What Makes Britons Great? (1/12)
 

The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are famous for their politeness, self-discipline and sense of humour. British Pathé, a great British institution itself, here investigates what makes the people of these sceptered isles so British?

Famous Last Words

From well-constructed and contrived quips to completely natural and seemingly spontaneous comments, there's something fascinating about people's last words. British Pathé...

BERNARD SHAW - A TRIBUTE

Lady Nancy-Astor (Britain's…

MR CHURCHILL IN RUSSIA

Winston Churchill "I'm…

BASEBALL MAKES ITS BOW aka BASE BALL MAKES ITS BOW Dublin issue

Franklin D. Roosevelt …


The Weather
According to a 2010 survey on 'small talk', Britons spend 6 months of their lives talking about climate. Philip Eden, weather columnist for The Daily Telegraph, was not surprised by the findings. "I think it's a part of our national psyche," he said. "We are a fairly reserved sort of people and talking about the weather is an easy, non-confrontational way of breaking the ice. There's an element of the very changeability of the British weather, that it gives us the opportunity to talk about something different every day."

The Death of King George VI

THE KING'S SPEECH

To mark the 60th anniversary of the death of King George VI, we've created a gallery featuring stills from a selection of original British Pathe...