One of the British national daily newspapers was asking readers: "What it means to be British?".
Some of the emails were hilarious but this one from a Swiss was a winner.
"Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for
a Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a
Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on a Swedish furniture and watch
American shows on a Japanese TV. He buys a holiday home in Spain, Skis in France, fancies Swedish birds and has a Romanian au-pair.
And the most British thing of all?
"Suspicious of anything Foreign "
The 2011 UK Census recorded 137,862 French-born people living in the UK. Almost half of these were resident in the capital, London. Many more British people have French ancestry.
Italians 233k - of Italian heritage 600k - 127k born in Italian in London
As to the Greeks, according to a City of London Corporation sponsored report, there are between 280k and 300k Greek speakers in Greater London, making London the third largest Greek city in Europe. Melbourne may be higher as to the world Greek city population.
I don't drink beer of any kind; never been in an Irish pub; never, never, ever eat curries or kebabs; never bought ANYTHING from a Swedish furniture shop; never been to Spain or France; an au-pair?! Wot?! I don't know where my TV is made but it's a Sharp; I don't watch many American programmes , mainly because I can't understand what they're muttering about. Tis true. As for fancying Swedish birds? Do me a favour! Gercha!
my tv is South Korean made, i don't drive, nor have an au pair, nor indeed have all the other things that makes us what we are. I have had foreign born boyfriends - do they count.