A Foreign View of Britain

[Sixy_the_red]

Britain USED to excel (lead the world in fact) in engineering, not design, subtle difference.

Now I recon Japan probably leads the world in engineering.

[wavecrosschris]

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

Britain USED to excel (lead the world in fact) in engineering, not design, subtle difference.

Now I recon Japan probably leads the world in engineering.

britain USED to excel in 'engineering' certainly

by DESIGN i'm talking about a different thing. ie. aesthetics; the way things look. we do a better job than most - look at sunseekers for example, they pretty much lead the way in the luxury powerboat market in terms of design. They are copied globally by manufactures.

anyway, it's all arguable who does what better and when - IMO we make things look better than any other nation. (maybe exception to the italians) (today was a bad day to give design as an example i think, having just seen the 2012 logo !

[Sixy_the_red]

Unfortunately that's exactly what came to mind when you mentioned design...

You know, the money they spent on that 'thing' could have bought the RNLI 2 more hovercraft? (According to the RNLI website, the hovercraft they use cost £175,000 each)

[wavecrosschris]

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

Unfortunately that's exactly what came to mind when you mentioned design...

You know, the money they spent on that 'thing' could have bought the RNLI 2 more hovercraft? (According to the RNLI website, the hovercraft they use cost £175,000 each)

the production of said 'thing' is also supporting a small, local and thriving business and industry which employs 2000 people and their families. Exactly the type of industry that 'Great' Britain needs more of.

[Biggles]

I do think we excel at popular music and can probably consider ourselves to be a World Leader of such.

[Spike]

2) Design - everything, from boats to graphics, I think we lead here too.

I'm waiting for something substantial.1 & 2 are hardly things that make me want to consider that Britain is 'Great'

I personaly would like to think that the RIBCRAFT or SUNSEEKER that i am in the middle of the channel in poor weather is designed & built by a GREAT company from a GREAT country, & that if i get into trouble i will be aided by the worlds best LIFEBOAT SERVICE then taken to a hostpital where i will get treated by the worlds best free HEALTH SERVICE laying in bed with the security of knowing im safe from harm because we have one of the worlds best ARMED FORCES & SECRET SERVICES, i can then get on with reading my book on world history &.......my god is'ent it strange how nearly every other country has tryed to copy our industry & become more westernised, must be something about us being world leaders. I dont see many BRITISH people trying to become more indian/russian/american/chinese/asian ect.ect...so there must be something about the BRITISH isles that is very GREAT indeed, i think you need to step outside the box to see it though.......

Very proud to BRITISH
Mike.

[vince]

[QUOTE=wavecrosschris;203510] so here's the start of a list that Britain excels in or does better at than any other country

1) Comedy

2) Design - everything, from boats to graphics, I think we lead here too.

3) ... DRINKING!

.......or perhaps thats because of the depression........because the countries' so crap.........

[Spike]

Originally Posted by Sixy_the_red

Britain USED to excel (lead the world in fact) in engineering, not design, subtle difference.

Now I recon Japan probably leads the world in engineering.

Just finished reading a book on 'BROWN Bros' Ship yards.....
It used to be common practice for them to send there naval architects all over the world to other ship yards to over-see 'DESIGN & BUILD' of ships only being built in foreign countrys due to them being to expensive to build here! i belive that the unions are responsable for nearly all of industry decline in this country (being to dam greedy & in doing so put themselves out of a job! ironic is'ent it) but does prove that we did lead the world in heavy industry & design & i think Brunel & Stevens to name but a few would have a good case to argue the point of british designers being world leaders ....
Mike

[wavecrosschris]

Originally Posted by Spike

Just finished reading a book on 'BROWN Bros' Ship yards.....
It used to be common practice for them to send there naval architects all over the world to other ship yards to over-see 'DESIGN & BUILD' of ships only being built in foreign countrys due to them being to expensive to build here! i belive that the unions are responsable for nearly all of industry decline in this country (being to dam greedy & in doing so put themselves out of a job! ironic is'ent it) but does prove that we did lead the world in heavy industry & design & i think Brunel & Stevens to name but a few would have a good case to argue the point of british designers being world leaders ....
Mike

I totally agree about the unions.

I also think a big difference between the UK and other countries, (espcially in Europe) is that we do not love what we do enough, as a country. Whether it's building great big Sunseekers or designing bridges for France. We are capable of producing world leading 'everything' - but we always seem to lack general citizen patriotism about what we do, when we do it.

[codprawn]

Here is a list of some of the stuff Britain is good at.

Biggest banks
London is the financial capital of the world
Major drugs companies
Motorsports engineering - F1 and Indy car(Audi/Bugatti use Ricardo developed DSG)
Tanks - Abrahms and Challenger use British armour
Rolls Royce jet engines - also own Alison
Massive oil companies
Construction - projects like the Hong Kong island airport and most of the new wonders in Dubai
Powerboats and Yachts
Nuclear research and engineering - CERN has a massive British input
Biggest telecoms and mobile phone companies

The list is endless really - British companies own much of the whole world. Some of the the biggest takeovers ever have been British - Vodafone taking over Mannesman for example $154 billion!!!

The main problem is one of government interference - Britain was it it's greatest when the government did very little and the companies ran everything.

[Spike]

Dont forget...
LOTUS CARS Ltd,
BRITISH based in Hethel Norfork,
Colin Chapman re-invented formula 1/2/3 in the 50's/60's/70's with his rear engined chassis & suspension & took it by storm, As a LOTUS owner & enthusiast i am proud to also mention a little known fact....1 in 10 cars on the road today 'worldwide' has LOTUS DESIGN ENGINEERING parts in them as in the industry they are known as the best in chassis/suspension & aerodynamics development globaly. They also dabble in the boating world unseen....Hull Designer Don Shead worked for them before going to Sunseeker.
LOTUS also owned 'MOONRAKER' & 'JCL MARINE' building luxury 50ft cruisers for the med that the italians had to copy to stay in the game as JCL where so far advanced & way before Sunseeker was born (Poole Powerboats at the time).
& what about COSWORTH ENGINEERING another world beater!!!!! Again engineering & design.
Mike

[Stoo]

Originally Posted by Biggles

I'm waiting for something substantial....

Warm beer?

[Bigmuz7]

And What about JCB.... known for diggers but they have been awarded countless awards for export now, and world wide brand

[pathalla]

Originally Posted by codprawn

http://tv-links.co.uk/

One thing Britain does better than any other country in the World is comedy - this site has loads of classics.

Here is a list of must watches

Bottom

Absolutely Fabulous

Black Adder

Mr Bean

Will add more when I have time but please Stoo just watch 1 episode of Bottom - it is VERY silly but I love it.

You want silly? two words... one guess only... O.K. I'll say it... BENNY HILL!

[pathalla]

Originally Posted by Biggles

I do think we excel at popular music and can probably consider ourselves to be a World Leader of such.

I would argue that Great Britain has produced more talented artists and acts than any other nation, including the U.S... so many great bands out of the U.K... truly amazing!

[pathalla]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Here is a list of some of the stuff Britain is good at.

Biggest banks
London is the financial capital of the world
Major drugs companies
Motorsports engineering - F1 and Indy car(Audi/Bugatti use Ricardo developed DSG)
Tanks - Abrahms and Challenger use British armour
Rolls Royce jet engines - also own Alison
Massive oil companies
Construction - projects like the Hong Kong island airport and most of the new wonders in Dubai
Powerboats and Yachts
Nuclear research and engineering - CERN has a massive British input
Biggest telecoms and mobile phone companies

The list is endless really - British companies own much of the whole world. Some of the the biggest takeovers ever have been British - Vodafone taking over Mannesman for example $154 billion!!!

The main problem is one of government interference - Britain was it it's greatest when the government did very little and the companies ran everything.

Cod, you forgot the most obvious thing Britain is good at???

[mdt]

That is it… look at what you are getting a 20 quid charge / fine / tax (delete as you see fit) for now http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6665299.stm

Cod dont read this link it may send you over the edge

Where do you recommend one emigrates to? Steven is there room down in the Falklands for a few more?

[Sixy_the_red]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

And What about JCB.... known for diggers but they have been awarded countless awards for export now, and world wide brand

And when they broke the world landspeed record with the Dieselmax, where was the news coverage? Oh no, Jade effing Goodie's far more important

[wavecrosschris]

Originally Posted by mdt

That is it… look at what you are getting a 20 quid charge / fine / tax (delete as you see fit) for now http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6665299.stm

Cod dont read this link it may send you over the edge

Where do you recommend one emigrates to? Steven is there room down in the Falklands for a few more?

That really is stupidity in it's highest form and purely money making for the government.

Did anyone else see the channel 4 documentary about climate change and how Co2, although does mirror temperature change, actually follows it, not dictates it - indicating that Co2 levels have nothing to do with why the earths climate is changing anyway. sorry i digress....!

[tinker]

We are quite good at moaning about modern Great Britain, 'whinging poms' I think some countries refer to it as

To many look back at the past through rose tinted raybans , surely its best to live now? Imagine no computers, no big ribs, no super fast cheap cars, no porn mags, pubs closing at 10.30 pm oh nearly forgot, no religion too