A world super power only decades ago, England still conserves some of the relics of its colonial past, gathered from all four corners of the Empire. And a royal family that the tabloids love to make fun of. It is not whinging in the Britannic spirit, but rather self-deprecation when faced with a history that resembles no other. Experience the customs - the tea ceremony being only the most famous example- that define English tradition. London, of course, fascinates by its excess, its disparate communities and its taste for eccentricity. But even on the south coast, more conducive to holiday-making, life moves to the beat of a drum. England boasts an education system among the most recognised in the world, notably in the university centres of Oxford and Cambridge. There, it is easy to meet students to practise English with and to make the obligatory visit to the pub. English cuisine, traditionally derided the world over, has improved enormously over the last thirty years. Be sure to sample fish and chips from a “proper chippy”, and the Full English Breakfast: fried bacon, fried eggs, fried sausages, fried bread (yes), fried black pudding, fried mushrooms, baked beans in tomato sauce, and toast and butter. For more exotic palates, head for one of the India and Pakistani restaurants, found all over the island. Lovers of pop culture or classic art, horse riding or double-decker bus trips, old buildings or nightclubs… England unites opposites. That’s one way to recognise this fiercely independent country.