I can hear you all thinking. The little cogs are whirring, are they not? You’re all wondering what’s so special about that fairly ordinary looking pre-packaged cheddar in the chiller, aren’t you?
Believe me, it’s special.
You see, some time ago in a stealth move, totally unpublicised and therefore mostly unchallenged, our government (forgetting for the moment that they are the servants of the people and also that this is supposed to be a democracry) decided to do away with England.
Oh, people in Scotland, Ireland and Wales are safe. They have their ‘cultural identity’ to protect, you see. Actually, I have no argument with that at all, I believe in protecting cultural identity - our history, culture, language, customs, etc are what makes us interesting and unique.  Yay for the Scottish, Irish and Welsh!!
But wait! Wasn’t there a fourth country in the United Kingdom? I thought there was. In fact, I rather thought I was born in it … I was rather fond of the old place, doncher know.
Yes. You remember now, don’t you? England. That’s right! Well done. But you see, according to the latest political maps, England doesn’t exist any more. Nor do you get a choice on most forms these days to choose ‘England’ as your country of origin, or ‘English’ as your nationality. And do you know, I feel rather aggrieved about that because I’m ENGLISH. I’m not Scottish (though a fair amount of Scottish blood runs in my veins), I’m not Irish, and I’m not Welsh. I’m English, and I like being English. And I resent the fact that our country, culture and flag have been sneakily removed and made Politically Incorrect.
I hate political correctness anyway, but this is The Last Straw. So any time I find someone willing to stand up and be counted as English, I say ‘Hurrah!’
That cheese counter up there may look ordinary to you, but if you look closer, you’ll see that the labels on the cheese say ‘English’, and I count that as a small victory, because mostly what you’ll see in supermarkets is ‘Scottish’, ‘Irish’, ‘Welsh’, even ‘Canadian’ and ‘New Zealand’ cheddar - but no ‘English’. It’s the same on the meat counters, only there you’ll see ‘British’ instead of English, and I’m sorry, but that simply won’t do.
Apparently Tesco ran a survey and came to the conclusion that they needn’t bother to put ‘English’ on their produce, because people ‘identify more strongly with ‘British’ than ‘English”. Well, Tesco, I have news for you - I will no longer be shopping at your stores unless I’m desperate, because I prefer to shop in places which proudly display the label ‘English’ on food which is indeed from this country. And that means I’ll be going to shops like Marks and Spencer, Asda, and now Waitrose - the owners of the cheese counter shown above.
Who’s with me?
Click on the small thumbnail to see a close up of the cheese label.
For those who are confused over the difference between England, Britain, British Isles and the UK, go here for a nice clear explanation - with pictures.
I AM ENGLISH! I AM ENGLISH! I AM ENGLISH!
More importantly, I was born in a Country that was proud of it’s heritage, proud of the Union Jack, and displayed it wherever they could.
This gets me really mad, but more than that, it makes me terribly sad. We are losing our identity as a country. I wonder how long before they rename England!
When I fill in a form I refuse to put British. I write in ‘English’.
Yes, I am with you!
Babs - beetles last blog post..Diamonds. A girls best friend? - Part 2
Seems that it’s quite cool to be Scottish, Irish or Welsh but embarrassing to be English . . .will they rename Leicester or Cheshire Cheese as orange and crumbly? . . will there now be British Muffins, British Breakfast Tea, Old British Sheep Dogs, the Queen of Britain crikey . . hope not! Actually our food labelling requires the country of origin to be printed on it.
I just found out that your blog won’t talk to my Google Reader and BlogLines has been flaky. That’s why I haven’t been around.
I love cheddar cheese, no matter what you call it.
But you have my support!
Peace - D
RiverPoets last blog post..Nice Melons
Not sure if you read my Blog a few days back, but I hate it to be called British ……I am ENGLISH… not a Jock, Taff or Paddy… no offence… but I am not ….. I hate it so much that the Englsih seem to be embaressed at using English !… I mean, look at where I live right now … so far up their own ‘asses’ it makes me cringe … but I do have to admire their delight, and how proud they are to be U S A, U S A…….
Why the fuck shouldn’t we be …. here, every other house flys the Stars and Stripes, Makes us laugh… but my god, I kinda like it .. so much, we are looking for a Slovakiann flag… and yes, NOT the Union Jack… but a St George’s Cross ……
MAKES ME SO FUCKING MAD ….. scuse the language Baini…. but I am so proud to be English….. and our country doesn’t share it !!!!
Moons last blog post..Joshua Tree National Park
I’m mad now !!!!!!
Moons last blog post..Joshua Tree National Park
With you all the way on this Jay! I am really cheesed off (deliberate btw) to discover that after all the energy I have to expend down in deepest Bavaria defending English food against the uninformed prejudices of the locals, they pull the rug from under my feet!
Mind you, Tesco’s - run by Evertonians… nuff said
…that picture has also given me an incredible craving for a cheddar&Branston butty (sandwich) too!!!!
mmmm, cheddar and pickle sarnie ……. yes pls xxx
Moons last blog post..Joshua Tree National Park
Cheese on toast is ONLY cheese on toast if it’s mature English cheddar. I’m in!
Somnambulists last blog post..Half-Term
Babs - Aaah, yes. I knew you’d be in, Babsie! But they already have renamed England. We are now The Regions. Talk about being marginalised! Grrr!!!
Baino - Our labelling requires a country of origin too, but the rules are fuzzy. They can get away with ‘Britain’ or ‘EU’ instead of being specific. It drives me crazy!!
River Poet - You’re not the first to tell me that Google Reader doesn’t like me, but I have no idea what I can do about it. Seems that news readers can be flaky - for instance, I can subscribe to most Blogger blogs, but there are some that I can’t get into my NetNewsWire reader. It’s bizarre.
Moon - Yay, another completely pissed off English person! I’m glad you’re mad. The more people get angry about this, the better. Maybe the government will eventually take note. One can only hope.
And I’m with you on the Americans and patriotism. Yes, they can go a little overboard for our English taste, but you have to admire them.
Neutron - Haha! Good pun there! Yes, indeed. Evertonians! Well, there you go. LOL!
Somnambulist - Oh, how I love cheese on toast! It’s one of the things that tempt me away from my ‘no bread’ rule! Mmmmm! Now see what you’ve done? I want some!
I have just made my sandwich filling for work tomorrow: grated Leicester cheese mixed with grated English onion and English mayo.
I do like a multi-cultural menu but when it comes to cheese butties only English will do!!!
Hippie likes Leicester cheese too!!
I’m an anglophile first, but as a francophile second, are you saying it’s okay now to eat fish and French fries instead of fish and chips? And I:) thought Swiss cheese had nothing to do with Switzerland except its connection (or not) with the Holey Roman Empire….
rhymeswithplagues last blog post..One man’s family (continued)
First of all - HEAR HEAR!!!! I hate the fact that I am forced to say I am from the U.K. on forms. When crossing into the U.S., I have actually been made to change a form when I claimed that I was English - oh no, that won’t do at all, you are from the U.K or you are British, you can’t possibly be English. Makes me so mad - a bit like being forced to say that I am a Mrs or Miss or Ms. on a form - what has my marital status got to do with anything? Men get to say they are Mr. and that is that. I refuse to fill in that part of a form…….getting sidetracked now, since it all makes me sooooo mad!
Second, I have been craving a good English cheddar for the last two months while travelling through South America. Sometimes I just sit in a restaurant, perusing the menu and all I really want is a big hunk of cheddar. Good, strong English cheddar and perhaps a nice bit of crusty white bread, yummm. Perhaps it is time for me to come home soon…….
Don’t Bug Me!s last blog post..Machu Picchu - The Lost City of the Incas.
Bravo! Write it in English!
Oh Girl! I’m SO with you! I hate politically correct as well! I want all Americans, even those who immigrated here from other countries, to be able to speak ENGLISH. ENGLISH…the language must have come from somewhere..I don’t know, maybe ENGLAND? Listen, I would claim England as home (and often do) so what’s the problem? They should not be allowed to fall into an American trap of ignoring the majority. It will come back to bite them in the arse (lol). Oh, and while I have your ear, I’ve tagged you and if you want the “down and dirty” or the “skinny” about it, come on over to my place.
Sandi
Sandi McBrides last blog post..Tagged by a Catherder…go figure!
I think Moon is a tad upset ;O)
I do get so mad by all this Political correctness. Well I, for one, won’t go around tugging my forelock and apologizing for being English!
On a lighter note. Check my blog :O)
Kate - Good for you, Kate! Up with the English!
Bob - No it is not alright to eat fish with French Fries. It’s still fish’n'chips!! And I am not concerned with other countries struggles with cheese. I just want to have my English cheese labelled as such! I’m not even going to get into the ‘Cheddar cheese’ thing!
DBM - You are clearly a girl after OH’s heart. He is just the same. After a couple of weeks travelling, he’ll look at an upmarket restaurant menu and sigh and say ‘all I really want is a cheese sandwich!’ By which he means real crusty bread with grade 5 cheddar. Good, strong, and crumbly, and preferably leaking whey! LOL!
Swubird - I thought I just did! ROFL!
Sandi - I’m with you - it WILL come back and bite us. Such things have been the prelude to civil unrest in the past, and will be again in the future.
Tagged? Moi? I’m coming over!
Babs - Yes, I think you’re right! Serve him right for wanting to see my knickers! Tee hee.
Popping around in a mo!
I love ALL cheese. Dont care where it comes from.
Cheese = Goodness
meleah rebeccahs last blog post..Why I Love The Fall Season
Ohhhh… this reminds me of a conversation happened many years ago. My husband is English. One day, his dad was sitting together with all my Asian relatives many of whom were students in England but no, they chose not to become British. So my father-in-law said, in disdain, that anyone could be British, but not everyone could be English. Everyone went really quiet.
The Real Mother Hens last blog post..Genesis 1:1: The Origin of Mother Hen
I like Spicy Mexican cheese which is fitting since I did marry a spicy Mexican.
He came out okay in the deal too. With this ring he did wed a lifetime supply of American cheese. Cheese-A-Rific!
elasticwaistbandladys last blog post..Hey, I Wear The Pants In This Family Too……Even If They Are Crotchless
They wouldn’t treat the Swiss in this disrespectful way! If they did the Swiss cheesemakers would poke holes in them.
The powers-that-be are insanely afraid of messing with the Swiss or their cheese.
elasticwaistbandladys last blog post..Hey, I Wear The Pants In This Family Too……Even If They Are Crotchless
I’m digesting your post, Jay (no pun intended)! I suppose I have to live there to really understand what is going on,
but got the gist. British is synonymous with English?
Reminds me of the dilemma here. We, in the United States, have always been called Americans. Yet, we are the United States of America, because North America includes Canada and
Mexico. They don’t call themselves Americans but we do.
Oh my, that’s another topic in history! Can definitely
understand your concern, Jay.
petra michelles last blog post..House on Haunted Hill?
Interesting to hear this perspective, and good to know what some of the changing cultural attitudes are there in England, and then the UK as a whole. I’m figuring the needle will move the other way once more– but in the meantime, there is this PC overcompensation in many areas.
I’m hoping, too, someday soon we won’t have to worry about lawsuits perpetually over inadvertently offending someone, as well.
Or maybe I’m just overly-optimistic.
Jenn Thorsons last blog post..The Z Word
I love real English cheddar, but I gotta tell you, a good hunk of Wisconsin or NY cheddar, made right, can give English cheddar a run for its money…I hear what you’re saying about identity though. As I understand it, being “British” entails taking in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, though the last one is often placed separately. (”Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) I always thought Great Britain was England, Wales and Scotland.
Meleah - Surely not all cheese?? What about cheese so mild it’s like eating tasteless rubber, or so strong that it takes the skin off your mouth? LOL!
RMH - A real put-down! But he’s right, I guess, because you can become a British citizen, but you cannot choose English citizenship as far as I know. You’d have to be born here.
EWB Lady - The French wouldn’t stand for it, either. But we English are so ‘polite’ and don’t like to make a fuss. So there you are, we get sidelined.
Petra - No, no, no! British is not synonymous with English! It’s like this: England is one of the countries that make up Great Britain, the others being Scotland and Wales. The British Isles, on the other hand, emcompasses Northern Ireland, the Channel Isles, the Isle of Man, etc.
England is England, just as Scotland is Scotland, or Wales is Wales. But all three can be described as British.
The thing I’m complaining about with the food labelling is that Scotland gets the saltire (Scottish Flag) on food labels which say ‘Scottish’. It’s very clear - the food inside comes from Scotland. Wales gets the Welsh dragon flag and the word ‘Welsh’ - as in Welsh lamb - which is equally clear. But we in England don’t seem to be extended the same courtesy. You hardly ever see the Cross of St George (English flag), we have to put up with the Union Jack and the label ‘British’.
But food labelled British does not have to be English. It can come from Scotland, Wales OR England.
And food labelled ‘UK’, can come from any one of those three countries OR Northern Ireland. But interestingly, not the Isle of Man, which isn’t part of the UK. Lucky IOM, say I.
I’ve added a link to the bottom of the post which explains the difference, if you’re interested.
Jenn - I’m sure the needle will swing back, it usually does. And yes, I’m hoping this current obsession with lawsuits will cease, too. It’s costing us all a great deal, and not only in money!
Mr N - You know, in all the times we’ve come over to the US, we’ve never found a decent bit of cheddar. People assure me it’s out there, but I guess we’d have to search out a deli somewhere.
You’re quite right about what ‘British’ means. And yes, NI is often referred to separately, because while it is part of the British Isles, it isn’t part of Britain. Confused yet? I’ve added a nice little link at the bottom of the post if you’re interested.
I am so glad to hear you say this… a few years back, I introduced a friend from your country as being from England. He got quite upset with me and said it was the “United Kingdom”, not England.
I was taken quite aback; I didn’t mean anything by it, and never thought that would be considered an insult…. geez! I can’t stand all the PC crap nowadays. People are just looking for anything to get upset about…
Maureens last blog post..Back From The Big City
Maureen - I’m guessing that your friend was either a civil servant (working for the government) or a very PC person. Mostly, people prefer you to get their actual country of origin right! They tend to get offended the other way round!
Unless, of course, he wasn’t actually English!
Good article Jay. More people need to stand up and make a fuss. One of the growing problems is that the majority who still claim the St George Cross and the English label for themselves are hard line, racist, B.N.P.members; Consequently those with more liberal views don’t want to be counted in with them by claiming their English heritage with pride.
More tea with your cream scone my love?
Jeni - Thank you!
You’re right. That is a huge problem for those of us who are moderate but who still wish to be patriotic, and claim our identity and culture.
Yeah. Pass the tea and scones. I’ll have blackcurrant jam on ‘em too, if you don’t mind.
Yum good choice. I love blackcurrant jam. I’m partial to ginger conserve too.
For many years now I’ve wondered why one hears/reads the word “British” all the time, but “English” never. Seems like it used to be, at some point in time, English was called English! Am I wrong? When did it change? Or are you saying, it’s still changing, getting worse even now?
Doesn’t make sense. I think you’re right, it smacks of PC, but still doesn’t make sense.
Who the f$#k is upset about the English? In the 21st century!
A. Deckers last blog post..Found It!
A Decker - Well, yes, we used to be able to call English things English, but the government has decided (without consulting us) that using the term British is better. The trouble with that is that it covers Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well, so we now have the situation where each of those countries has a separate identity and we, the English, do not. And we’re getting mad about it.
The English are perceived as being the ‘rich and powerful’ part of the equation.
Wales is a fiercely nationalistic country, Northern Ireland has been fighting for cultural identity for years. The English are traditionally meek and ’stiff upper lip’. The government is composed largely of Scots. You do the math, as the Americans say.