Материал к уроку о Великобритании 8 класс

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Great Britain is a country which actually has several names. They are Great Britain, UK and England. Many foreigners say 'England' when they mean the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This is very annoying for the 5 million people living in Scotland, the 2.8 million in Wales and 1.5 million in Northern Ireland who are certainly not English. (46 million people live in England.) That’s why it is recommended to call them British. English is the official language, but it is not the only language which people speak in the country.

The United Kingdom is an abbreviation of 'the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. It is often further abbreviated to 'UK', and is the political name of the country which is made of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (sometimes known as Ulster). Several islands off the British coast are also part of the United Kingdom (for example, the Isle of Wight, the Orkneys, Hebrides and Shetlands, and the Isles of Scilly), although the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not. However, all these island do recognize the Queen.

Great Britain is the name of the island which is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and in fact in does not include Northern Ireland. The origin of the word 'Great' is as follows: in many European languages  the words for Britain and Brittany in France are the same, so to distinguish between the two geographical names French people began to use 'Grande Bretagne'. In everyday conversations 'Britain' is used to mean the United Kingdom.

To sum up, 'the United Kingdom' (or 'Britain') is the preferable name to use if you refer to the country in a political, rather than in a geographical way. 'British' refers to people from the UK, Great Britain or the British Isles in general.

The British Isles is the geographical name that refers to all the islands off the north-west coast of the European continent. Britain is one of the world’s smaller countries, the total area of which is some 244,000 square kilometers, which is one thirtieth of all Europe. The population is over 57 million. About half the people live in a large belt stretching north-westwards from London across England. Other large concentrations of population are in the central lowlands of Scotland, south-east Wales and the Bristol area, parts of north-east England and along much of the English Channel coast.

The climate is generally mild and temperate. The average range of temperature between winter and summer is greatest inland, in the eastern part of the country. During a normal summer the temperature occasionally rises above 30°C in the south; winter temperatures below                            -10°C are rare. January and February are usually the coldest months, July and August – the warmest.

The landscape is rich and varied, sometimes showing marked contrasts within short distances, particularly on the coasts. Most of the land is agricultural, of which over one third is arable. People grow various crops, and the rest is used for pasture. Woodlands cover about 8% of the country.

The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Geographically Great Britain is divided into Lowland Britain and Highland Britain. Lowland Britain comprises Southern and Eastern England. Highland Britain includes Scotland, Wales, the Pennines and the Lake District. The highest mountain – Ben Nevis – is in Scotland. The flora of the British Isled is much varied and the fauna is similar to that of the North-West of Europe. There are many rives in Great Britain. The longest river is the Severn, and the deepest is the Thames. Almost all mountains in Great Britain are in the North and West. They are not high. North-West England is also famous for its beautiful lakes.

Britain has been many centuries in the marking. Before the United Kingdom was formed it took centuries and a lot of armed struggle was involved.

In the early days of history (50-450) England was know as Britain and the people who lived there were called the Britons. There were no big towns on the British Isles at the time. People lived in small villages along the rivers or near the sea. The Britons caught fish, grew wheat and had many pigs, cows and sheep in the meadows near the rivers and on the sides of the mountains. Later they learned to make things of wool and metal and sold them to the people who came across the sea. The Romans with Julius Caesar at the head invaded the British Isles and forced the population to pay tribute. The Romans kept their armies in Britain. They build roads and had the country under control. They protected themselves from the attacks of the Britons by the walls which they built across Britain. You can see the Roman walls in Britain even now. Here is Hadrian’s Wall which was built by the emperor Hadrian in the 122. The Romans left the country only in the second half of the 5^th century. The Roman armies were called back to Italy where they defended the country from barbaric peoples.

In the 15^th century, a Welsh prince, Henry Tudor, became King Henry VII of England. Then his son, King Henry VIII, united England and Wales under one Parliament in 1536. In Scotland a similar things happened. The King of Scotland inherited the crown of England and Wales in 1603, so he became King James VI of Scotland. The Parliaments of England, Wales and Scotland were united a century later in 1707. But the British and Irish parliaments were not united until 1801. In 1922 the southern part of Ireland, predominantly Roman Catholic in religion, became a separate state. Northern Ireland, with its Protestant majority, has remained part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Nowadays, Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The power of the Queen is limited by the Parliament, which consists of two House of Commons House of Lords. The Prime Minister is usually the head of the party in power.

The English language developed from Anglo-Saxon and is a Germanic language. However, all the invading peoples, particularly the Norman French, influenced the English language and you can find many words in English which are French in origin. Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English (even if they speak their own language as well), but all the countries have their own special accent and dialects, and their people are easily recognizable as soon as they speak. Occasionally, people from the four countries en the United Kingdom have difficulty in understanding one another because of their different accents. A southern English accent is generally accepted to be the most easily understood, and is the accent usually taught to foreigners.

  Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It exports machinery, vessels, motors and the other goods.      

England

England occupies the largest part of the island of Great Britain. This part of the country is divided into 39 non-metropolitan and 7 metropolitan (that is, including a big city) counties.

Southern England is dominated by London and the suburbs, which stretch for miles around the capital into what is called 'home counties'.

The Country of DEVONSHIRE is one of England's biggest counties. Exeter is one of the chief cities of the county and one of the most historic cities of Britain. Despite the severe damage is received in a single bombing raid in the Second World War, the city retains enough of its past to repay exploration. Its theatre, cinemas, shops and the bustle of a thriving modern city make an interesting contrast with the ancient cathedral and the secluded villages within a short distance of the city centre.

The surrounding Devon countryside is one of England's richest areas of pastureland and is famous for its thick cream and cream cheese; a delicious specialty is the 'cream tea', a pot of tea served with small scones topped with cream and jam.

Devonshire is also famous for Plymouth, one of the largest cities of the West Country. It was formed from the union of the old towns of Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport. The centre of the city was almost obliterated during the Second World War.

The Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth to America in the 'Mayflower' in 1620; and in 1772 James Cook departed from Plymouth on his great 3-year circumnavigation of the world.

Outside the city is a large and beautiful national park, Dartmoor, and Plymouth is only a few miles from some of the most beautiful beaches in Britain. During the summer thousands of tourists come to the area and use Plymouth as a centre for exploring the countries of Devon and Cornwall.

The main town the Country of OXFORDSHIRE is Oxford.

Many periods of English history are impressingly documented in Oxford's streets, houses, colleges and chapels. Within one square mile alone the city has more than 900 buildings of architectural and historic interest.

For the visitor it presents a challenge – there is no single building that dominates Oxford, no famous fortress of huge cathedral that will give you a short-cut view of the city. Even Oxford's famous university is spread amidst a tangle of 35 different colleges and halls in various pars of the city centre, side by side with shops and offices.

Similarly Oxford's great University had no exact moment of birth, but rather evolved during the 11^th century at a time of greater intellectual curiosity. It grew up like European universities for the education of clerics, teaching theology, law, mathematics, natural philosophy and rhetoric. Today the University consists of 35 independent colleges and 5 'halls'. For its part, the University provides central libraries, laboratories and services.

The Country of WARWICKSHIRE is the birthplace of William Shakespeare. It is a fascinating region with its unparalleled variety of attractions.

The predominant on Stratford-upon-Avon are William Shakespeare and his works, but even he had not been born and died there the town would still be an interesting place to visit.

William Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford. His mother was the daughter of a prosperous local farmer; his father was a glover and wool dealer who rose to become town Mayor. In Shakespeare's time the town Grammar School which still remains provided pupils with an excellent classical education. Shakespeare's Birthplace in Henley Street is a half-timbered building of a type common in Elizabethan Stratford. When William was a child part of his family home was used by his father in connection with his trade as a glover. Today, one half of the property, including the living-room, the kitchen and bedrooms, has period furnishings which re-create the atmosphere of a middle-class home of a period. The other half contains an exhibition illustrating the life and work of the dramatist as well as the history of the property itself.

The Insect City is devoted to spiders and insects which are best kept behind glass in landscaped cages closely resembling their natural habitats.

The ISLE of MAN lies between England and Ireland. A large island lying in the Irish Sea, Man, was once a Viking colony and retains many old Norse relics and traditions. The island's parliament, the House of Keys, is one of the oldest in the world, with a history going back more than a thousand years. Every year on July 5^th, an ancient ceremony is enacted on Tynwald Hill, when the lieutenant-governor reads a summary of all the Acts of Parliament passed in the preceding year. It was at Tynwald that the Norsemen had their original seat of government and it is fitting that the lieutenant-governor reads the law today both in Manx and English. Manx is yet another of the varied languages spoken in the British Isles. Unlike Welsh and Gaelic, it is not in common use, being reserved for ceremonial occasions.

Douglas, capital of the Island, is a vivid town with a spectacular promenade on which you'll see horse trams still at work. This doesn't mean that Douglas is behind the times – modern ballrooms and hotels have made in into a plush, well-equipped resort. Surprisingly, Douglas is the busiest cross-Channel harbour in the British Isles.

The real charm and interest of Man lies away from the capital. Places like Castletown (which was once the island's seat of government and possesses an ancient castle rebuilt as a replica of medieval times). It is fascinating to travel around the island in the narrow-gauge trains, or in the electric car that runs along the cliffs from Douglas to Ramsey, with a branch from Laxey to the summit of Snaefell (2,034 feet).

The Isle of Man offers abundant moorland scenery, crowded beaches, secluded coves, even palm-fringed shores (at Ramsey, the latitude is 55 degrees), the world's largest ballroom with space for 7,000 couples on the floor, fishing and golf, earsplitting island deeply soaked in history, living for summer pleasure, yet proud and independent.  

Scotland

Scotland is a land of scenic beauty. The dramatic Highlands with their snow-capped mountains, wooded glens and shining lochs gradually give way to the meandering salmon rivers, rich farmlands and picturesque villages of the Lowlands.

This is the land of tartans and fine malt whisky, of romantic castles and the haunting melodies of bagpipes. Scotland also has a rich cultural heritage, epitomized by the lively Highland Games which take place up and down the country between May and September. As many a gathering, you'll see the swirl of the kilt in events like tossing the caber, throwing the hammer and sword dancing, accompanied by the skirl of the piper the beat of masses drums. The appeals of Scotland are undoubtedly unique and the unbeatable hospitability of the Scottish people will make your visit one to be fondly remembered.

Scotland is bounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and in the east by the North Sea. The mainland stretches 440 kilometers from north to south, has a maximum width of 248 kilometers and is grinded by numerous islands, of which the principal group are the Orkney and the Shetland islands to the north and the Hebrides to the west.

Scotland is also as close to Norway as it is to Scotland, and 500 years ago it was part of Norway. Today it is still proud of its traditional music, and it is famous for its traditional music, and it is famous for its wool and knitting designs.

In the Western Isles, the Island of Harris produces some of the most famous cloth in the world, known as 'tweed'.

The total area of Scotland is 78,800 square kilometers, representing 32% of the area of Britain. The area comprises some 77,100 kilometers of land and 1,700 square kilometers of island water. The coastline, including that of the islands, measures some 10,100 kilometers.

The landscape has many contrasts: mountains and lowlands; deep glens (narrow valleys) and coastal plains; as well as forests, rivers and lochs (lakes). On the Atlantic side long inlets penetrate the land, forming sea lochs, while on the east coast the North Sea has eroded the softer sands and formed wide estuaries.

Scotland’s climate is temperate, influenced by the Gulf Stream from the North Atlantic. Rainfall varies from an annual average of about 190 centimeters in the montaneous parts of the north and west to 75 centimeters in the east. During some winter the upland areas, particularly the upland areas, particularly the Highlands, experience heavy snowstorms with severe drifting. A feature of the summer is the ling twilight. In the far north there is no complete darkness at midsummer.

Scotland has just over a tenth as many people as English, in an area more than half as big. It was a separate kingdom, with powerful local lairds, until 1603, when its King James VI became King James I of England, too. From then onwards the two countries had the same monarch, though the Act of Union was not passed until 1707. This Act incorporated Scotland with England in the United Kingdom, but the Scots kept their own legal system, religion and administration and still keep them now. Thus Scotland has never been united with England in the same way as Wales.

The Scottish courts are organized quite differently from the English, and the law itself is different – though on some matters legislation affecting Scotland has made the law the same in the two countries. Most cases in Scotland are tried in sheriff courts, which have no exact equivalent in England. Sheriffs and sheriffs-substitute are advocates who have been appointed to judicial posts. They deal with fairly minor criminal cases under summary procedure, sitting without juries or with juries to try more serious cases. A Scottish jury consists of 15 persons instead of 12, and is not bound to find a person 'guilty' or 'not guilty'; it may fond a charge 'not proven'. The most important cases are tried before courts presided over by judges of the Court of Session, who travel around or circuit. They have the official title of 'Lord' of the House of Lords.          

Wales

Wales is approximately 242 kilometers from north top south. About two-thirds of the total population live in the South Wales coastal area, where the three biggest towns are located: Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.

 The Welsh are very proud of their language and culture. These are best preserved in the north and west of the country, for in the south and east they have been more challenged by industrialization. The west coast, mid Wales and North Wales are wild and beautiful!

Although visitors don't need passports to cross the border from England into Wales they soon realize that they are entering a country with its own distinct geography, culture and, of course, language.

Medieval Welsh folklore abounds on stories of heroes who leap on to bubbles without breaking them, of missionary saints who sail the leaves. These legends are the product of a land whose remote mountains, lakes, windswept cliffs and languid sands still have the power to unfetter the imagination.

There are more tangible remains of the past. The rocks of Anglesey are pre-Cambrian, the first to be formed for more than 3,000 million year ago as the molten earth began to harden at its crust. Worn by time and ages of slowly moving ice, Anglesey is today rather flat. It grows crops, reaps sheep, has an attractive coastline and good bathing and sailing facilities, and boasts a splendid view of Snowdonia.

The Welsh Massif is mainly plateau country with much moorland, well known for its cool and rainy climate. Settlements and farmlands are largely concentrated in the valleys and along the coast. The windy high plateaux have little use except as rough pasture for sheep, which are very numerous on the uplands. Sheep-grazing employs few men and the high plateaux of Wales are very sparsely populated. Settlements are usually small and are scattered as single farmsteads.

The Welsh language, which is Celtic, has survived in parts of the north and west, more spontaneously than the rather similar Gaelic language of Scotland, Cornwall and Brittany. In the past 20 years there has been a serious a attempt to revive the language. All over Wales children in the counties' school are required to spend some time learning Welsh, though many of them do not remember much beyond the correct pronunciation of place names like Troedyrniw and Cwmrhydyeirw. Anyone can claim a right to speak Welsh in a court of law, or to use it in academic examinations. Many official jobs are reserved for people who have at least some ability to speak Welsh. Public documents and notices are in Welsh and English, and road signposts show place names either are in Welsh only or in both Welsh and English spelling. Nobody drives to Cardiff without knowing it by that name, but the signposts also call it Caerdydd.

Welsh nationalism is mainly and linguistic. The national flag, with its fine dragon, is regularly displayed, the Welsh national anthem played and sung. The 800-year-old National Eisteddfod, a festival of Welsh music and poetry dating from the 12^th century, is held each year with official help. It is a competition held in the first week of August Welsh is the official language of the festival. Prizes are awarded for music, prose and poetry art and drama.

The prize is awarded to the best poet in a very colorful ceremony. When the poet's name is called, he comes forward to the platform. There he is given a purple robe to wear and a crown of golden oak-leaves is placed on his head. He is given very little money for his poem-only about 20 pounds – but he is treated with the highest honors and respect the whole year: he is the king of poets.

Another out tending event of the festival is the choral singing. The country's best choirs prepare all year; they sing the country's ancient songs and everybody joins in the singing.

Plaid Cymru, the Welsh National Party, won three of the country's 30 seats at the election of 1987, all in the Welsh-speaking for north-west. But in more than half of the constituencies in Wales its candidates received less than 5% of the votes cast, and so lost their deposits.

The Welsh tradition is best exemplified in the many eisteddfods held every year. The best known is Hangollen. These are the competitions in music and verse and express the tradition of hywl, or fervour, which generations of preachers have led a chapel-going people to expect from those who deal in the spoken word.

Northern Ireland

The province of Northern Ireland (sometimes called 'Ulster') consists of six counties: Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermagah and Londonderry. The province is surrounded by sea to the north and east, by the republican counties of Donegal to the west and Cavan and Monaghan to the south.

The Antrim coast is a remarkable stretch of country. Its geological composition goes back 300 million years. In Country Antrim, which lies to the north of Belfast, there are many delightful holiday resorts. The country is bounded by the river Bann and the lake of Lough Neagh on the west. The eastern part of the country consists of a basalt plateau through which deep glens descend north-eastward to the sea, a wide area of splendid moorland scenery. At its north-east corner at Fair Head the county looks out towards Scotland with a black perpendicular cliff 636 feet in height. Along the north coast, Antrim meets the Atlantic Ocean with a like of Stern and splendid cliffs. Some of the ships of the great Armada sent by Philip II of Spain against England were smashed to pieces against these in the wild weather of 1588. At gaps in the cliffs, at the foot of glens, there are many pleasant seaside resorts and some fine beaches.

If we west out northwards from Belfast by the road along the side of Belfast Lough, the first town of importance is Carrick Fergus, once the principal town in Ulster, with its 12^th century castle in good preservation. Then we come to the pleasant residential and seaside town of White head. From there the road runs beside Larne Lough, a long inlet of the sea, beyond which lies the peninsula of Island Magee, popular as a seaside resort of the quieter kind. Larne is a port town and has a steamship service to and from Stranraer in Scotland, the shortest sea crossing between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The town is also a holiday resort.

County Down is one of the best farming counties in Ireland. It is closely associated with St Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, after whom the county town of Down Patrick is named. In the south of the county are the Moume Mountains.

Fermagah is almost as much lake as land, with huge Lough Erne running through its centre. Ennis Killen is the county town.

The rivers and lakes of Fermagah are heavy with fish, and the largest lake in the area, Lough Erne, holds many world fishing records. Fermagah is still wonder fully empty of crowds and the fishermen can go all day without meeting anything more than a raven or a swan.

The county of Londonderry has fine beaches in the north and the Sperrin Mountains in the south. The county town, Londonderry, is one of the two most important cities in Northern Ireland. The city of Derry has a long history going back 1,400 years. At the time of the plantation the city of London in England sent over builders and money to rebuild Derry. As a result, Derry was renamed Londonderry, but today both the long and the short names are used.

The best way to see the city of Derry is to walk along the famous city wall built by the planters in 1614. The wall is about 1.5 kilometers around and 6.5 meters thick. It is still unbroken – the only complete city wall in Britain or Ireland – in spite of the fact that it has stood against several sieges.

Belfast is one of the youngest capital cities on the world and it has grown incredibly fast. Today the city has a population of 400,000, nearly third of the endive population of Northern Ireland, but in the 17^th century it was only a village. Then, during the 19^th century, the development of industries like lien, rope-making, engineering, tobacco and the sea-trade doubled the town's size every ten years. The city is well-known for shipbuilding – it was here that the 'Titanic', was built and sent out on her fatal maiden voyage.

Some of the Belfast streets have often been the scenes of violence – street – names such as the Falls Road and Shankill Road are well known throughout Britain because they have been heard so often on the news – but people still live in Belfast, and do go out and enjoy themselves. In spite of the years of trouble, there are many cultural and leisure facilities.

The central area of Belfast consists of very marshy ground and this has necessitated the piling of most large buildings, including the City Hall. The handsome Telephone House at the end of May Street, for example, has at its foundation a concrete raft supported in 400 concrete piles sunk to an average depth of 42 feet. The Albert Memorial Clock in high Street is one of those buildings which despite piling have shown signs of sub sidence. Built nearly 100 years ago, this Belfast landmark shows visible evidence of a desire to emulate the learning tower of Pisa. The hands, by the way, move only each half-minute. The 'Albert's' great night is New Year's Eve, when celebrating crowds gather around it and many a bottle is splintered against its massive walls.

London

London is the capital of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of the biggest cities of the world. Its population is more than 11 million people. This is the heart and soul of the country. The most outstanding characteristic of London is the number of historical cites, so the city offers visitors a journey through centuries of history. You can really 'walk through the ages' there.

London was founded in the first century A.D. by the Romans. They left London in the 5^th century and the city was abandoned. However, three centuries later London became a lively trading center again. According to historians it was in the 11^th century that London became the capital of England.

A palace and abbey were built at Westminster by Edward the Confessor. The Norman period was marked by the Tower, old St Paul's Cathedral and a large number of churches and monasteries.

Medieval London gained an important role of a trading center, which resulted in the fact that in 1215 its citizens won the right to elect their own leader or Lord of Mayor. While Tudors and Stuarts were ruling the country, London began to spread beyond the city walls.

A terrible disaster struke in 1666 when the Great Fire destroyed three-quarters of the city. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt St Paul's Cathedral and designed 51 churches. The rebuilding of London followed the medieval street plan, but the old wooden houses were took down and replaced by brick buildings so that the future fire risk would be reduced.

During the 19^th century London was notably increased in territory. Consequently, new forms of transport were developed, including the underground railway system. Two architectural gems were erected. They are the Houses of Parliament and St Pancras Station.

Large areas of London were destroyed by bombs during World War II, which required significant restoration. Newly cleaned and restored buildings are rebuilt and the city looks revitalized.

Today in its full extent Great London covers 625 square miles and consists of 33 separate boroughs, including the City, the West End, the East End and houses 7 million people.

Across the river from London Bridge is the City of London which covers an area of about 2.6 square kilometers. About half a million people work there. It is the financial district of the UK, where banks, offices and Stock Exchange are situated. The City has its own historic delights, for instance 15^th century Guildhall and churches designed by you are always close to the past.

All the historical places and famous parks are in the West End. The West End, spreading from the political center at Westminster includes the shopping area of the Knightsbridge, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and the fashionable Covent Garden; it hosts museum and galleries, among them are the Tate Gallery, the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery, the British Museum. In the West End there are Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. The best known street are: Whitehall with important Governmental offices, Downing Street, the residence of Prime Minister, and Fleet Street which stands for the press.

The name 'West End' is associated with wealth and luxury. The port of London is in the 'East End'. It is an area of docks, unattractive in appearance, but very important in the country's commerce. The East End is also one of those areas of London where people from abroad have come to find work. For centuries foreigners have made London their home. Some have had to leave their country for religious or political reasons. Others have wanted to find a better life. Some brought new skills and started new industries.

During the last century, East End criminals developed a special kind of slang or language which made it difficult for the police.

However, those who live in London say that the English capital is not only historical place. It is modern and thrilling metropolis which is well-known for its popular culture, street fashion, clubs, and visual arts. The city offers a rich variety of restaurants, for example in Marco Pierre White's restaurant at the Hyde Park Hotel you can taste new English cuisine.

London is undoubtedly one of the worlds greatest and most cosmopolitan cites.

National Emblems

The Rose

The red rose was the emblem of the Lancastrians, the white rose that of the Yorkists, the two contending Houses for the English throne in the Roses (1455-1485). All rivalry between the Roses ended by the marriage of Henry VII, the Lancastrian with Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV, the Yorkist. The red rose has since become the national emblem of England.  

The Thistle

The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. This is how, according to a curious legend, that homely plant came to be chosen as a badge, in preference to any other.

In very ancient times the Norsemen once landed some where on the east coast of Scotland, with the intention of plundering and setting, the country. The Scots assembles with their arms and took their stations behind the river Tay, the largest in Scotland, at the only practicable ford. As they arrived late in the day, weary and tires after a long march, they pitched their camp and rested, not expecting the enemy before the next day.

The Norsemen, however, were near; noticing that no guards or sentinels protested the camp; they crossed the river Tay, intending to take the Scots by surprise and slaughter them in their sleep. To this end, they took off their shoes so as to make the least noise possible. But one of the Norsemen stepped on a thistle. The sudden and sharp pain he felt caused him to shriek. The alarm was given in the Scots' camp. The Norsemen were put to flight, and as an acknow ledgement for the timely and unexpected help from the thistle, the Scots took it as their national emblem.

The Leek

Welshmen all over the world celebrate St David's Day by wearing either leeks or daffodils. The link between the leek and St David is the belief that he is supposed to have lived for several years on brad and will leeks.

There is conclusive evidence that Welshmen wore leeks on St David's Day in Shakespeare's time. In 'Henry V' Fluellen tells the king: 'If you Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks in their Monmouth caps; which, your Majesty knows, to this how is an honorable pledge of the service; and I do believe your Majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day! '

The daffodil is also associated with St David's Day, due to the belief that it flowers on that day. It became an alternative century, because some thought the leek vulgar.

The Shamrock

What the red rose is to Englishmen and the leek and daffodil to the Welsh, the little shamrock is to the Irish, and no Irishman worth his salt fails to wear this national emblem on St Patrick's Day, March 17. It is worn in memory of Ireland's patron saint, whose cross is embodied in the Union Jack by the thin red one under the cross of St George. A popular notion is that when preaching the doctrine of the Trinity to the pagan Irish St Patrick used the shamrock, a small white clover bearing three leaves on the stem as an illustration of the mystery.

 Shortly after the formation of the Irish Guards in 1902 the custom of presenting the national emblem to the new regiment on St Patrick's Day began. An equally tenacious observance on St Patrick's Day is wetting the Shamrock, the convivial aspect of Irish loyalty to their patron saint.