What is the best part of being British?

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Londoner

So many great things and people have come out of this tiny nation! To name just a few British inventions:
the tin can - Peter Durand
Cats' Eyes (for lighting the road) - Percy Shaw
Corkscrews - H.S. Heeley
Crossword Puzzles - Arthur Wynne
Diving Equipment/Scuba Gear - John Smeaton, William James, Henry Fleuss
Electric Motor - Michael Faraday
Electromagnet - William Sturgeon
Fax Machine - Alexander Bain
Gas Mask -John Tyndall and others
Holography - Dennis Gabor
Internal Combustion Engine - Samuel Brown
Jet Engines - Sir Frank Whittle
Kelvin Scale - Lord William Thomson Kelvin
Metal Lathe - Henry Maudslay invented the first in 1797.
Lawn Mower - Edwin Beard Budding
Lightbulbs - Humphry Davy, Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, James Bowman Lindsay
Locomotive - Richard Trevithick
Power Loom - Edmund Cartwright
Little Nipper Mousetrap - James Henry Atkinson
Penicillin - Alexander Fleming
Penny Farthing bicycle - James Starley
Periodic Table - John Newlands
Periscope - Sir Howard Grubb
Polyester - John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson
Radar Locating of Aircraft - Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt
Radio (Underlying Principles) - James Clerk Maxwell
Rubber Bands - Stephen Perry
Seed Drill - Jethro Tull
Seismometer - James Forbes
Seismograph - John Milne, Sir James Alfred Ewing, Thomas Gray
Sewing Machine - Thomas Saint
Steam Engine - Thomas Savery, Thomas Newcomen, James Watt
Steel Production - Sir Henry Bessemer
Submarine - William Bourne,
Spinning Jenny - James Hargreaves
Spinning Frame - Richard Arkwright
Spinning Mule - Samuel Crompton
Television - John Logie Baird
Thermos - Sir James Dewar
Toilet Paper - British Perforated Paper Company
Torpedo - Robert Whitehead 1866
Umbrella (steel-ribbed) - Samuel Fox
Universal Joint - Robert Hooke (also Iris Diaphragm, Balance Spring)
Vacuum Cleaner - Hubert Cecil Booth
Viagra - Peter Dunn, Albert Wood, Dr Nicholas Terrett
Waterproof Fabric - Charles Macintosh
World Wide Web - Tim Berners-Lee

And a few great Britons:

1. Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), Prime Minister during World War II
2. Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), engineer, creator of Great Western Railway and other significant works
3. Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), first wife of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales (1981–1996) and mother of Princes William and Harry of Wales.
4. Charles Darwin (1809–1882), naturalist, originator of the theory of evolution through natural selection and author of The Origin of Species.
5. William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and playwright, thought of by many as the greatest of all writers in the English language.
6. Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727), physicist
7. Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533–1603), monarch, (reigned 1558–1603)
8. John Lennon (1940–1980), musician with The Beatles
9. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758–1805), naval commander
10. Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658), Lord Protector
11. Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922), polar explorer
12. Captain James Cook (1728–1779), explorer
13. Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (1857–1941), founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides
14. Alfred the Great (849?–899), King of Wessex, (reigned 871–899)
15. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852), military commander and statesman
16. Margaret Thatcher (*3) (born 1925), Prime Minister (1979–1990)
17. Michael Crawford (born 1942), actor
18. Queen Victoria (1819–1901), monarch (reigned 1837–1901)
19. Sir Paul McCartney (born 1942), musician with The Beatles
20. Sir Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), pharmaceutical innovator
21. Alan Turing (1912–1954), pioneer of computing
22. Michael Faraday (1791–1867), scientist
23. Owain Glyndŵr (1359–1416), Prince of Wales
24. Queen Elizabeth II (*10) (born 1926), reigning monarch (1952-present)
25. Professor Stephen Hawking (born 1942), theoretical physicist
26. William Tyndale (1494–1536), English translator of the Bible
27. Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928), suffragette
28. William Wilberforce (1759–1833), humanitarian
29. David Bowie (born 1947), musician
30. Guy Fawkes (1570–1606), English revolutionary
31. Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire (1917–1992), aviator and charity organiser
32. Eric Morecambe (1926–1984), comedian
33. David Beckham (*91) (born 1975), footballer
34. Thomas Paine (1737–1809), political philosopher
35. Boudica (died c.60), leader of Celtic resistance to the Roman Empire
36. Sir Steve Redgrave (born 1962), Olympic rower
37. Sir Thomas More (1478–1535), English lawyer and politician
38. William Blake (1757–1827), author and printer
39. John Harrison (1693–1776), clock designer
40. King Henry VIII of England (1491–1547), monarch (reigned 1509–1547)
41. Charles Dickens (1812–1870), author
42. Sir Frank Whittle (1907–1996), jet engine inventor
43. John Peel (1939–2004), broadcaster
44. John Logie Baird (1888–1946), television pioneer
45. Aneurin Bevan (1897–1960), politician
46. Boy George (born 1961), musician with Culture Club
47. Sir Douglas Bader (1910–1982), aviator and charity campaigner
48. Sir William Wallace (c.1270–1305), Guardian of Scotland
49. Sir Francis Drake (c.1540–1596), English naval commander
50. John Wesley (1703–1791), Methodist leader
51. King Arthur, legendary Celtic monarch
52. Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), nurse and charity campaigner
53. T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) (1888–1935), Arabist and soldier
54. Sir Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912), polar explorer
55. Enoch Powell (1912–1998), politician
56. Sir Cliff Richard (*29) (born 1940), musician
57. Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), telephone pioneer
58. Freddie Mercury (1946–1991), musician with Queen
59. Dame Julie Andrews (born 1935), actress and singer
60. Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934), composer
61. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900–2002), Queen consort
62. George Harrison(1943–2001), musician with The Beatles
63. Sir David Attenborough (born 1926), broadcaster
64. James Connolly (1868–1916), Irish revolutionary
65. George Stephenson (1781–1848), railway pioneer
66. Sir Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), comic actor
67. Tony Blair (*1) (born 1953), Prime Minister (1997-present)
68. William Caxton(c.1415~1422–c.1492), English printer
69. Bobby Moore (1941–1993), footballer
70. Jane Austen (1775–1817), author
71. William Booth (1829–1912), founder of the Salvation Army
72. King Henry V of England (1387–1422), monarch (reigned 1413–1422)
73. Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), occultist, writer, and social provocateur; founder of Thelema
74. Robert I (1274–1329), King of Scots
75. Bob Geldof (born 1951), Irish musician
76. The Unknown Warrior, soldier of the Great War
77. Robbie Williams (*17) (born 1974), musician and former member of Take That
78. Edward Jenner (1749–1823), pioneer of vaccination
79. David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George (1863–1945), prime minister (1916–1922)
80. Charles Babbage (1791–1871), mathematician and pioneer of computing
81. Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343–1400), English author
82. King Richard III of England (1452–1485), monarch (reigned 1483–1485)
83. J.K. Rowling (born 1965), author
84. James Watt (1736–1819), developer of the steam engine
85. Sir Richard Branson (*86) (born 1950), businessman and adventurer
86. Bono (born 1960), musician, philanthropist - actually Irish
87. John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) (born 1956), musician
88. Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (1887–1976), military commander
89. Donald Campbell (1921–1967), water speed world record challenger
90. King Henry II of England (1133–1189), monarch (reigned 1154–1189)
91. James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879), physicist
92. J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973), author and philologist
93. Sir Walter Raleigh (1552–1618), English explorer
94. King Edward I of England (1239–1307), monarch (reigned 1272–1307)
95. Sir Barnes Wallis (1887–1979), aviation technology pioneer
96. Richard Burton (1925–1984), actor
97. Tony Benn (born 1925) , politician
98. David Livingstone (1813–1873) , missionary and explorer
99. Sir Tim Berners-Lee (born 1955), internet pioneer
100. Marie Stopes (1880–1958), promoter of birth control

Okay, we have a few years' start on the Yanks but sorry, you can't touch that.

Well you said it - just not being american is a huge start. But if you want more, there is:

being able to read and write your own language properly

not living in a fascist dictatorship

if you are fat, ugly and loud mouthed it is something you choose, not something that is thrust upon you by nature

your secret service doesn't have secret torture camps set up all over the world

your nation produced Spenser, Milton and Shakespeare

and also the pork pie

you have wonderful expressions like tosser, ratarsed, and sod off

you didn't blow up your own office buildings just to provide an excuse for a phony war.

all this and so much more!

aussiepom

The whole world speaks our language, or if they don't, they're at a disadvantage. Well, the Americans try to speak it but ... keep trying, "guys".

bhupen

You get to hold the most powerful currency in the world!

john boy -1

being British means that we will emigrate,so its not that good is.

ukfool666

We have the best flag in the world and also lucky enough to have the sexiest looking passport. Also not being as obnoxious,boring and loud as a yank is a great trait we posess.

zgzig

Just being British..that's all that's needed!

iain

Being born in Glasgow, obviously being a Scotsman with
lots of Scottish pride which never dies. Yours aye, Iain

Mari C

Our ability to laugh at ourselves
Our resilience under pressure as a nation
Our manners
Our unwavering support of our national football team however misguided/unrealistic ............ in light of recent events I shall say no more :(

Andy S80

The rich, beautiful culture that you're lucky to be part!!! I live there for almost 3 years and found the place, the culture and the people to be truly spectacular. The Brits are so polite and posh. One of my favorite nations and cultures!

Albert Hall

I cannot think of any benefits of being British rather than American. The examples quoted here are mostly crap, so perhaps the questioner can enlighten us with a few of these many benefits.

Spooky Mouse

The best part of being british is that there are loads of post officies and a website were one can collect application forms and apply not to be British... and the best thing about Britain is the airport out

lou_cifer7

Personally being able to swear, say very rude things and making it still sound nice..

nilechnylasor

The best part of being British, (I prefer English), is that, maybe not so much now, but years ago, all doors open, all over the world, and the whole world spoke English. Now, the best part, is ordinary people can afford to leave, i.e. obtain a passport, adn visit other places. (football has ruinded our cred abroad with the louts), but the best part of bieng british is, a, we have a Queen, who sits on top of the police, army, and church, silently but, definately, so we have freedom from some regimes who just have a dictator. But, not for much longer. no ciggies anyewher, and as someone said, if it is not prohibited, it is compulsory, so I am leaving u.k. It is finished, Best Passport tho. and reasonably good n.h.s. (well was before all the form filling) too u.s.a. is England. Too pretentious and shallow now.But god save the Queen, and am so glad Diana was murdured and that Charles and Cammilla are in love and Married. I have been free....I was born here. That....was freedom...my dad won the war, and us sixyties people had the party. Thankyou, but i am leaving to live in a third world country for freedom that does not exist here.

jimmy_hills_chin

im not british im ENGLISH
i was born in ENGLAND
if id been born in scotland id be scottish not british