Traditions, ancient and modern

Nothing gets the British so passionate as an assault on their most cherished traditions. And the younger those traditions are, the more recently they were added to the national canon, the more ardently they must be defended. For the British seemingly could not care tuppence-ha'penny about more venerable aspects of the national landscape, such as the charmingly idiosyncratic hodge-podge of our high streets, now brutally homogenised into chain stores and deflowered by out-of-town shopping centres. The British do not really care two hoots about quaint past notions such as the presumption of innocence. The Magna Carta can happily rot.

But raise so much as one finger against a bland intertwining of vaguely uninteresting tunes broadcast on Radio 4 at a time when hardly anyone is listening, and it is as if the hordes of hell itself had been let loose to trample on the national soul. One blogger even calls for the assistance of the dark arts. Outraged MPs raise the issue in the Commons. 

Yes, the BBC is thinking of scrapping the UK theme. Along with other millennia-old traditions, such as the Routemaster bus and red phone boxes, the UK theme is suddenly found to be the repository of all things British. The fact that it is in truth significantly younger than the Beatles, and that it is as much of a British tradition as, say, our membership of the European Union, seemingly counts for little.

Personally, I am a bit of a fan of the UK theme. On the relatively rare occasions when I am conscious at 5.30am (or 12.30am here), it provides a jaunty start (or end) to the day. Were I to have to listen to its insistent cheerfulness seven days a week, however, I might well consider throwing my radio out of the window.

But the UK theme as a great British institution under threat? Pull the other one. What a wonderfully, fabulously peculiar bunch the British are.

Comments

[dearieme]

I've no idea what the "UK theme" is, but they'd better not scrap Lilli Bolero.

[The Ink Slinger]

It's a pleasant enough tune but it's not a patch on Sailing By.

Couldn't Auntie and the outraged listeners come to a compromise and have the news read with a Midfield General UK Theme as a bed, to add drama and youth appeal?

Yes. I think that's the answer.

[The Ink Slinger]

That should read Midfield General UK Theme remix, naturally.

[Fiona MacNeill]

Well, I have to agree with you, I am fond of the British theme. Although if there were someway to omit the Danny boy section and pick any other Irish tune. I hate that turgid sty of a song and think that almost every Irish musician on the planet agrees with me. I vote for a compromise; let us modernise the theme........
Take the Blue Peter theme for example, that is older than the UK theme and it has changed and evolved over time, but it is still the same tune. I think that my personal favorite was the version of 'Blue Peter' played on milkbottles (I bet it's like the cadbury's flake advert; you can tell how old you are by which one you remember!). Well anyhoo, you have made my day; I'm a Brit living in Minnesota and I wanted to talk about British stuff!

Cheers,

FI