Nigel Kennedy in The Grauniad

[bertlambshank]

Rule Brittania now. I love being British, if countries were football clubs Britain would be Villa. The one with all the class and tradition.

Yet, ultimately, the one nobody really cares about, and have never won anything for many, many years?

Wimbledon? Olympic gold medals? Tha Ashes? Wars?

Or are you on about the Eurovision song contest?

I think he on about UEFA fair play league.

[Colhint]

how many other bits did he get into that piece. I definitely heard Bonanza

[pauliewalnuts]

Rule Brittania now. I love being British, if countries were football clubs Britain would be Villa. The one with all the class and tradition.

Yet, ultimately, the one nobody really cares about, and have never won anything for many, many years?

Wimbledon? Olympic gold medals? Tha Ashes? Wars?

Or are you on about the Eurovision song contest?

I thought the thing that said most about Britain in recent years was during the Olympics opening ceremony (which was superb), and in particular when they were doing the teams all walking around the stadium one after another.

When Team GB came out, they started playing Bowie's Heroes.

I just thought, whatever you think of jingoism or sport or athletics, what a truly tastefully inspired choice of (British) music to fit that moment.

I actually found it quite emotionally involving, and I am incredibly stony faced about that sort of thing usually.

That's the sort of thing we're good at.

[bertlambshank]

It's about time we got over our past and celebrate what a great country we live in.

[pauliewalnuts]

Well, that and inventing the modern world.

[pauliewalnuts]

It's about time we got over our past and celebrate what a great country we live in.

Errr, isn't the great country we are largely due to our past?

There is no way we should ignore the bad things we've done, but there's no reason we shouldn't be proud of the good things.

To put it in a nutsell, we should be proud of our role in policing the abolition of slavery, but at the same time, somewhat ashamed of the fact we profited so much from it for 300 years.

The good things massively outweigh the bad, though.

[bertlambshank]

It's about time we got over our past and celebrate what a great country we live in.

Errr, isn't the great country we are largely due to our past?

There is no way we should ignore the bad things we've done, but there's no reason we shouldn't be proud of the good things.

To put it in a nutsell, we should be proud of our role in policing the abolition of slavery, but at the same time, somewhat ashamed of the fact we profited so much from it for 300 years.

The good things massively outweigh the bad, though.

Not anymore its time to move on that's what Danny Boyles opening ceremony was all about.OK we fucked up,but we have one of the most open country's in the world.It's time we celebrated that.When people come from another country they love our Britishness and long my it continue.
I

[pauliewalnuts]

Loving your Britishness doesn't mean forgetting the bad things.

I'll bet you what you like Danny Boyle didn't mean that.

It's easy to say "move on" when you were the guilty party.

[bertlambshank]

Loving your Britishness doesn't mean forgetting the bad things.

I'll bet you what you like Danny Boyle didn't mean that.

It's easy to say "move on" when you were the guilty party.

But for how long do you carry it on.Look at Australia they have just voted in a government that has said they will turn boats around even if they have children on board.We would never do that.I and you cannot make amends for what happened in the past. Celebrating being British or English for that matter should not be an embarrassment.

[myf]

I wonder if gabby ever sees this

[Mortimer's Bear]

I wonder if gabby ever sees this

He strikes me as a huge fan of classical music!

[OzVilla]

Loving your Britishness doesn't mean forgetting the bad things.

I'll bet you what you like Danny Boyle didn't mean that.

It's easy to say "move on" when you were the guilty party.

But for how long do you carry it on.Look at Australia they have just voted in a government that has said they will turn boats around even if they have children on board.We would never do that.

You any idea how many people are dying on these boats because they don't get safety turned around. 

Over the last few years it's certainly into the hundreds, probably thousands.

[LeeB]

Loving your Britishness doesn't mean forgetting the bad things.

I'll bet you what you like Danny Boyle didn't mean that.

It's easy to say "move on" when you were the guilty party.

But for how long do you carry it on.Look at Australia they have just voted in a government that has said they will turn boats around even if they have children on board.We would never do that.

You any idea how many people are dying on these boats because they don't get safety turned around. 

Over the last few years it's certainly into the hundreds, probably thousands.

Yeah, I'm sure that's the motivation behind the policy.

[PeterWithe]

He was on r2 last night playing 'The lark ascending'. Not sure if he was wearing anything Villa related though.

[silhillvilla]

It's on the bbc iplayer , if anyone missed it take a look, brilliant and Nige was superb.