As generations change so too has the ‘Englishness’ we English where renowned for the world over. It is only natural that evolution changes people along with everything else, something’s taking millions of years to evolve while others in so little time.
For a long time ‘Englishness’ was a way of life, a lifestyle for centuries many people of the world had tried to follow. ‘Englishness’ meant honourable, trustworthy, gallant, stiff upper lip, one who could be relied upon. The men knew how to treat a lady but never known as the best lovers in the world and the ladies not mentioning such things. We would patiently wait in queues, give our seat to a lady, generally be well mannered and polite, and certainly know the little etiquettes that help give a meaning to ‘Englishness’.
All nationalities have their bad apples but because of the ‘Englishness’ bread into the English, the bad apples where expected to do their time in jail without complaint, told it was not English to complain, even those who paid the final penalty were told as the hangman put the noose around the neck “remember lad your English” just in case at the last moment the poor unfortunate wanted to cry out “I am innocent” This was Englishness taking what came along without complaint.

But since the Second World War ‘Englishness’ started to disappeared rapidly, can we really call that evolution which should mean development, progress, or even advancement?
Now we have evolved into a selfish nation were it is unlikely man will give up his seat, open the door for a lady, walk on the street side of the pavement when walking with a lady, stand back and let a lady go first, and many more niceties that was part of ‘Englishness’ now man cannot be bothered explaining “why should I, now women have equal rights”
The not in my back yard mentality, where something good for the community cannot go ahead just because one person thinks it will affect their life, meaning “sod you Jack I am alright”. Community spirit has pulled the country through wars and depressions, it was truly an important part of ‘Englishness’.
Even the disabled are not exempt from this selfishness, even when there is some help for the disabled such as parking spaces clearly marked for the disabled, the selfish able bodied morons park there, then utter idiotic words “well there was a space not used, so they don’t need all the spaces” not giving a dam about the next disabled driver that comes along, this is not English, where has the sense of ‘Englishness’ gone.
Then there is the BBC “The British Broadcasting Company” a noted portrayer of Englishness throughout the world, the giver of unquestionable facts. Has now also lost its ‘Englishness’, turned into a run of the mill broadcasting company where the facts do not matter anymore, only the impact. When reporting on something with numbers (i.e. “there are 2850”) often different station of the BBC will give a different number, and on many occasions will round the number up to 3000, just for the impact and not the facts.
The presenters now seem to think they are more important than the programme they are presenting, who wants to see the presenter at the side of the screen while watching a news item, or listen to drivel while listening to a football match on the radio?
While writing this article I have been listening to BBC radio and have just heard a presenter’s remarks about the Eden Project in Cornwall describing it has an upturned golf ball, I ask you is this English? Has anyone ever seen an upturned golf ball? I would love a photo if you have.

Being English maybe I have gone through life believing ‘Englishness’ was the correct way, and too stubborn (another definition of ‘Englishness’) to realise there was another point of view.
But to be honest I love the ‘Englishness’ in me just like so many more of my fellow English, we are proud to be English and all that ‘Englishness’ stands for.

Long live the 'Englishness' in us All.

Copyright © Reginald Stanley Birch 2005