Television in Great Britain

Television is the most popular entertainment in British home life today. In London people have four TV channels: BBC I, BBС II, ITV – Independent Television (Channel III) and Channel IV.

The BBC is known for its objectivity in news reporting. The BBC is financed by payments which are made by all people who have TV-sets. People have to pay the license fee. In 1932 the BBC World Service was set up with a license to broadcast first to Empire and then to other parts of the world. There is no advertising on any BBC programme.

ITV started in 1954. Commercial television gets its money from advertising. The programmes on this channel are financed by different companies, which do not have anything to do with the content of these programmes. ITV news programmes are not made by individual television companies. Independent Television News is owned jointly by all of them. So it has been protected from commercial influence.

There are different types of TV programmes in Great Britain. BBC and ITV start early in the morning. One can watch news programmes, all kind of chat shows, quiz shows, soap operas, different children’s programmes, dramas, comedies and different programmes of entertainment on these channels.

News is broadcast at regular intervals and there are panel discussions of current events. Broadcasts for schools are produced on five days of the week during school hours. In the afternoon and early evening TV stations show special programmes for children. Operas, music concerts and shows are presented at various time. A large part of TV is occupied by serials.

Britain has two channels (BBC II and Channel IV) for presenting programmes on serious topics, which are watched with great interest by a lot of people. These channels start working on early weekday mornings. But they translate mostly all kind of education programmes. Weekend afternoons are devoted to sport. Sport events are usually broadcast in the evening.

These are the main channels in Great Britain. Only about a fifth of households receive satellite or cable.

 

Ways of life

Social contacts. Much social contacts take place in people’s homes and an invitation to tea is a common way of keeping in touch with friends and relatives. All letters concerning social affairs – invitations to parties, dinners, weddings – have to be directed to the wives and husbands together, never to the husbands alone. The habit of taking flowers to the hostess is not observed in England. “White Tie” means full evening-dress. Whenever you have spent a night or a weekend in somebody’s house you have to write a letter, if possible at once when you get back, a so-called bread-and-butter letter. It would be considered very bad manners not to observe this custom – even if you haven’t enjoyed yourself at all.

Drinking habits. Britain has been known as a sober country. The consumption of alcohol has never been there so high as in other European countries. The British usually drink water or beer with their meal. Spirits are generally too expensive for normal household except on some special occasions. The hours of selling drinks are regulated by local authorities and drinks may only be sold in establishments licensed for such sales. It was the Saxon king Edward (before Norman invasion) who tried to regulate drinking habits and installed limit marks for ale and wine. But drinking habits in Britain are changing. With tastes acquired abroad consumption of wines, spirits and liqueurs has increased. When alcohol habits began to change prices on ale were cut substantially. Government takes care to preserve ale as the national and most popular alcoholic drink in the country.

A pub is a traditional British institution. It is impossible to imagine Britain without pubs. It is a public place and at the same time it is rather like someone's house. The main business in pubs is selling drinks to people, there are always plenty to choose from, but the most popular is beer. One thing you may discover is that some pubs have drinks and little else, but others have more to offer such as food, music or accommodation. One reason for this is that what we now call pubs used to be various kinds of places such as alehouses and inns.

Alehouses were simple places where working men met in the evening to drink beer, and even today some small local pubs are a bit like this — quiet, rather private places where local people meet in the evening for a drink. Inns, however, were places where travelers could stop, rest and stay overnight. In the days before modern transport such places were of course important, you could get warm, have a good meal, feed the horses and so on.

Many of today's pubs are in fact still inns. Many of these old places have changed a lot. Some alehouses have become very comfortable and expensive and some inns no longer take guests and provide much food. Old buildings have been changed into pubs and new pubs have been built too. The result of all this is that nowadays there are lots of places, all called pubs, of many different kinds – large and small, new and old, in cities and in the country-side, and even in places where nobody seems to live at all.

Naturally, one of the things that people enjoy most about pubs is having a drink in company. But there are other things that attract people to pubs. Here you may find games machines and music. Many pubs are interesting buildings, in a pleasant environment, or both. If you are not interested in buildings or history you might still enjoy visiting a pub which has an attractive garden or a good view. It is not difficult to find these in the countryside, and those that are near rivers and canals often have a special character of their own.

Popular Pastimes. How people use their free time depends on age, sex, educational background, social class and of course on their personal taste and inclinations.

Enjoyments of the Countryside. The British climate confines many outdoor activities and general enjoyment of the countryside to specific times of the year. National Parks are open to the public for walking, bird watching, camping, and caravanning (in specific areas). There are a large number of rambling clubs whose members meet at weekends and on summer evenings to walk along some of Britain's many footpaths that criss-cross the countryside.

Many people who enjoy rambling, climbing and cycling often combine these activities with membership of the Youth Hostels Association (YHA). The hostels, dotted about the country — especially in popular areas like the Lake District and the Devon moors — provide cheap accommodation for members in simple establishments where they normally cater for themselves.

The YHA was first formed in Britain in 1930 to provide cheap residential hostels for young travelers, in particular hikers (walkers) and cyclists. The Association is now operated internationally, and in Britain, as in many other countries, membership is not restricted to the young people.

Outings to the seaside. Whether they have a boat or not most British families like to spend some time at the seaside in the summer. The beaches are very crowded in hot weather. Groups of people go on organized outings, to popular resorts like Brighton or Blackpool. They may bring a picnic lunch with them, and they can buy ice-cream from the ice-cream van, tea from the refreshment kiosk and drink at the pubs. It may rain but the British are used to changeable weather. The family can always sit in the car, or find the nearest amusement arcade or simply turn round and go home

Cultural Entertainments. Not everybody in Britain is interested in sport or in outings. Some are interested in going to the theatre, to the cinema, to concerts or to the opera where music by British composers is often on the programme. But this kind of entertainment is getting expensive and it is largely city activity. Towns and cities also have public art galleries and museums.

A specially British activity which may be considered cultural entertainment is attendance at day and evening classes in Adult Institutes and Colleges of Further Education. People study an incredible variety of subjects, many of them clearly vocational and others of general interest. The difference between adult learners and school-children is that adult learners are choosing what they wish to learn, and usually giving up their leisure time willingly to learn it. The most popular subjects are foreign languages, computer studies, shorthand/typing and office skills, business administration/management, arts and cultural subjects. Some people go to practical classes like dress-making or car-maintaining but many go for pleasure to do ballet dancing, to learn how to arrange flowers artistically, or to learn a foreign language. Others join classes organized by the Workers' Educational Association and enjoy listening to lectures and discussing subjects like philosophy.

 

Check yourself.

1. What is the difference between “quality” newspapers and “tabloids”?

2. What are the main channels in Great Britain?

3. Tell about ways of life.

 

 

Lecture 6

Meals

 

Foreigners often say that food in Britain is uninteresting and plain, nothing fancy, that it lacks originality and excellence. But British food is not as bad as some people think, especially if it is cooked at home, where it is possible to time the dishes to perfection.

Each part of Britain is known for some delicious special dishes:

• lamb with mint sauce in Wales:

• haggis, made of oatmeal, chopped meat and spices, in Scotland.

• salmon in Northern Ireland.

• roast beef and Yorkshire pudding in England.

British beefsteak is unsurpassed, with the best steaks coming from the Scotch Angus cattle, and is accompanied by roast potatoes, or potatoes done in their jackets. English lamb chops, best when grilled, make a very tasty dish, particularly when eaten with fresh spring peas, new potatoes and mint sauce. English pork is good.

English cheeses deserve to be better known than they are. Cheeses of many different kinds have been made in Britain for over 800 years. Some of them are still popular today. The “king” of cheeses is Stilton. English favourites are also Cheddar, Cheshire and Lancashire cheeses. There are many other enjoyable dishes which can please even a demanding eater.

English breakfast. In many countries breakfast is a snack rather than a meal, but the traditional English breakfast is a full meal. Some people start with a bowl of cereal and milk. In Scotland, particularly, they eat porridge (cooked oatmeal), it is a traditional warm beginning to the day. Next, there is always something cooked — usually fried. Bacon and eggs, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, even potatoes and bread are fried and eaten at breakfast-time. "Yorkshire" ham is also a breakfast specialty. Finally, there is toast and marmalade, and tea or coffee.

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding is a traditional English family lunch on Sunday. The main ingredient is hot roast beef with vegetables and gravy.

Yorkshire pudding is traditionally served with roast beef. It is a light savoury dish baked from a batter of flour, eggs and milk. In Yorkshire it is often served as a “starter”, with gravy.

Apple pie is a favourite sweet in England. There are lots of ways of cooking apples. The English bake them, stew them, put them in jam, and make sauce with them. Sometimes they cover them with pastry, to make an apple pie — which is delicious with cream. And sometimes they cover them with toffee and put them on a stick, to make toffee apples. Fish and chips is a popular and relatively inexpensive British dish. It consists of plaice or cod fried in batter and is served hot with fried, chipped potatoes. The dish is sold in special shops (“fish and chips” shops). You can eat it in the shop if tables are provided, and it can be taken away, wrapped in paper. You can eat the fish and chips in the street as you walk along, or take it home. Now the traditional “fish and chips” is a place where you can buy other kinds of hot food to take away and eat at home, including fishcakes, sausages, roast chicken and a variety of other dishes.

Take-Away Food. More and more people in Britain now buy hot food from a “take-away” and eat it at home. More women go out to work and do not have the time or energy to prepare elaborate meals. Fast food shops have become very popular. The most common take-away meals in Britain are fish and chips, hamburgers, and Chinese food. In many towns you will find Indian takeaways, Greek kebab takeaways, and Japanese takeaways. In recent years the British have become more cosmopolitan in their eating habits.

 

Sports and Games

Britain is a country where leisure time and the sporting life are taken seriously. There is widespread interest in most kinds of sport throughout Britain. Television has helped to generate interest in a wide variety of sports including basketball, snooker, ice skating, skiing and athletics. Millions of people all over Britain regularly take part in sport or exercise. Walking, including rambling and hiking, is by far the most popular recreation, followed by swimming, football, golf, angling, badminton and cycling.

Football and Rugby Football. The British invented the rules of many of the sports and games now played all over the world. The game of football or soccer was first played in Britain and spread to other countries. There are plenty of amateur soccer players in Britain who enjoy playing the game on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Amateur clubs can compete against the professionals in the English Football Association Cup Competition. The number of amateur football clubs in England is 40.000.

Rugby football or “rugger” is another popular British sport. The story is told that, in 1823, boys at Rugby school in England were playing football in the normal way when suddenly one boy picked the ball up and ran with it. So a new game was born.

Cricket is sometimes called the English national game, having been played as early as the 1550s. It is usually played by men and boys though there are teams of women and girls as well. Players traditionally wear white clothes. There are a lot of amateur cricket teams. A typical amateur cricket match takes place on a village green, an open grassy space in the centre of the village. It is played between two teams the "home team" and "the visitors", who come from another village in a neighbourhood.

Bowls is another outdoor summer game which has been played in Britain since the thirteenth century. Bowls is played on a specially prepared bowling green, a level piece of ground covered with grass. This grass surface is very carefully looked after. No one is allowed on the green except players wearing the correct kind of soft soled shoes. The players roll large wooden balls towards a small ball and try to bring them as near to it as possible. The game has from two to eight players, each bowling two or more bowls.

Bowls is a leisurely slow game, although it is played with an intense spirit of competition. It is particularly suitable for active middle-aged men and women who want exercise without too much running about.

Horse Racing has a long history in Britain. It is sometimes called the sport of kings because it is an expensive hobby to own a racehorse, but interest in racing is not restricted to the rich. Gambling — especially on horses is a part of many people's lives in Britain.

Steeplechasing is an exciting event to watch. But you do not have to go to the race-course to see the racing. Most races ground can be watched on television. In steeplechasing they jump over different obstacles. Nor do you have to go far to bet on races. There are betting-shops everywhere.

There are two kinds of horse racing, flat racing and steeplechasing. In flat racing, the horses run on level or flat ground. In steeplechasing they jump over different obstacles such as hedges and water jumps. Over half the adult population of Britain places a bet on a sporting event during the year.

Horse Riding. A variety of sports are practised with enthusiasm — golf, tennis, athletics, swimming but there are some which have become particularly popular in recent years. One of them is horse riding. Riding a horse used to be a means of transport. Then it became a leisure occupation for the rich. Nowadays more people can afford to own a horse or to join a riding club so that they can ride at weekends.

Sailing. About three million British people go sailing in small boats every year. The number of small-boat owners has increased 1000% in 10 years. It is a very natural development. If you live in Britain you are never more than 100 miles from the sea and there are plenty of lakes and rivers to sail on, too. Sailing in motor yachts, windsurfers, powerboats and cruisers takes place at clubs throughout Britain.

 

Sporting Events

The British have a reputation for being mad about sports. In fact they enjoy watching sports rather than playing them. The British are natural spectators and the most popular spectator sports are, undoubtedly, cricket and football. Large crowds attend occasions such as football and rugby union matches, the Wimbledon lawn tennis championships, the classic horse races, the Open Golf Championship, Grand Prix motor racing, and international cricket matches.

The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race is a traditional annual rowing race between teams (eight rowers and a cox) from Oxford University and Cambridge University, held on a section of the river Thames in London in March or April. The length of the course is 7,2 km. Hours before the race, people arrive and sit beside the river.

The Grand National is the most exciting steeplechase in Britain, held annually in the spring at the Aintree race course near Liverpool. It was instituted in 1839 and given its present name in 1847. The course is over seven kilometres and includes thirty jumps, of which fourteen are jumped twice. It is a very dangerous race in which jockeys and horses often fall at the jumps and are seriously hurt.

The London Marathon attracts about 30000 runners of all ages including competitors from around the world, and thousands more spectators. The marathon route is from Greenwich to Westminster. Everybody who finishes gets a medal.

The Derby is another popular annual horse race for three-year-olds. It is a flat race, held on the course at Epsom Downs (south of London). The race is named after the Earl of Derby who first organized such a race in 1780. The horse races in Ascot in June are famous, too.

Wimbledon, south London, is a famous place, where the annual open lawn tennis championships are held. The Wimbledon tournaments are regarded as the most important tennis events in the world. They draw large crowds of spectators.

The Henley Regatta is an important international rowing contest held annually over five days in late June and early July on the river Thames at Henley, Oxfordshire. The regatta was established in 1834 and by the end of the 19th century had become, as it still is, a very fashionable event.

 

Check yourself

1. Describe British food.

2. What are the most popular sports and games in Great Britain?

3. What are the main sporting events?