What small, everyday moments have made you quietly proud to be British?

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wondered-bongo@reddit

When someone drops a glass in a pub/restaurant and everyone claps

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niversalite@reddit

I never understood this. Isn't it bullying? The person is usually bar staff, overworked and underpaid, and then is humiliated by the clientele all for the lolz.

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4oclockinthemorning@reddit

It would feel more humiliating to get pity. The cheer makes it ok

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auntie_climax@reddit

Dropping a glass isn't humiliating....it's human, everyone drops, everyone spills

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Canitgetmuchworse@reddit

Same - my son has set off for Glastonbury to see them, and i am so jealous!

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auntie_climax@reddit

I know, I'd love to see them live, the gigs look insane!! Hope your son has the best time xx

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I once walked into a large bar, all alone, a 44 year old female, and I tripped over the step as I walked in (didn't fall). A whole table of blokes cheered at my stumble. So I took a bow. I'd have felt much worse if they hadn't done that. Cannit beat Geordie blokes in a pub lol.

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williamshatnersbeast@reddit

Your response was also perfect

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Interesting-Ad8640@reddit

You're thinking too deeply about it. Just a moment of collective banter. It isn't like everyone goes on about it for ages after

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HMSWarspite03@reddit

No, it's (mostly) a good natured ribbing, it usually helps to diffuse the situation

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EuroSong@reddit

De-fuse.

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HMSWarspite03@reddit

Indeed, spell check strikes again, I'll leave it up

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Foxzyx0@reddit

It's not ill intentioned or meant to be nasty, it's meant to alleviate embarrassment mostly

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Collooo@reddit

It’s a dying art.

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cari-strat@reddit

I was on holiday and sitting in a fairly massive hotel bar in Spain when a woman stood up and nutted a full tray of drinks out of the hands of a passing waiter. Every Brit in the place immediately outed themself by leaping up and shouting, "Wa- heyyyy!"

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Hierodula_majuscula@reddit

Sack the juggler!

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Paulstan67@reddit

"don't bother washing that one!"

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Butter_the_Toast@reddit

I also love it when a nice bellow of Sack the Juggler rings out from time to time

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Hunter037@reddit

Any time there's a wacky traditional event like Morris dancing, a scouts parade, a marching band etc.

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SilasMarner77@reddit

I returned to England after a stay in Italy and our orderly, courteous driving made me feel quite proud. I could almost hear Jerusalem playing.

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BalthazarOfTheOrions@reddit

I learned to drive in Italy and I can't say the UK is that much better. Calmer, but by a pretty small margin. There's more than enough drivers who don't indicate, speed, wedge in, take risks, etc. here.

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behemuffin@reddit

I've never driven in Italy, but I drive a lot in France. Every time I come back, I'm struck by how self-centred, inconsiderate and angry British driving culture is by comparison.

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Tasty-Engine9075@reddit

Docked back at Dover yesterday and said exactly this to my partner. We drove through Holland, Belgium, France and England. They're all bad but England was by far the worst (France was a small sprint but the obviously British cars were the worst drivers there 😅).

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ThePodd222@reddit

Swearing as a sport e.g men calling friends cunts in general conversation as a term of endearment.

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Ruthiereacts@reddit

😂 this is so true

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newnortherner21@reddit

Cricket.

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hoochieboochie77@reddit

I don’t like cricket….

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SaltyName8341@reddit

I love it

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hoochieboochie77@reddit

My man.

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williamshatnersbeast@reddit

The band 10cc’s name is thought to have originated from a dream of their producer, Jonathan King, who claimed to have seen a sign reading “10cc - The Best Band in the World”. While King maintained this story, some band members, including Lol Creme and Graham Gouldman, suggested the name was inspired by the idea of it being a more substantial amount of semen than the average male ejaculation, with “cc” referring to cubic centimeters. Only found this out the other day, you’re welcome.

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ArmyAutomatic7618@reddit

Just when people pull over to let an ambulance pass

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Radiant_Incident4718@reddit

Hate to break it to you, but people do that in other countries too.

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vminnear@reddit

Open Gardens - it's so lovely to get to nose around other people's gardens in the summer and have a cup of tea and cake in the village hall. You get to see a variety of different gardens, get inspired and everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

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Nonbinary_Cryptid@reddit

Leaving a gig.in London and walking into a train station with hundreds of others, while a busker played Wonderwall. I started singing along, then the people behind me did, and all of a sudden, there were hundreds of voices singing along. The busker looked so happy, and he probably earned more from that one song than he had for the whole week before.

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Ruthiereacts@reddit

This is made me smile, thank you for sharing 🙂

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Ruthiereacts@reddit

I’m proud of our queuing skills, Thanking the bus driver, I don’t understand why we are the only country that does this. Gentleman etiquette I.e a man sees a woman walking home alone at night so he crosses the road so she doesn’t feel like she’s being followed, opening doors for other people etc Working class naming our dogs blueblood names just because we can (Ie Berty, Fenton Farquar Archibald etc) But my fav has to be the aggressive “you’re welcome” when you’ve moved for someone and they ignore you.

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ThankUverymuchJerry@reddit

Crossing the road so the woman in front doesn’t feel vulnerable is next level gentlemanly, because it shows he understands how we feel out and about on our own, especially at night.

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Ruthiereacts@reddit

Exactly 👍🏻

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ThankUverymuchJerry@reddit

Also, that silent glance of recognition that one tube traveller will give another when someone else is being an absolute cockwomble. That ‘I saw that too’ eyebrow twitch.

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ThankUverymuchJerry@reddit

I know some people hated it, but I thought the phrase Platty Jubes was absolutely glorious.

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WoodSteelStone@reddit

Some unique daftness, like the fact that the forward facing guns of HMS Belfast - moored on the River Thames in London - are permanently positioned to score a direct hit on the M1 motorway's service station at Scratchwood. "The six-inch guns can fire 112 pound shells at eight rounds per minute to deliver an awesome pounding to the cafe and toilet stop." [Source.](https://londonist.com/2015/02/why-do-the-guns-of-hms-belfast-point-at-a-motorway-service-station)

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Limp-Hotel-8614@reddit

Not the first time there’s been a good pounding in the toilet stop at Scratchwood services, tbf.

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Plane-Geek-88@reddit

When a hearse drives past some workmen and they all stop what they’re doing and take off their hard hats out of respect

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No_Calligrapher9732@reddit

London Bridge terrorist attack in 2017 - that video of the bloke running from the pub still holding his pint and being extra careful not to spill it.

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williamshatnersbeast@reddit

Whilst some other dude grabbed a narwhal tusk and went to work to protect the retreat. Peak civilisation right there.

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Necessary_Umpire_139@reddit

Tbf the best present he could've got as a thank you from the nation/London would have been the narwhal tusk, imagine explaining the story to your grandchildren.

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No_Calligrapher9732@reddit

Wasn't that guy a convicted rapist or something like that?

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Necessary_Umpire_139@reddit

Nope, he was a civil servant with the ministry of justice or communicationsz I can't remember, but the event that was taking place was to do with rehabilitation of offenders.

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williamshatnersbeast@reddit

I’ve learned something today because apparently there were two of them with narwhal tusks. One was the civil servant and the other was a murderer who was on his first day of release on licence. There was a third person who joined in with a fire extinguisher who was also out on licence at the time. What a thing.

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Necessary_Umpire_139@reddit

Yeah I think they were doing a like an event between like offenders, organisations and civil servants which was being spearheaded by Jack Meritt who was one of the victims that day. From what I remember Jack was a young middle class lad but always believed in the good of people hence why he chose to pursue rehabilitation of offenders as his purpose.

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Necessary_Umpire_139@reddit

Yeah I think they were doing a like an event between like offenders, organisations and civil servants which was being spearheaded by Jack Meritt who was one of the victims that day. From what I remember Jack was a young middle class lad but always believed in the good of people hence why he chose to pursue rehabilitation of offenders as his purpose.

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IdiotBearPinkEdition@reddit

I love it when everyone does (like watching a big sporting event) or knows (a phrase or a cultural classic) the same thing as the same time. I feel patriotic only when there's a world cup or Euros on, or when people use the same phrases that only British people would. Also, that humour that is just so British that almost doesn't seem like a joke until you think harder about it.

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DizzyMine4964@reddit

One big moment: when I learned Harold Wilson had refused to take us into Vietnam.

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Good0times@reddit

Not being in a goddmn warzone

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fizzysmoke@reddit

Had to deal with an insurance claim the other day, got put through to a thousand different departments and one of the ladies I spoke to asked me how I was to which I responded " very well thanks and how are you" her response was "errr yes thanks im well, its not often someone returns the pleasantries". I like to think that person went home to whomever and over a glass of wine or cup of tea said to someone close, I had a real nice chap on the phone today. Made my day.

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Basic-Week-9262@reddit

I was on a North Sea rig…..right up north (the north cormorant) and I was non stop waves of pissing rain and at 3 in the morning the cooks brought us bacon sarnies and tea up to the rig floor, god bless em. You don’t get that anywhere else believe me

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LastLevel1898@reddit

Cup of tea solving any problem

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RelationKindly@reddit

A driver letting another drive out from a side street. Someone crossing on a zebra crossing and waving thanks to the cars that have stopped. Shoppers buying a sandwich , crisps and drink for the homeless person sat outside my local Lidl. Our wonderful volunteer town litter picking group. Park Run 🏃‍♂️

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LastLevel1898@reddit

All of this. I'm genuinely bursting with pride 😊

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LastLevel1898@reddit

Talking about the weather to re-break the ice with people you have to converse with on the regular, creating a mutual friendliness without too much thought or effort.

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grubbygromit@reddit

When all those people in Glasgow stop that immigration raid.

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SaltyName8341@reddit

The dance on the pavement when you nearly bump into each other, oh and the amount of sorrys involved.

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rosielemon@reddit

[https://www.tiktok.com/@mrjamesbertie/video/7472347354285264150](https://www.tiktok.com/@mrjamesbertie/video/7472347354285264150)

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Interesting-Ad8640@reddit

I have days when this happens to me so many times. It is awful

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BollockOff@reddit

Once at a outdoor event at a old manor house a hail storm started so everyone ducked into the tented stalls, then this one man was casually walking in the hail like it wasn’t happening holding a cup of tea and saucer. The hail was going into the tea splashing it onto the saucer, the man then casually tips the spilt tea onto the floor and places the cup back onto the saucer (and not covering the cup) and walks into the gift shop. It seemed so British to see someone still persevering with it, i hope whoever got the tea liked a half empty cup and ice too lol.

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AdThat328@reddit

Seeing someone fall off a chair/stool and keeping their drink upright without spilling any. When someone drops a plate and the whole place cheers.

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EssexGuyUpNorth@reddit

The knitted coverings people make for post boxes. Bunting. Our queuing culture.

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CuriousNowDead@reddit

Putting the kettle on as a response to anything from a friend popping round to learning that someone you love has died.

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simmyawardwinner@reddit

sunday roasts <3

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Nervous_Condition_26@reddit

We’re one of the only countries where glass is a verb

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Proof-Dog9835@reddit

The bbc 1xtra 60 minutes live with dizzee rascal, skepta, jme, general levy, lethal bizzle etc. Extra when I watch Americans react to it

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Left_Nebula_3278@reddit

For me the food is what makes me proud. The fact we have such high standards for food and food safety laws always makes me feel good about the UK.

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ExternalAttitude6559@reddit

Sitting in a Pub in Bristol having a quiet Pint & chatting to the Barman in Swedish (we're both local & half-Swedish) when a passing Cockney told us to F\*\*k off back to Poland if we wanted to speak Polish. I reverted to my usual Bristolian & told him to F\*\*k off back to London if he wanted to speak Cockney, and the quiet, unassuming, terribly Bristolian OAP at the end of of the bar (always a half pint at 5:30pm, never an unkind word) laughed & told him to F\*\*k off. In Polish. Not sure if he ever paid for his nightly half pint ever again.

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dbxp@reddit

When the LGBT community decide to make out in front of the fire and brimstone preachers just to annoy them

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DangerousSeesaw@reddit

When you’re in a pub and the person behind the bar says ‘who’s next?’ and the guy next to you signals that you were there first

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cgknight1@reddit

When that guy kicked that other guy in the balls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007\_Glasgow\_Airport\_attack#:\~:text=Alex%20McIlveen%2C%20a%20taxi%20driver,tendon%20in%20his%20own%20foot.

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stevey83@reddit

Alex McIlveen, a taxi driver, saw what was unfolding and after approaching one of the men, famously kicked the terrorist so hard in the groin that he tore a tendon in his own foot.

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ApprehensiveElk80@reddit

Nothing more British than intervening and causing injury to both the prep and yourself. Sure he’d rather a torn tendon over aching bollocks.

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Albert_Herring@reddit

Merging in turn without any drama. Most of the time.

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feinmantheatre@reddit

There's a kind of communal sympathy when you're crammed into the door space of an overcrowded train. (Shoutout to the passenger who held a train for me when we were both changing at Newport last December.)

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