras but we can still come and go as we please. Well, mostly!)

 

post-7638-0-66988500-1407594233.jpg

 

;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 A couple of shots of the Bantham area in the South Hams:

 

post-9751-0-40937400-1407600348_thumb.jpg

 

Looking across the Avon Estuary and Bantham Beach towards Burgh Island.

 

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Looking the other way a few hours later towards the thatched Harbourmaster's Office.

 

Apparently this area was sold for £11M. in early July, but not to RIchard Branson or some Russian oligarch, so hopefully it may still retain the present balance between man and nature, which seems about right at the moment.

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