4. A modern, thriving society

The nations and regions, religion, customs and traditions, sport, arts, leisure and places of interest.

Contents382 notes left

The UK today / Cities of the UK43
Religion25
Customs and traditions38
Sport57
Arts and culture (part 1)53
Arts and culture (part 2)54
Leisure81
Places of interest31

The UK today / Cities of the UK

The UK today

Post-war immigration means that nearly 10% of the UK population has a parent or grandparent born outside the UK.
The UK is a more diverse society in ethnic and religious terms than it was 100 years ago.

The nations of the UK

The UK is located in the north west of Europe.
The longest distance on the UK mainland runs from John O'Groats, on the north coast of Scotland, to Land's End, in the south-west corner of England.
That distance is about 870 miles, or approximately 1,400 kilometres.
Most people in the UK live in towns and cities, but much of Britain is still countryside.
Many people visit the countryside for holidays and for leisure activities such as walking, camping and fishing.

UK currency

The currency of the UK is the pound sterling, written with the symbol £.
There are 100 pence in a pound.
UK coins are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.
UK banknotes are £5, £10, £20 and £50.
Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own banknotes, which are valid everywhere in the UK.
Shops and businesses do not have to accept Northern Irish and Scottish banknotes.

Languages and dialects

The English language has many accents and dialects across the different parts of the UK.
Many people in Wales speak Welsh, a completely different language from English, and it is taught in schools and universities.
In Scotland, Gaelic - again a different language - is spoken in some parts of the Highlands and Islands.
In Northern Ireland some people speak Irish Gaelic.

Population

In 1600 the population of the UK was just over 4 million.
In 1700 the population was 5 million.
In 1801 the population was 8 million.
In 1851 the population was 20 million.
In 1901 the population was 40 million.
In 1951 the population was 50 million.
In 1998 the population was 57 million.
In 2005 the population was just under 60 million.
In 2010 the population was just over 62 million.
In 2017 the population was just over 66 million.
The population figures come from National Statistics, and population growth has been faster in more recent years.
Migration into the UK and longer life expectancy have both played a part in population growth.
England makes up 84% of the UK population, Scotland just over 8%, Wales around 5% and Northern Ireland less than 3%.
People in the UK are living longer than ever before because of improved living standards and better health care.
There are now a record number of people in the UK aged 85 and over, which has an impact on the cost of pensions and health care.

Ethnic diversity

The UK population is ethnically diverse and changing rapidly, especially in large cities such as London.
In surveys, the most common ethnic description chosen is white, which includes people of European, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and American descent.
Other significant ethnic groups are those of Asian, black and mixed descent.

An equal society

It is a legal requirement in the UK that men and women are not discriminated against because of their gender or because they are, or are not, married.
Men and women have equal rights to work, own property, marry and divorce.
If they are married, both parents are equally responsible for their children.
Women in Britain today make up about half of the workforce.
On average, girls leave school with better qualifications than boys, and more women than men study at university.
Women work in all sectors of the economy and there are now more women in high-level positions than ever before, including senior managers in traditionally male-dominated occupations.
Men now work in a more varied range of jobs than they did in the past.
It is no longer expected that women should stay at home and not work; in many families both partners work and share responsibility for childcare and household chores.

Religion

The UK is historically a Christian country, and in the 2011 Census 59% of people identified themselves as Christian.
In the 2011 Census, 4.8% of people identified themselves as Muslim, 1.5% as Hindu and 0.8% as Sikh.
In the 2011 Census, less than 0.5% of people identified themselves as Jewish and less than 0.5% as Buddhist.
In the 2011 Census, 25% of people said they had no religion.
There are religious buildings all over the UK, including Islamic mosques, Hindu temples, Jewish synagogues, Sikh gurdwaras and Buddhist temples.
Everyone has the legal right to choose their religion, or to choose not to practise a religion.

Christian churches

In England there is a constitutional link between Church and state, and the official Church of the state is the Church of England.
The Church of England is called the Anglican Church in other countries and the Episcopal Church in Scotland and the United States.
The Church of England is a Protestant Church and has existed since the Reformation in the 1530s.
The monarch is the head of the Church of England.
The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The monarch has the right to select the Archbishop and other senior church officials, but usually the choice is made by the Prime Minister and a committee appointed by the Church.
Several Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords.
The national Church of Scotland is the Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian Church governed by ministers and elders.
The chairperson of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the Moderator, who is appointed for one year only and often speaks on behalf of that Church.
There is no established Church in Wales or Northern Ireland.
Other Protestant Christian groups in the UK are Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Quakers.
The biggest of the other denominations of Christianity in the UK is Roman Catholic.

Patron saints' days

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint, called a patron saint, with a special day.
St David's Day, for Wales, is on 1 March.
St Patrick's Day, for Northern Ireland, is on 17 March.
St George's Day, for England, is on 23 April.
St Andrew's Day, for Scotland, is on 30 November.
Only Scotland and Northern Ireland have their patron saint's day as an official holiday, and in Scotland not all businesses and offices will close.
Patron saints' days are no longer public holidays in England and Wales, but parades and small festivals are still held all over the two countries.

Customs and traditions

The main Christian festivals

Christmas Day, 25 December, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and is a public holiday.
Many Christians go to church on Christmas Eve, 24 December, or on Christmas Day itself.
The special Christmas meal often includes roast turkey, Christmas pudding and mince pies; people also give gifts, send cards, decorate their houses and decorate a tree in their home.
Very young children believe that Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus, brings presents during the night before Christmas Day.
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day and is a public holiday.
Easter takes place in March or April, marking the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and his rising from the dead on Easter Sunday.
Good Friday and the following Monday, Easter Monday, are both public holidays.
The 40 days before Easter are known as Lent, a time when Christians reflect and prepare for Easter; traditionally people fasted, and today many give something up such as a favourite food.
The day before Lent starts is Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, when people eat pancakes, traditionally made to use up foods such as eggs, fat and milk before fasting.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, when church services mark Christians with an ash cross on the forehead as a symbol of death and sorrow for sin.
Easter eggs are chocolate eggs given as presents at Easter as a symbol of new life, and Easter is also celebrated by people who are not religious.

Other religious festivals

Diwali normally falls in October or November and lasts for five days.
Diwali is often called the Festival of Lights and is celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs.
Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil and the gaining of knowledge, and there are different stories about how the festival came about.
There is a famous celebration of Diwali in Leicester.
Hannukah is in November or December and is celebrated for eight days, to remember the Jews' struggle for religious freedom.
On each day of Hannukah a candle is lit on a stand of eight candles called a menorah, recalling the oil that should have lasted only a day but lasted eight.
Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan, when Muslims have fasted for a month and thank Allah for the strength to complete the fast; Muslims attend special services and meals.
The date on which Eid al-Fitr takes place changes every year.
Eid ul Adha remembers that the prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to, and reminds Muslims of their own commitment to God.
Many Muslims sacrifice an animal to eat during Eid ul Adha, and in Britain this has to be done in a slaughterhouse.
Vaisakhi (also spelled Baisakhi) is a Sikh festival celebrating the founding of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa, and is celebrated on 14 April each year with parades, dancing and singing.

Other festivals and traditions

New Year, 1 January, is a public holiday, and people usually celebrate on the night of 31 December, called New Year's Eve.
In Scotland 31 December is called Hogmanay, 2 January is also a public holiday, and for some Scottish people Hogmanay is a bigger holiday than Christmas.
Valentine's Day, 14 February, is when lovers exchange cards and gifts, and people sometimes send anonymous cards to someone they secretly admire.
April Fool's Day, 1 April, is a day when people play jokes on each other until midday, and television and newspapers often run April Fool stories.
Mothering Sunday, or Mother's Day, is the Sunday three weeks before Easter, when children send cards or buy gifts for their mothers.
Father's Day is the third Sunday in June, when children send cards or buy gifts for their fathers.
Halloween, 31 October, is an ancient festival with roots in the pagan festival marking the beginning of winter.
At Halloween young people often dress up in frightening costumes to play trick or treat, and a lot of people carve lanterns out of pumpkins and put a candle inside.
Bonfire Night, 5 November, is when people in Great Britain set off fireworks at home or in special displays.
Bonfire Night originates from 1605, when a group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes failed in their plan to kill the Protestant king with a bomb in the Houses of Parliament.
Remembrance Day, 11 November, commemorates those who died fighting for the UK and its allies, and originally commemorated the dead of the First World War, which ended on 11 November 1918.
On Remembrance Day people wear poppies, the red flower found on the battlefields of the First World War.
At 11.00 am on Remembrance Day there is a two-minute silence, and wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London.

Bank holidays

Bank holidays are public holidays when banks and many other businesses are closed for the day, and they are of no religious significance.
Bank holidays fall at the beginning of May, in late May or early June, and in August.
In Northern Ireland, the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne in July is also a public holiday.

Sport

Sport in the UK

Major sporting events take place at stadiums such as Wembley Stadium in London and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Local governments and private companies provide sports facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, football pitches, dry ski slopes and gymnasiums.
Many famous sports began in Britain, including cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf and rugby.
The UK has hosted the Olympic Games on three occasions: 1908, 1948 and 2012.
The main Olympic site for the 2012 Games was in Stratford, East London, and the British team finished third in the medal table.
The Paralympic Games for 2012 were also hosted in London.
The Paralympics have their origin in the work of Dr Sir Ludwig Guttman, a German refugee, at Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire, who developed new methods of treatment for people with spinal injuries and encouraged patients to take part in exercise and sport.

Notable British sportsmen and women

Sir Roger Bannister (1929–2018) was the first man in the world to run a mile in under four minutes, in 1954.
Sir Jackie Stewart (1939–), a Scottish former racing driver, won the Formula 1 world championship three times.
Bobby Moore (1941–93) captained the English football team that won the World Cup in 1966.
Sir Ian Botham (1955–) captained the English cricket team and held a number of English Test cricket records for both batting and bowling.
Jayne Torvill (1957–) and Christopher Dean (1958–) won Olympic gold medals for ice dancing in 1984, as well as four consecutive world championships.
Sir Steve Redgrave (1962–) won gold medals in rowing at five consecutive Olympic Games and is one of Britain's greatest Olympians.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson (1969–), an athlete who uses a wheelchair, won 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 gold, over five Paralympic Games, won the London Marathon six times and broke a total of 30 world records.
Dame Kelly Holmes (1970–) won two gold medals for running at the 2004 Olympic Games and has held a number of British and European records.
Dame Ellen MacArthur (1976–) is a yachtswoman who in 2004 became the fastest person to sail around the world singlehanded.
Sir Chris Hoy (1976–), a Scottish cyclist, has won six gold and one silver Olympic medals and 11 world championship titles.
David Weir (1979–) is a Paralympian who uses a wheelchair, has won six gold medals over two Paralympic Games and has won the London Marathon six times.
Sir Bradley Wiggins (1980–), a cyclist, became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012 and has won eight Olympic medals, including gold in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Sir Mo Farah (1983–), a distance runner born in Somalia, won gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and is the first Briton to win the Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 metres.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill (1986–) won the 2012 Olympic gold medal and the 2016 silver medal in the heptathlon, which includes seven different track and field events.
Sir Andy Murray (1987–), a Scottish tennis player, won the men's singles at the US Open in 2012, the first British man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1936, and also won Olympic gold and silver that year.
Sir Andy Murray won the men's singles at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, and won gold at the 2016 Olympics.
Ellie Simmonds (1994–) won gold medals for swimming at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games, holds a number of world records and was the youngest member of the British team at the 2008 Games.

Cricket

Cricket originated in England and is now played in many countries.
Cricket games can last up to five days and still result in a draw.
Cricketing expressions such as 'rain stopped play', 'batting on a sticky wicket', 'playing a straight bat', 'bowled a googly' and 'it's just not cricket' have passed into everyday usage.
The most famous cricket competition is the Ashes, a series of Test matches played between England and Australia.

Football

Football is the UK's most popular sport, and the first professional football clubs were formed in the late 19th century.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have separate football leagues in which clubs representing different towns and cities compete.
The English Premier League attracts a huge international audience and many of the best players in the world.
Many UK teams compete against other European teams in the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League.
Each UK country has its own national team, competing in tournaments such as the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup and the UEFA European Football Championships.
England's only international tournament victory was at the World Cup of 1966, which was hosted in the UK.

Rugby

Rugby originated in England in the early 19th century.
There are two types of rugby, union and league, which have different rules, and both have separate leagues and national teams in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (who play with the Irish Republic).
The most famous rugby union competition is the Six Nations Championship, between England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy.
The Super League is the most well-known rugby league (club) competition.

Horse racing

There is evidence of horse racing in Britain as far back as Roman times, and the sport has a long association with royalty.
Royal Ascot is a five-day race meeting in Berkshire attended by members of the Royal Family.
The Grand National is held at Aintree near Liverpool, and the Scottish Grand National at Ayr.
There is a National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Golf

The modern game of golf can be traced back to 15th century Scotland.
St Andrews in Scotland is known as the home of golf.
The Open Championship is the only 'Major' tournament held outside the United States and is hosted by a different golf course every year.

Tennis

Modern tennis evolved in England in the late 19th century, and the first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa in 1872.
The Wimbledon Championships takes place each year at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only 'Grand Slam' event played on grass.

Water sports

Sir Francis Chichester was the first person to sail single-handed around the world, passing the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, in 1966/67.
Two years later Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail single-handed around the world without stopping.
The most famous sailing event in the UK is held at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
There is a popular yearly rowing race on the Thames between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Motor sports

Motor-car racing in the UK started in 1902, and the UK continues to be a world leader in the development and manufacture of motor-sport technology.
A Formula 1 Grand Prix event is held in the UK each year.
Recent British winners of the Formula 1 World Championship include Damon Hill, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Skiing

There are five ski centres in Scotland, as well as Europe's longest dry ski slope near Edinburgh.
Many people in the UK go abroad to ski, and there are dry ski slopes throughout the UK.

Arts and culture (part 1)

Music

The Proms is an eight-week summer season of orchestral classical music held in various venues, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The Proms has been organised by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) since 1927.
The Last Night of the Proms is the most well-known concert of the series and is broadcast on television.
Henry Purcell (1659-95) was the organist at Westminster Abbey and wrote church music, operas and other pieces, developing a British style distinct from that elsewhere in Europe.
The German-born composer George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) spent many years in the UK and became a British citizen in 1727.
Handel wrote the Water Music for King George I and Music for the Royal Fireworks for his son, George II.
Handel wrote the oratorio Messiah, which is sung regularly by choirs, often at Easter time.
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) wrote The Planets, a suite of pieces themed around the planets of the solar system.
Holst adapted Jupiter, part of The Planets, as the tune for I vow to thee my country, a popular hymn in British churches.
Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was born in Worcester, England, and his best-known work is probably the Pomp and Circumstance Marches.
Elgar's March No 1 (Land of Hope and Glory) is usually played at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) wrote music for orchestras and choirs and was strongly influenced by traditional English folk music.
Sir William Walton (1902-83) wrote a wide range of music, from film scores to opera, including marches for the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
Walton's best-known works are probably Façade, which became a ballet, and Belshazzar's Feast, which is intended to be sung by a large choir.
Benjamin Britten (1913-76) is best known for his operas, which include Peter Grimes and Billy Budd.
Britten wrote A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, which is based on a piece of music by Purcell and introduces the listener to the different sections of an orchestra.
Britten founded the Aldeburgh festival in Suffolk, which continues to be a popular music event of international importance.
Folk music, jazz, pop and rock music have flourished in Britain since the 20th century.
Since the 1960s British pop music has made one of the most important cultural contributions to life in the UK, and bands including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones continue to have an influence here and abroad.
British pop music has continued to innovate, with the Punk movement of the late 1970s and the trend towards boy and girl bands in the 1990s.
Large venues that host music events include Wembley Stadium, The O2 in Greenwich in south-east London, and The SEC Centre in Glasgow.
Festival season takes place every summer, and famous festivals include Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight Festival and Creamfields.
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is an annual cultural festival of music, dance, art and original performances largely in Welsh, and includes a number of important competitions for Welsh poetry.
The Mercury Prize is awarded each September for the best album from the UK and Ireland.
The Brit Awards is an annual event that gives awards in categories such as best British group and best British solo artist.

Theatre

London's West End is also known as 'Theatreland'.
The Mousetrap, a murder-mystery play by Dame Agatha Christie, has been running in the West End since 1952 and has had the longest initial run of any show in history.
In the 19th century Gilbert and Sullivan wrote comic operas, often making fun of popular culture and politics, including HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.
Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita in collaboration with Tim Rice, and also wrote Cats and The Phantom of the Opera.
Many theatres produce a pantomime at Christmas time; pantomimes are based on fairy stories and are light-hearted plays with music and comedy.
A traditional pantomime character is the Dame, a woman played by a man, and a pantomime horse or cow is played by two actors in the same costume.
The Edinburgh Festival takes place in Edinburgh every summer and is a series of different arts and cultural festivals.
The biggest and most well-known of the Edinburgh festivals is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a showcase of mainly theatre and comedy performances that often shows experimental work.
The Laurence Olivier Awards take place annually at different venues in London, with categories including best director, best actor and best actress.
The Laurence Olivier Awards are named after the British actor Sir Laurence Olivier, later Lord Olivier, who was best known for his roles in various Shakespeare plays.

Art

During the Middle Ages most art had a religious theme, particularly wall paintings in churches and illustrations in religious books, and much of it was lost after the Protestant Reformation.
Many of the painters working in Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries were from abroad, for example Hans Holbein and Sir Anthony Van Dyck.
British artists, particularly those painting portraits and landscapes, became well known from the 18th century onwards.
Well-known galleries include The National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, the National Museum in Cardiff, and the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh.
Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) was a portrait painter who often painted people in country or garden scenery.
David Allan (1744-96) was a Scottish painter best known for painting portraits; one of his most famous works is The Origin of Painting.
Joseph Turner (1775-1851) was an influential landscape painter in a modern style and is considered the artist who raised the profile of landscape painting.
John Constable (1776-1837) was a landscape painter most famous for his works of Dedham Vale on the Suffolk-Essex border in the east of England.
The Pre-Raphaelites were an important group of artists in the second half of the 19th century who painted detailed pictures on religious or literary themes in bright colours.
The Pre-Raphaelite group included Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Sir John Millais.
Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) was a very successful Northern Irish portrait painter whose work included painting the Royal Family.
Henry Moore (1898-1986) was an English sculptor and artist best known for his large bronze abstract sculptures.
John Petts (1914-91) was a Welsh artist best known for his engravings and stained glass.
Lucian Freud (1922-2011) was a German-born British artist best known for his portraits.
David Hockney (1937-) was an important contributor to the 'pop art' movement of the 1960s and continues to be influential today.
The Turner Prize was established in 1984, celebrates contemporary art and is named after Joseph Turner.
Four works are shortlisted for the Turner Prize every year and shown at Tate Britain before the winner is announced; it is recognised as one of the most prestigious visual art awards.
Previous winners of the Turner Prize include Damien Hirst and Richard Wright.

Arts and culture (part 2)

Architecture

Great cathedrals and churches were built in the Middle Ages, including the cathedrals at Durham, Lincoln, Canterbury and Salisbury.
The White Tower in the Tower of London is an example of a Norman castle keep, built on the orders of William the Conqueror.
As the countryside became more peaceful and landowners richer, great country houses such as Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire were built.
In the 17th century Inigo Jones took inspiration from classical architecture to design the Queen's House at Greenwich and the Banqueting House in Whitehall in London.
Later in the 17th century Sir Christopher Wren helped develop a British version of the ornate styles popular in Europe, in buildings such as the new St Paul's Cathedral.
In the 18th century simpler architectural designs became popular.
The Scottish architect Robert Adam influenced the development of architecture in the UK, Europe and America in the 18th century.
Robert Adam designed the inside decoration as well as the building itself in great houses such as Dumfries House in Scotland.
Robert Adam's ideas influenced architects in cities such as Bath, where the Royal Crescent was built.
In the 19th century the medieval 'gothic' style became popular again, and many great public buildings were built in it as cities expanded.
The Houses of Parliament and St Pancras Station were built in the 19th century, as were the town halls in cities such as Manchester and Sheffield.
In the 20th century Sir Edwin Lutyens had an influence throughout the British Empire and designed New Delhi to be the seat of government in India.
After the First World War, Sir Edwin Lutyens was responsible for many war memorials throughout the world, including the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
The Cenotaph is the site of the annual Remembrance Day service, attended by the Queen, politicians and foreign ambassadors.
Modern British architects whose firms work on major projects worldwide include Sir Norman Foster (1935-), Lord (Richard) Rogers (1933-) and Dame Zaha Hadid (1950-2016).
In the 18th century Lancelot 'Capability' Brown designed the grounds around country houses so that the landscape appeared natural, with grass, trees and lakes.
Lancelot Brown was known as 'Capability' Brown because he often said that a place had 'capabilities'.
Gertrude Jekyll often worked with Edwin Lutyens, designing colourful gardens around the houses he designed.
The annual Chelsea Flower Show showcases garden design from Britain and around the world.

Fashion and design

Thomas Chippendale designed furniture in the 18th century.
Clarice Cliff designed Art Deco ceramics.
Sir Terence Conran was a 20th-century interior designer.
Leading fashion designers of recent years include Mary Quant, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood.

Literature

British winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature include the novelist Sir William Golding, the poet Seamus Heaney and the playwright Harold Pinter.
Agatha Christie's detective stories are read all over the world.
Ian Fleming's books introduced James Bond.
In 2003 The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien was voted the country's best-loved novel.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded annually for the best fiction novel written by an author from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction has been awarded since 1968, and past winners include Ian McEwan, Hilary Mantel and Julian Barnes.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist whose books include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, and whose novels are concerned with marriage and family relationships.
Charles Dickens (1812-70) wrote very famous novels including Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.
Characters from Dickens's books are referred to in everyday talk, such as Scrooge (a mean person) and Mr Micawber (always hopeful).
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94) wrote Treasure Island, Kidnapped and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which are still read by adults and children today.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was an author and poet whose best-known novels focus on rural society and include Far from the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a Scottish doctor and writer, best known for his stories about Sherlock Holmes, one of the first fictional detectives.
Evelyn Waugh (1903-66) wrote satirical novels including Decline and Fall and Scoop, and is perhaps best known for Brideshead Revisited.
Sir Kingsley Amis (1922-95) was an English novelist and poet who wrote more than 20 novels, the most well known being Lucky Jim.
Graham Greene (1904-91) wrote novels often influenced by his religious beliefs, including The Heart of the Matter, The Honorary Consul, Brighton Rock and Our Man in Havana.
J K Rowling (1965-) wrote the Harry Potter series of children's books and now writes fiction for adults as well.
The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf tells of its hero's battles against monsters and is still translated into modern English.
Poems which survive from the Middle Ages include Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, about one of the knights at the court of King Arthur.
As well as plays, Shakespeare wrote many sonnets, which must be 14 lines long, and some longer poems.
John Milton was one of the poets who wrote poems inspired by their religious views as Protestant ideas spread; he wrote Paradise Lost.
William Wordsworth was among the poets inspired by nature.
Sir Walter Scott wrote poems inspired by Scotland and by the traditional stories and songs from the borders of Scotland and England, and also wrote novels, many set in Scotland.
Poetry was very popular in the 19th century, with poets such as William Blake, John Keats, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Robert and Elizabeth Browning.
Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were among the poets inspired to write about their experiences in the First World War.
More recent popular poets include Sir Walter de la Mare, John Masefield, Sir John Betjeman and Ted Hughes.
Some of the best-known poets are buried or commemorated in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Home Thoughts from Abroad ('Oh, to be in England now that April's there') was written by Robert Browning (1812-89).
She Walks in Beauty ('She walks in beauty, like the night') was written by Lord Byron (1788-1824).
The Daffodils ('I wander'd lonely as a cloud') was written by William Wordsworth (1770-1850).
The Tyger ('Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright') was written by William Blake (1757-1827).
Anthem for Doomed Youth ('What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?') was written by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918).

Leisure

Gardening

Some people rent additional land called an allotment, where they grow fruit and vegetables.
Gardening and flower shows range from major national exhibitions to small local events, and many towns have garden centres selling plants and gardening equipment.
Famous gardens in England include Kew Gardens, Sissinghurst and Hidcote.
Crathes Castle and Inveraray Castle are famous gardens in Scotland.
Bodnant Garden is in Wales and Mount Stewart is in Northern Ireland.
The flower particularly associated with England is the rose, and with Scotland the thistle.
The flower particularly associated with Wales is the daffodil, and with Northern Ireland the shamrock.
The national flowers are sometimes worn on national saints' days.

Shopping

The central shopping area of a town or city is called the town centre.
Undercover shopping centres may be in town centres or on the outskirts of a town or city.
Most shops in the UK are open seven days a week, although trading hours on Sundays and public holidays are generally reduced.
Many towns have markets on one or more days a week, where stallholders sell a variety of goods.

Cooking and food

England is traditionally associated with roast beef, served with potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings (batter that is baked in the oven); fish and chips are also popular.
Wales is traditionally associated with Welsh cakes, a snack made from flour, dried fruits and spices and served either hot or cold.
Scotland is traditionally associated with haggis, a sheep's stomach stuffed with offal, suet, onions and oatmeal.
Northern Ireland is traditionally associated with the Ulster fry, a fried meal with bacon, eggs, sausage, black pudding, white pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms, soda bread and potato bread.

Films

Films were first shown publicly in the UK in 1896.
British film makers have been famous for clever special effects from the beginning, and this remains an area of British expertise.
Sir Charles (Charlie) Chaplin became famous in silent movies for his tramp character and made a career in Hollywood.
British studios flourished in the 1930s, when eminent directors included Sir Alexander Korda and Sir Alfred Hitchcock.
Sir Alfred Hitchcock later left for Hollywood and remained an important film director until his death in 1980.
During the Second World War, British movies such as In Which We Serve played an important part in boosting morale.
Later British directors including Sir David Lean and Ridley Scott found great success both in the UK and internationally.
The 1950s and 1960s were a high point for British comedies, including Passport to Pimlico, The Ladykillers and, later, the Carry On films.
Two of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time, Harry Potter and James Bond, have been produced in the UK.
Ealing Studios has a claim to being the oldest continuously working film studio facility in the world.
Nick Park has won four Oscars for his animated films, including three for films featuring Wallace and Gromit.
Sir Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Sir Rex Harrison and Richard Burton starred in a wide variety of popular films.
Recent British actors to have won Oscars include Colin Firth, Sir Antony Hopkins, Dame Judi Dench, Kate Winslet and Tilda Swinton.
The annual British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), are the British equivalent of the Oscars.
The 39 Steps (1935) was directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock.
Brief Encounter (1945) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962) were directed by Sir David Lean.
The Third Man (1949) was directed by Carol Reed.
The Belles of St Trinian's (1954) was directed by Frank Launder.
Women in Love (1969) was directed by Ken Russell.
Don't Look Now (1973) was directed by Nicolas Roeg.
Chariots of Fire (1981) was directed by Hugh Hudson.
The Killing Fields (1984) was directed by Roland Joffé.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) was directed by Mike Newell.
Touching the Void (2003) was directed by Kevin MacDonald.

British comedy

Medieval kings and rich nobles had jesters who told jokes and made fun of people in the Court.
Shakespeare included comic characters in his plays.
In the 18th century, political cartoons attacking prominent politicians, and sometimes the monarch or other members of the Royal Family, became increasingly popular.
Satirical magazines began to be published in the 19th century; the most famous was Punch, first published in the 1840s.
Political cartoons are still published in newspapers today, and magazines such as Private Eye continue the tradition of satire.
Comedians were a popular feature of British music hall, a form of variety theatre that was very common until television became the leading form of entertainment.
Morecambe and Wise were among those who performed in the music halls in the 1940s and 1950s and became stars of television.
Situation comedies, or sitcoms, often look at family life and relationships in the workplace.
Satirical television shows include That Was The Week That Was in the 1960s and Spitting Image in the 1980s and 1990s.
In 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus introduced a new type of progressive comedy.
Stand-up comedy, where a solo comedian talks to a live audience, has become popular again in recent years.

Television and radio

Some UK television channels are free to watch and others require a paid subscription.
Popular programmes include regular soap operas such as Coronation Street and EastEnders.
Scotland has Scotland-specific programmes and a channel with programmes in the Gaelic language, and Wales has a Welsh-language channel.
There are programmes specific to Northern Ireland, and some are broadcast in Irish Gaelic.
Everyone in the UK with a TV, computer or other medium which can be used for watching TV must have a television licence.
One television licence covers all of the equipment in one home, except that people renting different rooms in a shared house on separate tenancy agreements must each buy a separate licence.
Some people over 75 can apply for a free TV licence and blind people can get a 50% discount.
The fine for watching TV without a TV licence is up to £1,000.
The money from TV licences pays for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a public service broadcaster providing television and radio programmes.
The BBC is the largest broadcaster in the world and, although it receives some state funding, it is independent of the government.
Other UK channels are primarily funded through advertisements and subscriptions.
Some radio stations broadcast nationally and others in certain cities or regions, and some broadcast in regional languages such as Welsh or Gaelic.
BBC radio stations are funded by TV licences; other radio stations are funded through advertisements.

Social networking

Social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter are used to stay in touch with friends, organise social events, and share photos, videos and opinions.
Many people use social networking on their mobile phones when out and about.

Pubs and night clubs

Public houses (pubs) are an important part of UK social culture, and most communities have a 'local' pub that is a natural focal point for social activities.
Pub quizzes are popular, and pool and darts are traditional pub games.
You must be 18 or over to buy alcohol in a pub or night club, but people under that age may be allowed into some pubs with an adult.
At 16, people can drink wine or beer with a meal in a hotel or restaurant, including eating areas in pubs, as long as they are with someone over 18.
Pubs are usually open during the day from 11.00 am, or 12 noon on Sundays.
Night clubs with dancing and music usually open and close later than pubs.
The licensee decides the hours that the pub or night club is open.

Betting and gambling

There are casinos in many places in the UK, and you have to be 18 to go into betting shops or gambling clubs.
National Lottery draws are made every week, and you can enter by buying a ticket or a scratch card.
People under 18 are not allowed to participate in the National Lottery.

Pets

It is against the law to treat a pet cruelly or to neglect it.
All dogs in public places must wear a collar showing the name and address of the owner.
The owner is responsible for keeping the dog under control and for cleaning up after the animal in a public place.
Vaccinations and medical treatment for animals are available from veterinary surgeons (vets).
There are charities which may help people who cannot afford to pay a vet.

Places of interest

The UK has a large network of public footpaths in the countryside, with many opportunities for mountain biking, mountaineering and hill walking.
There are 15 national parks in England, Wales and Scotland.
National parks are areas of protected countryside that everyone can visit, and where people live, work and look after the landscape.
Museums in the UK range from small community museums to large national and civic collections.
Most famous landmarks are open to the public to view, generally for a charge.
The National Trust keeps countryside and places of interest open in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the National Trust for Scotland does the same in Scotland.
Both the National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland are charities that work to preserve important buildings, coastline and countryside.
The National Trust was founded in 1895 by three volunteers.
More than 61,000 volunteers now help to keep the National Trust running.

UK landmarks

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the Houses of Parliament in London, and many people call the clock Big Ben as well.
The clock at the Houses of Parliament is over 150 years old.
The clock tower is named 'Elizabeth Tower' in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
The Eden Project is in Cornwall, in the south west of England.
The Eden Project's biomes, which are like giant greenhouses, house plants from all over the world.
The Eden Project is also a charity that runs environmental and social projects internationally.
Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has a history dating back to the early Middle Ages.
Edinburgh Castle is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.
The Giant's Causeway is on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland and is a land formation of columns made from volcanic lava.
The Giant's Causeway was formed about 50 million years ago, and there are many legends about how it was formed.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park covers 720 square miles (1,865 square kilometres) in the west of Scotland.
Loch Lomond is the largest expanse of fresh water in mainland Britain and is probably the best-known part of that national park.
The London Eye is a Ferris wheel on the southern bank of the River Thames, 443 feet (135 metres) tall.
The London Eye was originally built as part of the UK's celebration of the new millennium and remains an important part of New Year celebrations.
Snowdonia is a national park in North Wales covering 823 square miles (2,132 square kilometres).
Snowdonia's best-known landmark is Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.
The Tower of London was first built by William the Conqueror after he became king in 1066.
Tours of the Tower of London are given by the Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters, and the Crown Jewels can be seen there.
The Lake District is England's largest national park, covering 912 square miles (2,362 square kilometres).
The Lake District is famous for its lakes and mountains and is popular with climbers, walkers and sailors.
The biggest stretch of water in the Lake District is Windermere.
In 2007, television viewers voted Wastwater as Britain's favourite view.