Icon of England

PeterH Oct 29, 2005 12:33:47

If you had to picture one thing that represents England - what would it be? To identify an icon for England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a new website commissioned by Culture Online. Everything is being considered from Stonehenge to Big Ben, but judging from the Culture Minister's apparent lack of interest in heritage and preference for sport, her chosen icon is more likely to be the FA Cup!
At the moment, the Icons team is pulling together nominations from a variety of sources including English Heritage. You can visit the Icons website http://www.icons.org.uk/ and contribute ideas and pictures. What images do you think represents England?

VenerableBottyBurp Oct 29, 2005 12:52:50

Replying to PeterH

It's a bit dated, but I would still go for that picture of Thatcher taking the purse from the woman's handbag.

VBB

StoneLifter Oct 29, 2005 14:26:18

Replying to PeterH

George Best ?

mike croley Oct 29, 2005 16:23:01

Replying to PeterH

A field full of sheeple

mike

Littlestone Oct 29, 2005 18:38:47

Replying to PeterH

An oak tree :-)

Rune Oct 29, 2005 23:16:21

Replying to PeterH

>>>An oak tree :-)<<<

Nice one!

I'm torn between a montage of England's Green and Pleasant Land and The Weather.

pixie1948 Oct 30, 2005 00:58:32

Replying to PeterH

Being a little cynical - what about Thornborough henges with Nosterfield quarry next to it. That is the way a lot of people seem to regard heritage these days, thankfully not TMAers

Elaine

fitzcoraldo Oct 30, 2005 01:01:46

Replying to PeterH

irene handl

nigelswift Oct 30, 2005 09:21:30

Replying to PeterH

If it's to be a true reflection, good and bad, how about this...

http://www.circlemakers.org/Img/chalk_bb_03.jpg

Modern Britain - landscape, history, art, continuity, .... and chav culture.

follow that cow Oct 30, 2005 12:59:59

Replying to PeterH

As we all know All the Antiquities were constructed well before there was any such notion of political boundries. Silbury, Stonehenge etc' is as English as Callanish or the Ring of Brodgar.

To be peculiarly English it would need to be from the period of the Norman Invasion to the Union on the Nations.

I suggest The Tower of London, or how about Holbein's portrait of 'Enery the 'Aitff?

Littlestone Oct 30, 2005 13:14:22

Replying to PeterH

And while we're at it how about a new flag - now that 'crosses' and a 'United' 'Kingdom' are increasingly irrelevant. Wales has its dragon, Canada it's maple leaf, Japan its sun, Korea its Yin-Yang symbol.

The oak is a strong symbol of England with all the best connotations and none of the worst (I did consider the rose but that has a prickly side to it and could lead to another war :-)

Suggest therefore that the new English flag should be a green oak tree on a single colour background.

Jane Oct 30, 2005 14:45:45

Replying to PeterH

I know he's unfashionable as an artist and it's not prehistoric but John Constable says it ALL about England in his painting 1821 painting 'The Haywain'.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG1207
Changable weather, a love of dogs and horses, a very close relationship with mud, a love of trees and rivers, ordinary hard working resourceful people...

No one has ever photographed or painted skies quite like Constable. Turner comes close, but Constable has it all. He did a pretty hot sketch of Stonehenge, too.

My prehistoric vote would go to the Uffington White Horse, obviously.

Ike Oct 30, 2005 17:11:06

Replying to PeterH

Buldog/Staffy with a gold chain and burberry cap ;-)

and a Union Jack waist coat.

:-)

Bluebell Nov 2, 2005 09:15:29

Replying to PeterH

well since I am an iconoclast......

how about John Milton the poet of the English Revolution uncompromising Puritan Republican even when it became unfasionable in 1660. Escaping with his life due to his catholic royalist relatives......

Bluebell