100 Greatest Britons

[Jake Thingray]

I think Michael Crawford was in because he has a very active fanbase who took an interest in this.

That's true, and more for his starring in stage musicals than for Frank Spencer.

[shh]

100 Great Black Britons was done in 2004. Mary Seacole (zzz) at the top, Goldie 89.

5. Queen Philippa / 5. William Shakespeare

[idunnosomename]

I'd read in a few places he published exclusively in Latin to stop the plebs from having the temerity to ask him questions.  As if publishing Principia in English would mean that every commoner in the country would suddenly 1) learn how to read, 2) read a book as dull as Principia (I'm not impugning its brilliance), or 3) know who he is in first place to stop him in the street.

Hard to disagree with him being a cunt, no matter how brilliant.

i mean of course "great" doesn't mean "not a cunt"

but still there were a lot of weird interpretations of "great" on this list. terribly confused post-imperialist shite. but it only got worse

[ollyboro]

100 Great Black Britons was done in 2004. Mary Seacole (zzz) at the top, Goldie 89.

About ten years ago some DJ or another was doing a phone-in. The subject was the greatest black person in history. I nearly crashed the car when he read out something along the lines of: "...Lucy from Bridlington has messaged us with another vote for Mohammed Ali, while Brian from Immingham has suggested Al Jolson...er.....I'm not sure Brian's quite understood this"

[TheBrownBottle]

i mean of course "great" doesn't mean "not a cunt"

but still there were a lot of weird interpretations of "great" on this list. terribly confused post-imperialist shite. but it only got worse

Absolutely.  My preference in these daft lists is always to go with a person involved in science / technology, given that they genuinely have international impact and their politics being heinous is likely to be localised.  Arts & literature feel too Anglo/Eurocentric.  Military folks don't need additional recognition for their ability to kill & conquer.  Politicians are too divisive.

[TheBrownBottle]

About ten years ago some DJ or another was doing a phone-in. The subject was the greatest black person in history. I nearly crashed the car when he read out something along the lines of: "...Lucy from Bridlington has messaged us with another vote for Mohammed Ali, while Brian from Immingham has suggested Al Jolson...er.....I'm not sure Brian's quite understood this"

Ah, Brian.  Ya daft racist.

[bgmnts]

Alexander the Warmonger.
Catherine the Horse Shagger
Alfred the Softie.

[idunnosomename]

Winston the Fat Tory Cunt

[Mr Farenheit]

Yougov poll carried out yesterday:

1. Sir captain Tom colonel Moore
2. Tommy Robinson
3. Madeleine McCann
4. Edward Colton
5. Ian Beale

[Goldentony]

keith, went round cutting tits off, ate em with carrots, burned his own shop down and just said insurance but sidnt have insurance, just said insurance and asked someone to pay up and they said im not payin up for fuck all here and he ept going nah surance here surance surance didnt happen

[dissolute ocelot]

surely in the wake of his F1 success in the subsequent years Lewis Hamilton has to take no.3 over Diana as he is actually good at driving.

Formula 1 these days is all controlled by computers, the drivers are just figureheads picked to maximise sponsorship. Prince Philip could drive any of today's lot off the track.

Anyhow, apparently there was a newer Best Brit poll done in 2015 (by clothes company Rohan so it's clearly quality stuff): 1 Nightingale 2 Churchill 3 EIIR 4 Hawking 5 Are Queen of Hearts 6 David Attenborough. Brunel fell to 13, but Branson and Rowling were also high, so it's not perfect.

[Fambo Number Mive]

What has Branson done apart from make a lot of money, including in areas which should not be for profit? What a weird vision of greatness. "That man is very wealthy! What a great man!"

[Sin Agog]

What has Branson done apart from make a lot of money, including in areas which should not be for profit?

[peanutbutter]

What has Branson done apart from make a lot of money, including in areas which should not be for profit? What a weird vision of greatness. "That man is very wealthy! What a great man!"

I assume it's literally a "we can have billionaires too, just like America, except ours are cooler" type thing. Like a shit proto-Elon Musk, which is an achievement in itself.

[idunnosomename]

Balloons
Beard
Tubular Bells

[Sin Agog]

I guess he did put out some good Faust records back in the '70s.  That Branson, he's an alright guy.

[Thomas]

I actually know the 100 greatest Britons but none of them are famous.

[Nowhere Man]

I bet McCartney would be higher and Lennon would be lower if this were made today.

[thenoise]

Yougov poll carried out yesterday:

1. Sir captain Tom colonel Moore
2. Tommy Robinson
3. Madeleine McCann
4. Edward Colton
5. Ian Beale

Online results now in.

1. Briton McBritonface

[Paul Calf]

Of course if they did it today some ironic cunt would get Mr Blobby in the top ten.

I think it'd be more likely to be Oswald Mosley or Enoch Powell.


EDIT: Or Briton McBritonFace

[Paul Calf]

I think I would add Ben Dover - thespian and cinematographer between Thomas Paine and David Beckham.

Ben 'Lucky Pierre' Dover.