"Bob and Doris Jones" <bobianjones@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:4330F10E.5000604@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> hawker@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> > Oh well, Bob comes from the antipodes, which is rather remote from
North
> > Britain.
>
> True, but I'm learning a lot from you two :-)
>
> > Anyway the Scots and the "Northern English" are North British, so
> > Picts, Scots, Gwyddels, Romano-British, or whatever, we are all North
> > British!
>
> I like this idea and probably closer to reality.
Well it's hardly new! Simply a logical point. We're British and live in
the north after all. Virtually no Scot would consider his primary identity
as North British though. Also very few people, or it should be really
hardly
anyone in, for instance Scotland, defines themselves primarily as Pictish,
Romano British, Anglian, Dalriadan or whatever. In my experience that's
mostly restricted to newsnet groups like this one. Virtually everyone
defines themselves as Scottish though there are also strong local
connections. Most people view themselves as being British also, at least
to
some degree! Those that don't are basically making a political point.
That
is they don't recognise their nationality as British though if pressed
they'll normally admit they are still British in the way a Swede is
Scandinavian.
>An idea with
> possibilities for the future too.
Probably an idea more rooted in the past than the future. The terms North
Britain and South Britain were coined in the 18thC to replace Scotland and
England. The idea never caught on in England as they were far too
sensible
for such nonsense. In Scotland it was restricted to a few lickspittles on
the make down in London and it died a death. In Scotland the dual
identity
is still there but the Scottish part of the identity is more prominent
than
it was in for instance the post war generation. The English have been
slow
of the mark but again the sense of Englishness is coming more to the fore
nowadays. For instance at an English football or rugby match you now see
English flags as opposed to Union Flags. 20 years ago the Union Flag was
dominant.
Allan
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