Express Mortgages Express Loans Bingo Lose Weight Franchising Dating Shopping Book Shop Find Spare Parts Cut Your Bills Wine Shop Legal Store FlatShare Cruises

Columnists

UK NEWS

FISH AND CHIPS: THE BEST OF BRITISH

Fish and chips: Still No. 1

Tuesday June 24,2008

By Jo Willey

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(7)

PARDON us Ma’am, but as much as we remain your loyal subjects, there is one thing we love more than you. And that’s fish and chips.

We know you may not be amused, but at least your Majesty has made it nearly to the top of the list of the 50 things we love most about Britain.

The only other royal who made it on to the Best of British list by name was Prince Harry, and he’s way behind the popular television entertainers Ant and Dec.

But it seems we still love the Queen’s English – if only we could find anyone who still speaks it...

Very few actual people made it on to the list, apart from The Beatles, Shakespeare, Stephen Fry, JK Rowling, David Bowie and the only politician, Baroness Thatcher.

Our favourite things include all the nostalgicsymbols of a bygone Britain, like old-fashioned pubs, Sunday roasts, red telephone boxes, Big Ben and cream teas.

Black cabs are perhaps a surprising choice, with the old Routemaster double-deckers in front of Sixties icons the Mini Cooper and E-type Jags.

Manchester United topped the sporting league – and cricket just stumped Wimbledon.

And, for all its failings, the NHS is still popular.

One surprise was that cider is more popular than real ale. And Morris dancing just squeezes into last place.

The poll of 7,000 Britons was carried out by the Holiday Inn hotel chain.

Spokesman Andrew Smith said: “Although we knock it, Britain is still great.

“Get out and enjoy it.”

TOP 50: 1 Fish and chips. 2 The Queen. 3 Old-fashioned pubs. 4 Sunday roast. 5 Red phone boxes. 6 Big Ben. 7 Cream teas. 8 The Beatles. 9 The pound. 10 Royal Family. 11 Buckingham Palace. 12 Shakespeare. 13 Black cabs. 14 NHS. 15 James Bond. 16 Routemaster buses. 17 Cheddar Cheese. 18 The Houses of Parliament. 19 Manchester United. 20 Ant and Dec. 21 Stephen Fry. 22 Cornish Pasties. 23 Monty Python. 24 Tower of London. 25 Aston Martin. 26 BBC. 27 Stonehenge. 28 Cricket. 29 Wimbledon. 30 Glastonbury. 31 Camden Market. 32 Blackpool. 33 Mini Coopers. 34 JK Rowling. 35 Edinburgh Festival. 36 Scrumpy cider. 37 Concorde. 38 Yorkshire pud. 39 Queen’s English. 40 Real ale. 41 Pimms. 42 Jaguar E-type. 43 David Bowie. 44 Prince Harry. 45 Harrods. 46 Ice cream vans. 47 The Red Arrows. 48 Margaret Thatcher. 49 Covent Garden. 50 Morris Dancers.

Although we knock it, Britain is still great

Spokesman Andrew Smith

OUR WONDERFUL CHIPPIES.

24.06.08, 8:43pm

A couple of years ago I was driving around Scotland, soaking up the beautiful scenery. I called in to Peterhead, parked up, spotted a chippy, and asked my wife if she fancied our usual haddock and chips. There was not a seating area so we decided to munch away in the car. There were only "large " haddocks left. The italics are there because the fish was the biggest, and fattest, and tastiest I had ever had in my life. It was fourteen inches of pure heaven. Do not snigger, girls, I'm serious. I have had fish in Hong kong, Manilla, Tokyio, the States and many europeon coutries, but never have I enjoyed such a delight. It always will be a favourite that never diminishes in satisfaction or value.

• Posted by: bluenote • Report Comment

YES BLIGHTY IS THE BEST

24.06.08, 7:49pm

I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE MY FISH AND CHIPS FROM A CHIPPY. I LIVE IN THE USA AND THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET FISH AND CHIPS THAT ARE DECENT HERE..IS WHEN I MAKE THEM MYSELF...PUT IN GREASEPROOF PAPER, THEN NEWSPAPER AND COVERED IN SALT AND VINEGAR.

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND..AND BRITAIN IS THE BEST EVER....WHATEVER WE MAY SAY ABOUT IT...EVERY COUNTRY HAS THEIR GRUMBLES...HUMAN NATURE

• Posted by: MISTRALSMUM • Report Comment

I WOULD NOT CARE HOW MANY EUROS, POUNDS OR KORUNA'S "FISH & CHIPS" COST !

24.06.08, 6:42pm

Me, Personally , i would be overjoyed to be able to walk into a traditional " Fish & Chip shop , and order fish and chips, there are some things in life , no matter what Country we decide to live in, which can not be replaced..

I hope for the likes of Katiew ..

That i do not sound too much like a "Little Englander" in pointing this fact out.

• Posted by: BratislavaUK • Report Comment

FISH AND CHIPS

24.06.08, 2:28pm

I can't afford them. I'm an OAP, and I can't afford them.

Never mind the damned MP's getting £160 per day for attending Parliament (pardon me, isn't that what their salaries are for?) I don't get £160 a week to live on.

It's time someone, somewhere, got their priorities right.

• Posted by: JennieM • Report Comment

WHAT ABOUT OUR YOUTH CULTS?

24.06.08, 10:41am

One of the great things Britain has given the world are youth cults like punk, mods, and skinheads.

No shopping centre or pub is complete with out some shaven headed hardman wandering about in polished Doctor Marten boots and a crisp Ben Sherman shirt.

• Posted by: Stuka • Report Comment

* COMMENT EDITED *

24.06.08, 10:31am

As Reuben points out, there is still a lot of poverty in Britain, but there are nevertheless a lot of people in Britain who can afford luxuries like fish and chips. There are also a lot of people who admire Mrs Thatcher, presumably people who were not forced to scrimp and save and wear threadbare clothes during her reign of error as Britain's worst ever PM.

Where is our patriotism? ***CONTENT REMOVED***

• Posted by: Camerton • Report Comment