r/british

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This is probably more funny than serious but anyways.

I don't live in UK anymore, I live in France.

So my boyfriend (28m) French and I (26f) British have been dating for 2 years. I called him racist for a comment he made about Marmite. Yup Marmite the brown salty spead we have on toast, that's 100% vegetarian and full of vitamins.

My son (3) had a picnic day out in school and I made him a butter and marmite sandwich. My boyfriend makes this comment "I don't think you should be making marmite sandwiches for school what if other kids find it really weird or gross?" I looked at him trying really hard not to laugh and asked him "Do you realise how racist you sound? Would you say the same to someone who's Indian or Chinese?" He got defensive saying "It's not racist it's just it's not what we eat in France and what if a kid has an allergic reaction to it? And also we're both white." We're now sitting in silence because I cannot believe how absurd he's being and he's mad at me for calling him racist.

Did I over react calling him racist?

Hi! I’m currently revising a romance manuscript with a male character who has an Italian mother and English father. He’s a 2000s baby who grew up in Crema, Italy during childhood, then moved to Britain around age 13 for school. He studies in Essex while his father teaches at Cambridge University, but he still returns home to Italy during summer, autumn, and winter breaks.

I’m trying to make the British side of his background feel grounded without relying on stereotypes. For British people, especially anyone familiar with Essex, Cambridge, or school life in the 2010s: what are small everyday details about speech, humor, manners, teasing, family dynamics, school routines, food/drink habits, or social life that fiction often gets wrong?

I’m especially curious about what might feel natural or unnatural for someone who moved to Britain as a teenager but still has strong ties to Italy and an Italian family home. Thank you!

American here! Just curious, do British people get junk mail every day like we do.

Keir Starmer has had a lot of hate since he became prime minister.

Can someone explain the reasons as to why people dislike him, what your views and opinions are on him etc?

Would be much appreciated, thanks!

I’m genuinely currious on this. I’m from the US, and have traveled to Europe quite a few times, so I fully understand that a lot of things are different. However, since the US is hosting the World Cup, there’s a lot of videos on TikTok and YouTube from visitors to the US, and there are quite a few who see one of our yellow school buses, and are shocked because they thought they were only in TV shows and movies.

I think what’s most confusing to me is, if those really were only in movies or shows, wouldn’t we as Americans be questioning that ourselves?

But, for anyone who is surprised to find out they are real, they are as common here as any other kind of vehicle. There is not a single public school in the US that doesn’t have them. If it’s a small school in the country, then they might only use a couple. A large school in a city could have 20. And normally, if you live within a certain distance of the school, you don’t ride them. You get to and from school on your own.

I love just rambling on about anything, I’m always open to learn etc as I play mainly story games but I love talking to new people