WHO SAYS THE BRITS ARE WEIRD? WE DO!!
Last month we talked about pub etiquette – you know, all that ‘waahaay’ when someone drops a glass or that jolly rhetorical question, whose round it is? Everyone knows of course – they’re just eyes transfixed on the skinflint who never pays up. Any game of skittles will include these important elements.
We all got to talking in the office this week about the joys of being British and how our peculiar – and dare I say unique – sense of humour – and it has to be said , adoration of skittles – puzzles the rest of the world.
So what exactly is it that makes us Brits so absolutely downright weird. Fortunately, carpeted bathrooms for which we were once renown, are a dying breed, along with avocado bathroom suites.
So we’ll start with Facebook groups – some of the most popular in the UK are discussions about dog poop bags and people pointing at potholes. But then, we are a nation that enjoys putting on the tv and watching other people watching the tv – ie Gogglebox.
Then there are fireworks. We Brits get ridiculously excited about fireworks and setting fire to dummies on bonfire night. Here in Devon we have something even more exciting on that magical night – the tar barrels in Ottery St Mary. It’s a triumph over Health and Safety as men, women and children run about the crowded streets with flaming tar barrels on their backs. Simply terrifying.
Waving at boats, on boats, off boats. We Brits love to wave at boats. We also feel compelled to wave at steam trains whether on board or watching them pass by. But most people don’t feel the need to wave at trains, do they. I’ll let you into a big secret here – my husband Simon forces family members to wave at passing trains when we’re walking along Teignmouth sea wall. The train drivers often sound their horns back – which of course only encourages him! 
Let’s move on to food. We base our entire economic state of the country on the price of a frog shaped bar called Freddo. And then there’s Colin the Caterpillar Cake – a long chocolate roll with a face on the end that gets awarded to the birthday person. This treasured cake even had a National Day declared in his honour on August 26 in 2020 when somebody, probably in marketing, decided it was his birthday.
As you can see, Colin is very much part of our family too. Here are my son Kieran and daughter Danii stuffing their faces with poor Colin – oh and it has to be a real Colin, not a cheap imitation……they always know…..
