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#1873625
As a non-Brit I should probably stay well clear of this, but I can't help notice that the tone of the BBC article initially implies yet another vindictive action by the EU towards British motorists. And as one reads on (if one does, that is) it turns out that the idea to switch from GB to UK came from the UK.
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873626
Paul_Sengupta wrote:That's the history of the world you've just mentioned, John!


and one or two (including England) have had revolutions to try and fix it, but all that happens is they change over the members of the elite :D :roll:
#1873661
akg1486 wrote:As a non-Brit I should probably stay well clear of this, but I can't help notice that the tone of the BBC article initially implies yet another vindictive action by the EU towards British motorists. And as one reads on (if one does, that is) it turns out that the idea to switch from GB to UK came from the UK.


Yes but why was it ever GB in the first place?
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#1873667
JAFO wrote:
akg1486 wrote:As a non-Brit I should probably stay well clear of this, but I can't help notice that the tone of the BBC article initially implies yet another vindictive action by the EU towards British motorists. And as one reads on (if one does, that is) it turns out that the idea to switch from GB to UK came from the UK.


Yes but why was it ever GB in the first place?

Good question. Maybe it had something to do with the timing of its adoption, like the "G" on aircraft registrations, pre-dating the creation of the Irish Free State and subsequent Republic of Ireland which left NI a bit isolated across the water? I really don't know, that is just a guess, but lumping both islands together as Great Britain probably wasn't as sensitive prior to that?

With the current difficulties over the NI protocol it may have been felt expedient to rectify an historical anomaly.

PW
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873671
Yes but why was it ever GB in the first place?


I'm not absolutely sure but it may be that when the letters were established in the early 20th century Irish home rule was relatively new and up to then Great Britain and United Kingdom were sort of synonymous.

Internationally, people understood Britain and British but perhaps not so familiar with United Kingdom? I think that's probably true to this day.
#1873719
IIRC constitutionally it’s:
The United Kingdoms of England and the Scots, the Principality of Wales and the Provinces of Northern Ireland.

Or something like that.

I most definitely remember saying to a cop in Brussels 20 years ago I was from “the U.K,” during a routine ID control and the fact I didn’t have a member state National ID card.

His response- “Ukraine?!!!”..and I could see he was reaching for his handcuffs to nick me for being an illegal immigrant (fair enough, given my fashion sense)

I said no, “Grande Bretange…”

“ahhh, Angleterre”…

:scratch:

:roll:

:wall:
Last edited by OCB on Thu Sep 30, 2021 6:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873721
As one of those evil Brexiteers who never liked the little EU flag on my car, I've had a little "UK" and union flag stuck over that on my registration place for several years anyhow. Cost a couple of quid on eBay, job done.

As things to worry about, this really isn't one of them. Even if you are passionately in love with the EU, you can hardly deny that the UK isn't a part of it any more, and similarly that NI isn't a part of GB.

All's good where I'm sat.

G
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873722
We've driven home from the South of France over the last two days.

Before we'd left I'd dutifully converted one of the two magnetic GB ovals we have to a UK one by covering it with a cheapo sticky from Ebay, thus allowing me to easily swap 'em and display the correct insignia both before and after the changeover day.

Noticeable as we approached Calais today was how few people either didn't know/couldn't be bothered to comply. I think we saw only two UK's apart from ours.
#1873736
Genghis the Engineer wrote:As one of those evil Brexiteers who never liked the little EU flag on my car…
G


Cynics would say that, as a bliddy outsider - it’s none of your business! Those Ghenghises, coming over with their elephants, trampling the begonias etc…

I had an argument with some chaps (from the former Colonies now know as the U.S), complaining about “bloody xyz foreigners, they should just go home” whilst standing in a queue for breakfast at a conference at Stirling Uni a few years back.

I said “sure - but can we start with the Angles and the Saxons first please?”

Muffled sniggers front and back, total bemused look on the loud Yanks….
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