Apparently the Rough Guide accuses the English of being quarrelsome, contradictory and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153obsessed with toffs and C-list celebrities\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0and labelling English people as “insular, self-important and irritating”. It goes on to say\u00c2\u00a0that political debate on issues such as immigration, Islamic terrorism and street crime is “served up with liberal dollops of celebrity chit-chat. Even the world’s most remote communities are on first-name terms with its princes, footballers and pop stars.”<\/span><\/p>\n However, the guide also pays the country some veiled compliments. For example, England is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a country of animal-loving, tea-drinking, charity donors, where queuing remains a national pastime and bastions of civilisation, like Radio 4, are jealously protected\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. They conclude that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Of the 200-plus destinations across the world that Rough Guides covers, there is none so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse, yet as insular, self-important and irritating, as England.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><\/p>\n According to The Independent<\/a>, the guide offers some less-than-complimentary opinions on some of the country’s towns and cities. It describes Blackpool, arguably one of Britain’s premiere seaside resorts, as “shamelessly brash”. Derby is “unexciting”, Plymouth is “bland” and, as for the English Riviera, Torquay, “St Tropez it ain’t” is The Rough Guide’s unforgiving verdict.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/we-english.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/fivegraphic0805_468x270.jpg\" "\\"fivegraphic0805_468x270\\"")
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