"Hello, I'm Leonie Dodd and welcome to Window on Britain." "What do you know about Britain?" "How many people live here?" "What's the capital city?" "What are the names of other famous cities?" "The answers are in this programme." "This is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." "That means England, Scotland, Wales... and Northern lreland." "The population of Britain is over fifty-eight million." "Forty-nine million people live in England." "Five million live in scotland... about three million in Wales... and one and a half million in Northern Ireland." "Seven million people live in London... the capital city." "The Prime Minister lives here at 10 Downing Street... near the Houses of Parliament." "The Head of State is the Queen." "The Queen's head is on banknotes... stamps and coins." "In London she lives here in Buckingham Palace... a very popular place for tourists." "Other famous towns and cities in Britain are..." "Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland... with its old castle." "York - with its beautiful cathedral, called York Minster... and its narrow streets." "Stratford-upon-Avon, the birth place of William Shakespeare." "Liverpool... once a very important port... and the home of The Beatles." "Cambridge... and Oxford - both famous for their universities." "And famous for their bicycles!" "In both cities a lot of people travel around by bike." "Towns and cities are important... but the countryside's important, too." "Over seventy-five percent of the land in Britain is farmland." "But not many people are farmers... in fact, only two percent of the working population." "Britain also has ten National Parks." "They cover nine percent of the land." "All these parks have wonderful countryside." "This is the Lake District in the north-west of England." "It has beautiful hills and lakes." "A lot of British people come here on holiday." "And foreign tourists." "Over twenty-four million foreign tourists come to Britain every year." "They visit lots of places." "For example, the Giant's Causeway in Northern lreland." "This is Stonehenge." "What is it?" "Well, nobody really knows." "Perhaps it's a temple; or a clock... or is it a calendar?" "In Wales the Snowdon National Park is very popular." "And look" " Welsh people don't just speak English... about twenty percent of the population speak Welsh, too." "Britain is an island." "But it isn't only one island." "In fact there are over eight hundred." "These ones are on the beautiful west coast of Scotland." "I'm at Waterloo Station in London." "From here, trains go through the Channel Tunnel to Paris, in France... and to Brussels in Belgium." "Is Britain really an island now?" "Do you go to school on Saturdays?" "Do you wear a uniform?" "Do you like school?" "Well, in this programme, we look at British schools... and British students." "Most children start primary school at the age of five." "Then at eleven they go to secondary school." "All children stay at secondary school to the age of sixteen." "And at sixteen in England they take GCSE examinations... that is the General Certificate of Secondary Education." "After these exams about thirty percent of students leave school." "The others usually study three subjects for two more years... and then take 'A' levels... or Advanced level examinations." "About twenty percent of eighteen-year-olds go to university." "They usually leave home... and go to a university in a different town or city." "Another twenty percent go on to other kinds of education and training." "This is the John Mason School in Abingdon near Oxford." "Students go to school from Monday to Friday... and school starts at nine o'clock." "Hurry up, it's nearly nine o'clock!" "Most schools are mixed - they're for boys and girls." "And at most secondary schools the students wear a uniform." "This is the first class of the day." "It's Maths." "Hmm." "That's a bit difficult." "On average there are about twenty-two students... in a secondary school class... and about twenty-seven are in a primary school class." "British students have a wide choice of subjects." "This is an art class." "Here's a Food Technology class... the students learn about food and cooking." "This is a Design and Technology class." "Science, of course." "And foreign languages." "Many British school children only learn a foreign language... from the age of eleven." "Most students study French." "Other popular languages are Spanish and Italian." "They also study other subjects - like information Technology..." "History..." "Geography..." "English Literature... and Religion." "Students have lessons in the morning... and then a break of an hour for lunch." "Some go home for lunch... some bring sandwiches with them... and some eat here in the school canteen." "What's on the menu today?" "Chips and beans." "There are classes in the afternoon... and school finishes at about four o'clock." "After school some students do other activities like sport." "Football's very popular... but so are other games like netball... rugby and badminton." "And some students learn music." "Daniella plays the violin." "She's good." "Oh, thank you." "I'm not!" "Ninety-two percent of British schools are state schools." "That means they're free." "The government pays - not the parents." "Eight percent of schools are independent." "The parents of these students pay for their education." "Some of these independent schools are boarding schools." "The students don't live at home during term time... they live at the school." "And some of these schools have very traditional uniforms." "These boys are from Eton - a very famous independent school near Windsor." "What do British students really think about their schools?" "I think school's great." "I Iike school most of the time." "I really like History and Art." "I Iove Art and Drama." "I don't like Geography." "I don't like French." "Homework's OK." "I don't like homework." "I really hate homework." "School food's all right, sometimes." "I Iove school food." "Well, what do you think?" "Are British schools good... or do you prefer your school?" "Hi!" "In this programme we look at British food." "Most people know about roast beef, bacon and eggs, fish and chips." "But what do the British really eat?" "It's early morning in Britain." "Milkmen bring milk to people's houses." "Usually before breakfast." "This is the Robinson family at breakfast." "And this is the usual breakfast - milk and cereal... toast with jam or marmalade... fruit juice, tea or coffee." "Mr Robinson prefers this - the traditional English breakfast - bacon, egg, sausage, tomato and fried bread." "But people don't eat it very often now." "Excuse me!" "Sorry!" "Mmm!" "Wonderful!" "Only four hours to lunch." "Lunch is at about twelve or one o'clock." "At lunchtime people usually only have a break of an hour." "So they often just have a sandwich or a snack." "In some shops they sell an amazing number of different sandwiches." "Most people buy their food from supermarkets." "Fresh food and convenience food." "You don't prepare convenience food." "You just put it in the oven or the microwave - even the traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding." "The Robinsons usually prepare their own food." "Most people have their main meal in the evening." "And dinner - the evening meal - is usually at about six or seven o'clock." "People have meat or fish and vegetables." "Pizza and pasta are popular, too." "But people don't just eat at home." "They also go out." "And they don't always eat British food." "Britain has a lot of foreign restaurants... and British people like food from all over the world." "London has restaurants from over forty-two different countries." "Chinese and Indian restaurants are very popular... and so are Thai and Italian." "But what do British teenagers really like or not like?" "I really like ice-cream." "I Iike chips and cheeseburgers." "I hate cauliflower." "I hate sausages." "I love chocolate." "I Iike bacon, but I don't like onions." "I don't like pasta and vegetables." "I m a vegetarian so I don't eat any meat or fish." "I Iike salad because I'm a vegetarian." "I especially like pasta with loads of cheese on top." "The British also go out to eat traditional food - like fish and chips." "And it isn't expensive." " Hello." " Cod and chips, please." " Salt and vinegar?" " Yes, please." "Here you are." "That's £3.50, please." " Thanks." " Thank you." " Bye." " Bye." "British people eat three hundred million servings... of fish and chips a year." "Mmm!" "Delicious!" "This is my favourite food." "What's yours?" "Hello." "Do you live in a house or a flat?" "Have you got a garden or a balcony?" "Have you got a pet?" "In this programme we look at some typical British homes... and some unusual ones... and we see life in a British home." "How do the British live?" "Some people live in flats... but most British people live in houses." "And houses are all different shapes and sizes." "A bungalow... a cottage... a terraced house... a semi-detached house... and a detached house." "An old house... a new house... a large house... and a small house." "What are they like inside?" "This is the Robinsons' house." "So come in and have a look with me." "This is the living-room or sitting-room." "I Iike this room. lt's got a nice fireplace." "This is where the Robinsons relax." "Have a look round." "They watch television... play games... or read the paper." "They ve got some interesting pictures and books, too." "Well, I'm sorry." "We can't stay here." "You must look at the other rooms." "Come and see the kitchen." "This is a very typical British kitchen." "A fridge... a cooker, an oven... a microwave... a sink and a kettle!" "Kettles are very important." "Mrs. Robinson is making some tea." "The average British person drinks more than eight cups of tea per day!" "The family usually eat here but sometimes... they eat in here." "The dining-room." "This is the room for special meals like birthdays... dinner parties, and Sunday lunches." "Tom's doing his homework here this evening." "Well that's downstairs." "What's upstairs?" "This is Julie's room." "And she isn't doing her homework." "Hi!" "Look at all those posters." "This is Tom's room." "What's he interested in?" "This is their parents' room." "The bathroom." "Some British people like having a shower, but most prefer a bath." "And this is Mrs Robinson's study." "She's a writer, and she works from home." "Over a quarter of British homes have a computer in them now." "Look at this!" "Tom and Julie like using it, too." " Excuse me." " Oh, sorry!" "That's OK." "A lot of British people really like gardening." "What a lovely garden!" "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar!" "And this is Oscar." "He's the fifth member of the family." "The British are very keen on pets." "Not just dogs and cats - rabbits, birds and fish are popular, too." "Of course, not all British people live in homes like this." "About eighteen percent of British people live in flats." "And some people live in very different homes." "Like a castle, or a mansion." "Some people even live in caravans... or on boats!" "And this, of course, is the most famous home in Britain " "Buckingham Palace." "Well, I'm going home now." "Hello." "What sport do most British people like?" "Is it football, cricket, rugby or something else?" "The answer is very surprising." "In this programme we look at sport... and we begin with some famous sporting venues." "This is Wembley - the scene of some great football matches." "All tennis players want to win the tournament at Wimbledon." "St Andrew's, in Scotland, is the home of golf." "Henley, on the River Thames, is the centre of the world of rowing." "And here, in London, is Lord's." "It's the headquarters of the game of cricket - a very British game!" "But sport isn't only for experts - all over Britain more and more people are taking up... different sports and activities." "Swimming's popular." "There are over twenty thousand public swimming pools in Britain." "How often do you go swimming?" "I go swimming once a week." "I go swimming three times a week." "I go twice a week." " Why do you go swimming?" " Because it's fun." "I go swimming because it's fun, and it's a great sport." "Lots of people go cycling." "Over one thousand two hundred clubs... belong to the British Cycling Federation." "But the most popular sport in Britain is walking." "About forty percent of British people go walking." "There are two hundred and twenty-five thousand kilometres... of national paths in England and Wales." "These people are walking along the Pennine Way." "It's a very popular walk... and it's four hundred and twelve kilometres long." "Of course, not everybody walks from the start to the finish." "The British love watching sport, too." "On television... and live." "Over fifty-five thousand people... go to see Manchester United play in Manchester... on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon." "Horse racing... motor racing... and rugby are also very popular." "Sport is for everybody - young and old." "These people are doing aerobics." "They do it to keep fit and because they enjoy it." "Some people are more serious about sport." "You find people at this club every night of the week." "Some are training for competitions - some are hurdling..." " and some are running." " Come on." "Go!" "Go!" "Go!" "Well done, that was a good time." "Wow!" "Very fast." "Most towns and cities in Britain... have a variety of sports clubs and facilities - like this athletics club." "They often have large sports centres, too." "And don't forget!" "In Britain you can also play some unusual and interesting games." "Cricket's famous." "But what's this?" "It's croquet." "Originally a French game, it's popular in Britain... especially if you have a large garden." "Is this squash?" "No." "It's called real tennis." "Modern tennis comes from this game." "And what's this?" "It's a Scottish game called curling." "You play it on ice!" "OK." "On your marks." "Get set." "Go!" "I must get fit." "British people celebrate some festivals... like Christmas and Easter - with the rest of Europe." "But some are just British." "Here's a very British festival and a very noisy one!" "This is Guy Fawkes' Night in Britain." "On the fifth of November every year..." "British people remember Guy Fawkes - and his plot to blow up the King and the Houses of Parliament in 1605." "That's Guy Fawkes... and here he is under the Houses of Parliament." "Some soldiers are arresting him and taking him away." "Every November the fifth British people burn a model of Guy Fawkes." "The models are called 'guys'." "Children make them out of old clothes." "There are lots of fireworks, too." "What's this?" "It's Pancake Day." "Pancake Day is in February." "In some towns there are Pancake Races." "People throw pancakes in the air and race at the same time." "And of course they eat lots of pancakes, too." "Look at these beautiful red roses." "And here's a card." "Shhh!" "Let's have a look." "To my darling Julie with lots and lots of love from - and look - there isn't a name... but look at all those kisses!" "Why?" "Because today is a very romantic day." "It's St. Valentine's Day." "On the fourteenth of February... people send cards to someone they are in love with." "But they don't sign the card." "How do you know who it's from?" "You don't." "You guess." "Now it's October the thirty-first, and it's Halloween!" "A festival of ghosts and witches." "People often have parties and children dress up as witches." "But the really important festivals in Britain are Easter and Christmas - especially Christmas." "At Christmas people put up lots of decorations." "This is the Robinsons' Christmas tree." "They keep their presents under it until Christmas Day." "People often spend Christmas with their families." "On Christmas Day they give presents to their friends and family." "What's Mrs Robinson got?" "Oh, how lovely!" "Lucky Mum!" "Thank you, darling." "Oh, great." "Poor old Dad's got four pairs of socks!" "In the morning a lot of families go to church." "They come back home and have a special Christmas dinner - roast turkey... stuffing... roast potatoes... and Brussel sprouts." "These are crackers." "You pull at each end... and inside there's a little present, a paper hat and a joke." "Listen to this: 'Where can you always find a cow?" "'" "'In a Moo-seum'." "Moo-seum - understand?" "Oh!" "Sorry!" "They finish with a traditional Christmas pudding." "Sometimes people put a silver coin in it." "You don't eat it!" "It brings you good luck." "After Christmas there's the last festival of the old year..." " or the first one of the new year" " New Year's Eve." "In Scotland they call it Hogmanay." "All round the country people have parties." "And at midnight everyone sings a traditional song " "'Auld Lang Syne'." "In Trafalgar Square in London there's always a really big party." "Hello." "What do The beatles, David Bowie and Blur have in common?" "All of them begin with the letter 'B'." "And they're all stars of British pop!" "Pop music is big business - not only in Britain but all over the world." "And for many people, English is the language of popular music." "Pop musicians... rock musicians... folk, jazz, heavy metal - most of the world's popular musicians... write and sing songs in English." "Pop music started with rock and roll." "Rock and roll first became popular in the 1950s in the United States." "The real British pop revolution happened here in Liverpool... in the north-west of England." "At the beginning of the 1960s... there were hundreds of bands in Liverpool." "They played in pubs and clubs and halls all round the city." "Not all of these bands became famous... but one of them - the Beatles, changed pop music forever." "John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr... were together for only eight years, from 1962 to 1970." "But in that time they had eighteen Number One hit singles... and made eleven albums." "Altogether they wrote over two hundred songs... and many of these are still popular now." "Other people sing their songs too." "There are more than 2,500 recorded versions of 'Yesterday'... by different bands and singers." "Another popular sixties band, the Rolling Stones... are still playing and recording today." "And this is David Bowie." "He became famous at the end of the 1960s." "He isn't only a musician but also acts in films and plays." "Through the 70s and 80s... there were many stars in the world of pop music." "Some people were only famous for a short time... but others like David Bowie, are still rich and famous today." "So, who do you recognize?" "Who do you remember?" "Here's Elton John." "He is famous for his clothes and glasses!" "George Michael started his career in the group Wham!" "and is now a successful solo singer." "This is Sting." "He often plays concerts for organizations... like Amnesty International..." "Greenpeace and the Rainforest Foundation." "Here's Queen... famous for their amazing live performances." "In the early 1990s bands like Oasis and Blur became popular." "Here you can see Blur... playing a song from their first British number one album..." "'Parklife' in 1994." "This is Charley Street." "They started playing together about fifteen months ago... and they're hoping to be very successful." "Let's meet the band." "This is Richard on lead guitar and backing vocals." "Shaun on drums." "This is Chris who plays bass." "And Joe, the lead singer." "What are you playing for us now?" "This is a song called 'Deal of the Century'." "OK." "This is Charley Street with 'Deal of the Century'." "Well, what do you think?" "Are we going to find them at the top of the pop charts next year... or the year after?" "Who knows?" "For most people fame in the world of pop comes and goes." "You can be famous this week and next week nobody remembers you." "Are we going to remember Oasis and Blur in five years?" "Or ten?" "Or twenty?" "What do you think?" "Hi!" "In this programme we're going to take a look at London." "London is the capital of Britain." "It's a fascinating and exciting city with a very long history." "Let's find out more." "London is on the River Thames." "In about forty-three AD... the Romans built the first bridge over the river... and that was the beginning of the City of London." "Until 1747 there was only one bridge over the Thames." "Now there are twenty-nine... some for cars... some for trains... and some for pedestrians." "Some are very famous like this one " "Tower Bridge." "London has a population of nearly seven million." "It's a big city." "But travelling around it is easy." "You can take a waterbus on the river." "You can go in one of London's famous red buses or black taxis." "Or you can go on the Underground." "Londoners call this 'the Tube'." "It started in 1863, and it was the world's first underground railway." "Over twenty million tourists come here every year - eleven million from abroad... and the rest are tourists from other parts of Britain." "There is so much for people to see in London:" "palaces... churches... cathedrals... the Tower..." "TrafaIgar Square... and lots of museums and art galleries." "And, of course, Madame Tussaud's." "Madame Tussaud brought her exhibition of wax models... to London in 1802... and now over two and a half million people visit it every year." "But London is also a great place for shopping." "This is Harrods, probably the most famous store in Britain." "In 1834 Charles Henry Harrod started a small business as a grocer... in the East End of London." "Today the Harrods store has three hundred departments... on seven floors... and over three thousand staff." "About thirty-five thousand people shop here every day." "Another popular place for shopping is Covent Garden." "It's also a centre of London street life." "You can find street musicians, or buskers, here and street entertainers." "You can also find some good street fashion." "There are always interesting fashions in London." "In the 1960s there was the mini skirt." "Later there were punks and mohicans." "And today in London there is this... and this... and even this." "So what do people like about London?" "I'm going to ask a few people." "Could you tell me what you like most about London?" "The shops, I love shopping." "I Iike the variety of London." "I Iike Madame Tussaud's, the shoes and the foods." "The clubs and the buskers." "Well, London s got a lot of really nice buildings." "The museums, especially the British Museum." "I like the culture, and I like watching the people." "I Iike all of London." "What can you do when the shops and museums are closed?" "Well, there are restaurants... discos... pubs and clubs." "London has over a hundred and thirty cinemas... and more than sixty theatres." "The first performance of this play... the Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, was in 1952." "And yes, at this London theatre they are still performing the same play." "It's a world record." "But London isn't all rush, rush, rush." "There are some wonderful parks... like Hyde Park, Regent's Park and St James's Park... where you can walk, jog, have a picnic... or just relax and get away from the noise." "So you see, there's lots to do in London." "You can always have a good time." "Dr Johnson, a famous English writer, once said..." ""When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."" "Well, I'm not tired of London."