Whether it’s in London or further out across wider England, we’ve built up a reputation for some of the most iconic and fascinating traditions in the world. England as a whole is often stereotyped as being heavily rooted in tradition despite birthing some of the biggest technological innovations in recent years. So what happens to traditions as times have moved forward?
Bingo
Starting with a quintessentially British tradition that hasn’t been around as long as many of us think, bingo has long been tied to the picture of old ladies crowded into a hall with their biros. In reality, modern bingo is a completely different situation, appealing to a far wider range of players and with a lot more technological features behind it.
The biggest leap has to be into the online world, and if the numbers are anything to go by, Brits have enthusiastically joined in. The online casino industry has even brought new variants into the mix, with several sites creating new versions, such as the bingo and slot combo games like Slingo at Paddy Power available for bingo players in the U.K.
Afternoon Tea
As much as it’s a stereotype drawn from London culture of a century ago, the classic afternoon tea is certainly a staple for certain crowds. Aside from being on the bucket list of virtually every tourist that visits the city, it remains popular with locals as well. As with anything, however, innovation has come to the old pastime as well.
We’ve started seeing more and more establishments experimenting with their afternoon tea offerings, such as the Shangri-La Hotel’s stylish Asian fusion with twists on both sushi and sandwiches, or the Mandarin Oriental at Hyde Park with various cuisines reshaped into something locally familiar. Of course, there are more than a few places to get a traditional version, but these new ideas have brought new life into the whole concept.
Bizarre Competitions
This had to be an all-encompassing section rather than about a single particular event simply because of how many there are across the country. There are the most famous like the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling competition in Gloucestershire which attract international competitors every year, and then smaller ones like the Bog Snorkelling Championships or the Olney Pancake Race.
In a time when technology and creativity have affected everything else, these events have managed to remain both popular and relatively pure. Each naturally has an online presence, usually with some basic social media work and a website, but tradition has overcome in terms of the action itself, barring some necessary health and safety updates over the years. The only sad part is most of these are beyond London itself, although Trooping the Colour remains largely untouched despite how the surrounding city has changed.
The message to take away from all of this is that Britain’s traditions are, on the whole, doing just fine. Even if a few are getting a little bit of shine and polish, the heart seems to be secure!
