I am glad to be British because

Looking forward to it Anya. I will make sure I provide vegetarian, vegan, GF, diabetic and kosher options. If anyone has any other special dietary requirements please let me know.

I shall be holding a knitting circle after lunch and if anyone turns up who can't knit or crochet, then tough titty I shall happily teach them

Elegran of course you are more than welcome. You can bring your friend who's having lunch with you today if you wish

Can she knit?

We need to remember a lot of people choose to leave this country , work, retirement , marriage, they are not choosing countries worse than this one are they?
The grass is not always greener though!
Although the weather could be, which would mean that the grass is not green at all due to a lack of water.

I accept the invite on the flags behalf. Have I got time to paint her pole. I might not be able to cook but I'm good at painting.

As a couple of posters may be a bit hurt, I perhaps will stop posting on it now.
I think I have said all I wanted to say.

Ooh Petra, we could do some pole dancing . Something for those who can't knit or crochet to do!

Not sure if she can knit, Indinana but she can sew, make cards, and do a whole lot of other things. Will that let her in?

Dietary requirements - I am fine with everything, but my SiL can't eat onions or beans (IBS) so we'd better avoid those just in case he should drop in.

Now I must go away and make soup before my friend is at the door. If I even get it into the pan to bubble . . .

I think most of us are mongrels anyway, apart from a few on the Celtic fringes.
So I am thankful that Britain took in my refugee ancestors a few centuries ago and that they stayed here - and became British.
(otherwise I may not be here)

I just don't know the guidelines but hey ho, talking of vinegar mouthed, narrow moralising harridan I had a PM from one over the weekend , never come across her / him on here , can members have two names?

Depends what colour you intend to paint it petra?

I'm not knitting anything just at the moment but I'm learning to play the trumpet Indinana I haven't been allowed able to practice at home recently but it would make nice background music to the clickety click of needles and I could practice a piece for when Petra raises the flag?

Wasn't there a thread recently about different names for members. I seem to remember someone objecting to the use of the word 'willy'

anya, we have a spare trumpet under a bed somewhere f you should run short of trumpets.

Our resident ghost is called Willie. Willie McGruer. He lives in the cellar. I kid you not! A plumber who was working down there came up very white-faced once. He really thought he had seen a ghost. Tea and biscuits sorted him (the plumber) out. I've never offered any to Willie.

Can you play Trumpet Voluntary Anya? That should work well with the raising of the flag I reckon.

I'll make sure to leave my sewing machine out for your friend, Elegran. I've got loads of fabric scraps - perhaps she could start on a quilt? I'll make sure there are no beans or onions, just in case....

In our last house the ghost was called Henry and he lived in the loft. He kept shifting things about so I could never find them.

No, I don't think you can have two names - although I suppose if you had two or more computers and two or more emails accounts you could?

Have we been hacked?

I seem to remember someone objecting to the use of the word 'willy'
What is wrong with Willy?
One of my favourite singers is Willy - sorry Willie - Nelson.

I hope you all have the mental picture that I have. It's hilarious.
Anya. What colour am I painting it? Are you serious? There is only one way to paint it. RED WHITE & BLUE.

Not posted for last couple of days, because this thread has (again) turned out so unpleasant. BTW my comment here was very positive.

Just wondering though- what 'qualifications' do you need to be accepted as British. Do you have to have been born and bred in the UK? How many years residence otherwise? Will the passport do? Does having another nationality automatically excludes you? Do you have to be currently resident in the UK', etc, etc. Your views please. (btw having had to sear my allegiance to the Crown nearly 45 years ago, married to a Brit, with British children and grandchildren, a British Degree and career, etc, etc, I do consider myself British- should I not?). Thanks for your replies.

Music. How could we forget music. I'm not bringing the obvious. I'm bringing Paul weller's English Rose.

Is that allowed/PC Petra?

I suppose it depends if a person wants to be British?
My kids have lived abroad for a couple of years, and as yet I dont think they have any desire to want to be x country or y country.
If they did, I am not sure what legal steps they would have to take, but they could still call and feel themselves to be that country.

Sorry Indinana no can do Trumpet Vuluntary I'm still on 'A Tune A Day' I do a very nice version of 'Go and Tell Aunt Nancy' though.

Thanks for the offer Bags but I only have the one mouth.

If you have British nationality government definitions here, then you are British. The concept seems fairly straightforward to me though I haven't looked at the details of the government definitions.

Petra lovely as English Rose is, it might be considered exclusive. I have put together a little list of other music you might like to bring along too.

Spanish Rose (Van Morrison)
Rose of Tralee (Dennis Day)
Sweet Kentucky Rose (Kitty Kallen)
Yellow Rose of Texas (Johnny Desmond)
Lovely Rose of Clare (The Dubliners)
Carolina Rose (Gloriana)
My Wild Irish Rose (Chauncey Olcott)
Tokyo Rose (Idle Eyes)
Yankee Rose (David Lee Roth)

I'm happy for anyone to add to the list if they know of Rose songs mentioning other countries/nationalities/counties/US states etc