Handbook

Chapter 4: A modern, thriving society

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Leisure and places of interest

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about 20 min

Quizzes

17 questions

Leisure and Places of Interest: From Sunday Roast to Big Ben

At Sunday lunchtime, in kitchens all over Britain, a joint of beef is roasting in the oven next to a tray of Yorkshire puddings, puffed up like little bowls. In the afternoon some people head to their allotment to dig up vegetables and others take the dog for a walk. In the evening, friends squeeze into the pub on the corner for the weekly quiz.

How do British people spend their free time? Which age limits, films and famous places might the test ask about? This chapter has two halves. The first is about everyday leisure; the second takes you on a tour of the best-known sights in the UK.

Gardens: the British weekend

Lots of British homes have a garden, and spending half of Saturday mowing the lawn or pruning the roses is completely normal. People with no room to grow food at home can rent a separate small plot of land just for fruit and vegetables. This is called an allotment.

There are gardening and flower shows everywhere, from big national events to village competitions. Many towns also have a garden centre, a shop that sells plants and all kinds of garden tools.

Each of the four nations has its own famous gardens. It helps to learn which nation each one is in:

• England: Kew Gardens, Sissinghurst, Hidcote
• Scotland: Crathes Castle, Inveraray Castle
• Wales: Bodnant Garden
• Northern Ireland: Mount Stewart

Allotments had their big moment in the Second World War. Britain imported much of its food by ship, and German submarines sank many of those ships, so the government ran a campaign called Dig for Victory, asking people to turn parks, lawns and even front gardens into vegetable patches. Today's great gardens are treasured in a different way: Kew Gardens in London has been a World Heritage Site since 2003, and its collection of plant species is one of the largest on Earth.

Four nations, four flowers

Each nation of the UK has its own flower, and people sometimes wear it on that nation's patron saint's day:

England
the rose

Scotland
the thistle

Wales
the daffodil

Northern Ireland
the shamrock

Shopping and food: four nations, four dishes

Most towns have a main shopping area called the town centre. Covered shopping centres are common too, either in the middle of town or on the edge. Most shops in the UK open seven days a week, though they usually have shorter hours on Sundays and public holidays. In many towns there is also a market on one or more days a week, where traders sell all sorts of things from stalls.

British people like to cook and often invite friends round for a meal. Thanks to a long history and a very mixed population, people in the UK eat a huge variety of food. Still, each of the four nations has a "signature dish", and these are favourites in the test:

• England: roast beef, with potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire pudding. Despite the name, Yorkshire pudding is not a dessert: it is batter (a runny mix of flour, eggs and milk) baked in a hot oven. Fish and chips are also a favourite.
• Wales: Welsh cakes, small flat cakes of flour, spices and dried fruit, which you can eat warm or cold.
• Scotland: haggis: offal (heart, liver and other organs), suet (hard fat), onions and oatmeal, all cooked inside a sheep's stomach.
• Northern Ireland: the Ulster fry, a big plate where everything is fried: eggs, bacon and sausages, black and white pudding, mushrooms and tomatoes, plus potato bread and soda bread.

People take these dishes seriously. In 2008 the Royal Society of Chemistry declared, partly as a joke, that anything less than 4 inches (about 10 cm) tall can't be called a Yorkshire pudding. Haggis is closely linked with the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who wrote a poem called Address to a Haggis; on Burns Night, his birthday on 25 January, people read the poem aloud before the haggis is cut open.

Cinema: from Chaplin to 007

Britain has played a big part in the story of modern cinema. The first public film shows in the UK took place in 1896, and going to "the pictures" soon became a hugely popular pastime. From the very start, British film-makers were known for clever special effects, and this is still something Britain does especially well.

Since the days of silent films, British actors have worked in both Britain and America. The most famous example is Sir Charles "Charlie" Chaplin: his silent-film character, a tramp (a homeless wanderer) with a bowler hat and a walking stick, made him a Hollywood star.

The 1930s were a golden age for British film studios. Leading directors included Sir Alexander Korda and Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock later moved to Hollywood and remained an important director until he died in 1980. During the Second World War, British films such as In Which We Serve helped to keep up people's spirits. Later, directors such as Sir David Lean and Ridley Scott did very well both in Britain and abroad.

Hitchcock, who was born in London, had a famous habit: he appeared for a second or two in the films he directed, for example as a passer-by getting on a train with a musical instrument case. Fans still enjoy spotting where he is hiding.

The 1950s and 1960s were the high point of British comedy films. Classic examples are The Ladykillers and Passport to Pimlico, followed a little later by the Carry On series.

Today many films made in Britain are paid for by companies from other countries but use British skills and talent. A number of the most successful films ever were made in the UK, including Harry Potter and James Bond, two of the biggest-earning film series of all time. Ealing Studios in London says it is the oldest film studio in the world that has never stopped working.

Britain is still especially strong in special effects and animation. Nick Park, for example, has won four Oscars, three of them for his Wallace and Gromit films.

Among actors, Richard Burton, David Niven, Sir Rex Harrison and Sir Laurence Olivier all starred in many popular films. More recent British Oscar winners include Kate Winslet, Colin Firth, Tilda Swinton, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Britain's own version of the Oscars are the British Academy Film Awards, presented every year by BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

Classic British films

Remember that David Lean directed two of these films (Brief Encounter and Lawrence of Arabia), and that the oldest is Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.

British humour: from court jesters to Monty Python

Making jokes, poking fun at people in power and laughing at yourself are a big part of the British character. The tradition goes back a long way:

• The Middle Ages: kings and rich nobles kept a jester, whose job was to tell jokes and tease people at court.
• Later, Shakespeare put comic characters into his plays.
• The 18th century: political cartoons making fun of well-known politicians became popular. Sometimes even the monarch and the Royal Family were targets.
• The 19th century: satirical magazines (magazines that mock people in public life) appeared. The most famous was Punch, first published in the 1840s. Newspapers still print political cartoons today, and magazines such as Private Eye carry on the satirical tradition.

Before most people had a television, a favourite night out was the music hall, a variety show of songs and acts in which comedians were the main attraction. Some performers who started in music halls in the 1940s and 1950s later became TV stars, such as the double act Morecambe and Wise.

TV comedy then developed its own styles:

• Sitcoms (sitcom, short for "situation comedy"): usually about family life or people at work, and still very popular.
• Satire shows: from the 1960s, That Was The Week That Was; from the 1980s and 1990s, Spitting Image.
• In 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus brought a completely new, surreal kind of comedy.
• Stand-up comedy (stand-up comedy), where one comedian tells jokes to a live audience, has made a big comeback recently.

TV, radio and the TV licence

Britain has lots of TV channels. You can watch some of them for free, while others need a paid subscription. Popular programmes include long-running soap operas such as Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Each nation also has its own programmes. Scotland has its own shows and a channel in Gaelic; Wales has a channel in Welsh; and Northern Ireland has its own programmes too, some of them in Irish Gaelic.

The Welsh-language channel is S4C, which started in 1982, and the Scottish Gaelic channel is BBC Alba, which began in 2008 (Alba is the Gaelic word for Scotland).

You need a licence to watch TV

This surprises many newcomers. In the UK, if you have a TV, a computer or any other device you use to watch television, you must buy a TV licence.

• One licence covers every device in one home.
• The exception: in a shared house where people rent separate rooms, each on their own tenancy agreement, each person needs their own licence.
• People over 75 can apply for a free licence, and blind people get 50% off.
• Watching TV without a licence can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

The licence fee pays for the BBC, the UK's public broadcaster, which makes both TV and radio programmes. It is the largest broadcaster in the world. Part of its money comes from the state, but the BBC is independent of the government. Other TV channels are funded mainly by advertising and subscriptions.

Radio works the same way. There are national and local stations, some playing one kind of music and some broadcasting in Welsh or Gaelic. BBC radio is paid for by the TV licence; other stations rely on advertising.

Social networking

Many people in Britain use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with friends, arrange to meet up, and share photos, videos and opinions. Many people use them on their phones when they are out and about.

Pubs, the lottery and pets: remember the ages

Pubs and night clubs

The pub (short for "public house") is at the heart of British social life. Many people like to meet friends there, and most neighbourhoods have a pub of their own, known as the local, where people naturally get together. The pub quiz is very popular, and pool and darts are traditional pub games.

Most pubs open their doors at 11 in the morning, or at midday on Sundays. Night clubs, which have music and dancing, open and close later than pubs. Opening hours are decided by the person who holds the alcohol licence (the licensee).

Betting and the lottery

Many people in the UK enjoy a bet on a sports result or other event, and there are casinos in many places. You must be 18 to go into a betting shop or gambling club. There is also the National Lottery, with draws every week: you can take part by buying a ticket or a scratch card. Under-16s may not buy National Lottery tickets.

Pets

Lots of people in the UK have a cat or a dog, for company or simply because they love looking after animals. The law says:

• It is illegal to treat a pet cruelly or to neglect it.
• In public, every dog must wear a collar showing the owner's name and address.
• Owners must keep their dog under control and clean up after it in public places.

Vaccinations and treatment for animals come from a vet (veterinary surgeon). If you can't afford a vet, there are charities that can help.

Into the countryside: national parks and the National Trust

The British countryside is criss-crossed by public footpaths, and it is also great for mountain biking, climbing and hill walking. England, Wales and Scotland have 15 national parks between them. Each one is an area of protected countryside that anyone can visit, and where people also live and work and help to care for the landscape. That makes them different from national parks in many other countries, which are protected but have no people living in them.

The UK also has a huge number of museums, from tiny local collections to great national ones. Most famous sights around the country are open to visitors, usually for a fee.

A lot of countryside and many historic places are looked after and kept open by two charities:

• The National Trust, which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• The National Trust for Scotland, which covers Scotland.

They protect important buildings, coastline and countryside. The National Trust was started in 1895 by three volunteers, and today it relies on the help of more than 61,000 volunteers.

Those three founders were the social reformer Octavia Hill, the lawyer Sir Robert Hunter and the clergyman Hardwicke Rawnsley. Rawnsley lived in the Lake District, and his friend Beatrix Potter, the author of the Peter Rabbit books, later bought many farms there and left them all to the National Trust when she died.

Nine landmarks you need to know

Nine famous places are worth knowing. They are easier to remember grouped by nation: five in England, two in Scotland, and one each in Wales and Northern Ireland.

England: three London sights

Big Ben (Big Ben) is, strictly speaking, the nickname of the great bell inside the clock at the Houses of Parliament in London, although lots of people use the name for the whole clock. The clock is more than 150 years old. In 2012 its tower was named the Elizabeth Tower (Elizabeth Tower) to mark the Diamond Jubilee (Diamond Jubilee) of Elizabeth II, her 60th year as queen.

The London Eye (London Eye) is a giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames, 443 feet (135 metres) high. It was first built as part of Britain's celebrations for the new millennium (the year 2000), and it is still at the centre of the New Year fireworks.

William the Conqueror (William I) built the first Tower of London (Tower of London) after he became king in 1066. Visitors are shown round by the Yeoman Warders (Yeoman Warders), often called Beefeaters, who explain the building's long history. Visitors can also see the Crown Jewels (Crown Jewels) there.

The Tower also keeps at least six ravens at all times. Legend says that if the ravens ever leave, the kingdom will fall, so a special keeper looks after them. It's only a legend, but the tradition is still followed today.

England: the Eden Project and the Lake District

The Eden Project (Eden Project) is in the south-west of England, in Cornwall. Its biomes are like huge greenhouses, full of plants from every part of the world. As well as being a place to visit, it is a charity that runs environmental and social projects in many countries.

The Lake District (Lake District) is England's largest national park, covering 885 square miles (2,292 square kilometres) of lakes and mountains. Climbers, walkers and sailors love it. Its biggest lake is Windermere (Windermere). In 2007, television viewers voted Wastwater (Wastwater) "Britain's favourite view".

Scotland: Edinburgh Castle and Loch Lomond

Edinburgh Castle (Edinburgh Castle) towers over the city's skyline, and its history goes back to the early Middle Ages. Today the castle is in the care of Historic Scotland (Historic Scotland), an agency of the Scottish Government.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park) is in the west of Scotland and covers 720 square miles (1,865 square kilometres). Loch Lomond itself is the biggest stretch of fresh water on the British mainland, and probably the park's best-known feature.

Wales: Snowdonia

Snowdonia (Snowdonia) is a national park in North Wales, covering 838 square miles (2,170 square kilometres). Its best-known feature is Snowdon (Snowdon), the highest mountain in Wales.

Northern Ireland: the Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway (Giant's Causeway) is on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland. It is a mass of stone columns made by volcanic lava about 50 million years ago, and there are many legends about how it was formed.

Legend has a livelier explanation. The Irish giant Finn McCool laid this stone road across the sea to go and fight a Scottish giant, but when he saw how much bigger his rival was, he ran home and got his wife to dress him up as a baby. The Scottish giant took one look at the huge "baby", decided the father must be terrifying, and fled back to Scotland, smashing the road as he went. Geologists say the lava simply shrank and cracked as it cooled, forming the columns.

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