Category: Basic principles

The ability to keep a stiff upper lip is particularly attributed to the British. If one’s upper lip is not allowed to tremble, emotions of fear, anger, despair, grief or sadness can be kept inside and denied. It is a trait which has served the British well in its long history of rule by a hierarchy headed by monarchs. British kings and queens who appear to be completely self-controlled garner a great deal of respect and mystique, and they set a standard for their subjects to follow.

British public schools traditionally instilled this self-discipline and stoicism in their pupils. As boarding schools, this was firstly achieved by separating them from their families. Add to this the corporal punishment, cross-country runs in all weathers, cold showers, enslavement to senior pupils (‘fagging’), rugby and the study of classical warrior heroes, and any sign of emotional weakness would put a boy at a serious disadvantage.

Nevertheless, it is a characteristic that can be revelled in through comedy, as in Monty Python‘s ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ (1979). However, in recent times there has been a push to diminish it under the umbrella of ‘mental health issues’.

(Image: Ben Phillips at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0)

The Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1760s, brought with it some social problems. Many people moved from rural communities to cities and towns, looking for work. Some became destitute, as there was no welfare state at that time. Homelessness was an issue which could not be ignored but it was not a new one. Previously, the workhouse was where the poor were sent, but the 1800s saw the sprouting up of shelters and refuges.

These provide immediate but temporary solutions to two main problems: homelessness and domestic violence. The first shelters were in the cities ~ for instance, the Liverpool Night Asylum, established in 1816, and the Society for the Relief of the Houseless Poor, which opened its doors in London in 1820. The Salvation Army acquired a large warehouse in 1909 for hundreds of  destitute men. Today, local councils have a duty to assist the homeless.

In the past, a blind eye was turned to a husband beating his wife, but in the 1960s the women’s liberation movement brought this atrocity out into the open. The first women’s refuge was established in Hounslow in 1971. This type of refuge provides a safe place for women and their children escaping abusive relationships.

(Image originally by Nick Hedges for Shelter: M.J. Richardson at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Before WW1, most ordinary British folk paid rent to live in their homes, but the two World Wars generated a surge in house-building which led to a national change in attitude towards house ownership. Mortgages specifically tailored to house-buyers were introduced and these required comparatively low deposits. Between the Wars house ownership rose to around a third of the population and by 1971 it was a half. The peak of 70% was achieved in 2001.

Of course, owner-occupied properties can be passed down to one’s children, so they are a highly-valued family asset. They also tend to rise in price above inflation, especially in London, in a market led by supply and demand. Young adults leaving the parental home may start by renting but since the 1950s it has become an aspiration to buy your own home as soon as the amount of the deposit has been saved up. This is what is known as ‘getting onto the property ladder‘, as coined by a British newspaper in 1981.

To do this, you become a ‘first-time buyer’ and the government has a few schemes to assist with this. Otherwise, mortgage brokers can help find the right loan deal for your circumstances.

(Image: Roger Cornfoot at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

The ‘Keep Britain Tidy‘ campaign first came to the public’s notice in the 1970s, owing to the use of celebrities in television adverts and posters, as well as the creation of the ‘Tidyman’ logo, still in use today. The campaign is registered as a charity and has been very successful in raising awareness of litter in public places. The logo appears on bins and signs.

There are associated charities around the UK, namely Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Keep Scotland Beautiful, which do very similar work. Cigarette butts and dog poo are two main focuses. Blue Flag awards for beaches and Green Flag awards for parks are two of the initiatives and are highly coveted by their recipients in this time of concern for the environment.

In both 1977 and 2016 there was a campaign called ‘Clean for the Queen’ but these were less productive than the annual ‘Great British Spring Clean’ events taking place in recent years, in which volunteers go litter-picking in their local areas.

(Top image: David Lally at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was the world’s first animal welfare charity. Founded in 1824 as the SPCA, it gained its ‘R’ courtesy of Queen Victoria in 1840. At the time of its formation the main concern was with so-called working animals, such as pit ponies and cart-horses. Other issues were the welfare of food animals and the curtailment of bear-baiting, cock-fighting and dog-fighting.

In the twentieth century their sphere of influence expanded to fox-hunting, circus animals and the use of animals in research laboratories. The RSPCA’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, re-home, campaign for compassion, give veterinary care and investigate reports of cruelty. However, although their Inspectors wear uniforms, they have no legal powers and as this video shows, any legal action is taken by accompanying police officers:-

Perhaps the saddest event in their history was at the beginning of WW2 when a government pamphlet panicked the public into requesting the euthanisation of 750,000 pets over fears of food shortages. Fortunately, the RSPCA’s dedication to animals is rarely stretched to this extreme. We have gained a reputation for being a ‘nation of animal-lovers’ and the RSPCA is there to ensure this is maintained.

(Top image: RSPCA WOAW at Flickr.com / CC BY-NC 2.0)

In the 1900s, a small minority of school-leavers went on to study at university. Tuition fees were unheard of ~ in fact, students could even apply for maintenance grants from 1962 onwards. So a degree plus living expenses could all be obtained courtesy of the tax-payer. A reality check has since taken place.

The number of school-leavers wishing to enter university has increased to 40%, creating a funding crisis. In 1998 it was decided that the fairest system would be to introduce tuition fees, but as passing on the real cost of providing courses might have been too big a jump, fees were initially capped at £1,000 per year. Student loans were made available by the government, on which interest was charged and reasonable repayment terms were set.

Since then, the four constituent countries of the UK have instigated their own tuition fee rules. Maintenance grants came to an end in 2015. Graduate numbers are still high, and although the majority take out the loans on offer to pay annual tuition fees of up to £9,250 (as of 2019), it is clearly advantageous to have parents who can pay up-front, rather than to be saddled with this debt for many years to come.

(Image: Goldsmiths Students’ Union at Flickr.com / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The ‘green movement’ is so prevalent today in the UK that it is easy to feel the weight of responsbility for the whole world environment. An appreciation of nature has always been part of the British psyche, but it suffered tremendously with the coming of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Two World Wars in the 20th century also prioritised manufacturing processes, so it was not until the 1970s that a deep concern for our environment re-emerged.

Organisations such as Friends of the Earth were founded at that time. Protests, campaigns and activism brought attention to issues of air and water pollution, destruction of the countryside by road-building and protection of particular animal species. This later widened to energy conservation by home insulation and solar panels (non-recyclable, as it turns out), anti-fracking, anti-fur, and a narrative on reducing carbon footprints, put forward by elites who travel in private jets and big cars.

Going Green’ has become well-entrenched in today’s society and various Acts of Parliament have been passed in this regard. Recycling our rubbish is now a part of everyday life, along with checking product ingredients, eating vegetarian and vegan foods, and buying secondhand goods rather than new.

(Image: Kevin Croucher at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

There is a myriad of opportunities for volunteering in the UK and it is doubtful that there would be so many services, clubs and community events on offer without the time and expertise freely given by enthusiastic volunteers.

For example, a charity shop needs people to sort donations, organise displays and serve customers. A sea cadets group needs adult leaders. An old people’s care scheme needs dog-walkers while the owners are incapacitated. Schools need parents to organise fêtes or sit on the governing body. None of these tasks have any monetary reward, but without people putting themselves forward to do them anyway, our society would seem much less caring and neighbourly.

Indeed, many people find that doing unpaid work is far more satisfying than their paid jobs. Others will have in the back of their minds that a volunteering role will sit very nicely on their C.V. (curriculum vitae ~ a summary of a person’s education and work) and potential employers do tend to see this as a plus point in the assessment of a candidate’s suitability.

(Image of volunteers working on maintenance of the Grand Union Canal: Mat Fascione at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)