I did get the most enormous amount of fun telling my parents the background to a name on one side of the family (the probable Saxon connection). They were quite hilariously horrified.

It's as much my country as anyone else's country. But it IS my country. I'm English. If I was American it wouldn't be my country, America would.


I am aware your stupidity is, that's for sure.

Okay.

In which case, it's MY country too. At least as much as yours.

Where does your family come from, originally?

I can work mine back a few centuries from naming conventions and one or two other things, but what about you?

Y'see, once you get into that realm, perhaps the best way forward is to examine who is more – or most – English.

Obviously, as a teacher (IIRC) you're an incredibly intelligent and educated person, so you must be odds on to 'win'.

So d'you want to play?

Which is what I said. If you want this country to be your country then it's your country. Not everyone wants this country to be their country. People who move here, for example, may love it here but they still feel like they are of the country they came from. Others have different experiences. Me, I was born here, so were my ancestors as far as we have traced them (400 years so far) and so I am English, and England is my country.

I am ignoring the rest of your post because it is playground stuff, not worth the bother.

Oh diddy widdums. But you STILL don't want to answer the question properly, in a grown-up way!

Why am I not surprised?!

You're a religious fundamentalat. You see life through such a prism. Well, that's okay, but plenty of people are actually rather more grown up about the issues, as opposed to maintaining a state of continuing childhood.

You play a game - an infantile one. That's fine - that's your choice. Enjoy.