England

I entered the country of England with four thoughts or misconceptions to which I wanted clarification:

1. What was the difference between Britain, Great Britain, British Isles, and the United Kingdom?

2. What is, and the history of, the rhyming speech used by the inhabitants of these isles in which they understand, but the rest of the world is at a lost.

3. I wanted to hear their accents, and set up a question to which they would answer and ask me for the answer at the same time.

While these are not earth shaking issues, they are points of interest that have been with me for my young life. All other interest are adequately satisfied by qualified tours and their guides. I invite you to visit those places that I visited by clicking on the following sites:

The Tower of London: http://www.toweroflondontour.com/
The changing of the Guard: http://www.freefoto.com/browse.jsp?id=31-36-0
Big Ben: http://www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk/bigben.htm
Westminster Abbey: http://www.europeanphotoalbum.com/england.html
London’s Eye
Parliament
London’s Hard Rock Café: http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes/Cafes.aspx?Lc=LOND
Thames River: http://www.danheller.com/london-thames.html

1. What was the difference between Britain, Great Britain, British Isles, and the United Kingdom?

Though I have titled this visit as my impressions of Britain. I do so to correct a distorted understanding of the British possessions often referred to or defined in three or four ways. I’ll allow the experts to explain below:

GREAT BRITAIN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE BRITISH ISLES, BRITISH ISLANDS

Many are not aware of the precise meaning of the term "Great Britain". Even many British are unaware of the precise reality that the term expresses. Try asking a person living in the United Kingdom the exact meaning of the expression they have on their passports: "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Many will not be able to provide an adequate answer. No wonder, therefore, that confusion also exists outside the United Kingdom and that in other European countries people erroneously group together the English, Scottish and Welsh under the word in their own language meaning "English". Hence, for example, the French commonly group them together in the term "anglais" and the Italians "inglesi"). This can be a cause of offence for the Scottish and the Welsh.Here we shall try to explain the meaning of the terms "Great Britain", "United Kingdom", "British Islands" and "British Isles" as wells as the political and geographical realities that they express.Great BritainGreat Britain is the largest island in Europe. "Great Britain" is the collective name for the three countries of England, Scotland and Wales. It also includes the small adjacent islands but it does not include the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.The term "Great Britain" came into being when England and Scotland became a single kingdom under King James VI of Scotland who also became King James I of England, after the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. It must be remembered, however, that this was not a political union but merely the union of the crowns of the two countries. Politically they were still two states, each with its own Parliament. Political union came about only during the reign of Queen Anne, in 1707. It was in this year that the Scottish Parliament assembled for the last time and the formal union of Parliaments was effected. It was on 1 May of that same year that the "United Kingdom of Great Britain" came into existence.Under Edward I the conquest of Wales was completed and Wales was united to England under Henry VIII, the second monarch descended from the Welsh House of Tudor. This union was ratified by two Acts of Parliament in 1536 and again in 1543.

The adjective "British"

The adjective "British" is, of course, used in relation to Great Britain but there is also a common tendency to use it when referring to issues relating to both Great Britain and the United Kingdom. This is inaccurate and from a legal point of view erroneous.Sometimes, however, in legislation the term "British" is used to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole, especially in matters relating to the question of nationality.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is made up of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The official name "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" came into use in 1922 after the constitution of the Irish Free State (1922-1937), the former name of the Republic of Ireland.The whole of Ireland had been united to Great Britain by an Act of Parliament in 1800 and which took effect in January 1801. However, this union had never been popular in Ireland and became the target of Irish Nationalist leaders ever since. The union of the whole of Ireland with Great Britain lasted until the constitution of the Irish Free State. The Treaty that sanctioned the separation laid down that the six counties in the north should remain united to Great Britain hence constituting Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom but not part of Great Britain.Therefore, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, used to indicate the political union of England, Scotland and Wales, was expanded, in the 20th century, to include Northern Ireland: the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" as it now appears on passports.When speaking of the United Kingdom and its constituent parts it is important to use the correct terminology. In 1969 the Royal Commission on the Constitution was set up with the aim of examining the relation between central legislature and government on one hand and the "several countries, nations and regions of the United Kingdom" on the other. The words "countries", "nations" and "regions" reveal a certain vagueness which was eventually resolved by the Report of the Commission.The Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey are not part of Great Britain, they are not part of the United Kingdom and neither are they part of the European Union. They are self-governing British Crown dependencies.

The British Islands

The expression "British Islands" has been defined in the Interpretation Act 1978 as meaning the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The Republic of Ireland is not included in this definition.

The British Isles

The expression "British Isles" is geographical and not political. They are a group of islands off the northwest coast of Europe consisting of Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Wight, the Scilly Islands, Lundy Island, the Channel Islands and many other smaller islands. A list of the main islands of Great Britain is to be found on another page on this site.

2. What is and the history of the rhyming speech used by the inhabitants of these isles in which they understand, but the rest of the world is at a lost. See below.

3. I wanted to hear their accents, and set up a question to which they would answer and ask me for the answer at the same time.

Deane: Pardon me madam, but could you give me direction to the Hard Rock Café?

Respondent: Why you just go down and take the underground to the second stop, don’t you?

My Personal Advice: Unless you’re sure of yourself, don’t attempt to identify the nationality of someone by their accent. Refer to a UK accent to be safe.

Example:

Deane: Do I detect a UK accent ?

Respondent: You certainly do, I’m from New Zealand.

Deane’s private thoughts: Damn, I thought you were from Canada.