British Character. The British people are great lovers of gardens, dogs and horses

The British people are great lovers of gardens, dogs and horses. Their devotion to animals and gardening is a tradition that is rooted not only in their own souls but in the minds of the rest of the world too. Animals are not only loved but protected by law. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was established in 1824, more than half a century before its national counterpart for the prevention of cruelty to children (1884). Nowhere in the world cats and dogs are so deeply cared for as in Britain. An Englishman is almost always likely to share his pet’s sympathies and antipathies. If a host’s dog shows dislike to one of his guests the latter will be treated with suspicion. If anyone leaves a cat to starve in an empty house while the owner goes for his holiday, he can be sent to prison. There are special dogs’ cemeteries and monuments in the country and a «Birds Hospital» in Cornwell. The British celebrated the 150th anniversary of the RSPCA by printing special stamps.

One of the most striking aspects of the national character is the love of the countryside. The British view life in the city as an «unnatural» economic necessity. The British idea is to preserve a piece of country and fit a house into it, or rather hide a house in it. Many people, whether they live in a suburban house or in a flat in a high-rise block, would say their dream home was a country cottage with roses growing over the door. A basic reason so many town dwellers wish to live in the suburbs is to have a garden in which to grow flowers. English people have many times been described as a nation of flower-growers. Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the country. To meet people’s interests there are large garden centres where people can buy shrubs and other plants for outdoor and indoor cultivation. Many social activities are connected with gardening. There are flower-shows and vegetable-shows, with prizes for the best exhibits. Gardening clubs and evening classes in this subject attract a large number of enthusiasts.

The British people are the world’s greatest tea drinkers. They drink a quarter of all the tea grown in the world each year. Tea is the national beverage. Many of the British drink tea on at least 8 different occasions during the day. In a British home there is the early morning cup of tea, tea at breakfast, tea at 11 o’clock in the morning, tea at lunch; there is tea for tea, tea for supper and then the last thing at night is tea.

One of the points, which is difficult for foreigners to understand, is the English sense of humour. This is perhaps the most fundamental trait the British have in common. It is an ironic sense of humour which lends itself to self-caricature. «He is a man of humour» or «He has no sense of humour» is often heard in Britain, where humour is so highly prized.