WTF? John Lennon and Princess Diana?

[Seneca]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
"Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who designed the Clifton Bridge in Bristol, western England. "

Whoopdee-friggin-doo.

Ever been there? No? Well shut up, then.

[Seneca]

Look - it's THAT good:

<----

[Seneca]

We also seem to be somewhat forgetting Brunel's contribution towards the development of iron-clad (yes, ironclad, that's a Civ unit), vessels, which laid the foundation of Britain's 19th century naval supremacy.

And he had a really cool name.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Cromwell (well, the memory of what he did and how he did it) had great influence on how the military was set up in the Constitution -- they wanted to make damn sure that another Cromwell couldn't rise here.

No doubt he was influential, but this poll was on the greatest Britons, not the most influential ones.

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Faboba
Queen Elizabeth I - English, fair enough though; did a good job as monarchs go.

Winston Churchill - English, a little weird. Good rabble rouser though, fair enough.

Charles Darwin - English, great guy, superb choice, visionary.

Horatio Nelson - English, great guy, pretty much won the war against Napoleon by the rather... suicidal strategy employed at Trafalgar.

Oliver Cromwell - English and.... hmmmmmm

Isaac Newton - English, very smart man. Utter *****, but very smart.

William Shakespeare - English, good enough writer. Overrated.

John Lennon - English, good singer, good songwriter but a bit of a *** all things considered.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel - English, hmmm... well he was a good enough engineer. He built a lot of bridges, a lot of tunnels. He invented the 'tunnelling shield' and is utterly unworthy of being a

Princess Diana - English, well **** me. No... no, I guess she didn't. A fair nunber of other people though it must be said. A real peice of work who's notable quotes include "I don't even know how to use a parking meter, let alone a phone box". One of the greatest Britons of ALL TIME?!??!? HER????!?!?

But in case you haven't been keeping track of the ethnicities of the candidates so far I'll recap. In Great Britain there are four nationalities - English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish / Northern Irish.

Candidates from Northern Ireland - 0
Candidates from Wales - 0
Candidates from Scotland - 0
Candidates from England - 10

Now I'm not suggesting this is a little off at all, lord no, heaven forfend.

I'm sure no one you know watches a television. No... me I never touch the thing. Of course, one could argue that... maybe... just maybe the guy who invented the thing might deserve a little mention. Or maybe the guy who invented penicillin. Or the guy who invented the telephone.

No of course not! No one uses those crazy Scottish thing. Hell we don't even go north of Birmingham. No no no. Damn scruffy northerners. You can't trust them, you know. Liverpudlians and the damn Scots they're all the same. Whingeing lay abouts who have never done anything for anyone.

Oh what we need ONE of the scruffs? Oh all right we'll have that termite chappy. Yes, yes, Lenin, that's the one.


Now ... I realise that there was a very careful consideration made of all the candidates. That many judges pondered and fretted over the problem until they were almost reduced to tears. That it was one of the hardest decisions they'd ever had to make.

But please... please tell me, cause I want to know. Who in the name of GOD would seriously that prissy little ex-wife of dumbo, the prince of wales, above John Logie Baird, Alexander Graham Bell, Robert Burns or Alexander Fleming.

Some of the scots you mention were in the top 100.

They just didn't make the top 10.

I wouldof course have any of people you mention above Diana. but then I would put myself above Diana.

It wasn't dedided by judges it was deceided by a phone poll

[Tolls]

"It wasn't dedided by judges it was deceided by a phone poll"

Which does surprise me...I would have thought the shallow proles in this country would have stuck more soap stars, footballers and talentless pretty boy pop stars in the top 20...

Still...Diana???

"And he had a really cool name."

And a very big hat...

Also Bob Godfrey got the '75 Oscar for his 30 minute animation, "GREAT - Isembard Kingdom Brunel". Which isn't shown often enough, in my book.

I was pleasantly surprised both Owain Glyndwr and Lloyd George were as high up as they were (especially Glyndwr)...restored my faith skightly...but...DIANA???

[Gary]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
No doubt he was influential, but this poll was on the greatest Britons, not the most influential ones.

IMO you have to be fairly great to take a major part in winning a civil war, to preside of the removal of the monarchy and to then run the country for years.

Sadly the idiots brought back the parasites after Cromwell died.

[Buck Birdseed]

Of the top ten I'd definately pick Darwin.

If anyone missed the top 100 list, it's available in alphabetical order here.

Some interesting choices in that one, my reactions ranging from Aaargh! at Enoch Powell to Really? Awesome! at John Peel.

[Seneca]

And a very big hat...

Yes, of course the hat alone makes him No.1 greatest.

[Urban Ranger]

Hm. I think one of those dudes who discovered the double helix structure of DNA's pretty damn great. Name's Francis Crick, I believe.

[Ozz]

Re: Lennon & P. Diana

Shameless pandering to the masses.
Those two don't rate great let alone greatest.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Ozz
Re: Lennon & P. Diana

Shameless pandering to the masses.
Those two don't rate great let alone greatest.

Um, it was, I believe, a poll OF the masses, so I don't know if it could be called pandering...

[Ozz]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Um, it was, I believe, a poll OF the masses, so I don't know if it could be called pandering...

It was a phone poll, how many names/options do you think they give someone over the phone? I bet 20 tops.
I think they wanted them in for headline value, knowing
they would make the list, thence pandering IMHO.

[Boris Godunov]

Considering the list had 100 names, I wager they simply asked them to provide a name and compiled the names most commonly given.

[Buck Birdseed]

The original list was compiled by a totally free "most nominations" process, and certainly differed well from any list any "experts" would have put together. Several way Politically Incorrect entires, like the aforementioned Powell, John Lyddon, etc., plus very few artists and classical composers.