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Winston Churchill : "The Greatest ever Briton"?? I very much disagree.
This man did not "win us the war". Our soldiers, pilots, gunners, spies, mechanics, paratroopers, sailors and medics won us the war...not to mention the great help of the Americans and the Russian weather. If I had more time I would go into each candidate in more detail, but instead I shall paste the stats and let everyone else argue about it. :p The "huge" nationwide vote (the combine votes for the top ten barely tops 1 million) that has lasted approximately 9 weeks was fully counted last night and this was the outcome:- 1. Churchill - 456,498 (27.9%) 2. Brunel - 398,526 (24.1%) 3. Diana - 225,584 (14.2%) 4. Darwin - 112,496 (6.9%) 5. Shakespeare - 109,919 (6.9%) 6. Newton - 84,628 (5.2%) 7. Elizabeth I - 71,928 (4.5%) 8. Lennon - 68,445 (4.3%) 9. Nelson - 49,171 (3.1%) 10. Cromwell - 45,053 (2.9%) Some of the final positioning is just laughable and really shows the age groups which dominated the votes. You will really see what I mean when I later post the Top 100 list of candidates... 
I myself voted for Isaac Newton on 22 occasions. Does't matter where you come from, who would you vote for and why? What do you think of the final placement of our "Top Ten Greatest Britons" off all time? 
(salutes whoever) | |
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Well since theres so many of you posting I take it you simply cant wait to see the full Top 100 list.
Well here it is... pt1. 11. Ernest Shackleton - BBCi History 12. Captain James Cook - BBCi History 13. Lord Baden-Powell - BBC Radio 4 14. King Alfred the Great - BBCi History 15. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington - BBCi History 16. Margaret Thatcher (Baroness Thatcher) - BBC News 17. Michael Crawford - BBC News 18. Queen Victoria - BBCi History 19. Sir Paul McCartney - BBC News 20. Sir Alexander Fleming - BBCi History 21. Alan Turing OBE - BBC News 22. Michael Faraday - BBCi History 23. Owain Glyndwr - BBCi History 24. Queen Elizabeth II - BBC News 25. Professor Stephen Hawking - BBCi Science 26. William Tyndale - BBCi Books 27. Emmeline Pankhurst - BBCi History 28. William Wilberforce - BBCi History 29. David Bowie - BBCi Music 30. Guy Fawkes - BBCi History 31. Leonard Cheshire (Baron Cheshire of Woodall) - BBCi H2G2 32. Eric Morecambe OBE - BBCi Cult 33. David Beckham - BBC Sport 34. Thomas Paine - BBCi History 35. Boudicca - BBCi History 36. Sir Steve Redgrave - BBC Sport 37. Sir Thomas More - BBCi History 38. William Blake - BBCi History 39. John Harrison - BBC News 40. King Henry VIII - BBCi History 41. Charles Dickens - BBCi Books 42. Sir Frank Whittle - BBCi History 43. John Peel - BBC Radio 1 44. John Logie Baird - BBCi History 45. Aneurin Bevan - BBCi History 46. Boy George - BBC Music 47. Sir Douglas Bader - BBC Radio 4 48. William Wallace - BBCi History 49. Sir Francis Drake - BBCi History 50. John Wesley - External: John Wesley Online Exhibition 51. King Arthur - BBCi Religion Horrific isnt it? | |
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...the horror continues...
pt2 52. Florence Nightingale - BBCi History 53. TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) - BBC News 54. Captain Robert Falcon Scott - BBCi History 55. Enoch Powell - BBC News 56. Sir Cliff Richard - BBC News 57. Sir Alexander Graham Bell - BBCi History 58. Freddie Mercury - BBC News 59. Dame Julie Andrews - BBCi Films 60. Edward Elgar - BBCi Music 61. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother - BBC News 62. George Harrison - BBC News 63. Sir David Attenborough - BBCi Nature 64. James Connolly - BBCi History 65. George Stephenson - BBCi History 66. Sir Charles (Charlie) Chaplin - BBC News 67. Tony Blair - BBC News 68. William Caxton - BBCi History 69. Bobby Moore OBE - BBC Sport 70. Jane Austen - BBCi Books 71. William Booth - BBC Nottingham 72. King Henry V - BBCi History 73. Aleister Crowley - External: Biography.Com 74. King Robert the Bruce - BBCi History 75. Bob Geldof KBE - BBC News 76. The Unknown Warrior - BBCi History 77. Robbie Williams - BBC Radio 1 78. Edward Jenner - BBCi History 79. David Lloyd George (1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor ) - BBCi History 80. Charles Babbage - BBCi History 81. Geoffrey Chaucer - BBCi Books 82. King Richard III - BBCi History 83. JK Rowling OBE - BBC News 84. James Watt - BBCi History 85. Sir Richard Branson - BBC Radio 2 86. Bono - BBC Radio 1 87. John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) - BBCi Music 88. Field Marshal Montgomery - BBC News 89. Donald Campbell - BBC News 90. King Henry II - BBCi History 91. James Clerk Maxwell - BBC News 92. JRR Tolkien - BBCi Books 93. Sir Walter Raleigh - BBCi History 94. King Edward I - BBCi History 95. Sir Barnes Neville Wallis - BBCi History 96. Richard Burton - BBC Wales 97. Tony Benn - BBC News 98. David Livingstone - BBC World Service 99. Professor Tim Berners-Lee - BBC Oxford 100. Marie Stopes - BBCi History ..and breathe... | |
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 I thought it was a load of swollen bollix meself....fucking cunty bollocks!!.... | |
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What in SNORKLES' name is Daivd Beckham doing in there? And half of the rest of them for that matter?
Wasn't Churchill basically responsible for some very dodgy tactical decisions that cost lives? He wanted to win the election and he used the war to do that. | |
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My vote for #1 goes to Sir John Cleese. #2 Brit has got to be Sir Edward The Eagle.
OMJ "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." Ernest Hemingway | |
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Ernest Shackelton got robbed!  | |
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I said: Well basically...
11. Ernest Shackleton - Why tha fuck!? 12. Captain James Cook - What the fuck!? 13. Lord Baden-Powell - Who the fuck!? 14. King Alfred the Great - Who the fuck!? 15. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington - Why the fuck!? 16. Margaret Thatcher (Baroness Thatcher) - WHat the fuck!? 17. Michael Crawford - 
18. Queen Victoria - What the fuck!? 19. Sir Paul McCartney - Why the fuck!? 20. Sir Alexander Fleming - Who the fuck!? 21. Alan Turing OBE - Who the fuck!? 22. Michael Faraday - Who the fuck!? 23. Owain Glyndwr - Who the fuck!? 24. Queen Elizabeth II - What the fuck!? 25. Professor Stephen Hawking - Hmmm...maybe... 26. William Tyndale - What the fuck!? 27. Emmeline Pankhurst - What the fuck!? 28. William Wilberforce - Who the fuck!? 29. David Bowie - Perhaps... 30. Guy Fawkes - (bursts out laughing) 31. Leonard Cheshire (Baron Cheshire of Woodall) - Who the fuck!? 32. Eric Morecambe OBE - What the fuck!? 33. David Beckham - WHAT IN THE NAME OF FUCKERRY FUCK!!??? 34. Thomas Paine - Who the fuck!? 35. Boudicca - What the, Who the, Why the fuck!!?? 36. Sir Steve Redgrave - Fuck off... 37. Sir Thomas More - Who the fuck is this?? 38. William Blake - Who the fuck are you?? 39. John Harrison - Get fucked... 40. King Henry VIII - Why the fuck!? 41. Charles Dickens - No fucking way... 42. Sir Frank Whittle - Who made these people up??? 43. John Peel -
44. John Logie Baird - Not a hope in fuck!!! 45. Aneurin Bevan - Who the Fuuuckk?? 46. Boy George -
47. Sir Douglas Bader - ...'...'..'..fuck!!!?? 48. William Wallace - 
49. Sir Francis Drake - What tha fuck!? 50. John Wesley - Who the fuck!? 51. King Arthur - This fucker didnt even exist!!!
Theres my analysis.  ...fucking cunty bollocks!!.... | |
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SmegHead said: I very much disagree.
This man did not "win us the war". Our soldiers, pilots, gunners, spies, mechanics, paratroopers, sailors and medics won us the war...not to mention the great help of the Americans and the Russian weather. Without Winston Churchill, our country and most probably the whole world would be unrecognizable, for the worst. Of course he didn't go onto the battlefield and shoot the Nazis, but without his leadership we would have been forced to sue for peace by the other members of the War Cabinet. Were it not for Winston Churchill, we would have surrendered and left the Nazis their entire, unbeaten, awe inspiring, Weirmacht to aim at Russia. The weather saved the Russians at the gates of Moscow, only because a great percentage of Germany's army was still in France. It is a fact beyond question that had we sued for peace, the Nazis would have won the war. That we didn't, saved this world from Nazi domination - does anyone think Hitler would have refrained from using Nuclear weapons as the Russians did throughout the Cold War? So, it should be beyond doubt that Churchill is the Greatest Briton. [This message was edited Mon Nov 25 14:00:47 PST 2002 by dewmass] ----------------------------------------- | |
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Personally I thought Isaac Newton was the most deserving, but I didn't expect him to win - ordinary people have no true appreciation for science and mathematics.
I was disgusted that a murderous tyrant such Cromwell was in the top 10 -- what is wrong with you people?!?! Churchill wasn't a particularly great guy either - he made a few speeches and he was in the right place at the right time but the greatest Briton ever? Umm if you say so 
Funny how some Irish people like Bono from U2 and Bob Geldof were listed in the top 100 great Britons  How does that work!? | |
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Cromwell/ Churchill - only the English could have voted for these(surprised Thatcher didnt win it).
Bono - well he is English speaking,,,until he does something wrong - then he is that Irish bastard rock singer. and - Dewmass, the Englishwere so effective in the war due them being well eqperienced at it - in fact they are still fighting in a lot of the peacefull countries that they ilegally occupied before the war... | |
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experienced | |
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ian said: Personally I thought Isaac Newton was the most deserving, but I didn't expect him to win - ordinary people have no true appreciation for science and mathematics.
True, true. Explains why Diana was ahead of him. Yes she did lots of charity work, but she had fuck all else to do (like get up every morning and work for a living). | |
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William Wilberforce should have got it.He was very instrumental in the abolition of the slave trade. | |
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RandomDuck said: ian said: Personally I thought Isaac Newton was the most deserving, but I didn't expect him to win - ordinary people have no true appreciation for science and mathematics.
True, true. Explains why Diana was ahead of him. Yes she did lots of charity work, but she had fuck all else to do (like get up every morning and work for a living). Oh but she looked so pretty when she did fuck all! | |
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What becomes clear from the outset was the need for those who took part in this survey to undergo a 'refresher course' on British history as a necessary precaution, prior to casting their votes. Had this measure been implemented by the organisers, then the list of names above would have been based on better informed choices - and therefore would have been radically different.
Admittedly, predictable entries such as Elizabeth I, Churchill and Diana would still have been expected to feature prominently. However, the overtly populist choices, mostly influenced by tabloid propaganda, have sadly resulted in equally (if not more) deserving names being left out. Names that seem to have been erased from the collective consciousness of the public and who now quite unfairly, continue to languish in obscurity. I could name at least a dozen or so individuals (some of them obscure, others not so - all vital) who failed to make the mark, but I will settle for just one of these "obscure" choices. Where, for example, was Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the civil engineer responsible for creating London's famous brick sewers (obviously not famous enough for Londoners who still use them), an engineering feat so cleverly and ingeniously designed that we are still using them to this very day? Had it not been for the efforts of this enterprising man, the entire population of 19th century London would have found themselves swimming in their own excrement... . "You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, sons of a silly person." | |
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Bren1 said: the English were so effective in the war due them being well eqperienced at it - in fact they are still fighting in a lot of the peacefull countries that they ilegally occupied before the war...
Now there is a nice load of bullshit. I suppose I can count you as one of those people who support "Freedom Fighting", such as murdering children in Warrington, but who oppose "terrorists" - such as those who fly planes into buildings. I suppose you can name me a whole bunch of "peaceful countries that they illegally occupied before the war". Each and every one will be utter nonesense of course, and will make assumptions about people and events of which you have no knowledge. ----------------------------------------- | |
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dewmass said: Bren1 said: the English were so effective in the war due them being well eqperienced at it - in fact they are still fighting in a lot of the peacefull countries that they ilegally occupied before the war...
Now there is a nice load of bullshit. I suppose I can count you as one of those people who support "Freedom Fighting", such as murdering children in Warrington, but who oppose "terrorists" - such as those who fly planes into buildings. I suppose you can name me a whole bunch of "peaceful countries that they illegally occupied before the war". Each and every one will be utter nonesense of course, and will make assumptions about people and events of which you have no knowledge. err, The British Empire controlled most of the world at one point, obviously that was along time ago, but we are still hated in alot of the world now to this day because of that.We were not angels by any stretch of the imagination. | |
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