The British Parliament

Why are the British people so proud of W. Shakespeare? Why do they call him the 'Swan of Avon' When we hear the term ‘The Bard‘ our minds immediatley spring to the name William Shakespeare. More specifically, Shakeseare is known as ‘The Bard of Avon‘. This is because he seems to have been given the title in recognition of his stature as ‘great poet’ and the unofficial national poet of England. It was only as the twentieth century advanced that he became inextricably identified with that title. Before that, the mind sprang to the name ‘Robert Burns‘, the Scottish poet. The Scots, proud of their national poet, would still argue that point as to who ‘The Bard’ actually is!The word ‘bard’ has lost its original meaning, although we might use it ironically to refer to a friend or local person who writes poems. In present-day usage the term ‘bard’ has become synonymous with a revered poet (and one who has gifted the world with so many wonderful quotes). Given the reverence in which Shakespeare is held worldwide, and given that the original bard’s tale was of great deeds, great events, and the great themes of heroism, love, war and death, it seems indisputable that Shakespeare is entitled to the name, ‘The Bard’. One of the reasons Shakespeare’s plays and his characters as diverse as Lady Mabeth and Prospero have lasted and grown ever stronger in the worldwide public consciousness as time has passed is that his stories are all filled with those ingredients. Some explore war, some death, and some love; and some explore them all in one play.
What are the main fields of British industry The UK's economy is dominated by services industries. These include retail, hospitality, professional services, business administration and finance. In 2021, services industries contributed £1.7 trillion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy, 80% of total UK GVA
How do the British spend their leisure time Britain's most common leisure activities are home-based or social. Watching television and videos, and listening to the radio are by far the most popular leisure pastimes, with an average of 20 hours a week devoted to these. Britain's regular weekly dramas or 'soap operas' such as 'EastEnders' and 'Coronation Street' have more viewers than any other programme. Listening to music is also a popular pastime, with nearly 140 million compact discs (CDs) bought in 1995. Pop and rock albums are the most common type of music bought, and pop is by far the most popular form of musical expression in Britain. The most common free-time activity outside the home amongst adults is a visit to the pub. Other popular leisure activities include visits to the theatre or cinema. There are over 1,500 cinemas in Britain, and in 1995 nearly one in five adults visited the cinema two or three times. Britain also has about 300 theatres, of which about 100 are in London. Britain's most famous theatre company, The Royal Shakespeare Company, performs in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, and in London.