I've been very interested in the reaction of the global press to Great Britain as the Olympics get underway.

Some report on our quirkiness, others our great comedy or music whereas others focus on how GB has lost its way in the world and still relies on former glories and the lost Empire. There is also a lot written about GB as a multicultural experiment gone wrong.

What is your view of Great Britain? (and let me know where you're from)

My view of Great Britain? I live in California and cannot see it from here.

My own view of Great Britain is generally positive. I've visited London and had a great time there, and have some friends who have moved there (from elsewhere in Europe) and they like it a lot (even though many have to commute in from some nearby town). I'm in Canada, btw.

The Canadian media has generally been neutral to positive on the British games as far as I've noticed. Very little has been particularly negative. With one or two exceptions, usually recalling how judgmental parts of the British press were in 2010:

http://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012......-dimanno

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game......259.html

Irreverent sense of humor. Too class conscious. Interesting music. Zany Royals. Outstanding cultural attractions. Living in the past.

Awesome musciains, awesome special forces troops, awesome culture, glad the American founding fathers won the American Revolutionary War after hearing about some of England's draconian laws in comparison to American laws from some people I know who has visited England for some time.

I could go on for hours about the Brits. What a peculiar people!

Here is a most excellent book, highly recommended by myself:

http://www.amazon.com/Watching-English-H......40818867

My paternal grandfather's parents came to the US from Wales. My paternal grandmother's family came from England. So I always have an interest and admiration for the place.

My sister go to go there some years ago. I haven't yet, but someday...

I know that every Christmas you are invaded by monsters and a man in a blue box has to save you.

My family also are from Wales and England.

I love the UK. My major was history and England was a favorite focus. One thing coming from an American perspective is our country is relatively young. In <oston I found things from the 1600s while you have beautiful structures that were old by that point (I felt the same in Israel). The UK is just a stunning country and our histories are forever intertwined.

I am not a fan of most English comedy or comics. Other than Eddie Izzars most are unwatchable. You produce great music yet your pop performers usuallu have bad back up dancers. Then again compared to the rest of Europe, who you guys should dissassociate yourselves with, your dancers are brilliant. I did see the first American performance by a girl named Cher Llyn or close to that and she was outstanding. I lik the British people and their personal humor.

Great Britain, Australia, and Chile are my favorite countries to visit.

I love Britain. The people are so friendly, the history is amazing, the countryside and the towns and cities are a joy to visit. And you gave us a wonderful language, which we Irish have shown you how to use.

From my office window not much on a Saturday night as I see them comming out of the night clubs drunk and fighting but from my house I have a nice view of the country. I guess it depends on the time and place that you are seeing it from.

Very humble and polite in person.

That is a very old tradition.

I don't get it....

Dr. Who, I think. Except I thought the box was red? But I am colour challenged and / or blind, so what do I know.

From Canada, but recently in Europe spending time with people from Liverpool and Belfast, so my views are influenced by conversations with them. And, here they are:

Nice folks. Friendly. Good sense of humour.

However, great concern over an increase in street crimes. Particularly of concern are the random acts of violence resulting in severe injuries and death. Also, prevalent is the number of wanton break-ins. To add to the negative, excessive housing prices that are out of touch with reality and creating a life long sentence of debt.

We were there in March and found them to be the warmest and friendliest people I have ever met. They sort of reminded me of the cyclist that keeps popping up in European vacation. There was a businessman returning from lunch that we asked for directions. He said "It's a bit complicated, so I'd better take you there." He walked with us about seven blocks until we could see where we were headed. I asked what he did for a living, and he said "I am the president of XXX Bank." I thanked him for his help and said "You'd better hurry back to work. There are probably people waiting on you", to which he replied, "I'm a little late for a meeting, but that's okay. They'll wait... I'm the boss!"

Another time, we were waiting in line to buy some theater tickets to "Singin' in the Rain". We were visiting with a nice gentleman in line who asked whether we had seen the show before (we had not). He then offered to give us four front-row tickets for the following week because his wife didn't want to get wet and wanted to sit further back. I told him that we would not be in town next week, but I offered to buy the tickets for my daughter who was studying in London for the semester, and who had been trying very hard to get front-row tickets. He wouldn't accept payment, and he just gave them to me.

On the flip side, in Paris, the only help we could get from anyone was from a Londoner, who happened to live in Paris.

Of all the places I have ever visited, this is the only place that I have ever been truly sad to leave.

It's blue. It's a police box, not a phone booth

So much to love about Great Britain - the history, the buildings, the literature, the comedy (even if Mrs Brown is Irish), dour old parachuting great grannies in bloomers, Tommy...

Except a police box is / was a phone booth of sorts!

"A police box is a British telephone kiosk or callbox located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police."

BTW

"British police boxes were usually blue, except in Glasgow, where they were red until the late 1960s."

That must be what I was thinking of when I said red before.