While not meaning to start another Olympics thread.

Ive been watching the Olympics, mostly the bike road races, marathon, race walking, sailing and other sports where you can see the countryside and scenery. I just have to say.....gee doesnt England look smashing at the moment. There has been some gogeous footage on the TV and its shown me some places I now want to visit.

So good on the POMS for putting on such a spendid show.

nomorecatering.
Thanks for that. It is particularly green at the mo, no doubt due to the persistent rain we had during the weeks/months leading up to the games. Some pundits were forecasting that it would be the wettest games ever, apart from a few showers, they were wrong.
We may not have the splendour of the Blue Mountains, Uluru etc etc, but it's home and it does for me.

gee doesnt England look smashing at the moment. There has been some gogeous footage on the TV and its shown me some places I now want to visit.

The "Green and Pleasant Land" has ALWAYS looked good, nomorecatering, but there's some far more stunning scenery than that in the UK, especially when you head north, like the one below looking over my home town.

http://www.fotothing.com/photos/cfc/cfc9c57a7ecfca6b3e2b197816c86eea.jpg

or the Lake District

http://www.britishtravelblog.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/lake-district.jpg

or the Peak District

http://www.stanleyfearns.co.uk/peak1.jpg

The list goes on, and that's before you head west.

It is indeed one of the most beautiful and diverse countries on earth. It is just a shame that the shower of useless politicians have allowed it to decline and decay over the years and have beaten the people into submission by instilling fear and political correctness.

Yes the lumpy bits are pretty, hellsbrink, but I personally have a soft spot for the big skies of the Fen country, with a view for miles over the flat land only interrupted by one of the hundreds of medieval churches which abound in the area. Like most people on here I've been around a bit, but I still reckon I am so lucky to live in this beautiful country.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/524190566_885ae9c457.jpg

Post Four before you came in with your usual negative crap, Tableview. What kept you?

Yer mean bits like this, TTN?

http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/img/main-images/LakenheathFen660x300.jpg

That's it Hellsbrink, a different sort of beauty to those you showed above, but beautiful for all that.

I agree TTN re the fens. Not only have they a unique beauty they also have a very interesting history. My forebears were the Dutch who were brought over to drain them and build dykes

nomorecatering,

very gracious of you to say so.

to be honest, there's lots of places to visit, and a warm local welcome in many of the country inns and pubs/hotels that provide great food from local produce in great countryside with flagstone floors and local beers. True, they may not have the amenties or corporate presentation of a big hotel chain, but if you can live past some eccentricities they are great places to stay and explore the true nature of the UK and there is a fair amount of it left.

here's some of my locality and where the cycle race went through

Surrey Hills | (http://www.surreyhills.org/)

:ok:

Stuckgear.

Ive been to the UK probaly 30 times in my life. Mostly to Newcastle as i have family there.

Traditionally here in Oz we have thought of the Uk, in an affectionat way, just a little bit dreary, soggy chips and rainy weather, the population apathetic.. We know thats not reality but a bit of a metaphore. Often as a counterpoint to the schmaltzy 'how good are we...we are the best' persona of our American friend.

But I think the Olypics, and Wills and Kates wedding recently has done a lot to turn that image around. Its so fantastic to see the public out en mass, cheering the athletes etc, waving Union Jacks, screamig their heads off. Beeing proud to be British.

I'm a true blue Aussie, of British heratige. It will be over my dead body that some one removes the Union jack off the Astralian flag.

So good on the Brits, keep waving those flags and being patriotic. You might even find a few Ozmates joining in.

Nomorecatering,

As an Englishman might I say a big thankyou for your comments, we have a habit here of being very self-critical so its great to hear that these islands are viewed positively by those from afar........

Best regards, :ok:

Newcastle is the doorstop to some staggering scenery, next time your here, you are 40 odd miles from the Lake District... Do Lindesfarne, the Farne Islands and Berwick, they are closer still.

Newcastle is the doorstop to some staggering scenery, next time your here, you are 40 odd miles from the Lake District... Do Lindesfarne, the Farne Islands and Berwick, they are closer still.
aww heck if you have the time, see if you can get a night or two in at Wasdale Head and just for the added bonus go there by way of Hardknott and Wrynose pass

Newcastle is the doorstop to some staggering scenery

Yes, it's called Scotland, which like England, is a part of the UK, which is what I think the OP was refering to.

mostly the bike road races, marathon, race walking, sailing and other sports where you can see the countryside and scenery

Nope I haven't seen any of those events in Scotland or any of the Scottish countryside on television, so I think I will give the OP the benefit of the doubt that he knows the difference between England, Scotland and the UK as a whole and was actually talking about England.

nomorecatering, I haven't renewed my passport in years' cos I love this place.

I'm a bit bent towards the Southwest,

Cornish - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/13958644@<hidden>/sets/72157624104353489/)

but there's pockets of beauty throughout. The Peak District is my Winter playground.

And we constantly moan about the weather, and yes, winter does seem to drag on, but actually it's the seasons that make us appreciate, this green and pleasant land.:)

Nope I haven't seen any of those events in Scotland or any of the Scottish countryside on television,

Of course, having had very little to do with the olympics, other than Sir Chris Hoy becoming the greatest British olympian, the Scots will have been paying their fair share of taxes for the events to be London-centric.

The Peaks..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/gingernut123/DSC_0084.jpg

and of course, you need an English dog..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/gingernut123/DSC_0095.jpg

Same place, with a dog of German origin..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/gingernut123/DSCN1052.jpg

Aha! The path above Mam Tor, towards Ladybower. :ok:

Looks like the German is walking backwards?

they often do-square head you see.

Only kidding, she was making sure "dad" was ok.

Unlike those labrador types, the german ones are fiercely loyal and protective.

The labs just a tart. Goes to anyone with an ice cream.:8

That reminds me of a German passenger who was bemoaning the influx of Europeans claiming to be of German descent:
"Ze only German zing about zem is zer Schaeferhund!" :}

The labs just a tart. Goes to anyone with an ice cream.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/nerd.gif


My German Shepherd is just like that, in fact she's the softest dog I've ever had. I'm sure she's actually a Lab cunningly disguised as a GSD!

You have to pick your weather to see all of this place.
Otherwise it's a wee tunnel with a grey roof ;)
Clue: Spot of thread drift

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Capn_Basil/Glencoe1979.jpg


Oh, yes, and last week, in the garden:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Capn_Basil/RedKiteIMG_7447.jpg

Good old Glencoe... Stunning

Lovely photos; rather looking forward to seeing the place again for a week in October.

On a separate note: some of you really could start a fight in an empty room, couldn't you?? :ugh: Unbelievable. And SO dull.

Tell you what, from now on, why don't we take it for granted that Lon More hates the English and Tableview hates everything.

So you don't have to remind of those facts again. Then we can get back to the subject in hand.

We don't just have lumpy bits. This is a nice site: British Coast Guide.com - British Seaside and Holiday guide presented in Video (http://www.furryfeet.tv/coastal/)

Great photos,
Octopussy I agree with your comments, whole heartedly!
Temps

I like the built environment of England.....where it seems to blend effortlessly with the countryside,

Silchester church, 12th century.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k288/loki_021/silchester2.jpg