Last week I was contacted by someone at the Guardian & Jam who, in conjunction with Enjoy England, is asking certain bloggers to name 3 things they do to enjoy England! Anyone who reads this blog knows I love England, having lived & worked in other countries I think we often forget just how special this country is; our history, geography, people and culture, the services, programs & initiatives which allow us as a nation to soar are second to none! I often say I’m proud to live in England and I really am, I even have a blog tag Proud To Live In England because I feel that passionate about our country!
So today, on this reclaiming Simple Sunday, I’m going to post the 3 things I do to enjoy England and I’d love if you all participated! In fact, I’m going to send a prize for the comment I enjoy the most (you must comment by September 30)! Up to 2000 + of you read this blog a day, so get commenting 
Without further adieu the three things I do to Enjoy England!
:: I make use of the amazing countryside, beaches, lakes and rivers at my disposal! They provide free exercise, relaxation and hours of entertainment, whether it be autumn, winter, spring or summer!
:: I utilize the amazing transport system we have, which allows me to travel to visit friends & family, historical sites, exhibitions, festivals, fairs and UK based holidays! Our transport system is convenient, green, user friendly and an economical way to see this country!
:: Finally I bask in the amazing opportunities we have to enjoy animals & wildlife, whether that be through the thousands of conservation projects which almost always accept volunteers, or simply seeing the amazing natural wildlife we have living right here among us. From owls & birds of prey to seals and dolphins, this country is filled to the brim!
There are so many other wonderful ways in which I enjoy this country! But since I was only asked for three I’ll stop there and hand over to you! What three things do you do to enjoy England? Remember to comment by September 30th!
I no longer live in England, but I did grow up there, so something I used to do was my family would go and see different castles and other historic sights all the time. I loved taking picnics and climbing through ruins. They are memories I will never forget, and I hope that sometime soon I will be able to take my family back over to England and give my four kiddos some of the same memories I have.
By: Jennifer on September 27, 2009
at 2:26 pm
It seems like such a beautiful place from all your photos. Sometime I wish we had a public transport system, but here in rural Ohio it’s your own car or you go nowhere.
By: Chiot's Run on September 27, 2009
at 3:03 pm
I only spent two weeks in England last year, but here are the three things I did to enjoy it as much as I could while I was there.
First, I walked everywhere, and appreciated that England was both a great place to walk and had lots of interesting things to see. This gave me a chance to really notice what was around me, appreciate the detail, and see things I might not have gotten to see otherwise. I got to see lovely homes, new kinds of foliage, historical sights, interesting people, and all kinds of wonderful things simply by walking everywhere I had to go that was in walking range. While I appreciated the transportation system when I had far to go, I most enjoyed England when I was walking around.
Second, I tried new ways of enjoying my surroundings. Rather than staying put on land, for example, I went punting in Oxford. It was a lovely way to see things in a different way, and was lots of fun as well. In general, I think this is a wonderful way to really change around the ways in which you see the world, and many places have spots where you can rent things like bicycles, boats, or kayaks, which allow for a different perspective and a new way of seeing things. Also, trying something fairly traditional like punting can be a good way of appreciating the heritage of a particular place by experiencing it firsthand.
Finally, I took friends with me. While I do like walking alone, having company with me meant that we got to point things out to each other, share different viewpoints, and go to places we might not have picked on our own. What I notice is not what someone else will necessarily notice, and where I want to go is not necessarily something someone else would pick. So, by exploring the places I was in England with someone else – whether they knew the area or not – I was always exposed to new things to appreciate that might just not have been on my radar if I were alone.
By: Jenn on September 27, 2009
at 4:01 pm
I misread your comment as “Three Things I Enjoy About England” so I’m just going off track slightly.
Having been away for a month earlier in the year, the 3 things I enjoy most about England (in no particular order) are:-
1 The fact that it is SO green and lush and we have such a wonderful countryside.
2 The quality of BBC TV programmes, including wildlife, drama and comedy programmes which includes such people as Paul Merton, Stephen Fry, Michael McIntyre and Alan Davies (and many, many others too numerous to mention)
3 The people and the language.
By: Dancing on a Blade of Grass on September 27, 2009
at 5:57 pm
Apologies – para 2 doesn’t read right – tired today!
By: Dancing on a Blade of Grass on September 27, 2009
at 5:58 pm
I found your blog about a month ago and have been telling all my friends about it – it’s a wonderful inspiration for all who are trying to live their lives in a simple and conscious way. I’ve had a lovely time reading all the back posts and taking on board all those tips for doing things better.
My things that I do to enjoy England are:
1. I belong to a few things like the National Trust and the Friends of our local arboretum, so that I can visit special places all year round for ‘free’.
2. I walk in the countryside as many days as I am able each week.
3. And this last one is, sadly, in the past tense. I lived on a narrowboat – absolutely the best way to see the countryside and make friends – unfortunately, I’m getting older and I’ve had to move ashore.
Hope you are recovering well from the flu.
By: Ann W on September 27, 2009
at 6:13 pm
I make the most of the free museums – we have an offshoot of the Natural History Museum on our doorstep and it is just wonderful.
Get out and about in our local woods as often as possible.
We do quite a bit of camping also – a great economical way to see England and the kids adore it.
By: Anna on September 27, 2009
at 8:36 pm
When I see beautiful scenery, a poem runs through my head and makes me feel so happy; it’s a verse from “The Roman Centurion’s Song” by Rudyard Kipling.
“For me this land, this sea, these airs, these folk and fields suffice,
What purple Southern pomp can match our changeful Northern skies?
Black with December snows unshed or pearled with August haze,
The clanging arch of steel-grey March or June’s long-lighted days.”
And another bit that goes:
“You’ll go where laurel crowns are won, but will you e’er forget
The scent of hawthorn in the sun or bracken in the wet?”
Heaven.
By: Attila on September 27, 2009
at 11:02 pm
I really miss England having moved to a very built up part of Canada 7 years ago (sigh). Things I love about England (and really miss) are:
1. The countryside – it’s beauty and it’s accessibility
2. The sense of history imbibed in both the landscape and the many quaint old buildings – I really miss wandering around old Cotswold and Hampshire churches … the sense of timelessness that they give one
3. The lack of consumerism – this one may have changed a little since I left (and it’s very relative to where I have since moved) but the England I knew 7 years ago had shops that shut and were not open 24/7 like they are here in Ontario. There was a real sense for me in England that there is more to life than consuming and shopping! Whereas where I live now it’s a very central activity in the society that I live in (though one I do my best not to get drawn into).
I also miss Radio 4, wonderful BBC and Channel 4 dramas, the quirkyness of old buildings and town layouts (windy roads!), teashops, a more gentle climate and the English sense of humour. Maybe one day I’ll be fortunate enough to live again in this wonderful country but in the meantime I try to treasure the memories I have and enjoy the photos on your blog!
By: angela on September 27, 2009
at 11:43 pm
I was born in England and visited there about 10 years ago. I think the heritage and history of England is something to be enjoyed. Here is Australia we are a very young country -you are all so lucky to be living amongst the evidence of the very long history of your country.
I love the people I met. Especially in the north -they were kind to strangers!
There is a quirky sort of eccentricity in England which is very endearing.
I love the art and literature of England. I am teaching my children that because they have an English born mother, this is their heritage too.
By: earthmotherwithin on September 28, 2009
at 5:23 am
its great to hear the good bits about england – sometimes you can forget that not everywhere is like this. I live in Brighton, and it is a great vibrant and unique place to live. I love it
By: mo on September 28, 2009
at 12:37 pm
Walking in such varied countryside. Climbing over stiles, going through kissing gates, stopping to take in the view especially from a well placed bench with a touching inscription in memory of someone.
Sausage and Mash !
London Parks. Especially saying hello to the Pelicans in St James Park.
By: Sally on September 28, 2009
at 2:02 pm
[...] Please remember to comment on the three things you do to enjoy England post! [...]
By: A Frugal Haircut! « Notes From The Frugal Trenches – A Downshifting Journey on September 28, 2009
at 3:35 pm
I’ve been in England only twice and will be in the UK next summer.
The first things I enjoy about England is being there. I think I’m an Anglophile. I certainly have English and Scottish ancestors among others and love reading a lot of English books.
I love being in the countryside, almost any part of the country. I especially loved the countryside around Carlyle and Bury St. Edmunds and Moffat, Scotland but I think I would love the English country anywhere.
I love to visit gardens. English gardens are very beautiful. You have a milder climate that mine, just south of Lake Erie.
I love to visit museums and historical places. England is beautiful. And so is Ohio! Come visit us here some day.
By: thickethouse on September 28, 2009
at 7:30 pm
I just moved to England from the US 6 months ago but already love…
1) Borough Market in London – total inspiration for foodies
2) Thatched roof cottages in small english villages – storybook perfect
3) Fish n’ Chips in seaside towns like Wells-Next-The-Sea – gorgeous little seaside village
By: Amanda on September 28, 2009
at 9:26 pm
As an Australian who has never been to the UK, the three things I do to enjoy England are:
1. Read historical fiction, and lots of it!
2. Look at a friend’s photos on facebook. She’s currently living in England and has visited the loveliest places and taken the loveliest pictures.
3. Watch DVDs about the UK.
Oh, and a fourth – buy English sweets from a speciality shop for my English friend.
By: Cath on September 28, 2009
at 11:37 pm
I love your 3, very different but equally brilliant bits about England!
I think for me my faves would be;
Visiting National Trust & English Heritage sites, places of historical and environmental importance, beautifully restored and maintained & very often staff by volunteers and people passionate about England and it’s history. Art, nature, history, textiles, and more all crammed in to one place. You can learn so much about a local area by visiting these places, and see how life has been through the ages as well as encouraging the same passion in children.
(I am slightly biased on my next one..) Enjoy the local library! Whereever you visit you are likely to find a local library with helpful staff who can provide you with free leaflets, local information, places to see, facts about the area and much more (internet access, refreshments, maps, local/family history information, directories, art displays, free storytime/play sessions for children etc) If you want to enjoy England there is no better place to start than a library.
I also finally love the good old English garden centre, usually full of gorgeous sights, smells & treats. So many plants, animals, cafes, shops, I love visiting them although usually they are far too tempting and I end up spending a fortune on gorgeous things.
By: Ms B. Thrift on September 29, 2009
at 8:57 am
1) I live next to a large area of common land, which is mixed pine forest and heather heathland – an endangered habitat – and I walk there perhaps four or five times a week. It’s lovely to know one part of the world really well, as our ancestors would have done, and to visit it throughout the year. Even though I live near London, I can stand in the middle of the common at 8 am and not be able to see another person or a building in any direction; and the green belt policy means it will stay like that forever (I hope). It’s beautiful.
2) I use a traditional butcher. This is not at all frugal, because the meat is far more expensive than in a supermarket, but again I am tapping into generations of expertise in farming and butchery, supporting a local business, and getting better meat from a known source than I would do otherwise. I deliberately buy good meat less often rather than something cheaper more frequently.
3) Once a year, I go up to London just before Christmas to do some present shopping and look at the big London shops with their amazing Christmas window displays. I particularly love Liberty, which is ludicrously expensive but exquisitely beautiful – and it doesn’t cost anything to wander around the shop and look at its beautiful carvings. I love living next door to the common land in 1) and still being only 20 minutes by train from the centre of London – one advantage of living in a small country is that one can easily get to lots of different things.
By: Alison S on September 29, 2009
at 1:58 pm
I enjoy England by loving all things about tea and drinking it morning, noon, and night. I revel in the best of English literature which always go better with the aforementioned tea. Lastly, I tend my garden.
Not entering the giveaway-just sharing.
Does it matter that I’ve only been to England in my dreams?
By: Kimberly on September 29, 2009
at 3:46 pm
I have visited much of England but I’ve only lived in Northern Ireland and Scotland so mine will be things I do to enjoy the UK!
1. Pack a brolly- and possibly a scarf; the weather is pretty changeable (that’s why we get so much conversation out of it!) but that’s no reason not to stay outdoors and keep walking.
2. Head to a museum or art gallery; usually these are by donation only- perfect when I was a poor student- and filled with amazing works and artefacts, probably the thing I miss most here in Canada.
3. Find something old- a national trust property, a castle, a 17th century walled city and take the time to be impressed by it’s age and how much it has seen; spend a minute imagining how it was in the past; and remember that in the grand scheme of things you are not so big. This has been here for years before you and hopefully will remain here for many years after.
Bonus #4. Stop for elevenses, and afternoon tea, and supper before bed; lots of tea and biscuits really helps to make a day that much better in my opinion!
By: Looby on September 29, 2009
at 4:03 pm
Love your photos! – the first one especially – the silhouetted trees is the image I keep in mind of my travels in England.
So from another Australian…
my three things I have done to enjoy England….
*just driving/riding on train in the country – I could stare at that amazing greenness for hours
*love the history…especially castle ruins…walking around broken bits of stone wall imagining the lives of the people who lived there
*going on the Underground – the maze of tunnels, the decorated passageways, adore the map-I have a poster of it I look at regularly!
Hard to say just 3! – can i sneak in Covent Garden Market?!
By: TheKitchenGarden on September 29, 2009
at 4:05 pm
Hi
Dont normally post on here but do read regularly. Love this post as too many people moan about living in England & forget the great things.
1. Our countryside
2. Our history
3.Our weather – many people will think thats mad but I love the change of seasons, even when we have drought we know the rain will come.
Could go on – thanks for the great post.
By: Essex-girl on September 29, 2009
at 7:59 pm
We don’t tend to go too far finding pleasure close to home with our lovely parks and green spaces in our own city. But if I am planning a trip then I like to use this website for public transport info, it’s really good http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/JourneyPlanning/JourneyPlannerInput.aspx?repeatingloop=Y
I am also a hoarder of leaflets and brochures for places to visit, walks to go on, info about the area we live in so we have lots of choice when deciding what to do.
Checking out our city website for events and also those of nearby cities and noting them in my diary, you can go to lots of free activites.
We enjoy living where we do and although we may not be enjoying ‘all’ of England we try and make the most of our patch of it.
By: Lisa on September 30, 2009
at 7:49 am