While there have been some fantastic answers to this question, citing the usual fish and chips, pubs, tea (Yorkshire is the best btw-not Tetley or PG tips and most certainly not Typhoo!) I can give you a real example of true and raw British manners that surprised even me-a born and bred Brit.
A bit of back story here: I am a north-easterner, which is distinctly different from the south and the likes of London. The North’s heritage is that of the working classes, miners, labourers, working mens clubs, rough but kind people who can be outspoken but still follow the sense of fair play. I don't think this small experience of mine would be common down south.
One saturday my husband and I were shopping in a town nearby to where we live. Nothing special, we were running some errands, buying a few essentials and having a browse in some of the shoe/clothes shops on the high street.
At one point, I clocked a popular discount drugstore called Savers. The doors to this shop are left open during opening times to allow for the flow of customers in and out.
I told my husband I needed shampoo and we began walking towards the entrance. As we approached, we noticed some shouting. Walking towards us was a scruffy looking man attempting to steal an entire shop display of several trays of this deodorant:
(Popular with teenage boys throughout the UK in the 1990’s)
The shouting was coming from the man who was looking behind him to the manager of the shop who was running after him:
“…and you can fuck off yer fat bitch. I'm a what?…go fucking DO ONE…yer can't fucking do nowt…” Etc
Because this all happened in a few seconds and the man was looking behind him (and not where he was going) he ended up bumping into me-full shoulder, almost knocked me over and my handbag flew off my arm.
At this point I thought I'd never see it again but no! Scruffy man shifted the weight if his loot to his other arm, picked up my bag and handed it to me.
“Sorry love, are you alright? ‘Eres your bag… Sorry, you're alright though?… As long as you're alright.sorry pet…”
By now the manager had just about caught up with him and he had no time for any further apologies, so he swiftly picked up the pace, shouted a few more expletives at the manager and legged it.
The manager then turned to me and husband:
Manager:“Did he knock you over? Are you all right?”
Me: “I'm fine thanks”
Manager: “the little shit's took the full display!”
Husband: “his manners were impeccable though!”
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from Quora http://ift.tt/2l4BzAB
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