The Best English Things We Know.
All opinions are entirely our own, and we make no claim at all to be unbiased. To quote Flanders and Swan:
The English, the English, the English are best
I wouldn’t give tuppence for all of the rest
The Best English Flag
The Cross of St George is England’s flag. It’s recently been taken up as a symbol of something, they’re note sure what, by people gulled into following right-wing populists. They demonstrate their love of England by buying cheapo flags made in China and putting them in silly places.
St George was not English, and never came here. He was a soldier, but not for us. And he didn’t really slay a dragon. The best guess is that St George was born in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey) in the late 3rd century. A Roman soldier, he was probably martyred at Lydda (now Lod in Israel) around AD 303 for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.
The flag is one of the oldest known heraldic emblems, dating back to the time of the Crusades in the 12th century. By the late Middle Ages, the cross of St George was widely used by English soldiers and ships to distinguish themselves. King Edward III adopted St George as the patron saint of England in the 14th century, and the flag increasingly became linked with the nation itself. From the 15th century onwards, the red cross on white became established as the national flag of England. It later formed a key part of the Union Flag when England and Scotland were united in 1606.
Best British Businesses?
We’re stretching the borders here to include Britain, not just England, and recognise the first winners of The Kings Awards for Enterprise, which replace the Queen’s equivalent. Charles, on the recommendations of the government, recognised:
- The King’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Continuous Growth in overseas sales over the last six years went to Fever-Tree Drinks of London
- The King’s Award for Promoting Opportunity went to Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, that provides employment opportunities to injured veterans and people with disabilities
- The King’s Award for Sustainable Development went to Naturaw Pet Food Ltd of Yorkshire
Best England Sporting Retirement
Well, that would be Stuart Broad, wouldn’t it. On 29 July 2023, Broad announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, while taking part in the 5th Ashes test. Two days later, in his last day as a professional cricketer, and on the final day of the test, he scored a six off the last ball he faced, and took a wicket with the last ball he bowled. Not just any old wicket: the one that won the game and squared the series. Enjoy your retirement, Stuart!
He would have been the outstanding bowler of his generation, with over 600 test wickets, if it wasn’t for his good friend Jimmy Anderson, who has always been just a little ahead of him. Except at batting, of course. They had a brief but famous partnership in the 2007 World Cup in England’s final match against the West Indies. In the final over England needed 4 to win off 3 balls, and West Indies needed 1 wicket to win. Dwayne Bravo was bowling at his fearsome best, but Broad and Anderson held on to win.
Second Best England Football Manager
The best is obvious: the only one to win the World Cup, the one and only Sir Alf Ramsey. Second best? That used to be clearly another Ipswich old boy, Sir Bobby Robson, based on his achievement of reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup at Italia 90. But Gareth Southgate has now overtaken him. His overall record in championships is better. His record at the European Championships is much better: poor old Sir Bobby’s record is played 3 lost 3 in 1988. And that was an improvement on 1984, where England failed to qualify. Southgate ( who must be knighted soon) got to the finals of the European championship.
Sir Bobby was unlucky at times: his team were knocked out of the 1986 World Cup by Argentina in the last 8, down to 2 Maradonna goals. One a superb demonstration of skill, the other a consummate demonstration of cheating.
The Most Popular English Drinks Brands
According to the all-knowing pollsters YouGov the top 5 most popular beverage brands are:
- Robinsons
- Schweppes
- Yorkshire Tea
- Sprite
- Fanta
Personally we are really surprised that only one brand of tea makes the top five, compared with 4 brands of sweet drinks for kids.
The Most English COVID-19 Response
The superbly English response was, of course, Captain Tom who marked his 100th birthday by raising money for NHS charities walking laps of his garden. Having seen active service in the second world war, and raced motorbikes for years, it’s a wonder he made it to 50, yet alone 100.
The worst? The loo-roll hoarders and the “its all a hoax” cov-idiots are contenders, but the least English thing is Dom Cumming’s breaches of the rules, and his bosses pathetic attempts to cover up for him.
Best English Racing Driver
Lewis Hamilton is closing in on the title of World’s Best Racing Driver, as he gets close to matching Michael Schumacher’s twin records of most grand prix wins ( 91) and most world championships (7, to Hamilton’s 6). But is he really the best? One of the biggest changes to racing over the last 60 years has been the vast leaps forward in safety. This makes it easy for drivers to compete in hundreds of races. In the post-war golden era not many drivers made it to 100 grand prix starts. So, simply counting wins is not a fair measure. Hamilton has won 86 of his 253 starts : 34%. Jackie Stewart is barred from this list by being Scottish, but won 27 out of 99: just behind Lewis on 27%. Jim Clarke, also barred, won 25 from 72, 35%, just pipping Lewis. Stirling Moss won 16 from 66, 24%. So, it’s another title for Lewis : the best English racing driver.
The Best English Town
Not everyone is going to agree with this, but here’s our opinion. It’s Harrogate.
Harrogate, renowned for its rich history and natural beauty, offers a perfect blend of traditional English charm and modern amenities. This picturesque spa town, famous for its healing mineral springs, boasts well-preserved Victorian architecture and abundant green spaces, including the Stray, a 200-acre parkland, and the meticulously landscaped RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
The town centre is a vibrant hub of activity, lined with independent boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Harrogate’s culinary scene is diverse, ranging from quaint tea rooms, like the famous Betty’s Tea Room, to high-end restaurants offering a variety of international cuisines. This variety caters to all tastes and budgets, making it an ideal place for food enthusiasts.
Education is a key factor in Harrogate’s appeal, with several highly regarded schools offering excellent education options. The community spirit in Harrogate is strong, with numerous cultural events and festivals throughout the year, including the Harrogate Literature Festival, Flower Show and Food Festival, fostering a sense of belonging and engagement among residents.
For those seeking a balanced lifestyle, Harrogate provides easy access to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, ideal for hiking, cycling, and enjoying the great outdoors. Despite its tranquil setting, Harrogate is well-connected, with efficient rail links to major cities like Leeds and York, making it convenient for commuters.
The town also boasts a low crime rate and high standards of healthcare, with several well-equipped medical facilities. The property market in Harrogate is diverse, offering everything from charming Victorian terraces to modern apartments, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.
The Best Clock
It’s not the most accurate: that’s in a lab somewhere. It’s not the oldest: that’s in Salisbury cathedral. It is the best known, and therefore the best. It’s Big Ben, of course. It is recognised all over the world, and recognised as being English.
Strictly, Big Ben is just the largest bell, and not the whole tower. But that distinction is long gone from common usage.
The clock tower is of course a Grade I listed building, and has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Like a lot of things in England it’s not working as well as it used to. A four-year schedule of renovation works began in 2017. With a few exceptions, such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday, Big Ben will be silent until 2021.
And also: The best loved brands in 2018
A different survey to the one below, the BrandZ UK Top 75, reckons the top 75 brands are worth around £205 billion. Not bad. The top 10 are:
- Vodafone
- HSBC
- Shell
- BT
- Sky
- BP
- Tesco
- Lipton
- Barclays
- Dove
What a odd mix: banks, phone companies, and soft drinks.
The best loved brands in Britain 2017
The Centre for Brand Analysis in London polled 2,500 British adults, who were asked to rank their favourites from a choice of 1,600 popular brands. The top 10 are:
- British Airways
- Lego
- Rolex
- Andrex
- Gillette
- John Lewis
- Mercedes-Benz
- Kellogg’s
- Apple
- Coca-Cola
- Dyson
- Boots
- Cadbury
- Marks & Spencer
- Jaguar
- Fairy
- Heinz
- Amazon
- Cancer Research UK
Kudos to British airways for staying top, via a reputation for quality, in an industry that has changed from being service-based to price-based.
If it was restricted to brands people actually own the product then we think Rolex would drop way down. Their survival is impressive, when you remember that reliable, accurate watches are almost disposable nowadays. Plus everyone has a phone which is way more accurate than a Rolex, and even does things like timezone changes automatically. Plus, fitness wearables like FitBit do so much more than just tell the time.
The 2016 top ten is:
- British Airways
- Rolex
- Lego
- Dyson
- Gillette
- Mercedes Benz
- Apple
- Jaguar
- Kellogs
- Andrex
Best English News Service
The best English news services is, of course, the BBC. See our News Page for examples of their excellent coverage of news and sport.
The Beeb is the oldest and largest public news corporation, as well as the best. It dates back to 1922, spends over £4 billion per year, and reaches more than 274 million households in 200 countries
The BBC iPlayer ( how did Apple let that one get away ? ) is one of the best interactive experiences available.
The money comes from a variety of different services. UK views pay the license fee. Outside the UK the BBC sells its programming via cable and satellite channels.
Recently our stupid Tory government, which is more interested in kissing Rupert Murdoch’s backside than anything else, has been chipping away at BBC’s independence and funding. The BBC now has to fund free TV licenses for the elderly.
It also sells programs and program concepts, and a variety of spin-off marketing material. From this we get such cultural icons as Dr Who and Match of The Day – and quite a lot of dross, too.
It has a worldwide impact way above it’s weight. This is growing in the US. The web is making BBC news as easy to access as home-grown news. It’s trusted more than the local brands, who are seen to follow their owners political agendas.
(We were going to add the BBC’s logo to this story, but that requires their prior written permission, which sounds like far too much hassle.)
Best English Speakers
The best speakers of English are, paradoxically, the Welsh. The writer and journalist Andrew Taylor says in a new book that the finest English can often be spoken by a Welshman. He cites the actor Richard Burton, the poet Dylan Thomas and the broadcasters Huw Edwards and John Humphrys as examples of the best speakers of English.
In his book, A Plum in Your Mouth, published by HarperCollins, Taylor says that despite some studies which say the Welsh accent is unpopular: “As far as I am concerned… the Welsh, probably in revenge for the way the English steamrollered their own tongue for generations, speak English like angels. They can take the language gallantly by the hand and dance with it, leading it to and fro, up and down and relishing every word.”
Perhaps the real reason for this is that the Welsh do love to talk, rather more than us taciturn English. They also sing rather well : perhaps there’s a connection.
Best English Cheese
What’s your favourite : Stinking Bishop or Cardinal Sin, Scottish Brie or Cornish Yarg ? Or good old-fashioned Cheddar ? Delis are stocking a wide range of distinctive local cheeses, but local supermarkets just offer 29 different sorts of cheddar.
If you’re unsure, or want to try something new, head to the British Cheese Festival
Best English Beer
Now there’s a question to provoke a long and knowledgeable debate, and some in-depth research. The correct answer is, of course, Adnams Broadside. Particularly when drunk in Southwold at a pub near enough to the brewery for the beer to be delivered by horse-drawn dray.
Europe’s most successful pressure group, CAMRA, have their own ideas. Every year they change their mind and award a new beer the accolade. The details are here. 2015s Champion Beer of England is actually welsh, it’s Cwtch, a red beer from the tiny rebel brewery. 2016’s champion is Bingham’s Vanilla Stout.
The 2018 champion is Broken Dream Breakfast Stout from the Siren brewery. It’s described as a stout with a deep and complex blend of chocolate, coffee and a touch of smoke.
Best English Football Club
There are none, at least not in the top flight. They are almost all foreign-owned, with a majority of foreign managers and foreign players. They use the blind loyalty of English fans to market their global brands to foreign TV audiences. And the fans play along, shouting for another 20-cap international to be signed, rather than giving the youngster from the youth team a run. Then they all act shocked when the national team turns out to be a long way from being the Best English
Best English Food
A Boston-based Anglophile has a good list of the best English food, which includes such classics as Chicken Tikka Marsala and Onion Bhajee, buts omits the obvious winner : the Full English Breakfast. It’s the absolute best way to start the day, and the ideal fuel for a hard days work. It’s also great a lunchtime, and I hear it’s also good for hangovers.
Best English Sports Team
To claim this title the team has to achieve international success. So the 2019 and 2007 rugby teams, losing world cup finalists, just miss out. As does the 2018 football team, losing semi-finalists.
The 2012 Team GB Olympic squad has a strong case. They beat the worlds best, in our own backyard. They lifted the mood of a whole nation. They won won 65 medals in total: 29 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze. But, they are not English: the clue is in the name. Gold medalist Chris Hoy is a proud scot, and gold medalist Jade Jones is proudly welsh. So, the are not the best English team.
Which leaves three contenders, all world cup winners:
- Football 1966
- Rugby 2003
- Cricket 2019
Both the 2019 and 2003 finals were incredibly exciting, and had the whole nation holding it’s breath. But, the winner must be the boys of 1966. All three games are of course English inventions, but football is now the world game. Winning the football world cup means beating the whole world, not just the English-speaking parts of it. Thank-you Sir Alf and the boys. We’re still proud of you.
Best English Films
Rather than write our own list we’ll be lazy and refer you to the list Time Out compiled by asking 150 film experts and professionals. The number one is 1973’s Don’t Look now, directed by Nicholas Roeg.
Our own list would have included less arty nonsense like this, and much more Harry Potter and James Bond.