Entertainment:

Music and pop culture in particular has become an inherent feature of British culture over the decades. It began most notably in the early 1960’s with the arrival of the Beatles. The four from Merseyside swept both the nation and the world with Beatlemania and their catchy pop tunes made them one of the most influential bands of all time.

The 1960’s also saw the rise of the Rolling Stones, unlike the clean cut Beatles, the Stones were a trendy rock alternative. Both the Stones and the Beatles continued to have hits for decades while firmly planting British pop culture on the map. The 1970’s introduced us to legends like Elton John and David Bowie who have become synonymous with the durability of British music and it was the beginning of ‘Saturday night fever’ with the Bee Gees. The 1980’s saw a complete transformation in British music with the birth of ‘electropop’ – it was the era of Depeche Mode, New Order, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. By the 1990’s ‘Britpop’ emerged as the growing phenomenon reflecting the new-age British youth.

Indie music became the new craze and bands like Blur, Oasis, and Pulp shot to the top of the charts. It was also the beginning brat-bands, and Take That, East 17, Boyzone and the Spice Girls all had success. The current market is more diverse than it has ever been before.

Although we have seen a surge in manufactured artists such as Will Young, Westlife, Blue and Girls Aloud, there has been a development in hip-hop and RnB music. The importance of music to the British culture is reflected in the development of clubs and bars around the country which have marked the beginnings of a separate ‘club culture’.

Sports, especially since the triumph of England in the football World Cup of 1966, have become a real passion in Britain. Over the last few decades’ tennis, cricket, rugby and football have all been at the heart of British society. Football in particular has become a lucrative business in recent years with players being bought and sold for millions of pounds.

Clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been successful in European competitions and as a result raised the profile of the sport further. The interest in the recent sale of David Beckham from Manchester United to Real Madrid attests to how popular sports and sport personalities are in Britain.

Tennis and Wimbledon especially is a key feature of the British summer when most of us are rooting for Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski. Both the Cricket and Rugby World Cup’s are also keenly followed, and after the recent success of England in the rugby world cup the players returned from Australia to a hero’s welcome.

The British culture would not be complete without a mention of the monarchy. The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is the fortieth monarch since William the Conqueror obtained the crown of England. She was born on 21st April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, London and her official residence is Buckingham Palace. There is a keen interest in the monarchy from royalists, especially in Prince’s William and Harry.