Hello Robert, I don't think I'm an opinionated person, in fact I'd say the opposite as I say just take people as I find them in all walks of life, and avoid making generalities even about minorities which with your strident views, you go on about ad nauseum.

The reality is Every nationality has their embarassing minority - even spanish people (who I love) have minorities like those who 'blacked up' to insult/abuse Lewis Hamilton and his family at the Grand Prix. People have preconcieved notions about some groups, but I take people at face and find that works well - much better than jumping on an anti brit (or anyone else) bandwagon.

If you MUST make these outdated generalisations, at least realise that all nationalities have skeletons in the closet, and don't attach too much importance to them.

I hope that helps - hasta luego

 Otivar, your first paragraph,

"Hello Robert, I don't think I'm an opinionated person, in fact I'd say the opposite as I say just take people as I find them in all walks of life, and avoid making generalities even about minorities which with your strident views, you go on about ad nauseum."

So you think i am opinionated, but your comment "Which with your strident views, you go on about ad nauseum" does not make your opinion of me opinionated and rather descriminatory? you see me as having faults but obviously you dont see your own as you are , of course, perfect? It also doesnt seem to "take me as you find me either".

And,

"If you MUST make these outdated generalisations, at least realise that all nationalities have skeletons in the closet, and don't attach too much importance to them."

Did i say ANYTHING about other nationalities? this site is for ENGLISH Ex-pats and their observations and information, and so you may be right about other Nationalities, but that was not the original thread question, from which you are departing. Also, who stated that i attach ANY importance to the generalisation, it is solely an observation, nothing else, and i think you are being mischievious at the very least with your assumptions and accusations regarding me, and which have nothing to do with the original discussion thread. 

If this site is for English ex-pats, why are there Scots, Welsh and Irish here? Ok, I do understand the main part of your argument Robert, but as an English person I do feel that I'm being insulted.

If you had titled this 'A Brit Abroad' then I would have understood.

By the way Otivar, I love your avatar.

This message was last edited by blueeyes on 18/09/2012.

The answer is that it is not just for English, although many English say English when they should really say British.  That practise just emphasises the desire of Scotland and Wales to be independent, blueyes.  With an name like that I presume you are from Viking stock, one of many countries that invaded England and made you the mish mash you are today.

So why does Robert say -

'I am looking for a property in Spain, but the first question i will be asking is, "is there any English living in the area?" I think you need to integrate with the locals, not form a large exclusive community in an area, creating a Little Britain.'

Rather than, "are there any Brits living in the area?"  

I'm not interested at this point where my ancestors came from, I'm only interested in my fellow British not insulting each other. 

 thank you Don. The reason it is titled "An Englishman Abroad" is because it is a take on the song, "Mad Dogs and ENGLISHMEN"

You could not easily fit the word "Britishman" into the tune in a nice way to sing it, "Mad Dogs and Britishmen, Go out in the midday sun" doesnt sound quite the same does it? I really think Blueeyes you are being pedantic and trying to be clever, but my thread does, yes, include all nations of the Royame Uni

I'm not trying to be clever, I just don't want to be insulted as an 'English' person.

You posted about being a 'lone Brit' , and then trying to get away because 'English people were being loud', rather than saying 'British people were being loud'.

Not me, Blueeyes.  I think you must be reading the wrong post.

I was responding to Robert.

 Blueeyes, i do not think i said what you quote, that i stated i was a lone "brit" whilst observing English people. What i DID say was.

" I used to observe English people performing and i would try not to speak or do anything to show i was also English, especially when the other English were being loud, and i would usually say my goodbye and withdraw from potentially embarassing situations before they developed" 

Just prior to that statement i said,

"while abroad as a driver as a lone Brit you tend to encounter other people from the UK in your travels"

Well i consider myself British, which actually includes all nations, England, Wales, Scotland, and also Northern Ireland, (which everyone seems to have forgotten), and they are ALL part of the United Kingdom, which IS British (Great Britain)

I may be British , but i am ENGLISH Born, and i consider myself a member of the United Kingdom which includes 4 main countries, and many other protectorates which others seem to have casually forgotton.

If Blueeyes, as you say you dont want to be insulted as an "English" person, let us all know what you consider your nationality and we can all have a go at you as that nations occupant..........

Robert, this is your post -

"Chanson, i dont think my opinion of Ex-pats is jaded by reading of others on forums. I have spent many years in continental transport, and while abroad as a driver as a lone Brit you tend to encounter other people from the UK in your travels, and not always in a nice way. I used to observe English people performing and i would try not to speak or do anything to show i was also English, especially when the other English were being loud, and i would usually say my goodbye and withdraw from potentially embarassing situations before they developed, and got me as an innocent bystander involved with!"

You call yourself a Brit who encounters other people from the UK, but  then specifically complain about English people, rather than fellow Brits.

I am English born. And Don, actually, that 'mish mash' comment is a bit insulting too, to the Welsh, as I believe that's where my most recent ancestors came from.

 i am English by birth also, but i consider myself part of the "United Kingdom", "Royame Uni", "Great Britain" and generically to me if you are English, you are also a member of the United Kingdom, due to acts of Parliament many years ago binding all countries under the charter forming Union of the member states forming the country known as the United Kingdom.

If you had not noticed, we are soon no longer going to be members of this Union if the politicians of Europe have their way, we will all be good Europeans!

As i just stated, let us all know what country you consider yourself from and we can all insult you as that countryman!

(that will not really be in line with the original thread though)..............

Robert, you still haven't explained why you termed those 'performing, loud' people English rather than British, given that they were born in 'Royanne Uni'?

 It matters not wether they are "British" or "English", a Briton is a member of the BRITISH isles which is the LAND of the UNITED KINGDOM, note the word "united" it means that all people inhabiting the country of GREAT BRITAIN (note the word country)  as such includes ALL inhabitants of the UNITED countries forming the UNITED KINGDOM (theres that word UNITED again), and United Kingdom translates as "ROYAME UNI", NOT Royanne Uni as you have written.

As you are so smart, and nationalistic, how come you cannot correctly spell the name of the country you are from?(note the United Kingdom IS a country).

And might i state AGAIN that your fruitless dig at me trying to get me to react to your taunt is not going to work as i will not lower myself to your obviously lower IQ. Might you post something to do with behaviour of people from the United Kingdom (where all British come from) instead of trying to get mileage from baiting me through pointless posts?

Alternatively give someone else a chance to say something constructive

 Oh, dear, the ignorance goes on.  As this is Eye on Spain I assume you mean Reino Unido.

Of course, if you have slipped into the language of the French, then you should have said Royaume Uni but why you have done that on the Eye on Spain I have no idea.

Now, if none of you can even agree on which country you belong to (or even how to spell it), how do you expect the Spanish to be able to do so?

 Bobaol, Hohhoho, i KNOW which country i came from, but calling Blueeyes Spanish will most likely not go down well!

OK. From what I can find ‘Royanne Uni’ is an alternative to ‘Rayaume Uni’, and is used for ‘Eurovision’ song contest.

I don’t believe I’m stopping anyone from saying some constructive? They are free to join in whenever they wish.

I have already stated that I am English. So therefore British, from Great Britain, the United Kingdom etc.

What I am objecting to Robert is that you are guilty of doing what Don explains – using the word ‘English’ when you should be saying ‘British’. All English people are British – but not all British people are ‘English’.

British people abroad who are ‘performing, loud’ are not solely English.

British people abroad who buy property on the nod of a head are not solely English.

British people abroad who form ‘Little Britain’ enclaves are not solely English.

By saying I will ask ‘Is there any English in the area?’ reads to me as a person from England that it’s OK if there are Scots/Welsh/ N.Irish – it’s just the ‘English’ you are objecting to.

So as a fellow Englishman, may I ask that you use the correct terms?

Pretty please?

 Blueeyes, it doesnt matter wether English or British, either way we are all members of the UNITED Kingdom, and you are just pedantic...................

And back to the thread...............

Sorry, but it does. Scotsmen/Welshmen/N. Irish are all British and part of the United Kingdom, but they are NOT English.

And please don't dismiss me as 'pedantic'. Frankly, I rather wish I were Spanish!

 Well, drifting off the thread a wee bit.  However, when I were a lad (sorry, pull up the sandbag and I'll tell thee a story) people from Scotland were called Scotch (yes, I know it's a drink) and people from what we now call the UK (or yoo kay if you listen to the media) were always called English throughout the world.  It was a generic thing, England meant all of us.  Now, me being a Welshman, I never had any problem with this back in the day.  However, national identity seems to have kicked in.  If I tell a Spaniard (or a Greek or an Italian or an American et al) that I am Welsh, they have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.  "Donde esta?"  they say (obviously the Greeks, Italians and Americans don't but you get my drift"), "Gales" I say.  "Donde?" they ask.  Only by referring to that football team that gets beaten in every competition does the light suddenly dawn.  However "Inglaterra" gets the immediate recognition.  Scotland and England are the only places instantly recognisable by Johnny Foreigner.  Indeed, London has its own Spanish name (Londres) as does Edinburgh (Edinburgo) but Cardiff and Belfast don't nor even Dublin.  

I, however, refer to myself as British with Welsh secondary.  It has now become popular to refer to oneself as English (or Scots or Welsh) and British as secondary.  Whilst true the "An Englishman Abroad" should probably come over best as "A Briton abroad" I think it was instantly recognisable what was meant (I am rather surprised that no one has picked on the sexist connotation and wondered why it wasn't "An Englishperson Abroad" as some of the females I encounter actually frighten me.  There's certainly plenty I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley!).  Many places one goes to where the "British" person behaves badly (Ibiiza, Mallorca, Ayia Napa, Kos to name but a few) then the bad manners, drunkedness and bad behaviour is generally regarded as being an "English" trait.  Until the instantly recognisable Scotch (there I go again, reverting to childhood) accent jumps in (Or maybe it's the blue and white saltire shorts as opposed to the Union Flag shorts of the other Brits) and the English have other people to blame.

Now, another few misconceptions.  It was mentioned this site was set up for all the "British" people to exchange ideas not just the English.  I would disagree with that and have welcomed the Spanish, Irish, Polish, French, Americans and others who have come on Eye on Spain for advice.  They are generally polite, looking for advice and give some good insights into different cultures.  The rude, pedantic, argumentative and downright rude people are generally the Brits who, like a dog with a rabbit, sometimes cannot let a trifling turn of phrase or a misspelled word go.  Many of the "older" (in parenthesis because the were probably not old, just around for longer) have disappeared due to rude retorts, OTT responses and, frankly, annoying and habitual posts.  Some cannot accept what is being said in good faith without resorting to insults which has really brought one of the better chat sites in Spain (and there are dozens and dozens of them) down a notch or two.  Yes, we have our Trolls.  A certain Belgian (failed restauranteur in Spain) likes winding up the British (see how I'm getting the terminology?)  and pretends to be what he is not.  Some have recognised him ("oh, with a response like that you can't be British", was one reply) but he is easily ignored.  Others come on to blatanly advertise a product, a service, a restaurant or whatever but they are generally given short thrift.

So, with all the arguments, the back-biting, the nastiness and so on, it is still a good site where information can be exchanged.  Don't get bogged down with the pettiness, the pedantics, the spitefulness as it does the poster and the respondee no favours at all.

Oh, and I've searched and searched but Royanne Uni is not a phrase used in any language whatsoever, including Eurovisionese!  Reino Unido as, after all, this is Eye on Spain.