Everything - well nearly everything - is right in this country

Hear, hear from me too ?

Hear hear jennifer I totally agree.

Oh thank you for starting this thread Opal

I am sure I speak for many when I say how heartily sick I am of the incessant dreadful threads putting this country down, and idiotically expecting us to believe that the ghastly , dangerous Corbyn is fit to run the country.

It’s so encouraging to see that you have had a good response already.

I think everyone's said it for me: thank you. ?

Thank you Opal for this thread. I am sick to death of hearing from all the doom mongers.

I love my WI and all the friendship I have received.
The quickness of the emergency services who came to get our DGS into hospital recently.
My free tablets
That I can as a woman go where I want when I want
There is no restriction on what I wear
I can borrow books from our library

Opal, only a few roses are native, most are introduced hybrids. I think I'd far rather live in NZ, given a free choice. It's like an unspoilt version of England, with milder weather. The only problem is that just one of my four children lives there.

Of course, Cherrytree, there will always be room for improvement, no matter where we live, but if the above comments are anything to go by, we have a lot to be thankful for. So pleased that this is a positive thread .

Another thought - music - especially The Beatles.
And country walks.
And beautiful old English oak trees.
And daffodils.

Yes agree with other posters we do indeed live on a beautiful island.

As bad as the things are with the NHS and I know there is plenty (after looking after terminally Ill parent's).
I still give thanks that we have wonderful caring doctors and nurses.

I also give thanks that my children and grandchildren were delivered safely in NHS hospitals.

In the last few years, I have had three operations.
My grandson has had a procedure under general anaesthesic and is under the children's hospital.
All this without the added worry of how we would find the funds to pay for it.

There is of course lots of room for improvement.



.

I like the weather, because however bad it is it is not extreme, and it doesn't last forever; it always changes.
I like the tolerance that exists among most people, the kindness of strangers, and our freedom of speech.

quizqueen

Yes, we know all those things you quoted are not ‘free’ as such, but we do not have to pay to see our doctor at the time, or to step inside a classroom, or to go to A&E.

I keep thinking of things to add but they've all been mentioned up thread! So I'll just add: our sense of humour, renowned world wide (not sure why!), and our language.
I've been told that the French are very envious of the enormous breadth of the English language - we have far more words than them apparently!

Opal how beautiful. I love roses with a passion! I had some pretty miniature varieties in tubs, but they were stolen. It is too tempting for some, I live on a main road.
But back to the spirit of the thread..
My life has panned out better than I thought it would all told.
I enjoy my books, music, radio, I love my step grandchildren. I never knew about how much joy they could bring. I didn’t have any children.
I own my old crumbling leaky damp cottage. But mine. All mine !
I have no idea what abroad is like but I enjoy day trips and weekends away.
There is time to appreciate things now.
So yes, there is a lot to be grateful for.

I live near to Leicester which is one of the most diverse Cities in England. We have lots of different nationalities and religions living side by side, mostly in harmony. I am really proud of my country for that reason.

Photo now attached - sorry

I have twice been married to foreigners, and my daughter also married a foreigner. These 3 guys did not come from war-torn countries from which you might assume they would want to escape, (one came from Cyprus and 2 from South Africa) but they still thought that Britain was fantastic, the best place they could possibly live, they did not miss their home countries and have stayed in the UK ever since.

They thought how lucky I had been to grow up in such a wonderful country and I felt proud. They loved the diverse scenery even though we are small islands, they loved the seasons. I feel lucky. I have travelled to many places, but there's no place like home.

I love the UK.

I live in a house that is 550 years old. I often think about all that has happened to it and it has lived through in that time. War and peace, life and death. happiness and misery. genration after genration.

When it was built it extended the next door home and belonged to a prosperous farmer. One bay was open to the thatch and the smoke from a fire in the middle of the room that both heated the house and was where all cooking happened. It had an earth floor. Light was the fire and tallow candles, smoky and smelly. If the weather was bad and crops failed, everyone starved. There was a private room for the family, but every one else, servants etc slept beside the fire. There was no plumbing of any sort, no medical service, child mortality was high and there were no painkillers.

Now it has every modern convenience . It is warm throughout from central heating, the smoke from the wood burner goes up the chimney. It is lit by electricity, it is warm, dry and the floor is concrete with a damp proof course and wood flooring and rugs. If crops fail there is food in the shops all the same. We are joined to the main drains and have water at the turn of a tap.

Both my children are alive and healthy and if I am ill my GP will supply effective medications or I can buy them in a shop

Although prosperous farmers stopped living in this house 150 years ago, most such, even today, would be happy to be living in it or houses like it. When I look out of my window and see the prehistoric earth work that runs through the village, thousands of years older than my home. I am looking at something that hasn't changed since the builder of this house built it all those years ago.

I am very grateful that today all but a handful of the population in this country can live in a comfort that was unimaginable over 500 years ago, with medical treatment and education, where, countrywide, people do not starve to death when the weather is poor.

There is. however, one other thing that hasn't changed. When the house was being built the manorial records show that the builder was up before the manor court for blocking the twitchen. In other words, he was in trouble because his skip was blocking the road.

The house and I have much to be thankful for.

That was to be expected Gaunt47, they can't help themselves, but this thread has already given us loads of reasons why we are all so grateful to live in the UK. It's the best place in the world, I think, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

One other thing I love - the beautiful garden rose, native to our shores. I love roses, they are my favourite flower, this one is called "Nostalgia" and gave me some beautiful blooms this year.

A heartfelt thank you Opal, for bringing a little sanity, and lightness, to today's threads. But despite your plea couple of nay sayers have poked their noses in of course!
I love our freedoms, I love that we are on the whole a kind and considerate and generous race, living in a civilised and law abiding society.

Flabbergasted at Whitewave’s post! When pray do you get the time to do all the above??
You spend all your time cattawalling on the political threads!

Education, the NHS, benefits etc. are NOT free. Someone, somewhere works to pay tax on their salary to pay for them or the country borrows money to pay for theses services! Likewise, the EU does not give us any money; it just returns some of our own contributions to us.

Sorry, I digress, having lived in the USA and on the continent, Great Britain is still the best place to live, for now.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Had my 3 yearly mammogram yesterday. (Hope all is well there).
Had my flu jab a few weeks ago.
Had my bowel postal test a few months ago.
Had an annual ashthma check recently.

All free, courtesy of the NHS.

Much to be thankful for in this country I think.

I love our country too. David Attenborough, nostalgic steam railways. (Swanage to Corfe Castle, wonderful). I love our sense of humour/sense of the ridiculous, Boaty McBoatface. I love our Armed Forces keeping us safe. The 2 Typhoon jets scrambled over Southern England recently in response to an airliner out of radio contact. I love the best music scene ever when I was growing up. Is it only recently that it all goes to pot as regards politics/politicians?

I love our rich history, ancient buildings, quaint villages and stunning coastlines.

There is more kindness than unkindness amongst the citizens than just looking at the current political leaders would imply. I went into town at the weekend for our Christmas light switch on. It was a really lovely afternoon, full of happy families and community spirit! I am pleased I live in the UK and that I have the chance to enjoy the beautiful places, traditions and culture that underpins our society.. despite what a minority of powerful, self-interested people want to undermine.