Brit, God Bless Great Britain... if that is the way you think DON'T move to France, you'd be moving here for all the wrong reasons. Move to France becasue you want to live in France, NOT because you want out of Britain....

HUBBLE, FRANCE,

Dear sir
I have spent a couple months touring your green and pleasant land from Cornwall to the Okneys . Your country's great and vast bulk of your people are fine

The land of Oz is equally as good but in quite different ways

As for the Lonely planet its a usefull travel guide but really isnt holy writ nor does it speak for the whole Australian nation

Raf Byron, Sydney, NSW

Surprised no one has blamed it on George Bush and Tony Blair yet!

Reggie, Boston/London, US/UK

Beer and porn? Where do i sign...

JK, Brighton,

Paolo, not all Australians are loud mouthed.

Eddie, Mackay, Australia

I'm an American who lives in lovely Scotland. The comments about rudeness must have been made about the English. I love the Scots!

strawberry, Kilmun, UK

I have the reverse opinion - I moved here from Australia a year ago and never did anywhere feel so much like home. The lonely planet books are designed for people whose raison d'etre is to criticise anything successful or enjoyable in favour of eating yak poo hand steamed by native disabled eskimos because its more "real".

Interestingly, I never realised this was an Australian publication - for reference - Australia has the 2nd highest obesity and alcoholism rates in world, the highest gambling related problems and Sydney at least has a higher rate of serious crime than London.

For those of you thinking of emigrating - only do it to Aus. if you want to live your life talking about the weather (which in these days of global warming is no better than london) as there is nothing else going on there, transport is terrible, travel is expensive and arduous, careers are limited and underpaid, and the nightlife is dull and unchanging.

viva england

dave, london,

'According to the guide, it is “a telling indictment” that more Britons vote in TV talent shows than in elections for their country’s leaders.'

Question 1: What is the difference these days?

Question 2: With all the malarkey overr TV phone-ins, what sort of faith can we have in such an unsupported statistic?

Question 3: When the contestants on a pap music TV show seem far more rooted in the real world than politicians, what can one expect?

Kidd Garrett, Bristol, UK

I'm very happy living in Britain (a lot of this has to do with the lack of beasties that want to kill me and the fact that it's not too hot here, yet. Plus the majority of people here are pretty good really!) but can't understand the hype and adoration engendered by footballers, models and their less "skiiled" colleagues such as Big Brother contestants who are famous despite not being able to "sing a jolly tune, look good in tight trousers or kick a ball in the right direction”. However, apart from having my TV and magazine choices reduced, it doesn't really cause me a problem!

Liz, Leamington Spa,

Good riddance!

Martin, Surrey, England

I spent 3 weeks in London on vacation recently. I really liked the museums, galleries, shopping, and the historic sites like the Tower etc....What most travels guides ought to say but don't is that most Londoners are very ill-mannered. The myth of the "proper" English is just that, a myth! I found nearly everyone, with the exception of a very nice woman who did the laundry for us, to be rude and mightliy disinterested in doing their jobs. (i.e. ringing up purchases, taking dinner orders, answering questions about menus, etc....) Your service industry needs an overhaul.

Jacquelyn, Tampa, FL, USA

Er - I was over in Australia over Christmas and the issues on their television - youth drunkeness, obesity, immigration mainly - almost exactly reflected that of the British media. The only difference is that their celebrities include those who can hit a ball straight rather than kick it. Furthermore, if you live in London at the moment I think there is a very positive and forward thinking attitude in this most vibrant of cities. Accentuate the negatives if you like - I'd swap you Nick Griffin for Pauline Hanson but there isn't really much of a difference.

matt, london, uk

As much as I hate to admit it, as I have left my home country to live here permanently, I share Mike (Perth)'s sentiments, and would add lawlessness, moral indifference and political/administrative bedlam to the list of things that make Britain "Great." Also, to suggest that there is a prevailing attitude of cultural or religious tolerance anywhere in the British Isles, is, regrettably, ridiculous.

Moira, London,

Come on guys, be nice. We may have really awful weather 90% of the year and a related massive binge drinking problem (need to drink enough to feel warm on the walk home from the pub), be riddled with political apathy, eat too much junk food, obsess about celebrity cellulite and generally convey to outsiders an air of misery and disgruntlement but its our home.
Disfunctional as it is I was born here and I'll be drawn back here from my travels to much nicer places just because its familiarly and comfortingly imperfect. I've invested 25.5 years learning its frustrating, miserable ways - would be a shame to waste it now!

Hannah, Brighton, Sussex

I'd rather live on this scepter’d isle set in a sea of junk food than in Australia; - a land of loud mouthed racists with mullets

Paolo, Oxford, U.K.

If all the stuck-up prigs who couldn't cut it in the UK leave and are replaced by hard-working Indiians, Poles and Romanians, it should start to become nicer very soon.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

There has been a steep rise recently in the number of these posts in which Britons are determined to emigrate. I know I'm one of them. That's 3/3 on this article alone!

Sarah, London, UK

Oh you miserable lot. One thing I will say is that Brits are notoriously good at agreeing how awful life is!!

Yet, I'm not a burger-eating binge drinker, pornography addict or a follower of so-called celebrities. And I dont think I could name anyone who is.

Sarah, London,

I think that should read "This scepter’d isle set in a sea of junk food, drowning in a rising tide of filth and litter". Yep - about sums it up for me. Couldn't wait to get out of the dump......

Mike, Perth, Australia

Can't argue with any of that, I'm afraid.
That's why I'm off to live in France ASAP.
Bon chance mes amis!

Brit, God Bless Great Britain, GB